EASTERN SHORE OF
PUBLIC SAFETY
COMMUNICATIONS MANUAL
Accomack and
Adopted in
Adopted in
Effective Date –
December 1, 2008
Last Updated July 7, 2009
[GO TO BOTTOM TO DOWNLOAD COPY]
P U R P O S E
This communications manual is primarily
intended to furnish a basic operating guide to those inexperienced in the fundamentals
of local public safety communications procedure, and to provide a reference
manual for the veteran operator and for those whose responsibilities include
that of training others. This manual primarily addresses the use of those
communications systems which interface with the Eastern Shore of Virginia 9‑1‑1
It is intended
that the radio operator learn that their communications system is a powerful
tool that must be handled so as to provide a useful and immediately responsive
service to his/her department or to the overall system. The operator must learn
that in public safety work in particular his communications system is an added
tool and that as such it should be used when necessary; otherwise, it should be
left alone.
These
guidelines are established to assist in developing uniform operating procedures
that will allow for the effective relay of information among the Emergency
Services Communications Officer; the various fire and rescue stations, field
units; and other agencies. Additionally,
information is furnished to orient public safety personnel to the local
communications system. There is a need
for an influence and means which will serve to promote the use of standardized
operating procedures, and it is toward this end that the Eastern Shore of
Virginia 9‑1‑1 Commission, the Accomack‑Northampton Firemen's
Association Communications Committee, both counties Fire/EMS Commissions, and
public safety officials trust that their efforts in developing and revising
this manual will prove useful.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Title
GENERAL INFORMATION
1 The Communications System
2 The
3 Other and Control Stations; Fire and
Rescue Stations
4 Field Units
5 Licensing and the Federal
Communications Commission
6 Public Safety Communications Languages
7 Field Radio Procedures - General
8 Fire Ground Communications and Reports
DISPATCH/RADIO/IN-HOUSE
OPERATIONS
9 9-1-1 Communications Operators
(Communications Officers)
10 Telephone Procedures and Techniques
11 Radio Dispatching ‑‑
General
12 Radio Dispatching of Fire and Rescue
Services
13 Paging and Alerting Formats for Fire and
Rescue Services
14 Announcements for Fire and
15 Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD)
16 Dispatching for Emergency Services
17 Notification of Other Agencies
18
19 Alarm Systems
20 Dispatch Floor Operations
- Other
21 Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD)
APPENDIXES
CHAPTER 1 THE
COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
A. The public safety and
emergency services communications system for Accomack and Northampton Counties
consists of a wide inventory of two‑way radio equipment, communications
consoles, encoders, decoders, pagers, towers, antenna systems, and telephone
networks designed to function as an integrated communications net for the
following services:
Accomack‑Northampton
Firemen's Association and county Fire/EMS Commissions
Eastern Shore Emergency
Medical Services Council, a sub‑area council of Tidewater EMS Council,
comprised of local rescue squads,
Town Police Departments,
Eastern Shore of
Amateur Radio Emergency
Services ‑ Eastern Shore of
Agencies Affiliated With The
Above
Ownership of equipment is
diversified and is thus not listed as a part of this manual. Radio equipment is under control of its owner
or legal licensee, unless otherwise assigned.
Only properly licensed radio equipment is recognized as a part of the
system, unless exception has been given in writing.
B. Operation of all radios by
agencies participating in this system should be in accordance with the policies
and procedures outlined in this Communications Manual and subsequent memoranda
of changes thereto or in accordance with specific policies and procedures of
their own agency relative to intra‑agency communications.
C. The Eastern Shore of Virginia
9‑1‑1 Commission shall be responsible for the overall management of
inter‑agency public safety and emergency services communications on the
Eastern Shore, particularly as it relates to the dispatching and management of
9‑1‑1 emergency calls received by its 9‑1‑1
D. The Eastern Shore of Virginia
9‑1‑1 Commission, in cooperation with the Fire/EMS Commissions of
Accomack and Northampton counties, the Eastern Shore Emergency Medical Services
Council, and other public safety officials, shall establish and/or approve
these policies for use by agencies served by the Eastern Shore of Virginia 9‑1‑1
Communications Center.
