Re: 911:: Attn volunteer fire dept dispatchers-more

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/24/2004 9:15:03 PM Mountain Standard Time,

barryfurey@... writes:

If I read your post correctly, are there different volunteer shifts assigned

on different days? If that's the case, why not just turn your pager on when

you're on call? (The whole issue of notifications is one extra large can of

worms.) ly, being a former volly, I can see most people keeping their

radios

on anyway, because nobody wants to miss the action!

Am I missing something in your description?

umm ok. Let me try to explain further... (we do things oddly out here!)

An " all call " is a series of 3 tones. Chiefs, District 1 and District 2. So

during the " day " 3 tones go off. At " night " only 2 tones would go, the

chiefs and one of the districts.

The proposal is that it would still be 2 tones at " night " but not everyone

whos pager activates would respond. Turning it off when not on " duty " could be

fatal should the event 1) not have enough of the assigned responders show up

or 2) get out of hand and more ff's are needed.

I totaly agree with Barry, that seldom " everyone is doing it " , like

teenagers would want their parents to believe. This is why I'm asking you all.

We're a dispatch center with a paper staffing of 10, currenlty have a new

hire who is on her second day of training with 2 more openings we are in process

of filling. We're primarily a police dispatch center that has always as a

courstsey done the city fire dispatching. We also dispatch for the ambulance,

do EMD, dispatch for the local college and are the all around do everything

type of dispatcher where pulling 10 hour shifts solo is getting to be the norm.

Kathy

[Guest guest]

I still think the firefigters should leave their pagers " open " or on at all

times. Don't respond if you are not on duty. Leaving it on in the event the

proverbial fecal matter hits the oscillating wind creater would allow others to

monitor and responde as appropriate. That's how we do things here in our small

rural county where I volunteer and the bigger county next to us as well.

--

Firefighter Specialist/EMT-ST

Communications Support Group

Charlottesville, VA Fire Dept.

www.cfdonline.org

[Guest guest]

I'm with on this one. It would seem that the firefighters should be

responsible for who's on duty and who isn't.

[Guest guest]

The dept I used to dispatch for, a 24 hr manned dept ( 4 during day hrs with

one duty person after hrs)-- We had tones ( they still do) that have never

changed. The dept members.. which are 1/4 full time and 3/4 volunteer, Knows

which crew they are on (A, B, C) and dispatch doesnt have to mess with stating

which crew needs to respond..for it is the sole responsibility of the responders

to keep track of what day vs crew they are on. When you think about it..It is

not a hard task to comprehend...for, IMHO....if you can Master EMT education,

Medic education, Firefighter education...you can keep track of a calendar.

That was also the thinkin' of the Chief, methinks, for it was he who never

believed that they needed to mess with such business. The only thing that

changed

was a Paid-on call tone, that is used for Major Calls....multiple vehicle

injury crashes and the like...etc...and since the implementation of a Union

there...in which changed many things. But all in all, the system still works

very

well, as it did ten yrs ago.....

Hope this helps you out....

Happy day..be safe!!

Cin in good ole Ohio

[Guest guest]

>It would seem that the firefighters should be responsible

for who's on duty and who isn't.<

Absolutely.

That's their responsibility.

Weintraut