Post by GIGS on Nov 26, 2005 9:00:47 GMT -5
Maytag, I know you and the other members of the Committee are working through all of the issues that need addressed; especially those closer to the top of the pile because of firefighter safety such as Accountability and RIT operations. The utmost concern and priority is to get the standards in place to enhance firefighter safety before working on the "less critical" items later. You guys are doing a great job in trying to move Franklin County ahead and up with the times and I personally want to Thank You All for your time and work into these issues.
I realize this issue is "down the pile" of importance, but am curious if it's been discussed lately or will be coming up for discussion in the next few months to review. We talked about this before and I put it in a letter request for review. That would be about the change of Dispatching (ie: for example Pre-Alerts and doing away with the present 2 full rounds of dispatch).
For those unfamiliar, presently so much time is wasted to give 2 full rounds of a dispatch. It would be much more reasonable to hit the "1st due" companies tone, give a quick location and nature; then on proceed with ALL of the remainder tones and one full round of dispatch.
PRESENTLY (for example, which all know) : CO.7 Pager Tone..... 3 alert tones.....Guilford Township....123 West Main Street...for an Automatic Fire Alarm....Box 7-1.....Company 7, Station 4, Company 17, Truck 42, Squad 7, Ambulance Co.7 ......................Co.7 Siren Tone, Station 4 Pager. Station 4 Siren, Co.17 Pager, Co.17 Siren, Company 7 EMS Tone....3 alert tones....Guilford Township....123 West Main.....Automatic Fire Alarm....Box 7-1.....Company 7, Station 4, Company 17, Truck 42, Squad 7, Ambulance Co.7...is alerted...1921.
Now playing this out in the real world takes (depending on the dispatcher) approx. 80 seconds (almost a minute and a half).
PROPOSED METHOD (would be like example) : Co.7 Pager ... (NO alert tone) ... Box 7-1; Guilford Township, 123 West Main St, Automatic Alarm ............ Co.7 Siren, Sta. 4 Pager/Siren, Co.17 Pager/Siren, Co.7 Amb .... 3 alert tones, Guilford Twp.; 123 West Main Street; Automatic Fire Alarm, Box 7-1, Company 7, Station 4, Company 17, Truck 42, Squad 7, Amb. Co.7 alerted 1921.
This proposed method (again, depeding on the dispatcher) takes approx. 50 seconds. You save about 30 seconds or about a half a minute of wasted air time, which in turn speeds up the dispatches, allows for units to give conditions sooner (such as if the incident was just down the street) they don't have to wait for the dispatch to get done to give their on-scene and conditions (been there and done that many times).
All-in-all, it would just make things more smoother. Some would say, well some would miss the address and have to ask again. If you think about it, it has been this way for years to a point. The MUTUAL AID departments presently only get (1) one round of dispatch now. For example, your sleeping at 2am and the pager goes off for a mutual aid call, your only hearing one round of dispatch (the second round). The first due company gets two rounds now, but they would still hear the initial for a pre-alert.
One additonal thing that would be nice (even presently) is when the roll call is done and headquarters gives the responding units, they would give the address one more time. For instance: Units responding are Engines 7-1,43,17-1,Sq7,Amb 7-7 to 123 West Main Street with 14 personnel.
This dispatch change should be for ALL calls (local and boxes). It just makes more sense. Its presently done for Task Force Boxes and no one can tell me differently (for the dispatchers who understand and are good at it for the few times a year it happens) it makes the dispatches a heck more better, smoother and quicker.
Local Example (PRESENT) : Co. 8 Pager ... Crash Alert Tone...Guilford Township, 4500 block of Molly Pitcher Highway, an auto accident, Box 8-05, Company 8, Squad 8, Amb Co.8 ................ Co. 8 Siren...Crash alert tone...Guilford Township, 4500 block of Molly Pitcher Highway , an auto accident, Box 8-05, Company 8, Squad 8, Amb Co.8 alerted, 2158.
(What a waste of time)
PROPOSED example : Co. 8 Pager ... (NO crash alert tone) ... Local Box 8-05, 4500 block of Molly Pitcher Highway an Auto Accident............ Co. 8 Siren ... Crash Alert Tone ... Guilford Township, 4500 Block of Molly Pitcher Highway, an auto accident, Box 8-05, Co. 8, Squad 8, Amb Co. 8 has been alerted; 2158.
