Communications Center

[FireMedic]

Maybe it's just me but is our Comm. Center a bit 'anal' or what? Having worked and working in other areas and listening to their dispatches and operations, Schuylkill County is SO far behind. We have a new state of the art Comm. Ctr. but with dispatchers that are not muli-task oriented. And what's with the 'dash' in using the units? Such as Ladder 43'dash'20. In other counties, when you say 43-20 or whatever, they never say 'dash'. How unprofessional is that?
And God forbid if you do not say what your responding piece is. Such as Engine, Rescue, etc... before your unit #.
Why is Schuylkill County still using low band and VHF when many other counties are using UHF.
And remember, no 'blurts' on the radio. Remember to say: "Engine *** to county" and wait for them to reply.
NEVER, EVER say "County, Engine *** is responding". You'll only get back "Unit calling county repeat". Geez, Dauphin County, who are the best of the best can multi-task. They don't want to tie up the radios. Simply tell them "Dauphin MICU 7-1 is responding" and they'll acknowledge every time. You can have the longest statement on the radio and they heard you and will comply with what you want, etc...
Just my thoughts. What does everyone else thing?

[DISPATCHER711]

HOPEFULLY I CAN ANSWER SOME OF YOUR COMPLAINTS YOU HAVE WITH THE COUNTY'S RADIO ROOM. UP FRONT I DO NOT WORK AT THIS CENTER NOR AM I SPOKESPERSON FOR THEM. HOWEVER, I DO WORK AS A
9-1-1 TELECOMMUNICATOR FOR THE BUSIEST CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS CENTER IN PA [BUCKS CO.] WHICH RECIEVES OVER 1 MILLION CALLS FOR SERVICE PER YEAR. FORTUNATELY WE MAN AT LEAST 24 DISPATCHERS AND 4 SUPERVISORS AROUND THE CLOCK. IN OUR 12 HOUR SHIFT WE RECIEVE APPROX. 1,800 CALLS FOR SERVICE IF YOU DO THE MATH,THE PHONE HANDSET IS CRADLED AT OUR NECK A BULK OF THE SHIFT. AND THE PEOPLE WE ARE TALKING TO ARE EITHER NOT VERY HAPPY OR THEY ARE EXPERIENCING THE WORST MOMENT OF THEIR LIFE. I KNOW SCHUYLKILL CO. IS NOT AS BUSY AND THEY MAN THEIR CENTER WITH ENOUGH DISPATCHERS FOR THEIR EXPECTED WORKLOAD. MOST OF THE DISPATCHERS ARE QUITE TALENTED BUT YES WE ALL GET GRUMPY. I AM NOT SURE WHAT TYPE OF CAD SYSTEM THEY OPERATE HERE BUT I AM SURE THE "DASH" IS A REQUIRED FIELD WHICH MUST BE PLACED IN IT. SAME THING WITH IDENTIFYING THE TYPE OF APPARATUS. THERE ARE ALOT OF PIECES IN THIS COUNTY. IT IS HARD ENOUGH REMEBERING EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO AND MAKE SURE THE JOB GETS DONE RIGHT. IT SHOULD BE THE RESPONDER IN THE CAPTAIN'S SEAT TO BE CURTIOUS ENOUGH TO IDENTIFY WHEN CALLING AND THEN HE OR SHE SHOULD HALE THE COUNTY TO PROCEED. REMEMBER SOMEONE MAY VERY WELL BE SCREAMING OR CRYING INTO THE DISPATCHERS EAR ON THE PHONE. A BRAIN CAN ONLY PROCESS INFORMATION FROM ONE PERSON AT A TIME. IF YOU THINK DIFFERENTLY TRY WATCHING 2 SEPERATE NEWS STATIONS AT THE SAME TIME THEN REPEAT WHAT THEY SAID WORD FOR WORD. I DON'T MEAN TO DRAG THIS OUT BUT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND IF THE DISPATCHER IS ON THE PHONE TAKING PERTINENT INFO AND YOU AS A SYSTEM USER BLURTS OUT PERTINENT MORE THAN LIKELY ONE WILL NOT BE UNDERSTOOD OR HEARD. OK LETS MOVE ALONG NOW. THE RADIO SYSTEM SUCKS. I AM SURE IF THEY HAD THE FUNDS ALONG WITH THE APPROVAL FROM THE FCC SOMETHING WOULD BE DONE. IT IS VERY HARD TO BELIEVE DISPATCHES ARE TRANSMITTED ON THE SAME FREQUENCY COMPANIES GO RESPONDING ON, ALONG WITH THAT MANY OPERATE THE FIREGROUND ON THAT SAME FREQUENCY. WHILE YOU GET STEPPED ON BY MONTOUR, CARBON AND NORTHUMBERLAND DISPATCHING ON THE SAME FREQUENCY. NOT BRAGGING BUT BUCKS CO USES A TRUNKED DIGITALLY ENCRYPTED DUPLEX/ANALOG SYSTEM WHICH ELIMINATES BEING STEPPED ON. IN OTHER WORDS 2 TRUCKS KEY UP AT THE SAME TIME BOTH GO THRU. BELIEVE ME I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SCHUYLKILL CO OBTAIN MULTIBLE BANDS. I.E. [NORTH,SOUTH,EAST,AND WEST BAND] FOR INSTANCE MAHANOY CITY HAS A WORKING JOB AND THEY STRIKE THE SECOND AND THIRD ALARMS, COMPAINIES RESPONDING WOULD SWITCH TO THE NORTH BAND FOR OPERATIONS. ALONG WITH THAT COUNTY WOULD ALSO BE MONITORING THAT SAME BAND. I NOTICED YOU REALLY BASHED COUNTY WITH THE MULTI TASKING. JUST KEEP IN MIND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE THEY HAVE GOING ON IN THE CENTER BESIDES THE INCIDENT YOU ARE WORKING. PICTURE YOURSELF AND MAYBE 5 OTHER DISPATCHERS WORKING WHEN ONE OF THOSE NASTY THUNDERSTORMS PASSES THRU. AND YOU HAVE MUTLI CALLS THRU THE COUNTY FOR TREES AND WIRES DOWN,POLE FIRES A LOT OF AMBULANCE CALLS FOR THE ELDERLY WITH BREATHING DIFFICULTY FROM THE HUMIDITY. IT DOES'NT TAKE LONG TO HAVE CALLS STACKED WAITING TO BE DISPATCHED ON SEVERAL COMPUTER PAGES. ALSO I FIND IT HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHEN A UNIT GOES AVAILABLE FROM THE SCENE 2 MINUTES LATER IT WILL WASTE MORE AIR TIME WITH THE LONG DRAWN OUT "ENGINE 00-00 BACK IN STATION, OFF RADIO AND AVAILABLE BY PAGER." I SEE IT AS IF YOU SAID ONCE YOU ARE AVAILABLE- YOU'RE AVAILABLE! NOW MY FINAL THOUGHTS...LAST WEEK WAS "NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATORS WEEK" NEXT YEAR WHEN IT COMES AROUND AGAIN KEEP THE DISPATCHERS IN MIND. A LOT OF SYSTEM USERS USUALLY SEND CARDS AND FOOD PLATTERS TO THEIR COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS. LETS KEEP 'EM IN MIND ITS A STRESSFUL JOB THAT HAS A HIGH TURNOVER RATE-WHICH ONLY THE BEST STICK WITH IT. ONCE AGAIN JUST MY THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCE. I'M NOT REPRESENTING ANY OF THE COMMUNICATION CENTERS MENTIONED. THANK YOU.

