Madam Speaker, along with many of my colleagues in this House I have been lobbied by firefighters from right across the country with respect to the need for a Canadian Operation Respond test site.
Therefore, it is my privilege to rise in the House, on behalf of the Minister of Transport, to announce the government's support for the private member's initiative undertaken by the hon. member for Burnaby-Kingsway. The Government of Canada agrees with the principle that, wherever it is reasonable to do so, full support should be provided to firefighters as well as to other emergency response personnel. M-241 has this goal in mind and, for that reason, we support it.
I should, however, clarify some of the terms used in the motion. Let me begin with the title "Operation Respond". In the early 1990s the International Association of Firefighters in both Canada and the United States proposed that a system be established to provide firefighters with immediate information on contents of trucks and railway vehicles.
The essential elements were: first, each means of transport intended to carry dangerous goods must be assigned a unique identification number.
Second, on loading dangerous goods the operator of the means of transport report to a central computer the identification number and details of a load. On delivery, the operator would report a second time to have the entry deleted.
Third, computers, similar to those used by police forces for direct access from their vehicles to centrally located computer files be provided to fire department vehicles so that at the scene of a transportation accident the firefighters could access the central databank to find out what was carried in the involved means of transport.
A study conducted in 1993 by the U.S. National Research Council, under the guidelines of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, concluded that the generation and handling of the data needed to give effect to such a system for all dangerous good shipments was too expensive to justify the implementation. However, it was noted that some companies, notably railways, already had the necessary data in computerized form.
The decision was taken in the U.S. to support the development and use of software which could access such existing data. The organization established to do this is Operation Respond Institute Inc.
Since Operation Respond began in 1992 its software has been established in 40 locations. Companies whose data can be accessed using the software currently comprise two trucking companies and 16 railway companies.
Operation Respond is a program established through contractual agreements between Operation Respond Institute Inc. and data providers such as railway companies and between Operation Respond Institute Inc. and data users such as fire departments.
We agree that Operation Respond, as operated in the United States, be demonstrated right here in Canada.
With respect to the statement that the Minister of Transport should move rapidly to establish a Canadian test site, there are no regulatory roadblocks or initiatives required in order for Operation Respond to operate in Canada as it operates in the United States. It would appear from the motion that what is wanted is a champion to promote the initiative.
I can advise that the Minister of Transport will act in this role for the establishment of a demonstration site. To promote the establishment of the demonstration site, the Minister of Transport will request CN and CP to participate in the program. They will be asked to make available their data on the contents of railway cars in the manner required by Operation Respond software.
Further, the Minister of Transport will assist financially in the establishment of Operation Respond software in a Canadian location which includes installation and training. In selecting the Canadian test site referred to in the motion, we considered past accidents in communities which have significant rail and highway traffic. I can advise the House that an informal agreement has been reached between the Burnaby Fire Department and Transport Canada to establish the Canadian demonstration site in Burnaby, B.C.
Although Burnaby, B.C. has not had frequent accidents, it has had a higher rate than similar communities. I am sure the member for Burnaby-Kingsway would agree that a Burnaby test site would be highly appropriate. The Minister of Transport supports the establishment of a Canadian demonstration site for Operation Respond. I encourage all my colleagues in the House to support the private member's Motion No. 241.