Emergency radio outages put Manitobans at risk: Pallister

Manitoba is the last province in Canada to replace its emergency communications system, a delay Premier Brian Pallister says put Manitobans at risk during recent forest fires.

Pallister blamed the previous NDP government on Friday for neglecting to spend $400 million to replace its FleetNetsystem, hours after thegovernment announced$500 million in infrastructure spending.

In their ongoing war of words withthe new Tory government, the NDP pointed to the factthat spending on road work is down$126 million compared to their last budget.

Interim NDP Leader Flor Marcelinocalled the announcement "an attempt to manufacture a crisis so [Pallister]could defend cutting services," in a statement.

She added that the NDP"began planning and took concrete steps to replace Fleetnet years ago."

FleetNet, whichconnects dispatchers and emergency personnel viamobile radio, was down for nearly 2,000 hours in the past two years, Pallister said.

He claimed the NDP knew as early as 2008 it would need replacing.

"It's tremendously important to have this system in place,"Pallistersaid.

Staff have been sourcing parts from eBay and other jurisdictions to fix the equipment.

Pallister told reporters replacing the systemcould cost up to $400 million.

During a wildfire situation in southeast Manitoba, the FleetNet system went down and it placed firefighters in jeopardy when dispatchers weren't able to contact them, Pallister said.

Reeve says the province knew about FleetNet problems

The reeve of the RM of Stuartburnsays during the 2012 wildfire in his community theFleetNetsystem was overwhelmed, forcing emergency teams to improvise. Jim Swiderskysays when the fire roared into town, there was only one way to communicate.

"So in the community of Vita we had to stand on the street corners with the RCMP and responders and basically yell across the streets to make sure that we had each street and each house evacuated," Swidersky said.

Swidersky says as early as 2011 fire services and communities were complaining to the province about the FleetNet system. He says the Office of the Fire Commissioner was fully aware of problems with the system.

• Manitoba reeve recalls scary 2012 wildfire in Vita
• Manitoba premier tours town ravaged by grass fires

"This is at the foundation of what governments should be doing," Pallister told reporters.

Manitoba is the last province in the country to replace this system.

Earlier Friday, Infrastructure Minister Blaine Pedersenannounced $502 million in roadwork for next year.

• Province announces $502M in infrastructure work, 2 new bridges

NDP houseleader Jim Maloway, meanwhile, called that a cut.

"We invested $628 million in 2015-16 in roads and bridges," Maloway said. "Today, the province admitted it is cutting that by 20 per cent next year. Rather than admitting it is cutting investments, the government today portrayed this cut as a 'strong commitment to infrastructure'.It is nothing of the sort."