small abandoned house doesn't need 4 dept's

[fvdhosejockey]

Small wood structure, approximatley 5 rooms in the home, central dispatch called on 4 dept's. 9 trucks on scene--far too many!! Odenville, Branchville, Friendship, and Margaret were depts involved. odenville, Alabama

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

There are many factors that influence what is dispatched to a reported fire incident!
Among them, in the form of questions...

What was the timeframe? Was it at 1:00 in the morning or 1:00 in the afternoon?

Did the reporting party say it was an occupied house? If all they had was an street name or route number with no numbered address reporting a house fire, I think they toned out the 4 departments as a precaution. It's better to send in the cavalry than to take chances...put them on the road...you can always send them back. The first arriving FD could have cancelled the response of the others when they saw what they had on arrival.

Does Central Dispatch know the types of structures in the area for the communities they serve?

Was it the IC's decision to keep all apparatus at the scene?

[fvdhosejockey]

first of all, it was 1:00 in the morning.
next-yes central dispatch knows a little about the type of structures in the county
the reason, that i'm a little begrudged, is that Odenville-the first responding dept-requested all of that mutual aid, in fact of all 15 odenville firmen, i only saw 2 pullin hose, providing relief, etc.