Confidential information on the air?

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andy404ns

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http://firefighterclosecalls.com/fullstory.php?61993

Cliffs: FD responds for suicidal patient. They offer to assist PD with gaining entry and are told to come in, then told to back off. FD again requested by PD and they enter the structure. PD informs FD that patient had a firearm and the suicide was successful. When asked why PD did not inform FD that the subject was armed, PD stated that they did pass that information to dispatch to relay to FD but the dispatcher did not do so:

"An investigation showed that even though procedure calls for all information to be shared by PD and FD, one of the dispatchers made the decision on their own not to notify us about the firearm, citing concerns about people with scanners hearing confidential information over the air."

I don't quite see how stating "subject is armed" is confidential information. Are dispatchers going to stop telling PD units that shots have been fired and instead dispatch it as an unknown call? Granted, FFclosecalls is first hand reports and may be embellished slightly, but that is just ridiculous.
 

commstar

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Complacent Scapegoating

It appears that the common strain of bulletproof firefighter/cop arrogance & scapegoating due to their own lack of vigilance has infected this department.

If one considers the word Responsibility it is really only something that that can be taken before it is necessary. Afterwards, it is called BLAME. Blame is usually a waste of time as it is rarely objective in scope (my opinion).

The first line says it all- "a fairly common call"- these guys were clearly complacent.The onus is on YOU to be vigilant for your own safety.This is what happens when you do not care enough to pay attention.

Who responds to a suicide without knowing the method of the attempt? It is the first question that needs to be answered to consider ones approach/response to the call- cop ,firefighter, medic, or coroner.

Knowing the method upfront is mandatory information in my view.

Yes, there was obviously a mistake, training deficit , mis-communication, or just a lack of common sense here but I think the REAL question is why did the FF's not A-S-K?

I mean they had enough time to THINK about this while in the red ball express enroute to the scene- yet no one did. Was everyone lulled to sleep by the massive amount of methane in the cab from the 'Caps Chili? I mean c'mon guys.

Once on scene, the move the rig directive should have been an FBI clue. Lets not talk about parking in the kill zone even though 46,000 cops did it before you. Lets talk suicide attempt right about here.

On the other hand, It would be interesting to know what circumstances, training, or other influences would cause one not to make such a notification. While it does seem like common sense from a vantage point outside the situation, there could be more to this story and is worthy of inquiry. Is seems like such baseline common sense.

Perhaps the Dispatchers were BOTH dating the Fire Captain and just found out at that moment...or Perhaps Oprah or Ellen was on... would be interesting to know the unfiltered truth of the matter.

Great policy- ask pertinent questions.
 
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