Changes coming to AA Fire

[ThePhotoGuy]

AACo Fire is currently on "Condition Blue." Does anyone have a list of the different condition color codes for AA Co Fire?

There are only a couple that I am aware of...

Condition Yellow-usually when they are having CAD or SME problems. Means they have to announce status over radio
Condition Red- Usually when communications are busy or having problems. Stations must monitor by base set or portable. Sometimes no tones.
Condition Brown- Serious Radio Communication Failure
Condition Blue- As listed in previous post. Deals with medical transports in weather incidents.

 

[ThePhotoGuy]

I wonder if this will change any response procedures. I personally think one Engine is the correct response for an AFA.

More questions in Annapolis mansion fire response

 

[maus92]

A single engine is appropriate for an automatic fire alarm, due to the propensity for false alarms. I'm not sure what the SOP is for fires calls in this area, but I'd expect that there will be some changes relating to water supply.

Anyway, does Station 8 have a tanker, or an engine with a large booster tank? Station 40 does, but I don't think any city engines have anything over 500 gallons (I think the Childs Point house was in Station 35's first due area, but I'm not sure.)

As far as the PR response of the department, I'd recommend that a timeline documenting all events should be released simultaneously with any recordings. I'd also explain that while a call for service is being answered, the alarm assignment is being worked out in parallel - and it's pretty common that units are dispatched and hitting the streets while the initial caller is still on the line.

 

[ThePhotoGuy]

A single engine is appropriate for an automatic fire alarm, due to the propensity for false alarms. I'm not sure what the SOP is for fires calls in this area, but I'd expect that there will be some changes relating to water supply.

Anyway, does Station 8 have a tanker, or an engine with a large booster tank? Station 40 does, but I don't think any city engines have anything over 500 gallons (I think the Childs Point house was in Station 35's first due area, but I'm not sure.)

As far as the PR response of the department, I'd recommend that a timeline documenting all events should be released simultaneously with any recordings. I'd also explain that while a call for service is being answered, the alarm assignment is being worked out in parallel - and it's pretty common that units are dispatched and hitting the streets while the initial caller is still on the line.

Agree... They should have provided a timeline when they released the tapes. No need to rush releasing the tapes.

Station 8 is an Engine-Tanker (Engine 84). Not sure on the size.

I do think there needs to be more tankers dispatched on box alarms. First Alarm: 4 Engines, 2 Trucks, 2 Tankers, 1 Squad, 1 Ambo, Batt Chief. I think there should be atleast 3-4 tankers dispatched. It takes awhile to get water supply started so more water on the road is best.

 

[marksmith]

Anne Arundel County probably on average "over-responds" to the typical call, putting a large force initially on the road and then has the first on scene equipment release the vast majority of responding units. It's hard to fault this approach for still alarm or 911 calls.

Automatic fire alarms are a different matter. The much higher rate of being false would correspondingly increase potential for harm to civilians and department personnel to put a larger force responding to an unknown.

The fact that the walls were falling in on arrival of that first engine should kill any suggestions that the response was the problem.

BCD536HP/HP2/996XT/PSR800/396XT/996T

 

[riveter]

The fact that the walls were falling in on arrival of that first engine should kill any suggestions that the response was the problem.

Well said. But then again, all the talk shows have to say is "and there are still questions about the Fire Department's response" in the middle of a sentence and everybody's gonna go OH NO WHAT QUESTIONS DID THEY NOT GET THERE FAST ENOUGH for the next month. Ah well.

 

[ThePhotoGuy]

Sounds like it is official. "EMS 3 responding..."

 

[marksmith]

Sounds like it is official. "EMS 3 responding..."

So I've heard EMS 1,2,3, and 4 now in addition to EMS 36 thats always been there. What is the change? Are these units assigned the same geographic areas as the battalion chiefs handling the EMS stuff? What's official?

Also notice from radio id's that EMS2 is the old Quality Improvement 2. I don't think I've heard a QI unit since hearing these units.

BCD536HP/HP2/996XT/PSR800/396XT/996T

 

[irishman75]

If anyone can help I'd like to know what the Fire tone out in hz is for when they are disptached on a fire or rescue

 

[maus92]

If anyone can help I'd like to know what the Fire tone out in hz is for when they are disptached on a fire or rescue

In the wiki:

Anne Arundel County (MD) Fire Tone Outs - The RadioReference Wiki

 

[troymail]

If anyone can help I'd like to know what the Fire tone out in hz is for when they are disptached on a fire or rescue

I'm going to assume you mean specifically for "Box Alarms" (building fires) or "Rescue Boxes".... The easiest way to do that is program in the 5 Battalion Chief (BC) tones from the wiki stated above. Keep in mind of course that using the tone out option means you won't hear anything until they dispatch a call of that type and then only that (until you switch to scanning on the trunked system).

Another option is to create a scanlist with only the foreground talkgroups in it (Echo, Foxtrot, Kilo, Luna, etc). This way you'll mostly only hear the more significant incident such as Box and Rescues.

 

[baydog]

On their Facebook page daily summary, AA Fire/EMS is now referring to a " Working Fire Dispatch".
Is this something new or just a new name for an existing SOP?

 

[troymail]

On their Facebook page daily summary, AA Fire/EMS is now referring to a " Working Fire Dispatch".
Is this something new or just a new name for an existing SOP?

That's been in place for a while -- believe it replaced the "All Hands". Also, when it went into affect, it allowed the call takers/dispatch to automatically dispatch a "Working Fire" dispatch based upon the number and type of calls they get via 911. It no longer requires a unit to arrive on the scene first to make that determination.

There was an addition/change to this recently in that if the call is in an area without hydrants, the" working fire" dispatch adds addition units to support getting water to the scene.

There is/has been a similar situation for a while now with regard to activation of aviation. If the dispatch center receives information via callers that indicates it might make sense to get aviation started, they can activate aviation before units arrive.

Call takers/dispatchers can also downgrade responses as new information becomes available.

Of course, arriving units can adjust this as required once they have an initial assessment and add or delete units as required.

All of this is really about maintaining as safe a response as possible but using all available information to make adjustments in the response as quickly/early as possible to maintain that safety and improve the overall outcome.

 

[ThePhotoGuy]

Well that is a first...

Special Information Broadcast: "The current wind chill has reached a category 1..."

 

[marksmith]

I wonder what category it is tonite. I've heard no special announcements.

BCD536HP/HP2/996XT/PSR800/396XT/996T

 

[marksmith]

Getting close to having all fire tac channels in operation tonite. MIKE is the only one not hot at this time.

BCD536HP/HP2/996XT/PSR800/396XT/996T

 

[troymail]

I've noticed that the system control channel has been jumping around quite a bit lately....

 

[marksmith]

Changed two or three times in the last two to three hours. Only for about 10 minutes each time... then back to 854.3375.

BCD536HP/HP2/996XT/PSR800/396XT/996T

 

[marksmith]

If it was changing before that, then I didn't notice and the "chase" function in unitrunker must work.

BCD536HP/HP2/996XT/PSR800/396XT/996T

 

[marksmith]

At about 2:20pm Wednesday flipped over to 855.1625

BCD536HP/HP2/996XT/PSR800/396XT/996T