Communications & Alarms

1. Communications & Alarms Chapter 3 Firefighters Handbook Unit 9 - Fire

2. introduction • What is communication? • Transferring of information through a medium • From the fire standpoint, communications process must include four basic elements • Information form the caller must be: • received • Understood • Recorded accurately • Communicated to emergency responders • Reports from citizens are usually categorized as: • True emergencies • Percieved emergencies • Nonurgent crimes • Requests for information

3. Communication process must be complete and clearly understood in order to be effective.

4. Communications personnel • A communications center may also be referred to in some instances as a PSAP. • PSAP = Public Safety Answering Point • Primary role • Receive emergency requests from citizens, evaluate the need for response and ultimately sound the alarms that starts first responders on their way to the scene of an emergency. • Receiving the call is on the first challenge. • Often the telecommunication is also the PIO (Public Information officer) • Liaison between the fire department and the media

5. Telecommunicator: • Upon receiving call, must be able to give firefighters pre arrival instructions • NFPA 1061 standard, standard for Professional Qualifications for Public Safety Telecommunicator specifically states the characteristics or trains that a person hired as the telecommunicator should have. • Ability to multi-task • Make decisions based on common sense • Maintain composure in stressful situations • Maintain a balanced tone while communicating

6. NFPA Requirement • NFPA states that 95% of alarms should be answered within 30 seconds and in no case call the initial operators response to an alarm call be longer than 60 seconds. • It also recommends that the dispatch of the appropriate fire services should be made within 60 seconds after the completed receipt of an emergency alarm.

7. Communications facility • Typically placed in areas where there is little risk of damage either by natural or man made hazards. • Every communications facility should be supported by a back up locations incase the primary faculty is forced to close.

8. Computer Aided dispatch • Many departments use CAD today • Keeps track of location of active incidents and units assigned to each location • Creates and stores valuable records • Database of maps, hazard spots, pre-fire plans, policies. • Information can be transferred from main CAD to fire apparatus and command vehicles • Handout of dispatch flow chart. . Scenarios

9. Methods of receiving reports of emergencies • Most common include: • Conventional telephones • Cell phones • Emergency call boxes • Automatic Alarms