Changes coming to AA Fire

[troymail]

Between the two types of ALS units, are there differences in the types of calls that they are assigned, or differing levels of care that the different staffing dictates? And are the unit themselves identical as far as equipment goes?

Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) calls for at least 2 ALS providers on some calls - example: cardiac arrest. Many other ALS type only requires (initially) 1 ALS provider just as others only require BLS providers.

The dispatch is based on the severity of the information provided by the caller.

 

[maus92]

Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) calls for at least 2 ALS providers on some calls - example: cardiac arrest. Many other ALS type only requires (initially) 1 ALS provider just as others only require BLS providers.

The dispatch is based on the severity of the information provided by the caller.

I guess I'm looking for more specific info - are there written / public protocols determining what type of unit should be assigned to a call in AACo? Or is it all non-published?

 

[ThePhotoGuy]

Fire Department Implements Deployment Plan
Increases Paramedic Coverage, Engine Staffing Levels
The Anne Arundel County Fire Department has completed the first phase of implementing recommendations from the EMS and Suppression and Deployment Study.
The EMS and Suppression Deployment Study began in April and includes a number of recommendations to improve the department’s services while utilizing current resources and the recently added SAFER positions. It also includes changes in response and other policies to reflect best practices.
"The improvements recommended in the plan include input from all of the stakeholder groups within our department, both career and volunteer,” said Fire Chief Allan Graves. “The success of these changes from planning through implementation will be the direct result of a collaborative process, and I am very proud of the efforts of everyone involved,” he said.
Among the changes implemented over the last week include:
• Increasing Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedic unit coverage with new units or the upgrading of existing Basic Life Support (BLS) Ambulances in the following areas:
o Riviera Beach- the addition of a paramedic unit (placing a paramedic unit at the Riviera Beach Volunteer Fire Company in addition to the current BLS ambulance)
o Marley- upgrading an existing BLS ambulance to a paramedic unit (placing a second paramedic unit in the Marley Fire Station)
o Odenton- upgrading an existing BLS ambulance to a paramedic unit (placing a paramedic unit at the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company in addition to an existing BLS ambulance)
o Severna Park- upgrading an existing BLS ambulance in the Jones Station Fire Station to a paramedic unit
o Glen Burnie- upgrading a current BLS ambulance to a paramedic unit (placing a second paramedic unit at the Glen Burnie Volunteer Fire Department in addition to an existing BLS ambulance)
• Increasing the staffing on engine companies in Jacobsville and Marley from two firefighters to three firefighters
• Placing a 24-hour EMS Supervisor in service at the Riva Fire Station, a recommendation of the transition committee and the Deployment Study
• Providing dedicated daytime staffing for the BLS ambulance at the Arundel Volunteer Fire Department
These improvements were made using current resources. The additional positions funded by the recently awarded SAFER grant will be added to the field after the next recruit class graduates in December.

 

[marksmith]

Sometimes the Battalion Chief has an extended response time and likely won't be "command" until much later in the call. This policy ensures crews are assigned early for that function - it's a firefighter safety issue.

RIT is a critical function for safety reasons but given the choice, all crews would want to jump in and fight the fire not be on standby.

Aha. So this is really a response discipline measure to assure a rapid intervention unit does standby as opposed to getting involved in an all hands kind of response. That makes more sense.

I would presume that whatever command is established (even if not the BC) that they have the authority to make this assignment, or modify it, on scene. Admittedly, if it's something less than a BC, it might not end up being the right priority, though some of the volunteer chiefs handle situations very well.

Mark
WS1095/536/436/996P2/HP1e/HP2e/996XT/325P2/396XT/PRO668/PSR800/PRO652

 

[riveter]

Third due engine is the RIT. That doesn't change. This just explicity assigns it and has the crew verify. If there's a balls-up and another engine comes on scene third or the RIT engine ends up being first to arrive, that will of course be changed by command, whoever they are at that moment. Third engine on the scene is the RIT (broadly speaking).

 

[troymail]

Third due engine is the RIT. That doesn't change. This just explicity assigns it and has the crew verify. If there's a balls-up and another engine comes on scene third or the RIT engine ends up being first to arrive, that will of course be changed by command, whoever they are at that moment. Third engine on the scene is the RIT (broadly speaking).

Yup - this just ensures there is no confusion regardless of who gets there when and SOMEONE is RIT. As I said - it's a critical safety function but in general, no one wants to do it - they'd rather be "in the fight".

 

[ThePhotoGuy]

I noticed tonight Fire Alarm having more units responding on what would have been still alarms (appliance fire, odor of gas), normally 1 Engine & 1 Special Service.

There is currently an odor of gas at CVS in 13's area. They dispatched 2 Engines, 1 Truck, 1 Squad, 1 BC.

Have they also changed the amount of units responding on assingments?

 

[troymail]

I noticed tonight Fire Alarm having more units responding on what would have been still alarms (appliance fire, odor of gas), normally 1 Engine & 1 Special Service.