E. Temporary policies affecting a
specific segment of users may be adopted by the governing body or agency head
of that segment when deemed necessary for efficient operations of the user
segment. If such policies affect
dispatch operations at the 9‑1‑1
F. Requests for policy and/or
procedure changes should be forwarded to the Commission's Director or designee
in writing by department heads or chiefs of public safety agencies. Complaints from field users are handled by
the 9‑1‑1 Commission, through its Director or designee. Any complaints or suggestions should be made
to the 9‑1‑1 Director or designee; the Director or designee may
require the complainant to make such complaint in writing when he determines
that referral or documentation is required.
Any Communications Officer having complaints or suggestions may make
such by contacting their immediate Supervisor. The 9‑1‑1 Director
or designee is delegated authority to investigate complaints or initiate
corrections to policy violations as a result of Communications Officers complaints. Complaints relative to management shall be
made directly to the Chairman of the Commission.
G. Information and operations in
this Communications Manual regarding the communications system is basic; more
detailed information and specifications can be obtained when necessary from
system technicians, the 9‑1‑1 Director, or Consultant.
CHAPTER 2 THE
A. The primary communications
control and dispatch station, known as the EASTERN SHORE OF
B. The
C The
D. The following Station
Designators shall be used for radio traffic to and from the following radios at
the
SERVICE
DESIGNATOR
Dispatch – F1/F2 “RESCUE”
Tactical Channels
“CENTRAL”
Northampton Sheriff Office “EASTVILLE”
Accomack Sheriff Office “ACCOMACK”
SIRS- Statewide Interdepartmental Radio System “ACCOMACK EOC”
E. In the event of disruption to
the radio or telephone networks at the
F. A recorder at the
G. An emergency generator at the
CHAPTER 3 OTHER
DISPATCH AND CONTROL STATIONS; FIRE AND RESCUE STATIONS
A. Dispatch Station‑‑Accomack
A primary dispatch station for
Sheriff's Office communications in
B. Dispatch Station‑‑Northampton
A primary dispatch station for
Sheriff's Office communications in
C. Fire and Rescue Stations
1. Each fire department, fire department/rescue
squad, or rescue squad participating in the Fire/Rescue Communications System
is assigned a company number upon which its radio designations are based. The base radios at each station shall be
called by the designation of the number preceded by the word
"Station." For example, the
base radio at the Atlantic Volunteer Fire Company is designated "Station
4."
2. The stations are identified as follows:
STATION COMPANY NAME
1 New Church Volunteer Fire And
Rescue Co.
2 Greenbackville Volunteer Fire
Department, Inc.
3 Chincoteague Volunteer Fire
Company
4 Atlantic Volunteer Fire And
Rescue Co
5 Saxis Volunteer Fire Company
6 Bloxom Volunteer Fire Company
7 Parksley Volunteer Fire Company
8 Tasley Volunteer Fire Company
9 Onancock Volunteer Fire Department
10 Melfa Volunteer Fire And Rescue
11 Wachapreague Volunteer Fire
Company
12 Painter Volunteer Fire Company
13 Community Fire Company
15 Cape Charles Volunteer Fire Company
14 Cheriton Volunteer Fire Company
16
17 Eastville Volunteer Fire Company
18 Onley Volunteer Fire And Rescue
19
20 Oak Hall Rescue
21 Tangier Volunteer Fire
Company
25 Wallops Main Base
26
31
3. Upon the written consent of all involved
stations the ESVA 9-1-1 Center will initiate changes to a station(s) district
boundary or a specific fire box. If all involved stations are unable to agree
to a change, the matter will be referred to the respective
4. Upon request, all stations shall provide the
ESVA 9-1-1 Center with a current list of station monitor numbers.
D. Radio – Programming - All radios
(transceivers) obtained for used to communicate with the 9-1-1 Center and field
units in the several stations will be approved at the station level (by the appropriate
officer) and will be purchased using standards established by the 9-1-1
Commission. The (re)programming of radios will utilize standards established by
the 9-1-1 Commission. The Eastern Shore VA 9-1-1 Commission will establish and
publish the minimum standards a radio must meet in order to become a part of
the communications standards.
CHAPTER 4 FIELD UNITS
A. A large number of mobile and
portable radios exist in the field of public safety services. Likewise, the radios are owned and operated
in a number of different ways. In order
to have a standard identifying system for these various units, the following
designators will be used to precede the radio numbers assigned:
ENGINE‑‑the radio in
any fire services apparatus equipped with a fire pump having a minimum pump
capacity of 500 gpm (at 150 psi), a hose body, a water tank with a minimum
capacity of 300 gallons, and the primary equipment designated for pumpers by
NFPA 1901. Such apparatus is generally
known as a fire engine or fire pumper.
