The City of Cranbrook is seeking grant funding from the province in order to establish a Situation Table in the city.

A situation table is an alliance of emergency services, government agencies at all levels, and non profits that are guided by best practices and common principles to mitigate risk situations.

The city is seeking $57,000 that would cover costs of training required by participants, technology, a meeting space and other miscellaneous expenses, according to a city report.

The goal of the table is to reduce the burden on emergency services by creating a pathway for individuals who have accumulated risk factors or are at imminent risk of being victimized to receive appropriate response and care in a coordinated and efficient manner.

“The goal behind this is two-fold,” said Marcel Germer, the city’s social development coordinator, during Monday’s council meeting. “First it’s to break down the silos that are happening with all the support groups in town, it is to bring collaboration and communication so that we’re not duplicating services so we’re using our dollars and our people most effectively, and ultimately for the best outcomes of the individual we’re considering.”

“The second part of the situation table..is to decrease all the stress on our emergency services.”

The table will help provide a process of regular collaboration between various agencies where there have been challenges in the past with communication or duplication of services.

The creation of Situation Tables are led by the province’s Collaborative Public Safety Program.

There are currently Situation Tables in 14 communities across the province, with eight more recently funded that are in development.

The city’s program is in the early stages, and discussions are ongoing between administration and the RCMP as to how often the table would meet as well as its membership of community resources.