SURREY POT-BUSTING PROJECT WINS AWARD

Project Involves Fire Department Filing FOI Requests For Hydro Bills
Of Suspicious Addresses

SURREY - A pilot project in Surrey to weed out and dismantle
marijuana-growing operations is being recognized with a
Lieutenant-Governor's Award for Public Safety.

The program, known as the electrical fire and safety investigative
initiative, came about as the municipality saw so many growing
operations being established that police couldn't keep up with the
number of tips, Fire Chief Len Garis said in a phone interview Thursday.

"It was becoming a very prevalent problem in terms of the number of
fires that were occurring by way of marijuana grow operations --
almost nine per cent in 2004 of all of our structure fires," said
Garis, who is receiving the award today with Darryl Plecas, of
University College of the Fraser Valley.

A provincial task force was struck and the Surrey project began in
March. Under the initiative, the fire department files
freedom-of-information requests for hydro bills of suspected
growing-operation addresses. Once the information is obtained,
officials knock on the door of the address with an order for an
electrical inspection. If no one is home, a notice is left informing
the resident of a pending inspection.

Electrical systems are compromised in 94 per cent of the cases, Garis
said.

Growing operations are notorious for electrical wiring carrying heavy
loads, moisture problems in homes, and power being diverted from meters.

While not all of the compromised systems found in Surrey are due to
growing operations, the majority have been, Garis said. "We've found,
in some areas, secondary suites where they've had four ranges or
stoves plugged into the system, which is not safe either."

The team has been in operation for 26 weeks and has disconnected 145
locations where the power systems were compromised. Twenty-five
locations have received notices ordering repair.

Garis said the object of the project is strictly public and
firefighter safety.

He said he would like to see provincial legislation easing up on FOI
requirements for hydro billing records, and perhaps compelling the
hydro authority to provide municipalities with consumption records on
request. "The ultimate goal is to drive these unsafe practices out of
our residences."

The project is creating interest around the province.

Langford Fire Chief Bob Beckett is studying it and preparing a report
for Langford council.