TANKER‑‑the radio in
any fire services mobile water supply apparatus equipped with a water tank with
a minimum 1500 gallon capacity, a fire pump having a minimum pump capacity of
500 gpm (at 150 psi) or a 4‑inch or larger dump valve, and carrying the
primary equipment designated by NFPA 1901 for mobile water supply apparatus.
ENGINE/TANKER--the
radio in any fire services apparatus meeting the requirements of an engine and
tanker.
LADDER/TOWER/TRUCK‑‑the radio in
any fire services apparatus equipped with an aerial ladder meeting the general
requirements of NFPA 1901 for such apparatus.
RESCUE‑‑the radio in
any fire and/or rescue services apparatus equipped for the primary purpose of
supporting vehicle extrication and rescue activities at the scenes of
emergencies, but not including ambulances.
This vehicle may also serve as a light attack vehicle, brush truck,
salvage truck, or engine.
BRUSH‑‑the radio in any fire
services apparatus equipped for the primary purpose of fighting woods, brush,
and grass fires. This vehicle may also
serve as a light attack vehicle or salvage truck.
SQUAD--the
radio used in a vehicle designed for non-transport medical assist.
REHAB--the
radio in a vehicle used to provide rehabilitation and refreshments during
incidents.
SALVAGE‑‑the radio in
any fire services apparatus equipped for the primary purpose of supporting
salvage operations at the scenes of fires.
This vehicle may also serve as a light attack vehicle, brush truck, or
rescue truck.
CHIEF‑‑any radio of any status
when used by the fire chief for other than vehicle status reports, or the radio
in a fire chief's car when used by the fire chief. The designators "DEPUTY",
"DEPUTY CHIEF", or "ASSISTANT CHIEF" followed by the
station number may be used on the fire-ground to designate other chief officers
who are functioning in command positions.
FORESTRY‑‑the radio of
any vehicle of the Virginia Department of Forestry duly licensed and authorized
to operate a radio on the fire frequency.
MEDIC‑‑the radio in a licensed
EMS basic or advanced life support ambulance when one of the attendants on‑board
is a
EMS‑‑the radio used by an
Emergency Medical Services coordinator or official employed by either local
government, a regional EMS council, hospital, or other coordinating body for
purposes of
HAZ‑MAT‑‑the radio in
a hazardous materials response vehicle approved by the Coordinator of Emergency
Services.
UNIT‑‑any radio or receiver
used for fire services, emergency medical services, or other emergency
services functions when not otherwise issued a specific designator, including:
a. ambulances when not
functioning at the MEDIC level (numerical designator ending in 0, 1,
or 2)
b. auxiliary fire and rescue vehicles not
otherwise classified
(numerical designator
ending in 9 thru 99)
c. mobile and portable radios used by individual
FD/RS members
d. monitor receivers and pagers used by
individual FD/RS members
PARAMEDIC--The
radio in an EMS unit licensed by the Virginia Office of
PORTABLE‑‑a portable
radio used for on‑site communications in such applications as jail
security, public works, or emergency services.
This classification will not be routinely used in fire and rescue
services, where the individual's unit number and the "Unit" prefix
will be preferred.
RADIO MAINTENANCE‑‑a radio when
operated by a communications technician or engineer for testing purposes.
DISPATCHER‑‑a radio
operated by the 9‑1‑1 Director, 9‑1‑1 Consultant, 9‑1‑1
Dispatch Supervisor, or other communications staff in the performance of
official duties related to the administration and coordination of this system.
TRAINING‑‑a radio
operated by a public safety training officer or instructor in the performance
of official duties related to the administration and coordination of training
programs for police, fire, rescue, or other emergency services.
MOBILE COMMAND or
COMMAND POST‑‑a radio
operated at the scene of an emergency designated as a temporary command point
for scene activities although the radio is customarily used with a different
designator in routine activities. It
serves as the contact point for on‑scene communications and as the
liaison with the
DPS--a
radio operated by Accomack County Department of Public Safety personnel.
