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Anybody have some written policy, or unwritten on firegrounds communications? Particularly safety issues; who can talk when. Also ideas for procedures to ensure no one gets "lost".
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Remember, when the Chief says "gimme a second" he might just be collecting his thoughts!
Dave LeBlanc
hfdfao@hotmail.com
Hello, I'm in Dutchess County, NY wich is along the Hudson River on the West, and on the CT & south west corner of Ma in the East
with 1 central dispatch for about 45 departments, (Fire/EMS and some private EMS services) we primarily use 16 channels UHF 8 simplex, 8 Duplex, the way we operate is everyone is dispatched on ch. 1, and when it's not hectic most communication is on 1, Command reports on Ch. 3. all Chiefs, Captains and county coordinators talk on this channel, and all odd # channels which are on the Duplex freq's. All Liut's, Fire Police, Safty Officers Ect. talk on the even channels, (simplex freq.) with the exception of Ch. 15 which is for everyone, so if a Lt. or someone else with a radio and ID # comes upon a scene they can talk to the dispatchers. These 16 freq. are common thru out the county so they are shared by all dept's. and the even channels are used as a fireground channel. The terrain varries with many mountains and valleys and the signal is carried thru the use of 8 repeaters.
If you have any further questions just ask. Our county has apx. 120,000 people in it. at this time we do not have a 911 systym, but that will be here in Sept. 99. We currently have a phone number for each dept. that goes into 1 dispatch center and the dispatcher sees what phone it comes in on, and in the event the caller is not clear on where they are it narrows the search down.
That's just a brief description of our current dispatch center.
I am a 911 Supervising dispatcher with the City of Mountain View, CA and we have an Incident Dispatch Team (IDT) that responds to all working incidents. The IDT consists of 3-4 specially trained dispatchers who normally staff the communications center however during a large-scale incident, respond to the scene of the emergency for resource tracking and communications. The team maintains status utilizing the NIFC T-Card system (ICS-219). The team is responsible for all communications traffic that is directed into the incident from the 911 center, so to free the Incident Commander (IC) from the "umbilical cord" of the radio and the IDT also serves as a second set of ears for traffic directed to IC or any other unit. (We wear SWAT bone resonance (ears free) headsets) made by New Eagle Communications.
The team is also responsible for completing all applicable ICS forms (usually an ICS 201 / 205 / 214). Furthermore, the team has access to CAD via a mobile data terminal in the Battalion Chief's vehicle.
This IDT also responds to campaign fires statewide to staff incident dispatcher positions within a communications unit. Our last callout was for the "Highway 58" Fire near San Luis Obispo, CA which charred approx 120,000 acres. The dispatchers were assigned to a mountain top for 6 days to be utilized as a "human repeater" for units in the canyons below.
Our frequency selection depends on the size/type/length of incident. Normally, our command frequency is the main fire frequency of the department with the tactical frequencies called "Fire Blue" which is a frequency shared by other jurisdictions within Santa Clara County. Our travel frequency is always "White One" which is a mutual aid frequency statewide for which all departments within California have access via mobile/portable/base station.
I am a 911 Supervising dispatcher with the City of Mountain View, CA and we have an Incident Dispatch Team (IDT) that responds to all working incidents. The IDT consists of 3-4 specially trained dispatchers who normally staff the communications center however during a large-scale incident, respond to the scene of the emergency for resource tracking and communications. The team maintains status utilizing the NIFC T-Card system (ICS-219). The team is responsible for all communications traffic that is directed into the incident from the 911 center, so to free the Incident Commander (IC) from the "umbilical cord" of the radio and the IDT also serves as a second set of ears for traffic directed to IC or any other unit. (We wear SWAT bone resonance (ears free) headsets) made by New Eagle Communications.
The team is also responsible for completing all applicable ICS forms (usually an ICS 201 / 205 / 214). Furthermore, the team has access to CAD via a mobile data terminal in the Battalion Chief's vehicle.
This IDT also responds to campaign fires statewide to staff incident dispatcher positions within a communications unit. Our last callout was for the "Highway 58" Fire near San Luis Obispo, CA which charred approx 120,000 acres. The dispatchers were assigned to a mountain top for 6 days to be utilized as a "human repeater" for units in the canyons below.
Our frequency selection depends on the size/type/length of incident. Normally, our command frequency is the main fire frequency of the department with the tactical frequencies called "Fire Blue" which is a frequency shared by other jurisdictions within Santa Clara County. Our travel frequency is always "White One" which is a mutual aid frequency statewide for which all departments within California have access via mobile/portable/base station.
you may try contacting fema for fireground communication literature.its free
I AM A 6 YEAR VETERAN DISPATCHER IN PENNSYLVANIA AND ALSO THE FIRE CHIEF FOR A COMPANY IN OUR COUNTY - THE PROCEEDURE THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE IS THAT THE FIRST OFFICER ON SCENE OF AN INCIDENT ADVISES THE DISPATCH CENTER THAT HE WILL BE THE INCIDENT COMMANDER - IF THIS IS NOT DONE THEN THE OFFICER WHO IS COMMUNICATING WITH THE CENTER WILL BE DESIGNATED AS THE IC (IE. 8 CHIEF YOU WILL NOW BE MAIN ST IC) THIS SEEMS TO WORK VERY WELL AND IS SOMETHING THAT THE CHIEFS OF THE COUNTY WANTED - ANOTHER PROCEEDURE THAT WE HAD PUT IN PLACE IS THAT WE DO TIME PROGRESSION ANNOUNCEMENTS (TPA) THESE ARE GIVEN EVERY 15 MINUTES UNTIL THE IC ADVISES NO NEED FOR FUTHER - THIS DOES TWO THINGS - GIVES THE IC AN IDEA OF HOW LONG THEY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AN INCIDENT SUCH AS A STRUCTURE FIRE AND IT ALSO GIVE THE IC A CHANCE TO GIVE OUR CENTER AN INCIDENT UPDATE OR WHAT IS HAPPENING ON SCENE - SUCH AS PT HAS BEEN EXTRICATED, MASTER STREAM OPERATIONS ARE IN PROGRESS AND SO FORTH
HOPE THIS CAN BE OF SOME ASSISTANCE TO YOU