There is currently an odor of gas at CVS in 13's area. They dispatched 2 Engines, 1 Truck, 1 Squad, 1 BC.

Have they also changed the amount of units responding on assingments?

Yes

 

[baydog]

About an hour ago I heard Engine 285 dispatched as a second ALS provider on a cardiac arrest call. I've heard units self-identify as having an ALS provider on board but never dispatched like this.

I'm thinking it might be a one-off as the designation Medic Engine wasn't used/

 

[troymail]

About an hour ago I heard Engine 285 dispatched as a second ALS provider on a cardiac arrest call. I've heard units self-identify as having an ALS provider on board but never dispatched like this.

I'm thinking it might be a one-off as the designation Medic Engine wasn't used/

Many units have ALS providers and minimal ALS equipment on-board. These units can be dispatched and/or just used as for the 2nd ALS provider on a call that requires 2 ALS providers. This avoids the need to send a 2nd ALS/medic unit, etc. on the call.

A similar situation occurred yesterday at station 13.

Units cannot be designated or respond as a Medic Engine when it doesn't carry all of the required equipment to be designated as such.

 

[ThePhotoGuy]

Troy is correct.

For many years, Squad 11 would be dispatched as an ALS provider and would be dispatched on many calls (cardiac arrests, pedestrian strucks, etc.) as a 2nd ALS provider for calls in 13's area.

 

[baydog]

Thanks for explaining things.It was the first time ever heard such a dispatch.

 

[riveter]

It makes sense when you think about it. No need for a whole second transport unit... just the paramedic on board. Easy to just roll them out the side of the engine onto the call instead.

 

[troymail]

It makes sense when you think about it. No need for a whole second transport unit... just the paramedic on board. Easy to just roll them out the side of the engine onto the call instead.

Maybe -- one of the problems encountered on occasion is that the ALS provider is the fire apparatus driver which potentially leaves the engine stranded until another driver can be sent to the scene (particularly with volunteer company units where all are not authorized drivers). In these cases, there's a potential negative aspect but the decision to use them as the 2nd ALS provider during the transport - as one might expect - leans heavily in favor of the patient's needs.

 

[marksmith]

Maybe -- one of the problems encountered on occasion is that the ALS provider is the fire apparatus driver which potentially leaves the engine stranded until another driver can be sent to the scene (particularly with volunteer company units where all are not authorized drivers). In these cases, there's a potential negative aspect but the decision to use them as the 2nd ALS provider during the transport - as one might expect - leans heavily in favor of the patient's needs.

I think this was the case for the call in 13's area yesterday. It was the driver that was ALS.

I guess its better to strand an engine than a medic unit when you consider the call ratio of medic units to other emergencies.

Sent from my LG-V410 using Tapatalk

 

[baydog]

We had some renovations done in our offices a couple of months ago and the contractor managed to set off the fire alarm, Units from Station 40 arrived. As there was no fire, Engine 401 remmianed behind to reset the alarm. The officer from that engine was a Paramedic.At the time I thought it was usual ( to have a Paramedic as part of an engine staff) but now I know differently.

 

[troymail]

Expect to hear more routine dispatch/usage of "Charlie" in addition to "Bravo" --

Unlike other areas like Baltimore County - which spreads medical and routine calls over at multiple talkgroups (central, north, east and west), Anne Arundel has nearly always put all medical and local boxes on a single talkgroup - Bravo (with the exception of during weather or other significant events). During "routine" busy periods (daytime), the singular talkgroup Bravo can quickly become overwhelmed with comms. Expect to begin hearing local alarms dispatched now as being on Charlie - at least for now...

 

[maus92]

Does anyone have an objection to changing the database description to reflect the "name" of the talk group rather than than the current single letter? For example, I propose changing the description "1B Tac 1" to "Bravo Tac 1," and so on. The reason is to quickly ID what group I'm listening to on the HP-2.

 

[troymail]

Does anyone have an objection to changing the database description to reflect the "name" of the talk group rather than than the current single letter? For example, I propose changing the description "1B Tac 1" to "Bravo Tac 1," and so on. The reason is to quickly ID what group I'm listening to on the HP-2.

"1B" is more accurate as this is the "bravo" (2nd) channel/talkgroup in zone 1 of the county radio fleetmap/layout. "B" is bravo.... what is your HP-2 not telling you?

 

[maus92]

"1B" is more accurate as this is the "bravo" (2nd) channel/talkgroup in zone 1 of the county radio fleetmap/layout. "B" is bravo.... what is your HP-2 not telling you?

Try looking at the display while driving...

Anyway, the dispatchers refer to channels as "Bravo," "Charlie," "Echo," etc, and not by zone/number/letter. For example, they don't say, "Respond on "1B" or "Tac 1," they say "Bravo." It seems to me that the description field should be more descriptive. The Alpha Tag field currently has the same basic information as the description field, so my proposed change isn't eliminating anything - it's actually expanding it.