Fire dept. acknowledgment status codes

[soundchaser]

Once upon a time I thought I saw a listing of status codes used for fire response. I've been searching and can't find it (I find every other possible radio code used).

In Boulder County, many fire departments will acknowledge a call with "XXXX responding, status 2".

I've heard status 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, the most frequent being 2 and 3.

Anybody got info?

 

[rickak]

thats the number of persons on this rig isnt it?

 

[MikeyB]

thats the number of persons on this rig isnt it?

That is exactly what it is.

 

[soundchaser]

A status 5 on a 8 year old male with a tummy ache? That seems excessive.

(a call I heard this morning.)

 

[jeffreyinberthoud]

A status 5 on a 8 year old male with a tummy ache? That seems excessive.

(a call I heard this morning.)

Yes until you figure a first in engine to a med call 3 ff's and a med unit 2 ff or med personnel =5 , Way back when I was a teen and my fire department started rolling to med calls thats when I got out just seemed dumb at the time (of course I was 18 so I knew everything then)
I'm much dumber now LOL

 

[n5ims]

Yes until you figure a first in engine to a med call 3 ff's and a med unit 2 ff or med personnel =5 , Way back when I was a teen and my fire department started rolling to med calls thats when I got out just seemed dumb at the time (of course I was 18 so I knew everything then)
I'm much dumber now LOL

In answer to the next question of "Why an engine and medic to an 8 yr old with a tummy ache?" The dispatch doesn't know if this "tummy ache" was a simple matter of the kid eating too much candy or was due to a serious medical condition. Having extra manpower could easily be required if the child's condition is serious and may require the 2 medics to take care of the child and a firefighter to help keep the mom calm, another to help keep the dat calm, and another to help take care of any other children that may be around. The others often help out with paperwork, getting additional supplies, or helping carry the "cot" down some stairs (home landings often aren't cot friendly sizes), and many other tasks.

 

[jeffreyinberthoud]

Yup , its amassing how we survived 2000 years +LOL

 

[fireemt55]

A status 5 on a 8 year old male with a tummy ache? That seems excessive.

(a call I heard this morning.)

You will also hear the term PAR (Personnel Accountabilty Report). So you might hear something like "3201 enroute PAR 4". This means that there are four persons on that apparatus. Same for team members in a group on a fire call. So you may have an attack group PAR 3 inside the structure...meaning there are three people on that attack team.

Also, for a majority of Volunteer/Combination departments, you get as many people that show up to the call that are willing to show up. So if you get 5 people to show up to a tummy ache you will go with those 5 people in an apparatus. I can't tell you how many times I've been very thankful for this when you are either on that tummy ache call or just leaving it and you get a Structure Fire or a major traffic accident...you are plenty happy to have those 5 people on the truck. There is nothing to say that only two people may go inside the house from the apparatus while the others wait outside, but quite frankly I'd rather have a few extra hands than not enough...which can be a common occurance in a volunteer department.

People are very willing to second guess and scrutinize the amount of response, but quite frankly, you can only go on the information you're given...and sometimes that information is downright wrong. A prime example of this is a going on a call dispatched simply as a "Breathing Problem"...go with two people in a Rescue truck (not an Engine) to the call. Come to find out the reason the person was having trouble breathing was because he fell asleep with a cigarette in his mouth while he was on Oxygen and it ignited!! House was full of smoke, couch still smoldering and patient had serious facial burns. Could really have used more than just those that showed up to a "simple medical call."

Just my 2 cents!

 

[comp2x2]

A status 5 on a 8 year old male with a tummy ache? That seems excessive.

(a call I heard this morning.)

Is it possible that the engine with 5 people was the closest?

 

[kc0kp]

Also, for a majority of Volunteer/Combination departments, you get as many people that show up to the call that are willing to show up. So if you get 5 people to show up to a tummy ache you will go with those 5 people in an apparatus. I can't tell you how many times I've been very thankful for this when you are either on that tummy ache call or just leaving it and you get a Structure Fire or a major traffic accident...you are plenty happy to have those 5 people on the truck. There is nothing to say that only two people may go inside the house from the apparatus while the others wait outside, but quite frankly I'd rather have a few extra hands than not enough...which can be a common occurance in a volunteer department.

Bingo. You may be on a medical call but you also have what is usually the front line aparatus out of the station. If you can guarantee that is the only call you are going to run, you will be fine with less. But Murphy says if you only have two or three, that structure fire is going to come in while you are on that call. If that 8 year old goes into arrest, you probably are going to send members in with the ambulance to run the cor. That will also leave you short if the structure fire call comes in while you are out.
Back when, I left the station status 6 to a car fire. It was on an Interstate frontage road and the chief was glad to have all the bodies available for traffic control. You just never know what you are going to get into.
Craig

 

[soundchaser]

Usually it's only the volunteer departments that I hear give a status. I assume this is because the staffed departments have fixed sized crews responding.

I went back to the archive to listen to the call.
2301, Boulder Rural Engine
4365, Boulder Mtn Fire command vehicle
4351, Boulder Mtn Fire, SUV/Misc vehicle
Pridemark

4351 responded "status 5".

Boulder Mtn Fire is still volunteer, and I think Boulder Rural is too.

 

[MikeyB]

Boulder Mtn Fire is still volunteer, and I think Boulder Rural is too.

Boulder Rural 2301 is staffed but they still use volunteers for the rest.

 

[N0GTG]

Paid departments will usually have a minimum staffing to be in full service. For instance, in Aurora, full engine or truck staffing is 4 personnel. Any less is considered short-staffed. If they send a paramedic or two to the hospital with a patient, they will advise dispatch by indicating 4B (4 person BLS-Basic Life Support) or 3B (3 person BLS). In order to be fully staffed as an Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedic engine (which all Aurora engines normally are), they must have 4 personnel, two of which must be paramedics. Depending on staffing, sometimes a truck may also be ALS.