The Recent Fatal House Fire in OKC

[peterjmag]

Did anyone happen to monitor the recent fatal house fire in OKC's southeast side?

P.J. Maguire

 

[foster_006]

a tv station played the recording on air for part of a story. I assume they got it from dispatch. I can't remember what channel it was.

 

[peterjmag]

KOTV Channel 6 here in Tulsa has been playing the phone tapes. I was just curious if any monitored the radio from when OCFD got the call to when the fire was under control. There are rumors flying around up here that OCFD was 2 minutes late then their normal on scene time. Why would that be?

P.J. Maguire

 

[foster_006]

Everyone here has been playing the 911 tapes as well...but I heard...wasn't watching...the actual tape of radio traffic...fire tone out and fire on scene.

 

[N5TWB]

I did not monitor that but understood, from news reports, that the on-scene time was 8 minutes after dispatch.

FYI, the 19-year-old that was killed attended Metro Technology Center where I work. I knew him and had spoken to him many times about Boy Scouts -- he had earned his Eagle and I have been a volunteer since 1988 in my son's pack and troop. He was a very personable young man with great leadership qualities. It was such a waste of a great potential. Monday was a very difficult day around here for both staff and students.

 

[fireant]

I listened to the tape and know numerous fireman with OKC the dispatcher took too long to dispatch the fire they told me he was rude and after I heard the tape they are right on. I know there are alot of great dispatchers out there but this guy needs to be fired he was totally out of line numerous fireman I know are extremely ticked at the dispatcher. They said if they could have got the call when it came in and he was doing his job right they may still be alive today. It really has alot of people including fireman upset about this whole thing.

fireant

 

[OKisOK]

I listened to the tape and know numerous fireman with OKC the dispatcher took too long to dispatch the fire

The dispatching of the fire over the radio did not lie on the call-taker's shoulders. As the media reported, one dispatcher was taking the call while another was putting the call out on the radio. That is the way that it works in large cities and people don't realize it. Everyone expects that the person on the phone is the one putting the call out on the radio. Not true - most times there is one person taking the call and entering information into a computer, and the computer shares the information in real-time with the person dispatching on the radio.

they told me he was rude and after I heard the tape they are right on. I know there are alot of great dispatchers out there but this guy needs to be fired he was totally out of line numerous fireman I know are extremely ticked at the dispatcher.

The dispatcher did sound non-chalant but he did ask the right questions and got the right information, did he not? The caller wasn't necessarily helpful, either. When he asked the caller "What do you see?" she replied "Oklahoma City." :roll:

He has been working there for 15 years - I would say that he probably knows more about fire dispatching and call-taking than most of us here - and probably most firemen, too.