Baltimore City Fire Dispatching Protocol

[SuperPuma]

After successfuly scanning Baltimores 800 MHz system this past weekend, I have a question regarding dispatching.

After dispatching a job and saying respond 10 Charlie 1, or 26 Alpha 1, I know the Charlie 1 and Alpha 1 are the talkgroups assigned but what is the previous number mean ex. 10 or 26?

 

[rmiles]

Those are ADC Mapbook coordinates. Thus, 10 Charlie 1 would equate to Baltimore ADC Mapbook page 10, grid C-1.

Hope this helps!

 

[mlevin]

Actually I think those are the medical priority codes. Example 9 ECHO 1=cardiac arrest. If they say respond on talkgroup charlie 1 then you know to switch.

All medical calls are ran on A3, and all routine fire calls are on A1. Only Box Alarms, Rescues, Haz-Mats etc. are ran on a "Bravo", or "Charlie" talkgroup. And those talkgroups are announced during the dispatch. All other calls are assumed to be ran on the appropiate talkgroups. Hope this clears things up.

Just on an interesting side note. Up until about a year ago they never announced the medical codes during a medic dispatch, just the box number. And also until sometime in the winter all box alarms where 4 engines, and 2 trucks, and the chief. Now they added a medic, an extra chief, and RIT engine to every box. Makes for one heck of a long speech for the dispatcher.

 

[ericcarlson]

It sounds like they are probably reading the EMS "Clawson Codes" (Medical Priority Dispatch System). Here is one list:
http://www.abqscan.com/ClawsonCodes.htm

Just be aware that the Clawson Codes have gone through many iterations so the exact version in use in Baltimore may be slightly different.

-Eric

 

[mlevin]

Yep that's what I was talking about. I'll keep that as a reference, and see if it matches up to the calls.

 

[hook851]

codes

Yes, the codes that you hear on medical calls in Baltimore City are from EMD- 26-Alpha-1 is a sick case, for example. The first number is a general category of the problem or complaint. The letter is supposed to correllate to the priority of the patient based on the information received by the calltaker/dispatcher- Alpha is lowest up to Delta- and then there are some higher than Delta- Echo for an arrest. The last number is for more specific information under the general category.

The only problem with this system is that we do not carry these books on the medic unit, so the numbers are rather meaningless to us. Eventually I think they were planning on using these codes exclusively, and do away with saying the complaint on the radio- but I don't see that happening anytime soon, unless they furnish all medics, engines, and trucks with the needed books.

Hope this helps...

 

[mlevin]

Re: codes

Eventually I think they were planning on using these codes exclusively, and do away with saying the complaint on the radio- but I don't see that happening anytime soon, unless they furnish all medics, engines, and trucks with the needed books.

Hope this helps...

That would be bad, real bad :x

 

[hook851]

Eric,

Thanx for the link to the codes- I printed a copy out and put it on the medic for all to use.