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2023 Concludes on a Very Positive Note

With “go lives” on Highway 14, emergency communications coverage is available to Port Renfrew, and we have enhanced services in several areas along that corridor, notably Otter Point and Shirley. The Northwest side of Salt Spring also became a sa…

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Inter-operability Strengthens the Safety of Emergency Response Personnel and the Public They Serve

Inter-operability is the ability of public safety service and support providers — police and RCMP, firefighters, BC Ambulance, BC Transit, Legislative Assembly Protective Services and all other user agencies on the CREST network — to communicate …

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Update on the New Public Safety Building

CREST completed its land purchase in the City of Langford moving the organization one step closer to having a new consolidated public safety building that will house all of CREST’s equipment and technology under one roof in a post-seismic structure…

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CREST Welcomes New Directors

Following the October 15 Municipal Elections, CREST welcomed the following new Directors: CREST wishes to acknowledge the following Directors who are no longer with CREST. Their dedication to public safety services in the Capital Region is greatly ap…

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Port Renfrew Emergency Response Agencies Welcome CREST Network.

Rogers Communications (Rogers) is extending their cellular network to the Pacific Rim along Highway 14 between Sooke and Port Renfrew, and the CREST network is joining them. CREST has entered into a co-location agreement with Rogers to place CREST eq…

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A CREST champion retires. Thank you, Mike Hicks

As the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area Director, Mike Hicks spearheaded support to bring CREST’s P25 digital network to the Pacific Rim, a rugged rural area that presented challenges for emergency response communications.  Mike was hugely supporti…

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Legislative Assembly Security join CREST Network

By the end of 2022, several dozen security officers of the Legislative Assembly will be part of the CREST public safety network that supports and connects all emergency organizations in the Capital Region.  CREST network’s digital technol…

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CREST Board of Directors recommend moving ahead with new Post-Disaster Public Safety Building to consolidate the Region’s Public Safety Infrastructure

The Board of Directors of CREST (Capital Region Emergency Service Telecommunications Inc.) announced today that they have given approval for the not-for-profit corporation to enter into an agreement to purchase a parcel of land in Langford, and to co…

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CREST Engineers look to the sun for temporary solar solution

CREST’s talented team of young technology professionals are finding innovative solutions to help first responders in rural areas like Shirley. During the pandemic, Shirley Fire became inundated with calls for assistance in the back country as the r…

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Increased Public Safety for Gulf Islands and Pacific Rim

With Rogers Communications (Rogers) in the approval process to build new cell towers in the Pacific Rim (between Otter Point and Port Renfrew) and on the Gulf Islands (Channel Ridge on Salt Spring Island), CREST welcomes a collocation agreement with …

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2021 CREST Annual General Meeting

New Directors appointed to CREST, a new chapter for the region’s public safety telecommunications organization, new five-year strategic plan, and more… CREST (Capital Region Emergency Service Telecommunications Inc.), held its 2021 Annual General…

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CREST Engineers get creative to help local dispatcher

In addition to having responsibility for the Capital Region’s public safety infrastructure 24/7, CREST’s talented engineers are always looking at ways to improve service and make the lives of their user agencies a little easier. One of the dispat…

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Spring news from CREST

Stay up to date with the latest news from CREST and our ongoing improvements to emergency communications….

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Emergency Preparedness Week 2021

This past year, we’ve all learned the value of public safety. The pandemic has brought public health and safety to the forefront and is a reminder of why it’s so important to have systems in place that help keep us all safe. CREST provide…

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Region’s First Responders Weigh in on the new p25 network

Silence surrounding the region’s newly upgraded emergency communications system speaks volumes about its effectiveness, say those who use it every day. Police and fire chiefs around the region say the lack of feedback from frontline staff on the ne…

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New Staff Announcements

CREST currently have a small group of talented technical personnel. During the P25 system buildout we took on 2 young engineering graduates, on a contract basis, to provide additional resources to the project. They have been essential to our success,…

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CREST Welcomes New Board of Directors

Esquimalt Councillor Tim Morrison New Chair of CREST Board of Directors New Board members include: Brad Cameron, BC Emergency Health Services; Charles Nash, Salt Spring Electoral Area; Councillor Dean Jantzen, City of Colwood; Councillor Sharmarke Du…

