AA/QA water incident at Bay Bridge

[troymail]

AACo Fire dispatched Fireboat-61 (FB-61) into the bay earlier to assist a possible boat in distress... told FB-61 to use QA Fire Tac-3.

Bay Bridge PD (MdTA) officers on the bridge came up on AACoFD digital Fire ALPHA with reports of a boat sending up flares...

Interesting that numerous channels were in use - I can just image how many radios FB-61 had turned on trying to listen to different channels. Fire Alarm tried to get one of the officers on the bridge (who was on analog ALPHA) to go to Bravo to talk to FB-61 but the officer didn't think his radio was capable. Later I think I heard him on digital BRAVO.

It's good they all can talk in some way (better than in the past) but perhaps their needs to be a talkgroup labeled "Bay Bridge Incident Tac-1" and/or "Bay Bridge Incident Tac-2" where all (AA Fire, AA Police, QA Fire, QA Law, MdTA police, etc.) involved can easily switch over and be on the same TG. It doesn't help that AACo has two ALPHAs and BRAVOs in the radios....hopefully that will end soon...

AACo
1-A (analog) currently being refer to as 61-A (zone 61 on the radio)
1-B (analog)

1-A (digital)
1-B (digital)

QACo

Fire Tac-3
QALaw

Coast Guard VHF

(btw - no problem was apparently found -- not sure what was up with the multiple flares seen)

 

[tolley]

Yeah so much more for NIMS and unity of command.

 

[Bote]

I guess there's no point in training people how to use their radios if they can't bother themselves to remember or use the knowledge.

"Oh look! A button. Be afraid, be very afraid!"

 

[troymail]

...if they get the training....

Also consider that these types of things get used very infrequently if at all so they need to be easy to use....

 

[MCMD5]

...if they get the training....

Also consider that these types of things get used very infrequently if at all so they need to be easy to use....

Then training, disaster drills would help.

 

[pasadenamd]

Early this morning there was a boat taking on water with people in the water around the Bay Bridge. I was suprised to hear the MDTA police come up on Echo. The officer said he was hearing people screaming in the water. They found the people due to the officer. I thought it was interesting that he came up on the talkgroup. I hope the officers start to do this since it was very helpful in this case.

 

[troymail]

"L" units -- ??

Yes, I've heard them before. In fact, the Bay Bridge comes up in comms check many / most mornings on Alpha and Bravo

 

[maus92]

"L" units are from the MdTA Police detachment patrolling William Preston Lane Memorial Bridge, commonly known as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. ("L" for Lane)

 

[ThomasMolino]

If these MDTA officers are coming up on Echo what is the whole point of "Fire To Police" Channel? Yesterday was the first time I ever heard a transmission on it but wasn't sure what it was.

 

[troymail]

If these MDTA officers are coming up on Echo what is the whole point of "Fire To Police" Channel? Yesterday was the first time I ever heard a transmission on it but wasn't sure what it was.

Back in the "early" days the Fire to Police channel was used to allow a fire unit to call Police dispatch directly rather than passing info the fire dispatcher who then had to call over to police and pass on the message.

This really didn't last very long because the channel was rarely used and police aren't monitoring that channel like a normal police channel.

These days they still pass info through fire alarm and if the info is significant, detailed or length or it is felt it would be better to have the fire unit talk directly to police, fire will have the police and fire unit switch to that channel and talk directly.

Public works has a similar channel - and sometimes you'll hear them call and call waiting for a police dispatcher to answer.

 

[ThomasMolino]

Now what about the volunteers chief channel or the new bat admin channel added what is the works with those? I believe the bat chiefs admin and vol chiefs admin is new to my knowledge.

 

[troymail]

Cellphones (and Nextel direct connect) are used more - probably instead of those channels. Cell phones are more secure and people carry a cell phone all the time - not so true for bulky county radios

 

[ThomasMolino]

True and I'm sure every chief just loves talking into the bright NEON radios that AACO has lol.