Chapter 19 Fire Department Communications. 19–2 Chapter 19 Lesson Goal After completing this lesson, the student shall be able to communicate effectively.

Chapter 19— Fire Department Communications

19–2

Chapter 19 Lesson Goal

After completing this lesson, the student shall be able to communicate effectively by radio, telephone & through various reports

19–3

Communication Responsibilities: Telecommunicator

• Has a role which is different from but just as important as other personnel

• Usually full-time professional communications specialists

(Continued)

19–4


Must process calls from unknown & unseen individuals

(Continued)

19–5


• Must be able to obtain complete, reliable information

• Commonly known as telecommuicators

• Must gather information from the caller, then dispatch emergency responders

By speaking clearly, slowly & with good volume

(Continued)

19–6


• Must know where emergency resources are in relation to the reported incident

• Need to know not only which units to assign but also how to alert

19–7


• Must know location of incident

• Must know type of incident

• Must stay in contact with the Incident Commander (IC)

• Must keep records of each request for assistance

19–8

Customer Service

• Consumer of emergency services is the general public

• Telecommunicator has first contact w/ public during an emergency

• Often receive calls from people in the community seeking assistance or information

Should politely direct them to appropriate agency

19–9

Necessary Traits or Personal Characteristics

• Able to adjust to various levels of activity

• Handle multi-tasking

• Make decisions & judgments based on common experience & values

• Maintain composure/calm

• Form conclusions from disassociated facts

(Continued)

19–10

Necessary Traits or Personal Characteristics

• Handle unhappy people

• Remember & recall information

• Deal w/ verbal abuse

• Function under stress

• Maintain confidentiality

• Speak clearly, slowly & w/ good volume

19–11

Communication Skills

• Basic reading skills

• Basic writing skills

• Ability to speak clearly

• Ability to follow written & verbal instructions

• Use plain, everyday language

19–12

Map Reading

Critical to be able to look at a map & locate specific points

(Continued)

19–13

Common Communications Equipment

• Two-way base radio

• Tone-generating equipment

• Telephones

• Direct-line phones

(Continued)

19–14

Common Communications Equipment

• Computers

• Recording systems or devices

• Alarm-receiving equipment

19–15

Alarm-Receiving Equipment

Telephones

• Commercial phone systems

• Direct lines

• Wireless (mobile)

(Continued)

19–16

Alarm-Receiving Equipment

• Fax machines

• Radios

Base radios, mobile radios, portable radios

19–17

Radio Guidelines

• Realize that all radio transmissions can be monitored

• Use self-discipline & good judgment

(Continued)

19–18

Radio Guidelines

• Plan exactly what is intended to be said

• Do not use slang or jargon

• It is inappropriate to use anyone’s name in a radio message

19–19

Recording Information

Information recorded should be:

• Complete

• Accurate

• Permanent

• Covers all responses

• Maintained at communication center (Dispatch)

(Continued)

19–20


Voice recorders

• Document information

• Accurate account of operations

• Protect in case of litigation

• Document evidence

• Continuously running

• Intermittently running (Continued)

19–21


Radio logs

• Record the incident & location of each activity

• A manual system written on paper

• Usually a chronological recording

• Include incident information

19–22

Basic Telephone Courtesies

• Answer calls promptly

• Be pleasant & identify the station & self

• Be prepared to write down messages accurately

(Continued)

19–23


• Never leave the line open or a caller on hold for a long period of time

• Post the message or deliver the message promptly

• End calls courteously; always allow the caller to hang up first

19–24


• If call is not for FrPD, try to direct caller to proper department or person

• Give them the number if possible

• Be polite

19–25

Receiving Emergency Calls from the Public

• Identify the agency

• Control the conversation

Ask questions to get the information needed

Assertive voice

Follow SOPs

(Continued)

19–26


• Gather information

Incident location

Type of incident/situation

Number of people injured or trapped

• Get the exact location of the victims

• Location is most important piece of information

(Continued)

19–27


• Ask the caller if it is safe to remain on the phone

• If it is safe, keep caller on the line & get

Name

Location if different from the incident location

Callback telephone number

Address

(Continued)

19–28


• Record the answers to all questions

• Maintain communications w/ all units until call has been terminated

19–29

Public Alerting Systems

Telephone

• Emergency number is 1-1-0

• By mobile:

RT 673-0110

DH 876-0110

AB 572-0110

JD 427-0110

YN 397-0110

TN 378-0110

19–30

Public Alerting Systems: Radio

• Likely to come from FrPD personnel or ISO who happen upon an emergency

• Gather the same kind of information that would be taken from a telephone caller

(Continued)

19–31

Public Alerting Systems: Walk-ins

• Citizens may walk into a fire station & report an emergency

• Whoever greets the citizen should find out location & type of incident

(Continued)

19–32

Public Alerting Systems: Walk-ins

• Get the reporting person’s name, address, & telephone number

• Local policy dictates what steps should be taken once information has been obtained

Do you respond?