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CREST User Satisfaction Survey

In November 2020, CREST engaged Strategic Initiatives to undertake a formal User Satisfaction Survey to set benchmark measures for the new P25 network, and to gather feedback to assist the CREST organization’s commitment to continual improvement. T…

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Board approves New 5-Year Strategic Plan

A new 5-year Strategic Plan, setting the future direction of CREST, was approved by the Board at the November 18 Board meeting. Following the easing of COVID-19 gathering restrictions, a facilitated meeting was held in September during which Director…

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CREST Completes Final Phase of Network Upgrade

Not even a global health pandemic could prevent the team at CREST from completing the Capital Region’s 4-year $24.5M technology upgrade that has moved the system and the region’s emergency responders and public service agencies onto a fully digit…

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CREST’s Longest Serving Director Passes the Torch

With the successful completion of new P25 CREST system, Colwood Councillor Gordie Logan, who had served the CREST organization for the past 19 years (12 years as Chair) announced to his Board colleagues that he would be stepping off the Board. Gordie…

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System Upgrade Improves Coverage, Clarity, Security

CREST (Capital Region Emergency Service Telecommunications Inc.), the Capital Region’s dedicated emergency communications organization, successfully transitioned three of the region’s first responder communities to a new, best-in-class, radio net…

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New system aims to increase coverage, cut costs for Greater Victoria first responders

On the surface, it looks like a medium-sized suitcase. However, what’s inside the digital vehicular repeater system (DVRS) can save money and ultimately lives. Fire officials from across Greater Victoria gathered in Central Saanich Wednesday mornin…

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Lessons learned: Winter storms

As mother nature reminded us last year with the windstorm on December 20th we all need to be prepared for emergencies. …

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Behind the scenes

With quite a number of new board members, a tour was organized earlier in the year where board members could see some of the transmission sites up close and personal. …

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Digital Vehicular Repeater System (DVRS) can save money and ultimately lives

Fire officials from across Greater Victoria gathered in Central Saanich this fall to receive training on the DVRS…

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P25 Goes Live

All Police and Fire agencies in the Urban Core and the Saanich Peninsula, have moved successfully onto the new P25 system….

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Staff Profile

Taso Barous, communication technologist Taso has over twelve years’ experience in the radio frequency industry, including P25 and other similar trunked systems. …

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Canada Day – Crest’s busiest day of the year

“With P25 system operational in the core we had the ability to use this resource. We experienced no problems as well as importantly no busy signals on the P25 system.” Police Dispatch…

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Technology update

“It’s really a new and better tool for us to serve the public” The installation of new transmission sites has completed in the core area (Victoria, Oak Bay, Esquimalt and Saanich) and testing on the new P25 system is underway with operational t…

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UVIC FACULTY OF ENGINEERING – CREST PARTNER

CREST looks forward to the annual arrival of UVic engineering co-op students. Sajjad Rajput and Jim Mercer recently concluded their work term with CREST. Over the past decade, CREST has welcomed 25 co-op students. “I can’t say enough good things …

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Emergency Preparedness Week May 6 – May 12

We’re ready for an emergency. Are you? CREST provides emergency radio communications exclusively to 50 emergency response and public service agencies in B.C.’s Capital Region. In the case of a natural disaster, the CREST system is designed to…

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Innovation

CREST staff create more affordable ‘all call box’ for BC Transit with 3D printer. CREST staff have created an ‘all call box’ for BC Transit using a design modeled on CREST’s 3D printer. The new design is streamlined easier to instal…

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Upgrades To Salt Spring Island’s Emergency Communications System Proposed for Site in Ganges

Victoria – The Royal Canadian Salt Spring Legion Branch has given approval to move forward with the Capital Region Emergency Service Telecommunications Inc. (CREST) on a partnership project that would see an upgrade to existing public safety commun…

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Community Information Meeting

Wednesday May 2nd 6:00 – 8:00 pm Fire Hall – 333 Island Highway To improve emergency communications coverage in View Royal, a communications mono-pole is proposed to be installed at the Fire Hall in 2018. CREST will be holding a Community…

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Interior Firefighters Supported by CREST this summer:

CREST was asked to supply radios to these units since our radios use VHF multiband and able to work on the same fire frequencies as those used in the interior. Our technical staff were able to respond promptly, programmed the radios appropriately, an…

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What’s New?

