Pathway Patrol

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Pathway Patrol

• 2004 Expansion

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Presentation Overview

• Where we are
• Where we want to be
• How to get there
• Next steps
• The time is now

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Background

• Volunteer program
• Improve safety and security of all pathway users
• Encourage courtesy among user groups
• Promote active living

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History Origins

• 1995 Community initiative
• Owls Nest asks Mayor for a volunteer patrol to
  improve security on recreation pathway
• 1996 Steering committee planning
• Councillor Ron Kolbus champions
• 1997 First Patrol
• From Lakeside Gardens to Champlain bridge
• Pilot project for Ontario

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History Expanding Areas and Roles

• 1998 Greenboro expansion
• 1998 Safety blitzes
• 1999 Hintonburg expansion
• 2000 Trans-Canada Trail marshals
• 2001 Expansion to Ottawa Locks
• 2003 Pinecrest Creek expansion
• 2004 City-wide?

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Why safer pathways and more active residents?

• 17.5 million users of the recreational pathways
  each year, 87 of which are NCR residents
• Recent public and media attention to safety
  concerns and city-wide coverage in light of
  Ardeth Wood murder
• Not enough coverage only 4 of 21 wards
  represented by Pathway Patrol

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Why safer pathways and more active residents? 2

• Promotion of physical activity and healthy weight
  are mandatory Public Health programs
• Social and economic costs of inactivity child
  and adult obesity epidemic
• Increase of 1 in physical activity participation
  rate among Ontarians would result in annual
  health care savings of 31million dollars
• Benefits Healthier residents, less congestion,
  reduced pollution, and fewer crashes

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How the Pathway Patrol Increases Safety

• Monitoring
• Patrollers observe and report hazards
• Users know paths are monitored
• Intervention
• First aid, minor repairs, debris clean-up, 911
  calls
• Empowerment
• Users become volunteers, take active measures to
  improve own education and safety
• Virtuous Circle
• More users ? safer paths ? more users

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Pathway Patrol 20/20 Smart Growth Direction

• Mandate within four of seven 20/20 Guiding
  Principles
• Responsible and Responsive City
• Healthy and active city
• Green and Environmentally Sensitive City
• Caring and Inclusive City
• Public expectation of
• Personal safety and security
• Focus on walking, cycling and transit
• Community engagement and partnership

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Organization

• General direction set by Steering Committee
• Policy, budgetting
• Paid co-ordinator during patrol season
• City of Ottawa staff
• Day-to-day operation managed by volunteers at
  some bases

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Steering Committee Representation

• City of Ottawa
• Recreation, Health, Transportation
• National Capital Commission
• Ottawa Heart Beat
• Police and Emergency Services

• Advocacy groups
• Citizens for Safe Cycling
• Womens Initiatives for Safer Environments
• Local businesses
• City Councillors and Mayors offices
• Volunteer patrollers

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2003 Budget

• Cash budget variable from year to year
• Generally declining trend
• City of Ottawa makes up any shortfall
• In-kind contributions used where possible

• 2003 in-kind contributions
• Uniforms
• Assistance kits
• Community centre facilities
• Training Lunches
• Safety blitz transportation
• Some training
• Kick-off attendance
• Computer equipment
• Cell phone

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2001 Cash Budget
Total 17,527
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2003 Cash Budget (projected)
Total 12,000
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2001 Patrol Outcome

• 42 fully-trained volunteer patrollers
• 162 patrols conducted
• Each of two hours with two patrollers
• 5 first aid interventions
• 3 emergency (911) calls
• 2003 figures not finalized
• Patrollers and shifts expected to be similar to
  2001

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Expansion

• Geographical
• Operating season
• Patroller density
• Volunteer scope

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Geographical Expansion

• Objective To be ready to operate in all or most
  urban areas and high-density suburban or exurban
  areas by summer 2004
• Benefits
• Broader security
• Volunteers more able to patrol their home areas
• Challenge Organizational and financial

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Operating Season Expansion

• Objective Operate from mid-April to
  mid-October. Planning and promotion/ recruitment
  continues off-season
• Benefits
• Longer security
• Increased cost-effectiveness
• Challenge Financial

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Patrol Density Expansion

• Objective At least one shift per day on all
  patrolled pathways
• Benefits
• Deeper security
• Increased visibility
• Challenge Volunteers

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Volunteer Scope Expansion

• Objective To involve volunteers in more of
  organizational, planning and ancillary (e.g. web
  site) roles
• Benefit
• Increased cost-effectiveness
• Deeper volunteer commitment
• Better use of volunteers talent
• Challenge Directing volunteers efforts

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Expansion Challenges Funding

• Planning for effective city-wide expansion
• Part-time coordinator year-round
• Full time coordinators during operating season
• Estimated cash requirement 50,000 Estimated
  cash requirement 50,000 or reallocation of
  existing recreation staff for part-time
  coordinator/expansion planning role
• NCC committed to providing funding support to
  expansion

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Expansion Challenges Organizational

