Commissioner's Directive

---

Policy Bulletin 246

---

POLICY OBJECTIVE

1. To establish minimum standards of operation for personal portable, fixed-point and cell call alarms, in order to provide a secure environment and to ensure protection of staff, inmates, visitors and the public.

AUTHORITY

2. Commissioner's Directive 567 – Management of Security Incidents

DEFINITIONS

3. Personal portable alarm: an alarm unit which, when activated, triggers an alarm at a central control centre, and identifies the specific alarm unit and/or its designated location.

4. Fixed-point alarm: an alarm unit which is permanently installed in key locations of a facility.

5. Cell call alarm: an alarm unit which is permanently installed in a cell and when activated, triggers an alarm at a central control centre, and identifies the specific alarm unit and/or its designated location.

INSTITUTIONAL HEAD'S RESPONSIBILITIES

6. The Institutional Head will establish Standing Orders to address:

1. how institutional staff will respond to personal portable, fixed-point and cell call alarms;
2. where permanently assigned personal portable alarms are located;
3. which posts, positions or staff will be issued personal portable alarms daily;
4. where fixed-point alarms are located;
5. the requirement for issuing instructions to staff on the personal portable, fixed-point and cell call alarms;
6. the requirement for developing a schedule and procedures for testing the complete fixed-point alarm system no less frequently than every 30 days;
7. procedures to ensure the proper transfer, testing, and recording of tests, of personal portable alarms;
8. a procedure for adding, removing or relocating fixed-point and personal portable alarms;
9. the use of personal portable alarms by contract staff and volunteers; and
10. proper storage for spare personal portable alarms.

PROCEDURES

Personal Portable Alarms

7. Each personal portable alarm (issued daily and those permanently assigned) will be tested at the beginning of each shift. The test will take place at the alarm’s assigned location and the results will be recorded.

8. There will be, in each institution, enough personal portable alarms for issue to assigned permanent locations and identified posts for each shift and to provide sufficient backup in case of malfunction.

9. Personal portable alarms that are permanently assigned to specific locations will not be removed from their locations unless they malfunction.

10. Because personal portable alarms are designated security equipment, inmates will not be allowed to possess them.

11. Personal portable alarms issued to staff will be worn at all times. Refusal by staff to wear a personal portable alarm is a disciplinary offence.

12. All alarms will be treated as genuine, and designated personnel will respond according to established procedures.

Cell Call Alarms

13. When a Correctional Officer takes over a post/range with cell call alarms or at institutional shift change for inmate occupied areas without a specific Correctional Officer assigned to the area, he or she will:

1. verify that the cell alarm monitor is turned on and functioning properly;
2. visually verify the status of the inmate cell alarms ensuring all cell alarms are enabled; and
3. immediately report any malfunction to the immediate supervisor.

14. The immediate supervisor will be the only person to give authorization prior to the cell alarm being disabled.

15. Prior to disabling a cell call alarm in an occupied cell, the Correctional Officer will visually verify the well-being of the offender.

16. Normally, cell call alarms will not be disabled for a period longer than 15 minutes. If a cell alarm needs to be disabled for a longer period of time, the Correctional Officer will:

1. visually verify the well-being of the offender before the alarm is disabled, and each 15 minutes thereafter until such time as the alarm is again functioning; and
2. ensure that these checks are recorded in the range logbook.

17. For maximum and medium security facilities, it is expected that a minimum of two (2) staff members are present at the cell and one (1) additional staff member is observing from the control post, the head of the range or another pre-identified observation area to ensure a safer response when entering a cell.

Commissioner,

Original signed by:

Keith Coulter