DC Dispatcher Adds Deadly Warning To Memo

Washington D.C. firefighters and others who listen to radio dispatches to fire houses here were a little startled when a dispatcher ended the second reading of a dispatch with a warning to pay attention or they might be shot, Aug. 3.

As U.S. Capitol police closed down streets around the Capitol, senate and house office buildings due to heightened terrorist concerns, check points were established for vehicles traveling into the area.

D.C. Fire and EMS PIO Alan Etter said the dispatcher was reading a memo to fire houses describing how they should deal with the situation. The three paragraph memo explained the checkpoints and advised apparatus operators to look for alternative routes if possible when traveling the area and to be aware of the increasingly awkward and congested traffic flow.

It also explained that unless there was prior notification which Etter said was highly unlikely in most cases, apparatus should slow down at check points,