If anyone has more questions or doesn't understand, I would be more than happy to explain in more detail. Hopefully I didnt' confuse anyone to badly.
Ok, I'm done babbling now. Thanks and keep up the good work, just offering my suggestion to help with ideas to increase and better the operations.
I realize this issue is "down the pile" of importance, but am curious if it's been discussed lately or will be coming up for discussion in the next few months to review. We talked about this before and I put it in a letter request for review. That would be about the change of Dispatching (ie: for example Pre-Alerts and doing away with the present 2 full rounds of dispatch).
For those unfamiliar, presently so much time is wasted to give 2 full rounds of a dispatch. It would be much more reasonable to hit the "1st due" companies tone, give a quick location and nature; then on proceed with ALL of the remainder tones and one full round of dispatch.
PRESENTLY (for example, which all know) : CO.7 Pager Tone..... 3 alert tones.....Guilford Township....123 West Main Street...for an Automatic Fire Alarm....Box 7-1.....Company 7, Station 4, Company 17, Truck 42, Squad 7, Ambulance Co.7 ......................Co.7 Siren Tone, Station 4 Pager. Station 4 Siren, Co.17 Pager, Co.17 Siren, Company 7 EMS Tone....3 alert tones....Guilford Township....123 West Main.....Automatic Fire Alarm....Box 7-1.....Company 7, Station 4, Company 17, Truck 42, Squad 7, Ambulance Co.7...is alerted...1921.
Now playing this out in the real world takes (depending on the dispatcher) approx. 80 seconds (almost a minute and a half).
PROPOSED METHOD (would be like example) : Co.7 Pager ... (NO alert tone) ... Box 7-1; Guilford Township, 123 West Main St, Automatic Alarm ............ Co.7 Siren, Sta. 4 Pager/Siren, Co.17 Pager/Siren, Co.7 Amb .... 3 alert tones, Guilford Twp.; 123 West Main Street; Automatic Fire Alarm, Box 7-1, Company 7, Station 4, Company 17, Truck 42, Squad 7, Amb. Co.7 alerted 1921.
This proposed method (again, depeding on the dispatcher) takes approx. 50 seconds. You save about 30 seconds or about a half a minute of wasted air time, which in turn speeds up the dispatches, allows for units to give conditions sooner (such as if the incident was just down the street) they don't have to wait for the dispatch to get done to give their on-scene and conditions (been there and done that many times).
All-in-all, it would just make things more smoother. Some would say, well some would miss the address and have to ask again. If you think about it, it has been this way for years to a point. The MUTUAL AID departments presently only get (1) one round of dispatch now. For example, your sleeping at 2am and the pager goes off for a mutual aid call, your only hearing one round of dispatch (the second round). The first due company gets two rounds now, but they would still hear the initial for a pre-alert.
One additonal thing that would be nice (even presently) is when the roll call is done and headquarters gives the responding units, they would give the address one more time. For instance: Units responding are Engines 7-1,43,17-1,Sq7,Amb 7-7 to 123 West Main Street with 14 personnel.
This dispatch change should be for ALL calls (local and boxes). It just makes more sense. Its presently done for Task Force Boxes and no one can tell me differently (for the dispatchers who understand and are good at it for the few times a year it happens) it makes the dispatches a heck more better, smoother and quicker.
Local Example (PRESENT) : Co. 8 Pager ... Crash Alert Tone...Guilford Township, 4500 block of Molly Pitcher Highway, an auto accident, Box 8-05, Company 8, Squad 8, Amb Co.8 ................ Co. 8 Siren...Crash alert tone...Guilford Township, 4500 block of Molly Pitcher Highway , an auto accident, Box 8-05, Company 8, Squad 8, Amb Co.8 alerted, 2158.
(What a waste of time)
PROPOSED example : Co. 8 Pager ... (NO crash alert tone) ... Local Box 8-05, 4500 block of Molly Pitcher Highway an Auto Accident............ Co. 8 Siren ... Crash Alert Tone ... Guilford Township, 4500 Block of Molly Pitcher Highway, an auto accident, Box 8-05, Co. 8, Squad 8, Amb Co. 8 has been alerted; 2158.
If anyone has more questions or doesn't understand, I would be more than happy to explain in more detail. Hopefully I didnt' confuse anyone to badly.
Ok, I'm done babbling now. Thanks and keep up the good work, just offering my suggestion to help with ideas to increase and better the operations.