INCIDENT COMMAND/COMMAND‑‑a
radio operated by the officer‑in‑charge of overall emergency
services operations at any emergency incident when the radio command title is
not readily known or when mutual aid responses indicate the need to identify a
specific official or OIC as the overall coordinating and command officer. This designator shall be used to identify the
overall incident command position in any Integrated Emergency Management System
or Incident Command System involving response of other public safety
agencies. In some incidents, this role
will be filled by Fire Command, EMS Control, or Police Command; in others, an
official of the Office of Emergency Services or other agencies may serve as the
Incident Command.
ZONE--radio
assigned to a non-transport
The use of the designators
"UNIT" and "CAR" are optional when used within a specific
system to which the radio is usually assigned.
When cross‑patching with or communicating on another frequency,
the designators should be used to avoid conflicting numerical assignments.
B. In addition, fire and rescue
services units will utilize numerical identifications to further identify
functional classifications. Each radio
will either use its respective station number following the above designator or
a combination of its respective station number and a unit specifying
number. Until such time as stations
operate multiple units in either of the following classifications, the official
designation of each unit will be the designator word followed by the station
number:
Classification Example
LADDER LADDER‑3
RESCUE RESCUE‑8
BRUSH BRUSH‑7
REHAB REHAB-16
CHIEF CHIEF‑9
Ambulances, engines, wagons,
tankers, auxiliary vehicles, and individuals in the fire and rescue services will
use a combination of their respective station number as the first or first and
second digit(s) of their unit number and a unit specification number as the
last digit(s) of their unit number. Unit
specification numbers are as follows:
0 ‑ ambulance
1 ‑ ambulance
2 ‑ ambulance
3 ‑ engine or
pumper (secondary use for tanker)
4 ‑ engine or
pumper (secondary use for tanker)
5 ‑ engine or
pumper (secondary use for tanker)
6 ‑ engine or pumper (secondary use
for tanker)
7 ‑ tanker
(secondary use for engine)
8 ‑ tanker
(secondary use for engine)
9 ‑ auxiliary
vehicle (crew car, pickup, jeep, etc.)
10 thru 99 ‑
individual members and/or additional auxiliary vehicles
C. Privately‑owned or
operated radios and receivers of firefighters and rescue squad members will be
designated by the word "Unit" followed by the station number and a
two‑digit number. A Station 4 member
might be Unit 4‑10 (410) and a Station 18 member might be Unit 18‑26
(1826). Use of the word "Unit"
preceding the number is optional.
D. All other vehicles and/or
radios will be designated by the appropriate designator word and an assigned
number, unless a special assignment is received from the 9-1-1 Commission or
its agent.
E. Vehicles and radios from
outside the local system and governmentally or privately owned vehicles or
radios authorized to communicate on these frequencies for inter‑system use
will use their own system's assigned designator supplemented by such words as
are necessary to identify or distinguish an unknown unit. Examples include:
NASA Wallops fire and rescue vehicles
Nightingale, Pegasus, LifeEvac, and Med‑Flight helicopters
and planes
Fire and rescue vehicles from other jurisdictions
Private for Hire Ambulance Services
F. Telephone Calls to
Communications during Incidents
Non-EMS Incidents (fire, hazardous material,
etc.) - Field personnel will not contact
the 9-1-1 Center using telephone lines, with the exception of relaying
essential/pertinent information related to an incident or in an emergency
situation.
EMS Incidents – In addition to relaying
essential/pertinent information related to an incident or in an emergency,
field personnel are permitted to contact the 9-1-1 Center via telephone to
advise they are responding (or not available) to the incident. This information
will be broadcast by the Communications Officer as indicated in this
Communications Manual.
Generally the following telephone calls to the
9-1-1 Center are not acceptable (related to incidents): requests for fire gear
to be placed on apparatus, questions asking if a specific member is needed on
an incident, and members advising they are responding to an incident (non-EMS
incidents). This is not an all inclusive list.
Generally the following telephone calls to the
9-1-1 Center are acceptable (related to incidents): calls providing additional
information about an incident, a member arriving at the scene of an incident to
provide on-scene information, any emergency situation. This is not an all
inclusive list.
9-1-1 should not be utilized to contact the
9-1-1 Center, except in emergencies.
G. Radio Traffic to Communications During
Incidents
Non-EMS Incidents (fire, hazardous-material,
etc.) - Field personnel will not contact the 9-1-1 Center via radio, with the
exception of relaying essential/pertinent information related to an incident or
in an emergency situation. *Exception - Command personnel are permitted to
contact the 9-1-1 Center as needed during an incident.
