alert tones for FD fire ground traffic

[speedway_navigator]

More of an ops thing than technical. Our county supposedly has a policy that requires dispatchers to use the beep tones when units go on scene of a fire. They are inconsistent, I've heard a unit say they are on scene with nothing showing and no evacuation and dispatch hits the button from 2 to 5 times and repeats the traffic. I swear one guy on days is practicing Morse code.

I suspect repeating the size up is left over from the base station and mobile days when not everyone heard other mobiles, but repeaters have been the norm for years now.
I've heard a unit say 'smoke and flames from the alpha side, evacuation in progress' and no beeps, it seems to be dispatcher dependent. Seldom during an active fire do they repeat any traffic unless the IC pulls every one out, that would be one time I would agree with tones.

I'm curious what your agencies do for this. PD pursuits is another one where traffic is repeated. One pursuit last year the suspect was turning so often the dispatch barely started giving out the direction when the unit called in the next turn. After about 3 or 4 times the dispatcher gave up.

 

[kf8yk]

I suspect repeating the size up is left over from the base station and mobile days when not everyone heard other mobiles, but repeaters have been the norm for years now.

Sounds like the fire department has adopted the Blue Card incident command system, or a similar variant. The repeating of the size up, or really any IC report or command order is a core component of this system. Use of console generated alert tones is also part of this program for changes in strategy or other emergency traffic.

Most of the Blue Card training material is behind a paywall, but here's a video with a good introduction: HFD Blue Card Introduction

The video is somewhat long, so if you want to skip to the radio communications stuff the communications order model begins around 23:30 and additional radio communications and emergency traffic info begins at 34:00.

 

[MTS2000des]

Our policy is to turn on the marker tone for any "hold the air" incident such as a felony stop, clearing a building, chase, etc on the law side. On the fire side, if a mayday is called, the evacuation tone is sounded and the IC takes over and runs the show with dispatch STFU until the IC declares it stable.

The only time alert tones are used is after our FSA alerts the station, then the standard 1000Hz (drop down alert tone number 1 on the MCC7500) is used. It is also used by some to "get someone's attention" with stuck mikes, not responding after initial dispatch, etc.

 

[speedway_navigator]

I remember San Diego PD using that marker tone for emergency traffic, good example of where it's valuable. Here the FD dispatcher will even beep beep when the IC releases units. The ex cop in me wanting to rib my FF buddies wants to say who needs tones to let them know it's time to head back to the recliners and TV in the station.

 

[bunangst]

Another side to consider is generally all radio traffic in a dispatch center is recorded for various reasons. A dispatcher acknowledging and repeating priority traffic is an important step to make sure both sides were understood clearly.

 

[ramal121]

Channel markers are for a specific usage and meaning. Manual alert tones are at the discretion of the dispatcher to emphasize importance in a transmission. I have some agencies that never use a manual alert.

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[KE4ZNR]

Channel markers are for a specific usage and meaning. Manual alert tones are at the discretion of the dispatcher to emphasize importance in a transmission.

Similar to what others have posted dispatchers here in Central NC use the Channel Marker for urgent situations. On the system I help manage/maintain it is called a "signal 20" while other nearby cities call the channel/talkgroup "secured". Regardless it means stay off the air unless you are part of the unfolding ongoing situation.

 

[speedway_navigator]

Indiana was signal 100 for what we called ET on the San Diego sheriff's office.