Sorry - this turned into a short novel - but I think you might find it interesting
Let me put the 'lessons learned' up top 1. If you try to do everything with just 2 dispatchers and 1 radio channel - things get bogged down 2. If you have a large incident, and units are failing to respond - things are going to get messy - unless you have a scheme to unmessyfy them - its pretty simple usually - just send the next closest unit 3. If everyone is told to use a specific radio channel for each call - there really is no excuse for anyone being on the wrong radio channel - even though this is all SOP usually 4. "additional call" or "simultaneous call" is a concept that mostly applies to smaller agencies - larger agencies have simultaneous calls all of the time 5. possibly there were zero paramedics dispatched to this call - well maybe Laconia has some medics on their engines actually - and 3A1 might have been medics - but they were (both) first in and worked as firefighters I am sure 6. maybe things could have gone quicker if they could patch in a 3rd dispatcher from somewhere - hmmmmm - NOW THATS A CONCEPT WORTH EXPLORING - just someone to watch and make sure that the assigned units are actually responding - that does not take any local knowledge - just a familiarity with town names and radio calls signs - "Laconia Engine 1 responding" - thats a pretty simple message to put into the CAD - maybe a 4th dispatcher to log in individual firefighters who call in via cellphone that they are responding - if the Fds cant afford MDts or IAMResponding 7. tone sets are a little slow - 5 seconds per tone set maybe - 10 tone sets ties up Channel 1 for 50 seconds 8. 1 or 2 minutes elapsed before each extra alarm was transmitted - I am sure that many FFs were already rolling since they have scanners and portable radios and dont want to miss the 'big one' -------------------------------------------- Heard on 159.90 in the Boston MA area - this is not a repeater channel so I just hear the dispatcher Lakes Region Fire Dispatch in Laconia NH - Laconia FD is all paid - Belmont Fd is maybe half paid - other Fds are mostly oncall AFAIK An interesting look at mobilization 1300 hours approx - four or more tone sets transmitted - "additional call for Belmont" - this means that Belmont already had at least 1 call in progress and maybe their station was half staffed - Belmont FD + Laconia 13 Engine 1 (paid FD) + Tilton 21 Eng 3 to "fire in the building" - 112 Elaine drive - Channel 3 (is FG) 3A1 (Belmont Ambulance) responding from LRGH (Belmont ambulance responding from hospital in Laconia) electrical fire spreading throughout the house (per male caller) - they are evacuating the bld Belmont 3 Eng 1 responding (resp) 2nd phone call for (same) address 13E1 + 21e2 resp tone set for Tilton FD - bleeding call - Channel 5 - "additional call" 1306 hours - two 2 tone sets - emergency recall for Laconia FD to cover Laconia Central Fire Station (calling in offduty Laconia firefighters (FFs)) 1306 hr - "Lakes Region to 3 Engine 1" - FF Fitz at scene - heavy smoke from 2nd floor - recommends first alarm 3Eng 1 requests first alarm [this is not a verbatim transcript - but kinda close -anything in quotes is verbatim] "answering 3A1" 3A1 at scene - 2.5 story wood frame - smoke from Alpha and delta corner ten 2 tone pager sets transmitted - Belmont all companies + 13E1 + 21E2 + 7E4 as RIT + (Guilford) 8 E1 to fire - Gilmanton (?9E3?) cover the Belmont fire station (now that I think about it - this is just 2 engines above the initial alarm - plus a cover engine) 9E3 responding "your radio is completely unreadable" 7E4 responding 8E1 resp 13e1 At scene 13C2 at scene (AS) 13C2 try to get a travel route for Gilmanton one tone set - Tilton retone for bleeding call - 1311 hrs - use Ch 5 answering 21e1 answering 13C2 "8 Engine 1 from Lakes Region" - come in Union Road - on rite side by RR crossing 3 Tanker 1 responding request 2nd alarm "9 Engine 3, redirect to the scene" 21e1 at scene 21 Portable 1 - you will have a crew - do you need a mutual aid ambulance? - (no) - message received ten 2 tone sets transmitted Belmont all companies + 9E3 + Barnstead 6E2 + Guilford 8E4 + Sanbornton 19E3 to fire - Tilton Eng + Mereidth EMS cover the Belmont Fire Station - 1317 hours 13 Eng 2 resp - 1317 - (most units that signed on to the fire were individually told to use Ch 3) 1318 hr - 21A1 resp to bleed call - GI bleed 45A3 resp 8E1 AS 1319 - 3t1 at scene - 6 Eng 2 resp one tone set sent - a pre alert tone set - Guilford E4 retoned - 1320 PM IC gives pole number - "is it impeding your ops?" - this is the IC talking to the dispatcher on Ch 1 Loudon Engine to cover - short one engine on 2nd alarm - 2nd Guilford engine cannot respond - need them backfilled? 1325 - Tilton toned for EMS call at Sports Center - use Ch 5 - this is an additional call for Tilton - it was the pre alerted call apparently -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "massfire" group. 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