Generally requests for fire gear to be placed on
apparatus are not acceptable; however information providing additional
information about an incident, a member arriving at the scene of an incident to
provide on-scene information and any emergency situation are acceptable. This
is not an all inclusive list.
H. Addition/Deletion of Apparatus/Units - The
9-1-1 Center shall be formally notified of any addition or deletion of any
apparatus in the system. This will allow proper tracking ability (CAD) for
responses of the apparatus.
CHAPTER 5 LICENSING
AND THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
A. All radio equipment used in
this system will be licensed in accordance with regulations of the Federal
Communications Commission.
B. Records of all radio licenses related
to equipment operated at the 9‑1‑1
C. The 9‑1‑1 Director
and/or Consultant will monitor the status of all licenses of equipment located
at the
D. Each fire department, fire
company, or rescue squad operating a base radio at its headquarters shall be
responsible to license such station and to maintain such license. The 9-1-1 Commission may provide technical
assistance upon request. Each of the
aforementioned shall file a copy of its current license with the Commission
upon request.
[NOTE: You may occasionally
receive mailings from private firms (i.e., FCC Licensing, Inc.) regarding
license applications and/or renewals.
Although the name may appear to be the federal agency governing such,
this is often not the case; these mailings generally seek some monetary fee to
file your paperwork for you and may be ignored.
The FCC will generally send a renewal notice that you merely sign and
return (with fee or exemption proof).
Usually, the private company's mailing is 2‑3 months ahead of the
official FCC notice. If you have
questions, contact the Commission's Director or Consultant.]
E. Authorization is hereby
granted for participating fire companies and rescue squads to operate FCC type‑accepted
mobile or portable radios on designated frequencies in accordance with these
policies, when such companies are not independently licensed or lack the
necessary number of unit authorizations.
F. Individual members of fire and
rescue companies may be authorized by their companies to operate FCC type‑accepted
mobile or portable radios on frequencies licensed to that company. Additionally, they may be authorized to operate
on frequencies licensed to the Commission subject to approval of the company of
which they are a member and notification is provided to the Commission. Such request must be approved and signed by
the chief operational officer or his designee of the company. Authorization may be revoked by the 9-1-1
Commission, the ANFA Firemen's Association, appropriate Commission, the EMS
Council, or the chief operational officer for non‑compliance with these
policies or FCC rules and regulations.
G. Vehicles and agencies from
outside the local system and governmentally or privately owned vehicles or
radios providing or requesting mutual aid assistance to public safety services
served by this system are authorized to operate mobile and/or portable radios
and communicate on the Eastern Shore system frequencies for purposes of inter‑agency
coordination provided such the operating agency is eligible for licensure in
the same radio service as the frequency used.
This provision does not extend "dispatching" or
"paging" service to any private agency.
H. The use of the emergency
frequencies will be limited to communications essential to the conduct of
departmental and agency business. Under
rules of the Federal Communication Commission IT IS UNLAWFUL:
1. To transmit superfluous signals or messages
of a personal nature by radio.
2. To use profane, indecent, or obscene
language.
3. To willfully damage or permit radio apparatus
to be damaged.
4. To cause unlawful or malicious interference
with any other radio communications.
5. To intercept and use or publish the contents
of any radio message without the expressed permission of the proper authority.
6. To make unnecessary or unidentified
transmissions.
7. To transmit without first making sure that
the intended transmission will not cause harmful interference.
8. To make any adjustments, repairs or
alterations to a radio transmitter, unless under the supervision of a
professional radio technician, holding a first or second class license.
9. To deny access to any radio equipment if a
properly identified representative of the FCC asks to inspect it. The equipment must be made available at any
reasonable hour.
10. To transmit a call sign, signal, code,
letter, or numeral which has not been assigned.
I. Communications involving the
safety of life or property are to be afforded priority by all licensees.
J. FCC rules require that each
station must be identified by transmitting the FCC‑assigned call sign
during each transmission or exchange of transmissions or at least once each
thirty (30) minutes of the operating period.
Use of either procedure is allowed.
To comply with this requirement,
K. All transmissions must be
restricted to the minimum practical transmission time.
CHAPTER 6 PUBLIC
SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS LANGUAGES
A. Ten‑codes have
historically been used for public safety communications. Because of often transmitted duplicative
messages, unnecessary time consumption, and consideration of certain
copyrights, most are being abolished for use in the fire and rescue services.
