Boston Mass - disaster drill

[zerg901]

Boston Mass

Full scale emergency training exercise at the downtown Bowdoin subway
station today (Sunday) from 8 AM to 130 PM EST

New Chardon at Cambridge St area

Boston Police units have shifted from 460.45R to 460.35R for Operation Hermes

Boston EMS has A31 to A38 and P51 P55 etc as extra units for the drill

There are multiple Boston feeds available at RadioRefeerence

730 AM - I hear nothing from 380 Mhz to 420 Mhz

 

[KB1UAM]

try boston police! and MSP as well as transit police 470.6625

 

[zerg901]

drill starting now at 845 AM

BEMS on 460.55R

BFD on 483.2375R

T PD just went to Ch 2 (should be 483.5625R IIRC)

 

[CoolCat]

I generally do not listen to Boston PD/FD/EMS, but I turned it on after reading this thread. I have been listening for about 1 hour now and I have to say it is actually quite boring. The people performing this drill sound like they have absolutely no interest in doing it. They are pretty much all speaking in a slow, monotone, "zero-adrenaline" voice.

As a comparison, I have listened to a few MSP emergency/tactical drills and they are actually quite entertaining. I often cannot tell it is only a drill until they announce it at the end.

 

[Citywide173]

According to several dispatcher training manuals (APCO, Powerphone) monotone is the desired voice to be used over the air. As a dispatcher, and a field provider, I can vouch for it's effectiveness. Perhaps if you listened to Boston more often, you'd realize that unless someone's getting shot at, this is daily operations for them.

 

[zerg901]

Drill traffic heard on 460.275 + 470.5625

Around 10 AM they told everyone to turn off their radios and cellphones - face to face comms only

155.28 - hospital capability check - partial list - Brigham 4 red 10 yellow 30 green - Carney 0 red 19 yellow 15 green - Faulkner 1 red 6 yellow 15 green - Tufts 1 red 6 yellow 15 green - Saint Elizabeths 5 red 10 yellow 20 green - Childrens 4 red 12 yellow 30 green - (someone else could take 10 red - maybe BCH)

 

[CoolCat]

According to several dispatcher training manuals (APCO, Powerphone) monotone is the desired voice to be used over the air. As a dispatcher, and a field provider, I can vouch for it's effectiveness. Perhaps if you listened to Boston more often, you'd realize that unless someone's getting shot at, this is daily operations for them.

Monotone probably wasn't the right word to use. I have been listening to local police and fire depts on my scanners for 15 years, and I am well aware of how dispatchers and officers typically sound on the air. I do listen to Boston PD/FD sometimes, I just don't usually have the system enabled.

Regarding this "disaster drill"; They were talking in what I can best describe as an "I just don't care" manner, like they are just reluctantly reading the lines to get it over with.

As I stated earlier, the MSP drills are in my opinion far more entertaining as they are taken much more seriously than this BPD/TPD drill has been. The MSP drills are conducted more professionally, as if the incident is actually happening. In this Boston drill, they constantly stated "this is a drill, this is a drill", but you could already tell it wasn't real just by the way they were talking. But if some people find this drill entertaining, then by all means please enjoy it.

 

[Citywide173]

Monotone probably wasn't the right word to use. I have been listening to local police and fire depts on my scanners for 15 years, and I am well aware of how dispatchers and officers typically sound on the air. I do listen to Boston PD/FD sometimes, I just don't usually have the system enabled.

Regarding this "disaster drill"; They were talking in what I can best describe as an "I just don't care" manner, like they are just reluctantly reading the lines to get it over with.

As I stated earlier, the MSP drills are in my opinion far more entertaining as they are taken much more seriously than this BPD/TPD drill has been. The MSP drills are conducted more professionally, as if the incident is actually happening. In this Boston drill, they constantly stated "this is a drill, this is a drill", but you could already tell it wasn't real just by the way they were talking. But if some people find this drill entertaining, then by all means please enjoy it.

I can definitely understand that. When I originally saw the email, my first thought was "another one?"

The drills that have been conducted so far (Atlas, Poseidon, Hermes) have all been based on focused attacks, and the entities responsible for those areas of focus (Massport, Distrigas, MBTA) were the major planners, which probably resulted in less than exciting scenarios.

On top of this, I'm not sure an MBTA drill was the best option at this point in time, given the Government Center crash last year. The responders have a working knowledge of a similar incident that is fresh in memory, so the enthusiasm just wouldn't be there for a drill.

As far as the "This is a Drill" statement, it is supposed to be repeated after every transmission by the dispatcher. If the state isn't doing that, they're the one's who aren't following the rules.

 

[SCPD]

Well put Mr. 173!!!! I have been to Boston many times and listen to both BFD & BEMS.. The dispatcher on EMS at night is great at her job. She is also so calm and polite. I can also say from being born in Boston and growing up in Charlestown next to the Fire Station that is now a tennis court that all the Firefighter's I know and talk to that they really care, and do a great job everytime.

Mark

 

[Citywide173]

The dispatcher you are referring to is one of the best. Unfortunately, it is a rare occasion that she is on the radio anymore...they promoted her to lieutenant-she runs the dispatch operation on the night shift now.