JAY
FRACKVILLE FF/EMA

[911DISPATCH]

MANY PERSON WHO HAVE NEVER WORKED AS A DISPTACHER LOVE TO SIT BACK AND CRITISIZE THE DISPATCHERS. THESE PERSONS ARE NOT AWARE THAT EVERYTHING DOESN'T STOP TO HANDLE "THEIR" CALL. I HAVE THE OPPERTUNITY OF BEING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RADIO, BEING A CHIEF OFFICER, AND BELIEVE ME I'D RATHER BE ON SCENE THAN IN THE COMMUNICATIONS CENTER. TO ME THE STRESS LEVEL ISN'T AS HIGH. SOME MAY SAY THE COMM CENTER IS A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT, THE ONLY THING CONTROLLED MAY BE THE CLIMATE. THINGS CAN TURN TO nuts IN A SECOND. ANOTHER TOPIC, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, WITH THEIR CHANNEL GUARD WALKS ALL OVER US. AT TIMES DUE TO "POSSIBLY " NOT DROPPING THE CHANNEL GUARD TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE IS DISPATCHING, WE HAVE TO PROCEED WITH A DISPATCH INSTEAD OF HOLDING THE EMERGENCY CALL. IT ALSO SEEMS THAT IT TAKES AN EXTREMELY LONG TIME FOR THEM TO SWITCH TO AN OPERATIONS CHANNEL. OUR POLICY IS TO ASSIGN AN OPERATIONS CHANNEL WITH THE FIRST FIRE UNIT OR OFFICER ARRIVING ON SCENE AND HAVE THEM ESTABLISH COMMAND. IT MAY NOT IMMEDIATELY HAPPEN 100% OF THE TIME DUE TO OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE TRY OUR BEST. ALSO "NEVER" LAND LIFEFLIGHT USING 46.50, IT IS A PRIMARY DISPATCH FOR MANY FIRE DEPARTMENTS. I HOPE I HAVE NOT OFFENED ANYONE, I ONLY WANTED TO BRING TO LIGHT A FEW POINTS

