Seattle fire dispatch how does it work?

[Stavro35]

They have that awful automated voice that dispatches calls. And there is obviously a dispatcher, a real person involved. I've often heard the person talk over the automated dispatch with further instructions . So why not use a real person 100% of the time?

 

[commstar]

Its all about money.

Unlike Police, announcing calls for fire is monkey work about 99% of the time. Not having to do it leaves more time to do other things- more efficient use of manpower in other words.

Might save an entire dispatcher position over the course of time which means you guys on the west side get more ferries, light transit, automated voice dispatch systems, and homeless shelters while we over in Spocompton have to beg for a North/South freeway over the course of 30+ years.

Thats my theory.

 

[lowboy654]

Its all about money.

Unlike Police, announcing calls for fire is monkey work about 99% of the time. Not having to do it leaves more time to do other things- more efficient use of manpower in other words.

Might save an entire dispatcher position over the course of time which means you guys on the west side get more ferries, light transit, automated voice dispatch systems, and homeless shelters while we over in Spocompton have to beg for a North/South freeway over the course of 30+ years.

Thats my theory.

Very funny, said the right wing to the left wing, I dont want a fire storm here but he is right.

 

[commstar]

Engine-1369 on scene, with a completely engaged single forum server. Establishing Unsolicited Local Political Commentary I/C. Asbestos suit deployed & staged for the flashover report.

I can't really complain, we did get a neat-o new sales tax increase (just in time for Christmas!) for a new radio system we already bought a couple of years back (but everyone forg0t) , instead 'we' bought a bankrupt racetrack. It really is 'our' fault for not sending our politicians to the woodshed.

We dont have any electro-dispatchers yet, guess our ratio of homeless shelters divided by the number of folks on 'community custody' (Parole to those remember when folks actually committed crimes because they are criminals) is too far off to allocate funds in the budget. Wonder if they make one with a Hillbilly speech affect.hmmmm....

Not sure about the Electro-dispatcher, but ,your ferries are sure handsome craft indeed.If there were only ferries and Chinese food in Spokane we would not even want for automated dispatch.

 

[DickH]

Its all about money.
Unlike Police, announcing calls for fire is monkey work about 99% of the time. Not having to do it leaves more time to do other things- more efficient use of manpower in other words.
Might save an entire dispatcher position over the course of time which means you guys on the west side get more ferries, light transit, automated voice dispatch systems, and homeless shelters while we over in Spocompton have to beg for a North/South freeway over the course of 30+ years. Thats my theory.

I have to disagree, based on more than 50 years of monitoring, both professionally and as a hobby.
When I first heard the automated dispatcher, I thought it was awful. But the more I listened, the more it became clear that I could easily understand every word. And isn't that the object of dispatching, to communicate without people needing to think, was that 72nd or 77th?, Norris or Norse or North?, etc.
How often have you heard someone speak so softly you had to strain to hear it, or so fast you couldn't catch what was said? Or pronounced so poorly you couldn't understand it?There is none of that with the automated voice. Every single syllable is pronounced clearly and at the same volume and speed. Annoyning, yes. Understandable, YES.

 

[AtomicTaco]

From Locution:
The Benefits of Automated Dispatching:
• Ability to handle higher call volumes without adding staff
• Reduced call stacking
• Reduced emergency communications center employee turnover due to reduced dispatcher stress
• Fewer "please repeat" responses from rescue crews
• Faster response times

Without searching the forum to verify, this is how I remember it:

As soon as the computer knows who to dispatch, that information gets sent over the FD intranet to the local station IMMEDIATELY. If five seperate calls all needed to be dispatched at the same time, you'd hear one after another on channel 4. Considering how slow she goes, crews could be delayed up to a minute.

 

[K7MRT]

Actually "1 dispatcher position" equates to about 6-7 full time people if you consider a 24/7/365 operation with vacations, sick time etc.. That can add up to 1/4 million (probably more)! $ per year in salary, benefits etc..

 

[commstar]

Actually "1 dispatcher position" equates to about 6-7 full time people if you consider a 24/7/365 operation with vacations, sick time etc.. That can add up to 1/4 million (probably more)! $ per year in salary, benefits etc..

Exactly.

I have never heard clarity of voice being a motivator given for the acquisition of the such a system- could be out there, I have just not heard of it- which does not make it so.

All the arguments I have heard are monetary coupled with efficiency.

To wit, I am aware of one FD in Northern California that got greedy in its comm center contract negotiations and Locution became a factor. They were trying to apply the two in, one out safety concept to radio personnel. It was incredibly st00pid and unnecessary. Union saw it as way to expand.

Anyway, the Union negotiated and signed a 'great new contract' only to get blindsided and 'Locuted' (so to speak) a couple of months later. The union protested, city replied with: 'We will contract out then'. Union said they were bluffing.

< Ninety days later the city did contract out completely and closed their fire only comm center,moving operations to a consolidated center with several other agencies leaving all their comm employees to apply for the new positions from the street.

So much for expansion of the membership. Funny thing is I think they stopped using Locution with the move to the new comm center.

I think it is about the money and not much else.

Best,
Mike

 

[K7MRT]

Locution coming to Clark County/Vancouver

Standby for Locution to hit the Clark County/Vancouver fire dispatch talkgroup in 2010!! Sometime after the middle of March I would assume.

 

[lowboy654]

Wow , the last three of the threads posted here are members digging up dead posts here. from a year to three or more years old, thanks for looking over old post's here as they do remain here for a long time as a good reference for anybody to use to find what they are looking for.

 

[weco12]

You might jump over to Intercept Radio Forums &bull; Index page and ask there. Several members are 'in the know' at how the system works and why they went that way.

 

[Monaco]

The automated voice quality of the Seattle system seems much more realistic to me than the one used by a dispatch center here in the Chicagoland area. If anyone wants to hear what you could be having to listen to you can hear it from "Orland Cntrl" (Central) or "Romeoville" (dispatched by Orland Central) on the stereo regional fire feed I stream at Justin.tv - Radioman 911