As an alternative, PLAIN ENGLISH key phrases and words will be used. Some such words will be standardized and
should be used in the standard format; these will primarily be the response
codes. The following ten‑code may
still be used in the fire and rescue services:
10‑4
AFFIRMATIVE/COPY (OK) "Your message is received, understood,
and will be complied with."
B. These standard words and
phrases are recognized for use:
ACKNOWLEDGE‑‑Let me know
that you have received and understood the message.
ADVISE (IF)‑‑Give this
message to, or, provide me with the necessary information.
AFFIRMATIVE‑‑Yes.
AT _________‑‑Unit has
arrived at a destination other than the original scene of the call (i.e., hospital,
medical facility).
ASCERTAIN‑‑Find out.
BE ADVISED‑‑This is to
advise you that_____.
CHECK‑‑Call and see.
CODE 1 –
Emergency Response.
CODE 2 –
Non-Emergency Response.
CODE BLUE‑‑Cardiac
Arrest.
CODE GRAY‑‑Dead on
Arrival (D.O.A.).
CORRECTION‑‑The correct
version is_____.
DESIRE‑‑Want.
EMT‑‑Emergency Medical
Technician.
EN ROUTE‑‑Unit is in route
to a given location.
ETA‑‑Estimated Time of
Arrival.
FORWARD‑‑Send.
GO AHEAD‑‑Proceed with
your message.
IN PURSUIT‑‑Unit is
chasing a vehicle and requires assistance from other units.
IN-STATION‑‑Unit has
fully completed assignment and has returned to the station of origin.
LZ‑‑Landing Zone.
NEGATIVE‑‑No.
NOT AVAILABLE‑‑Unit cannot
accept another assignment, but may be able to be reached by radio.
OBTAIN‑‑Get.
O.K.‑‑Message received,
granted, will comply or agreed upon.
ON SCENE‑‑Unit has
arrived on scene of emergency.
PAR- number
of personnel on unit
PREPARE TO COPY‑‑Dispatcher or
unit is about to give lengthy message.
REPEAT‑‑Say again.
RESPONDING‑‑Unit is
enroute to assignment.
RETURNING TO STATION‑‑Assignment
completed. Unit is returning to station.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT‑‑Information
to follow.
SPELLING‑‑The next word
will be spelled out.
STANDBY‑‑Do not
transmit until directed or Wait.
TESTING‑‑For radio
tests, the designator "TESTING" will precede a test count or alarm.
UNABLE‑‑Can't.
UNDER CONTROL‑‑Situation is
under control when no further assistance is anticipated.
URGENT‑‑An emergency
message must be transmitted.
WORKING FIRE‑‑A fire at
which considerable fire‑fighting activity is being conducted.
E. The standard
response scenario of FIRE emergencies will be as follows:
RESPONDING‑‑Unit is
enroute to assignment.
ON SCENE‑‑Unit has
arrived on scene of emergency.
RETURNING TO STATION‑‑Assignment
completed. Unit is returning to
station.
IN STATION‑‑Unit has
returned to station. Radio will be
"off".
F. The standard
response scenario of EMS/RESCUE/MEDICAL emergencies will be as follows:
RESPONDING‑‑Unit is
enroute to assignment.
ON SCENE‑‑Unit has
arrived on scene of emergency.
EN ROUTE _________‑‑Unit is in
route to a given hospital or medical facility.
AT _____‑‑ Unit is at
designated medical facility. (Out of
vehicle.)
RETURNING TO STATION‑‑Assignment
completed. Unit is returning to
station.
IN STATION‑‑Unit has
returned to station. Radio will be
"off".
G. The following trauma/medical
codes are established for field use.
PRIORITY 1 ‑‑ Critical
injury or critical medical problem requiring immediate treatment by a physician
and/or
PRIORITY 2 ‑‑ Moderate
injury or moderate medical problem requiring treatment by a physician and/or
PRIORITY 3 ‑‑ Minor
injury or minor medical problem or ambulatory patient.