[firefighter 27]

schuykill county has many proboloms with directions and not following officers request

ie:resonded to a motorvehical accident
once onscene we had entrapment with injeries. county whould not dispact a second engine or resue because they where not on run cards for original dispatch for of a motorvehical accident no injures or intrapment

[911DISPATCH]

THE BOX/RUN CARD IS A GUIDELINE FOR THE DISPATCHER TO FOLLOW. IF AN OFFICER ARRIVES ON SCENE AND WANTS TO DEVIATE FROM THE PRINTED BOX CARD HE HAS THAT RIGHT, TO NOT FOLLOW AN OFFICERS REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE IS A LIABILITY WAITING TO HAPPEN. IF THAT 2ND PIECE COULD HAVE MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONE'S LIFE AND THE DISPATCHER DECIDED HE OR SHE WASN'T GOING TO DISPATCH THEY CAN BE HELD PERSONNALY LIABLE. GOVERNMENTAL IMMUNITY WILL ONLY COVER YOU SO FAR, EACH AND EVERY DISPATCHER IS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS. NOW IF YOU HAVE A POLICY OR PROCEDURE IN WRITING THAT STATES YOU WILL NEVER, AT NO TIME DEVIATE FROM THE RUN CARD, THEN YOU ARE FOLLOWING YOUR CENTERS POLICY AND ANY LAWSUIT SHOULD FALL BACK ONTO THE OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES AND THOSE THAT APPROVED THEM AND PLACED THEM IN SERVICE. AS AN EXAMPLE I AM AN OFFFICER IN THE COAL TWP FIRE DEPT. WE HAD AN ACCIDENT WITH ENTRAPMENT. THE DEPUTY CHIEF ON SCENE FELT THAT KULPMONT ENGINE 221 (HYDRAULIC RESCUE TOOL AVAILABLE) WOULD BE CLOSER TO RESPOND THAN SHAMOKIN'S RESCUE 62 WHICH WAS LISTED AS THE NEXT DUE RESCUE, IT WAS HIS ORDER TO DISPATCH ENGINE 221 WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY THE DISPATCHER. WE DO NOT PLAY ARMCHAIR QUARTERBACK AS A DISPATCHER, EVEN WHEN MY OWN DEPT IS DISPATCHED AND I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A SUGGESTION, I DON'T, AT THE TIME OF THE CALL, I AM A DISPATCHER AND NOT AN OFFICER IN THE FIRE DEPT. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE HERE IS BRING YOUR CONCERNS TO YOUR ADVISORY BOARD, FIRE CHIEFS OR WHOMEVER MAY TAKE IT TO THE NEXT STEP TO VOICE YOUR CONCERNS.WE CAN DISCUSS IT HERE BUT CHANGES WON'T BE MADE BY USING A PUBLIC FORUM FOR ANY CONCERNS, IT CAN BE FALLING ON DEAF EARS. CONTACT THE RIGHT PEOPLE AND VOICE YOUR CONCERN. WHAT I HAVE POSTED IS THE OPERATIONS WHERE I WORK, THIS DOES NOT MEAN ALL COMMUNICATIONS SHOULD WORK THE SAME, I'M SURE WE CAN GAIN BETTER HABITS FROM OTHER COMM CENTERS. MORE IS ACCOMPLISHED BY VOICING YOUR OPINION IN A DIPLOMATIC MANNER THAN IN A TONE OF DISGUST, BELIEVE ME, I TRY TO LOOK FOR THE BEST YOU CAN BE AND I GET YOU CAN'T EXPECT EVRYONE TO BE LIKE YOU, MY RESPONSE...WHY NOT, I DON'T ASK ANYONE TO DO ANY MORE THAN I DO. I HOPE I HAVE HELPED IN YOUR POST AND NOT OFFENDED ANYONE WITH MY RESPONSE... EVERYONE BE SAFE

[JJD]

If you want to comment, first, PLease, learn how to spell. It is a reflection of your education, or lack of it, plus a lazy attitude. Take the time to present your comments in a manner eschewing obfuscation!!!