Do you notify dispatch?

(Continued)

19–33

Public Alerting Systems: Telephone Fire Alarm Box

• A fire alarm box equipped w/ a telephone for direct voice contact w/ a telecommunicator

• May be used in combination w/ telegraph circuits

19–34

Public Alerting Systems: Radio Fire Alarm Box

• Contains an independent radio transmitter with a battery power supply

• Some include a small solar panel for recharging the unit’s battery

(Continued)

19–35

Public Alerting Systems: Radio Fire Alarm Box

• Some are designed to allow a person to select fire, police, or ambulance service

• May be located along roads, highways, & in rural areas & have two-way communications capabilities

19–36

Reporting a Fire or Other Emergency by Telephone

Dial the appropriate number

1-1-0

Fire department 7-digit number

(Continued)

19–37


• State the address where the emergency is located

• If no address, give the nearest cross streets or describe nearby landmarks

(Continued)

19–38


• Give telephone number from which call was made

• State nature of emergency

• State name & location

• Stay on the line if requested to do so by the telecommunicator

19–39

Reporting a Fire From a Local Alarm Box

• Send signal as directed on box

• Also notify fire department by telephone

19–40

Alerting Fire Department Personnel: Staffed Stations

• Computerized line printer or terminal screen with alarm

• Voice alarm

• House bell or gong

• House light

(Continued)

19–41

Alerting Fire Department Personnel: Staffed Stations

• Telephone from telecommunicator on secure phone line

• Telegraph register

• Radio w/ tone alert

• Radio/pagers

19–42

Alerting Fire Department Personnel: Unstaffed Stations

• Pagers

• Cellular telephones & other devices w/ text-messaging capabilities

(Continued)

19–43

Alerting Fire Department Personnel: Unstaffed Stations

• Home electronic monitors

• Telephones

• Sirens

• Whistles or air horns

19–44

Guidelines for Radio Communications

• Radio use is regulated by Ministry of Interior

• Use plain English or clear text without codes of any kind

Clear text : standardized set of fire-specific words & phrases

• Use a moderate rate of speaking

(Continued)

19–45


• Use a moderate amount of expression in speech

• Use a vocal quality that is not too strong or weak

• Keep things such as gum & candy out of the mouth

(Continued)

19–46


• Be concise & to the point

• Think about what should be said before keying the microphone

• Avoid shouting

(Continued)

19–47


Everyone on the fireground should follow two basic rules:

Units must identify themselves in every transmission

The receiver must acknowledge every message

(Continued)

19–48


• Do not transmit until the frequency is clear

• Any unit working at an emergency scene has priority over routine transmissions

• Do not use profane or obscene language on the air

(Continued)

19–49


• All radio frequencies are monitored

• Hold radio/microphone 1 to 2 inches (25 mm to 50 mm) from mouth

(Continued)

19–50


• On the emergency scene

Avoid laying the microphone on the seat of the vehicle – keys the mike

Do not touch the antenna when transmitting – gets hot

• With SCBA

Hold microphone to your throat/voice emitter

Do not broadcast breathing sounds

19–51

Arrival Reports

• Also called a report on conditions or situation report

• Establish a time of arrival & inform other responding units of what actions might be needed

(Continued)

Arrival Reports

Contains

• Situation evaluation – condition on arrival

Rescue & exposure problems

Water supply

Nature & extent of fire

• Actions taken – what you are doing

Interior attack, protecting exposures, rescue, etc

• Person in command – who is in charge

Location of IC & ICP

19–52

(Continued)

19–53

Arrival Reports

Some situations require more detail

• Address, if other than the one initially reported

• Building & occupancy description

• Nature & extent of fire or other emergency

• Attack mode selected

(Continued)

19–54

Arrival Reports

Some situations require more detail (cont.)