New and updated interactive training videos are available will be available online in mid-November at www.crest.ca They cover such topics as: Channels + Talkgroups Your Radio battery Introduction to the CREST System APX Portable-Basic-Radio-Functions…

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Upgrade Update: Phase 1

Phase 1 (Core: Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, and Esquimalt) P25 700MHz All of the 12 planned 700MHz transition sites have been installed in the downtown core. Testing of the system with the new dual band radios has begun and will take place over the co…

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Why Are MultiBand Radios Important For Our Region?

VHF radios are the most effective radios for rural communities as VHF have greater coverage over longer distances with more natural terrain. 700 MHz radios are the North American standard for urban areas as the frequencies can penetrate buildings muc…

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New Radios

A significant part of the new HRO P25 system sees user agencies replacing their existing radios with new devices. A number of agencies have taken possession of new Motorola APX radios including: Military (Police and Fire), BC Ambulance, Victoria Fire…

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2017 – 2020 Strategic Plan

In 2017, CREST moved from a three year to a four year Strategic Plan. The plan focuses on the implementation and of system-wide infrastructure upgrades to improve public and emergency responder safety across the southern Vancouver Island Region. CRES…

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Read The 2016 Annual Report

In 2016, CREST embarked upon our $24.5 million technology renewal project. The “next generation” technology will replace the existing radio system and will strengthen public safety. Throughout the year, CREST staff worked with consultants and Mot…

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Getting the Message Out: Key information about CREST

CREST provides emergency radio communications to 50+ emergency CREST provides emergency communications for 50 emergency response agencies on southern Vancouver Island. This represents over 2,000 emergency service providers who rely upon our HRO radio…

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Highrock Park communications tower flies in

The installation of an emergency communications mono-pole in Highrock Park took place May 15th with the 27 meter pole being lifted in sections and placed with a helicopter. Highrock Park is an integral part of an extensive technology upgrade to impro…

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Highrock Park Mono-Pole Installation Completed

The installation of an emergency communications mono-pole in Highrock Park took place May 15th. The mono-pole was airlifted by helicopter in sections and placed on conjunction with a ground team….

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Highrock Park Mono-Pole Nears Completion

The installation of an emergency communications mono-pole in Highrock Park is nearing completion. It is an integral part of an extensive regional technology upgrade to improve emergency response communications across the region, and will address gaps…

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HIGHROCK PARK

To improve emergency communications coverage, a communications mono-pole will be installed at Highrock Park. …

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READ THE 2015 ANNUAL REPORT

In 2015, CREST began implementing the $24.5 million technology upgrade that will see public safety agencies throughout the region switch to a digital P25 platform….

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Crest Moving Forward With New Radio System Partnerships

INTEROPERATIBILY WILL STRENGTHEN PUBLIC AND RESPONDER SAFETY VICTORIA, BC, JANUARY 4, 2016 The board of directors of Capital Region Emergency Service Telecommunications (CREST) announced today that CREST has executed an agreement with Motorola Soluti…

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Read the 2014 Annual Report

CREST made a significant stride forward in 2014 as a result of shareholders supporting a $24.5 million investment in a five-year plan to upgrade CREST’s technology. …

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CREST Moving Ahead with New Technology

Victoria, BC – CREST board chair Gordie Logan reported at today’s annual general meeting “that CREST has made a significant stride forward on implementing its plan to upgrade CREST’s technology.”…

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New Directors Appointed to CREST Board

Victoria – A slate of new directors have been appointed to the board of CREST, many as a result of last fall’s municipal elections. New directors appointed within the past six months include……

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CREST Shareholders Approve $24.5M Investment

Victoria, BC – CREST shareholders supported making a $24.5 million investment in a five-year plan to upgrade CREST’s technology to open standard communications – also known as P25 – using 700 MHz spectrum….

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CREST Reports on Results and Plans for the Future

Victoria, BC – CREST board chair Gordie Logan reported at today’s annual general meeting “that we have continued to enhance the system, grow the number of users and plan for the future.” General Manager Gord Horth reported to shareholders on pe…

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