Memphis Fire dispatch protocols

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jasonpeoria911

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I noticed that Memphis FD will sometimes announce medical calls as First Responder and sometimes they'll announce them as what the specific medical call is like a fainting or stroke, etc. Now i'm curious, i've listened quite a bit and havn't heard any shootings dispatched unless they went as a First Responder. Does Memphis FD say those as First Responder or the specific type? Its kind of interesting to hear the shootings dispatched also then I can pull up MPD and hear the traffic of it instead of having to listen to MPD all the time online lol.

Jason
 

matthewtomek

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From time to time, we will forget which radio we are working and broadcast the run in the wrong manner.:cool: Most everything is scripted as to the way it is broadcast on the fire radio or dispatched on the fire radio. A few examples:


First Responder Call: "Engine 5, 1st Responder Call, 125 North Main Street at Adams Avenue, 1146"

One Company Fire Call: "Engine 5 Fire Call, Automobile, 125 North Main Street at Adams Avenue, 1146"

A reported fire (residence or commercial): "An alarm of fire, Memphis City Hall, 125 North Main Street at Adams Avenue, Engines 5, 7, 1, Truck 13, Battalion 1 responding, 1146"

Or companies catch runs on the air and not in the house on the vocal: "Engine 5, resond with other companies, a report of a fire in City Hall, 125 North Main Street at Adams Avenue, your talkgroup is A-5, Engine 5?" Engine 5: "Check, Engine 5."

First Responder Dispatch Example: "Engine 5, respond on a 6-C-1, 85yom difficulty breathing, cardiac patient, City Hall 5th Floor, 125 North Main Street at Adams Avenue, Unit 31 is responding with you, talkgroup is A-6, Engine 5?" Engine 5: "Check, Engine 5, 125 North Main, 5th Floor."

You'll pretty much only hear things as a fire call, rescue call, or first responder call. Every run is generally broadcasted after it is dispatched on the vocal or after companies are dispatched on the air.

If a compay catches a first responder call while they are on the air, you will hear the specifics about the call (85yom, difficulty breathing, etc.). If they catch the run in the house on the vocal, all you will hear is the first responder broadcast example that is listed above.
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If you listen to the EMS radio on Thomas' feed, you will hear runs handled somewhat differently.

Dispatch Example: "Unit 4, respond on an emergency call, 10-C-2, 70yom with chest pain at Memphis City Hall, on the 4th floor, 125 North Main Street at Adams Avenue, Engine 5 is responding with you, your talkgroup is A-7, Unit 4?" Unit 4: "Check Unit 4."

Broadcast Example: "An emergency call, chest pain, Memphis City Hall, 125 North Main Street at Adams Avenue, Unit 4 responding, 1159."
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Some of this may be a little confusing, but if I need to clarify any of it, please let me know!

Oh yeah, we have shooting and stabbings, you must not be listening at the right time.:lol:
 

tspainiv

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matthewtomek said:
From time to time, we will forget which radio we are working and broadcast the run in the wrong manner.:cool:

So you have two different radios that you use, one for the vocal channel and one for the regular issued radios? I think I have it right in my head, but I just can't word it right!! hahahha
 

matthewtomek

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Actually, there are three radios: the Vocal, Fire Radio, & EMS Radio. If a company is in the station, they get the run on the vocal. If they are "on the air," they get the run on the fire or EMS radios, respectivly. Ambulances and other EMS personnel do all their talking on the EMS Radio. All fire apparatus, chiefs, etc. talk on the fire radio.

The EMS Radio has its own particular wording and the fire radio has its own wording. Say I'm working the fire radio today and the person working the EMS radio needs to run to the restroom, I'll "turn up" the EMS radio, so I'll be responsible for both radios and its easy to "forget" which radio you're on sometimes.
 
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MemphisFire

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We have plenty of shooting and stabbings !

Almost to 100 homicides this year and still climbing

Had multiple parties stabbed at a grocery store this morning out near the Wolfchase mall. Had over 10 Units to repond plus Admin.
 

Gatorman

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Number 97 today. Regarding fire dispatch, when the dispatch goes out over the Vocal, is it simultaneously transmitted over the dispatch channel?

Also, do all the stations hear ALL the alarms over the Vocal? Do the stations monitor the dispatch channel or do they use their handhelds to listen to whatever they might want to listen to?

What can you tell us about the Vocal system? I would imagine an omni-directional antenna with the station houses pointing a yagi at it. Are the Vocal systems two-way? Do the stations acknowledge on the Vocal? If so, is the transmit frequency to the dispatch center the same as the station receives on (simplex) or is it a duplex set-up?

Thanks much.
 

ke4ppj

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Does anyone know why sometimes on the VOCALS for MFD you'll hear the same call dispatched twice....but the first time the fire station doesn't respond when called? And then the second time the station will answer correctly.....almost like they couldn't hear dispatch the 1st time.
 

matthewtomek

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I'm not sure that I quite understand your question, but I'll take a stab at it. The same run information is given to a station twice. Its two rounds of the call and then station acknowledgment. From time to time, the station does not answer right away like they should. So, some people will tone the station again and give all the run information, again. In essence, you have just given them the same run twice, or four times, depending on how you look at it. There is "supposed" to be someone on "watch" at the front desk of the station, but during the day, everyone takes care of it. At night, one person brings a bed up to the front of the station, and that's where they sleep. That one person, the watchman, is responsible for answering the vocal amd telephone if it should ring. Getting back to the original questions, sometimes, if they didn't hear the run the first time, they get the WHOLE thing again, that's all. If I can help anymore, let me know.
 

ke4ppj

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Hey Matthew...thanks for the info.
Yeah, it was like giving the run twice. Dispatcher would say "Companies Standby".....and then give the run....and at the end would say station so and so and ask for confirmation. When there was no response from the station they would start back over....."Companies Standby".....and go again. I was just wondering if there was some known radio problems or if the watchman was just in a really deep sleep!!

It has been real busy for you guys lately. I was at the fire in Orange Mound yesterday....I work in the media.....and then yesterday afternoon I know there was another HazMat scene behind the chemical fire from last week.

Must be the Memphis Summer heat!!!
 

INDY72

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I do know that most of the individual Fire Stations have individual towers, I assume this is for the vocal, as well as backup sites for the entire system?
 

matthewtomek

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milf said:
I do know that most of the individual Fire Stations have individual towers, I assume this is for the vocal, as well as backup sites for the entire system?

There are transmitter sites at a few stations, maybe five or so throughout the city. Each station does have at least two antennas, one for the vocal, one for the mobile radio on the front desk of the station.
 

INDY72

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Thanks for clearing that up.. I got so used to passing by one one the way to Bartlett from Raliegh-Millington RD that I had to ask... It was so cool watching the Ladder Unit when they put that puppy back in station. :)
 

matthewtomek

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milf said:
Thanks for clearing that up.. I got so used to passing by one one the way to Bartlett from Raliegh-Millington RD that I had to ask... It was so cool watching the Ladder Unit when they put that puppy back in station. :)

Yeah, tiller trucks are pretty cool. There aren't as many of them running the streets of Memphis anymore, but from what I hear, future ladder truck purchases will be tillers.
 
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