• Rescue & exposure problems

• Instructions to other responding units

• Location of Incident Command position

• Establishing Command

• Water supply situation

19–55

Progress Reports

• Are used to keep the communications center continually advised

• Advises incoming units of situation

• Advises ICP & ECC of situation

• Progress (or lack of) toward incident stabilization

• Progress on fire control

19–56

Progress Report Items

• Progress (or lack of) toward incident stabilization

• Direction of fire spread

• Exposures by direction, height, occupancy, & distance

• Any problems or needs

• Anticipated actions

(Continued)

19–57

Command Status Report

• Transfer of Command

Includes a status report of the incident

• Change in command post location

• Any problems or needs

• Anticipated actions

(Continued)

19–58

Tactical Channels

• Most often used for large incidents

• Small routine incidents usually do not require a tactical channel

• In many departments, units are initially dispatched on the primary dispatch channel

• Upon arrival on the scene, units may switch to an assigned tactical channel

(Continued)

19–59

Tactical Channels: Telecommunicator Roles

• Assign a tactical frequency

• Ensure additional responding units are aware of the assigned tactical channel

• Notify other agencies and services of the incident & the need for them to respond

• Provide updated information

19–60

Calls for Additional Resources

• Normally, only the IC may call for additional resources

• Know local procedure for requesting additional resources

• FFs must be able to communicate the need for team assistance

• Be familiar with alarm signals

(Continued)

19–61

Calls for Additional Resources

When multiple alarms are struck, a radio-equipped mobile communications vehicle can be used to reduce the load on the communications center

(Continued)

19–62

Emergency Radio Traffic

• Has priority over other radio communications

• Person transmitting message should make the urgency clear

• Telecommunicator should give an attention tone, advise all other units to stand by, & then advise the caller to proceed

(Continued)

19–63

Emergency Radio Traffic

After the emergency communication is complete, telecommunicator notifies all units to resume normal or routine radio traffic

19–64

Evacuation Signals

• Are used when IC decides that all FFs should immediately withdraw

• All FFs should be familiar with FrPD evacuation signal

(Continued)

19–65

Evacuation Signals

Radio broadcast

• Similar to emergency traffic broadcast

• Message is broadcast several times

(Continued)

19–66

Evacuation Signals

Audible warning devices

• Will work outside small structures

• May not be heard by everyone

• Can be confused w/ those being used by units arriving on scene

• FrPD uses 3 blasts of truck air horns repeated several times

19–67

Personnel Accountability Report (PAR)

• A systematic way of confirming the status of any unit operating at an incident

• When requested, every supervisor must verify the status of those under his or her command

(Continued)

19–68


• May have to rely on touch or hearing to verify each member’s status

• Others in the chain of command must rely on radio reports from their subordinates

(Continued)

19–69


IC can request a PAR at any time, but one is usually requested when:

• The incident is declared under control

• There is a change in strategy

• There is a sudden catastrophic event

• There is an emergency evacuation

• A FF is reported missing or in distress

19–70

Incident Reports

Information is used for a variety of purposes:

• Justify budgets for FrPD

• Enforce fire & safety codes

• Allocation of resources

• Manpower allocation

19–71

Incident Reports

• An incident report should include detailed information

• Information is used for a variety of purposes:

Statistical

Record keeping

Part of an investigation

19–72

Incident Reports

Report includes:

• Incident number

• Time of dispatch

• Location of incident

• Type of incident

• Number of personnel & apparatus

19–73

Incident Reports

Report should be:

• Clear, complete & concise

• Incorrect information can cause problems

• Copy kept in Division files

• Copy submitted to management

• Copy submitted to LPD

19–74

Incident Reports

Report includes:

• Number of injuries or fatalities

• Type of occupancy, building number

• Probable cause, fire origin

• Estimate of loss

• Narrative

19–75

Summary

• Fire alarms or calls for help must be handled expediently & accurately

If they are not, incidents can increase in size & severity

• Fire department communications are a critical factor in the successful outcome of any incident

The better the communications, the safer the incident

(Continued)

19–76

Summary

• FFs must know how to handle both emergency & routine communications, including nonemergency calls for business purposes or public inquiries made directly to the station

• FFs must know how to correctly & accurately fill & file incident reports

(Continued)

19–77

Skills

• Handle business calls & reports of emergencies.

• Use a portable radio for routine & emergency traffic. (Skill Sheet FF-I-113)

• Complete an incident report. (Skill Sheet FF-II-211)

Chapter 19 Fire Department Communications. 19–2 Chapter 19 Lesson Goal After completing this lesson, the student shall be able to communicate effectively.

Documents

incident information

assistance slide

polite slide

radio message slide

appropriate agency slide

everyday language slide

w good volume slide

emergency calls