I've heard in Clarksville IN, ems and fire dispatched to a box. I'm curious if they are referring to a box in a map? Is this the case?
alarm box 328
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I don't live in Indiana, but I would assume that is correct. It would seem to me the reason they don't give a physical address on something like that is to keep the looky-loos away. I remember living in Kansas several years ago the local police department would be sent to burglar alarms and such with just an alarm account number given for just that reason.
DickH
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They are more likely referring to a fire alarm box on a street corner like this one.
http://dickh.zenfolio.com/img/s2/v60/p1117557318-4.jpg
In the beginning, there was a fire box on every street corner. "Running cards" or "box cards" were drawn up to indicate which units responded to which boxes. For example - Box 12 at the corner of First St and Last Street - first alarm is Engine 1 + Eng 2 + Ladder - 2nd alarm is Eng 3 + Eng 4 + Ladder 2 - etc
What you probably have in Clarksville IN is a merger of 2 ideas. The "fire box" is the red box on the street corner. The "fire box" (or "box alarm") is also the units that respond when someone pulls the hook on the street box on the corner. The first "fire box" is the alarm device - the 2nd "fire box" is the "response plan" or "response neighborhood" or "common response area/group".
In Clarksville Indiana, a "box" is probably a specified response level for a specified section of the city. The lowest response level is probably a "still". A "still" might be one ambulance or 1 fire truck going to a minor call. A "box" is probably 3 or 4 fire units and a ambulance going to a more serious call. In the Chicago area, a "still" might be 2 pumpers and 1 ladder truck. A Chicago area "box" would be an additional 2 more pumpers, and some other units might move up to vacant fire stations. MABAS is the name for the system in the Chicago area (which is probably the basis for the Clarksville IN system). You can Google MABAS and box or box alarm to find lots of info online.
What you probably have in Clarksville IN is a merger of 2 ideas. The "fire box" is the red box on the street corner. The "fire box" (or "box alarm") is also the units that respond when someone pulls the hook on the street box on the corner. The first "fire box" is the alarm device - the 2nd "fire box" is the "response plan" or "response neighborhood" or "common response area/group".
In Clarksville Indiana, a "box" is probably a specified response level for a specified section of the city. The lowest response level is probably a "still". A "still" might be one ambulance or 1 fire truck going to a minor call. A "box" is probably 3 or 4 fire units and a ambulance going to a more serious call. In the Chicago area, a "still" might be 2 pumpers and 1 ladder truck. A Chicago area "box" would be an additional 2 more pumpers, and some other units might move up to vacant fire stations. MABAS is the name for the system in the Chicago area (which is probably the basis for the Clarksville IN system). You can Google MABAS and box or box alarm to find lots of info online.
loumaag
Silent Key - Aug 2014
This is an interesting concept that my wife I were just discussing on Friday. We were coming back from somewhere and she made a comment about something that was said on the scanner and asked me whatever happened to the "good old '10' codes". Well, I explained there was a slow and steady movement away from the use of codes and jargon so that plain language was used and therefore when inter-operations incidents happened there would be no confusion as to what was meant.
She looked at me and blandly said "Really?", and I said "Sure". Her reply to me was "That's clear." At that point I realized she was pointing out a problem, no matter what the plan is, jargon still happens. In this instance she was poking at the local law enforcement (Houston Metro area) who have traded "10-4" for "That's clear." For example:
This led me to consider all the jargon that is still used in some places and probably will continue to be used despite efforts to do away with them. Some examples that come to mind in regards to fire operations are: the aforementioned "Box" and "Box Alarm"; "Tap Out"; "PAR"; although plain language, the still stilted "Copy that"; and of course there are more that refer to different situation and tools. I think, despite the prevalence of the incident command system (ICS) use, we have a long way to go before plain language becomes plain language.
She looked at me and blandly said "Really?", and I said "Sure". Her reply to me was "That's clear." At that point I realized she was pointing out a problem, no matter what the plan is, jargon still happens. In this instance she was poking at the local law enforcement (Houston Metro area) who have traded "10-4" for "That's clear." For example:
Dispatcher - "11-Edward-44, are you clear?"
11E44 - "I'm clear"
Dispatcher - "That's clear"
11E44 - "I'm clear"
Dispatcher - "That's clear"
This led me to consider all the jargon that is still used in some places and probably will continue to be used despite efforts to do away with them. Some examples that come to mind in regards to fire operations are: the aforementioned "Box" and "Box Alarm"; "Tap Out"; "PAR"; although plain language, the still stilted "Copy that"; and of course there are more that refer to different situation and tools. I think, despite the prevalence of the incident command system (ICS) use, we have a long way to go before plain language becomes plain language.
i agree. Louisville Metro police say "I;m OK" rather than 10-4.
They say 10-4 where I am.
"XYZ are you 10-4"
"10-4"
"10-4"
"XYZ are you 10-4"
"10-4"
"10-4"
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