• Formalize relationship with City of Ottawa
• Better visibility at senior staff, council levels
• Clarify accounting of Pathway Patrol funds
  administered by City of Ottawa
• Restructure steering committee

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Expansion Challenges Staffing

• Pathway Patrol has historically suffered from not
  having paid staff in off-season
• Funding issue
• Implications
• Late start to patrolling season
• Loss of continuity

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Expansion Challenges Year-Round Coordinator

• Part-time in off-season
• Off-season roles
• Planning strategic and operational
• Recruiting
• Funding applications (from public bodies) and
  fundraising (from private bodies)
• Outreach
• Evaluation

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Expansion Challenges Councillor Role

• Expansion into new community is driven by
  councillor, facilitated by Pathway Patrol
• Councillor needed to
• Highlight community issues to Patrol
• Promote Pathway Patrol to community groups and
  businesses
• Awareness, recruiting, fund raising
• Base and route planning

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Expansion Challenges Councillor Role

• Pathway Patrol will develop and provide
  interested councillors with expansion kit
• Pathway Patrol members may make presentations to
  councillor, ward stakeholders

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Expansion Challenges Volunteer Recruiting

• Volunteer motivation improved by expanded patrol
• Being able to patrol near home
• Expanding social relationships
• More recognition from better-known program
• Higher diversity of volunteer roles
• Recruiting promotions can use city-wide media
  with higher penetration and visibility

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Next Steps

• Committee presentations
• Budget and funding commitment
• Hiring part-time planner for winter 2003/04
• Preparation of expansion kit
• Expansion execution

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Next Steps Committee Presentations

• Recreation Advisory
• Cycling Advisory
• Transportation Advisory
• Accessibility Advisory
• Police Services
• Emergency and Protective Services

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Next Steps Funding

• NCC has committed to providing financial support
  to Pathway Patrol expansion
• Can be provided on short notice
• Need funding/reallocation of staff commitment in
  principle from City of Ottawa
• Need separate item in Citys accounting system

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Next Steps Hiring

• External sustainable funding to hire Program
  Coordinator or reallocation of resources within
  City of Ottawa Recreation to fill role part-time
  for 6 months or longer
• Develop job description for off-season
  coordinator
• Interviews, hiring to be conducted as soon as
  funds are available

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Next Steps Develop Expansion Kit

• Patrollers, planner to meet with one councillor
  already with Patrol
• Create package of information most useful from a
  councillors perspective
• Hope to create turn-key implementation
• Distribute to interested councillors
• Late 2003

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The Time is Now

• Window of opportunity created by public,
  political and media attention on pathway security
• Public support has always been strong for the
  Pathway Patrol now its focused

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More information

• mailto//info_at_ottawapathwaypatrol.ca
• http//ottawapathwaypatrol.ca
• Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre, 613-829-6629

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Additional Information

• NEXT FEW PAGES PROVIDE
• Patrol operational background
• Patrol current training requirements
• Need for added public exposure blitzes and
  publicity

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Patrol Operation

• Uniformed volunteer patrollers
• Operate in (at least) pairs
• Bicycle, inline skate, walk
• Currently Victoria Day to Labour Day
• Currently three bases
• Ron Kolbus Lakeside, Greenboro, Hintonburg

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Patrol Service to Public

• Carry assistance kits
• One oriented to first aid, other oriented to
  mechanical repair and pathway maintenance
• Cell phones for major emergencies
• Monitor and report hazards
• Role models in safe, courteous use
• Positive, friendly approach to promote use

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Pathway Patrol is Not

• Not bylaw enforcement or police
• Patrollers have no legal authority
• Not armed in any way
• Not part of emergency response system
• Not currently set up for uncoordinated, ad hoc
  patrols

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Patroller Commitment

• Each patroller commits to at least one twohour
  patrol shift per week
• Training and uniforms provided at no cost to
  patroller

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Patrol Management

• Patrollers must sign in and out at base before
  and after each shift
• Base is usually community centre
• Patrollers receive pinney, kit, cell phone from
  staff at base
• Patrollers fill out report after each shift
• Result Pathway Patrol organization tracks every
  shift

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Patroller Training Syllabus

• Standard first aid
• CPR level C
• Pathway regulations
• Safety equipment helmets and pads
• Communication with pathway users
• Personal security

• Universal precautions
• Bicycle, inline skate repair
• Disability awareness
• Multicultural awareness

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Patroller Training

• Training time
• 30 hours for new patrollers
• 11 to 15 hours for returning patrollers

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Patroller Certification

• At least 18 years old
• Reference check
• Police criminal record check
• Patroller training completed
• Bicycling or inline skating competency test

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Safety Blitzes

• Community events
• E.g. Folk Festival, Labatt 24-Hour Relay, Minto
  Bayshore Fun Days
• Pathway Patrol provides booth, patrollers,
  literature and other hand-outs
• Public education and publicity
• Recruiting
• Service e.g.helmet fitting, minor bicycle
  tuning
• Supervision e.g. parade marshals