HomeMy WebLinkAboutDispatching Calls For ServiceMyself, Christine, and Mark attended a meeting at the fire department yesterday. It was a
positive meeting. We were brought in to discuss the feasibility of some desired changes and
what is practical for all involved. Everyone was very respectful listening to points from the IT
side, Fire side, and Dispatch side. Three operational shifts are on the table but one is going to
be effective now.
It’s not so much a change but reinforcing the Fire Response cheat sheets (14 = 1 ENGINE C3,
14S = 2 ENGINES, BC C3, etc). Pre Quickest Route you referred to the sheet and dispatched
the needed number of apparatus. Since Quickest Route you tap accept until the selections are
complete and dispatch. We need to get back to making sure the number of apparatus matches
the nature of response. They want the number of units for personnel even if they can’t get the
desired type of engine. Quickest Route is built to do this but you have to look at the dispatch
windows. Using a 14T as an example, this is how:
(injury collision at 1042 Walnut and the Truck is out of service)
If you hit your space bar instead of the accept key it will select engine 2, then tap accept. By
tapping the space bar QR will select the next engine most closely matching the requested
response. The system then moves to the next request:
engine 4 meets the primary recommendation for a first responder. Tap accept. (then accept for
the ambulance, not shown here). You now have two engines and an ambulance to dispatch to
the injury collision.
No units checked telling
you the LADD request
can’t be met but there
are secondary selections
that are close.
As Mark and Christine explained in the meeting if you choose to just tap accept through
everything you have your final response selection showing one apparatus shy of the response
plan.
If you get to this point and realize you didn’t hit your space bar you can go old school and add
another engine. Then complete your dispatching as normal.
Quickest Route works this way for all of the responses. The top portion tells you if you are
lacking an engine based on the primary requirements.
The below is an example of a wildland fire on Roundhouse and engine 3 is out of service.
In this example you then click on T1 to add it to your response.
Recommendation not complete – 2 of 3 engines.
Reading the top line will give you the information needed. If this is not looked at and you get to the last
screen to dispatch you can add units to meet the required number.
There are three layers to get the proper dispatch:
1. Read the top line and add an engine if it tells you it’s an incomplete dispatch
2. Add an additional engine on the final dispatch screen
3. The Battalion Chief hears the dispatch and realizes there aren’t enough engines responding he
gets on the radio and requests additional resources.