1. Chapter 19— Fire Department Communications

2. Chapter 19 Lesson Goal
After completing this lesson, the student shall be able to communicate effectively by radio, telephone & through various reports

3. Communication Responsibilities: Telecommunicator
Has a role which is different from but just as important as other personnel
Usually full-time professional communications specialists
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4. Communication Responsibilities: Telecommunicator
Must process calls from unknown & unseen individuals
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5. Communication Responsibilities: Telecommunicator
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
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6. Communication Responsibilities: Telecommunicator
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

7. Communication Responsibilities: Telecommunicator
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

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

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
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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

11. Communication Skills Basic reading skills Basic writing skills
Ability to speak clearly
Ability to follow written & verbal instructions
Use plain, everyday language

12. Map Reading
Critical to be able to look at a map & locate specific points
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13. Common Communications Equipment
Two-way base radio
Tone-generating equipment
Telephones
Direct-line phones
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14. Common Communications Equipment
Computers
Recording systems or devices
Alarm-receiving equipment

15. Alarm-Receiving Equipment
Telephones
Commercial phone systems
Direct lines
Wireless (mobile)
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16. Alarm-Receiving Equipment
Fax machines
Radios
Base radios, mobile radios, portable radios

17. Radio Guidelines Realize that all radio transmissions can be monitored
Use self-discipline & good judgment
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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. Recording Information
Information recorded should be:
Complete
Accurate
Permanent
Covers all responses
Maintained at communication center (Dispatch)
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20. Recording Information
Voice recorders
Document information
Accurate account of operations
Protect in case of litigation
Document evidence
Continuously running
Intermittently running
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21. Recording Information
Radio logs
Record the incident & location of each activity
A manual system written on paper
Usually a chronological recording
Include incident information

22. Basic Telephone Courtesies
Answer calls promptly
Be pleasant & identify the station & self
Be prepared to write down messages accurately
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23. Basic Telephone Courtesies
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

24. Basic Telephone Courtesies
If call is not for FrPD, try to direct caller to proper department or person
Give them the number if possible
Be polite

25. Receiving Emergency Calls from the Public
Identify the agency
Control the conversation
Ask questions to get the information needed
Assertive voice
Follow SOPs
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26. Receiving Emergency Calls from the Public
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
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27. Receiving Emergency Calls from the Public
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
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28. Receiving Emergency Calls from the Public
Record the answers to all questions
Maintain communications w/ all units until call has been terminated

29. Public Alerting Systems
Telephone
Emergency number is 1-1-0
By mobile: RT DH AB JD YN TN

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
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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
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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?
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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

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
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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

36. Reporting a Fire or Other Emergency by Telephone
Dial the appropriate number
1-1-0
Fire department 7-digit number
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37. Reporting a Fire or Other Emergency by Telephone
State the address where the emergency is located
If no address, give the nearest cross streets or describe nearby landmarks
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38. Reporting a Fire or Other Emergency by Telephone
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

39. Reporting a Fire From a Local Alarm Box
Send signal as directed on box
Also notify fire department by telephone

40. Alerting Fire Department Personnel: Staffed Stations
Computerized line printer or terminal screen with alarm
Voice alarm
House bell or gong
House light
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41. Alerting Fire Department Personnel: Staffed Stations
Telephone from telecommunicator on secure phone line
Telegraph register
Radio w/ tone alert
Radio/pagers

42. Alerting Fire Department Personnel: Unstaffed Stations
Pagers
Cellular telephones & other devices w/ text-messaging capabilities
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43. Alerting Fire Department Personnel: Unstaffed Stations
Home electronic monitors
Telephones
Sirens
Whistles or air horns

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
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45. Guidelines for Radio Communications
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
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46. Guidelines for Radio Communications
Be concise & to the point
Think about what should be said before keying the microphone
Avoid shouting
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47. Guidelines for Radio Communications
Everyone on the fireground should follow two basic rules:
Units must identify themselves in every transmission
The receiver must acknowledge every message
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48. Guidelines for Radio Communications
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
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49. Guidelines for Radio Communications
All radio frequencies are monitored
Hold radio/microphone 1 to 2 inches (25 mm to 50 mm) from mouth
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50. Guidelines for Radio Communications
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

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
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52. 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
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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
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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

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

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
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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
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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
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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

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
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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
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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
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63. Emergency Radio Traffic
After the emergency communication is complete, telecommunicator notifies all units to resume normal or routine radio traffic

64. Evacuation Signals
Are used when IC decides that all FFs should immediately withdraw
All FFs should be familiar with FrPD evacuation signal
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65. Evacuation Signals Radio broadcast
Similar to emergency traffic broadcast
Message is broadcast several times
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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

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
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68. Personnel Accountability Report (PAR)
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
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69. Personnel Accountability Report (PAR)
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

70. Incident Reports Information is used for a variety of purposes:
Justify budgets for FrPD
Enforce fire & safety codes
Allocation of resources
Manpower allocation

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

72. Incident Reports Report includes: Incident number Time of dispatch
Location of incident
Type of incident
Number of personnel & apparatus

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

74. Incident Reports Report includes: Number of injuries or fatalities
Type of occupancy, building number
Probable cause, fire origin
Estimate of loss
Narrative

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
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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
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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)