PRIORITY 4 ‑‑
Non‑emergency/Code Gray
H. Terminology – Stations
Requesting Additional Staffing – EMS Incidents – The below language will be
used by field personnel when requesting additional staffing:
REQUESTING A DRIVER – station
has a released
REQUESTING AN ATTENDANT –
station has a released driver (that is not an EMS attendant) and needs a
released
REQUESTING A DRIVER OR
ATTENDANT – station has a released driver (who is also a released EMS
attendant) and needs either a released driver or a released
I. Phonetic alphabets should be
used for spelling out unusual names of persons and locations. The names used after each letter has been
found to be the most understandable over the air. They should always be given as: "A ‑ Adam," "B ‑
Boy" ‑‑ never "A as in Adam" or "B as for
Boy," etc. The alphabets are
easily memorized with a little use.
(A) ADAM (J)
JOHN (S)
SAM
(B) BOY (K) KING (T) TOM
(C) CHARLES (L)
(D) DAVID (M) MARY (V) VICTOR
(E) EDWARD (N) NORA (W) WILLIAM
(F) FRANK (O) OCEAN (X) X‑RAY
(G) GEORGE (P)
PAUL (Y) YOUNG
(H) HENRY (Q) QUEEN (Z) ZEBRA
(I) IDA (R) ROBERT
(A) ALPHA (J) JULIETTE
(S) SIERRA
(B) BRAVO (K) KILO (T) TANGO
(C) CHARLIE (L)
(D) DELTA (M) MIKE (V) VICTOR
(E) ECHO (N) NOVEMBER (W) WHISKEY
(F) FOXTROT (O) OSCAR (X)
X‑RAY
(G) GOLF (P) PAPA (Y) YANKEE
(H) HOTEL (Q)
(I) INDIA
(R) ROMEO
J. A twenty‑four hour clock
will be used for public safety communications and records. Examples appear below:
2400 Midnight (twenty‑four hundred) (Note:
Clock may read 0000 or 0:00) 0001 one minute after midnight (zero zero zero
one)
0100 one o'clock in the morning (zero one
hundred)
0200 2 a.m. (zero two hundred)
0300 3 a.m.
0400 4 a.m.
0500 5 a.m.
0600 6 a.m.
0700 7 a.m.
0800 8 a.m.
0900 9 a.m.
1000 10 a.m. (ten hundred)
1100 11 a.m. (eleven hundred)
1200 12 noon
1300 1 p.m.
1400 2 p.m.
1500 3 p.m.
1600 4 p.m.
1700 5 p.m.
1800 6 p.m.
1900 7 p.m.
2000 8 p.m.
2100 9 p.m.
2200 10 p.m.
2300 11 p.m.
K. (12-1-08)
Interoperability Codes – Virginia Standard Transmission Codes
[SUPPRESSED
– See In-Vehicle or In Station Channel and Codes Chart –or- Contact 9-1-1
Director or station commanding officer]
CHAPTER 7 FIELD
RADIO PROCEDURES AND TECHNIQUES ‑ GENERAL
The manner in which radio and telephone messages are handled is often a
measure of the efficiency of an organization and the attitude of its
individuals. Observing simple basic rules will expedite message handling and
improve working relationships among all concerned. Application of these general "Do's"
and "Don'ts" plus the specified procedural examples shown elsewhere
will lead to a professional job.
A. Listen before transmitting to
make certain the frequency is clear and organize your thoughts before
transmitting.
B. Keep all transmissions brief
and to the point.
C. Speak distinctly and pronounce
words carefully. Speak at a moderate
speed using your conversational voice.
Don't shout! Remain calm in all
situations.
D. Make sure the microphone
switch is fully depressed and pause briefly before talking. Hold mobile microphones close to and at a
slight angle (45°) to your mouth.
In mobile relay/repeater systems, operators should allow about one half
second prior to talking after keying the microphone.
E. From a cold start, different
radios require varying amounts of time to warm up. Be aware of this and allow time for the
transmitter to stabilize.
F. Avoid transmitting when sirens
and other noise are at high levels.
G. Use official titles and unit
numbers in all transmissions.
H. Do not use preliminary calls
simply to establish contact. Unless
conditions require urgent contact as specified in Chapter 6, identify yourself
or unit and send your message in one single transmission.
Good Example: Poor Example:
Unit 13‑1 ‑
Rescue, Responding. Unit 13‑1 ‑ Rescue.
Unit 13‑1, 10‑4,
WPSJ218, 1345. Unit 13‑1, go ahead.
Responding.
Unit 13‑1, 10‑4,
WPSJ218, 1345.
I. All stations and units should assume
good signal strength and readability unless otherwise notified. Unless one station cannot clearly hear
another, or except when tests are being conducted or patch circuits are being
established, strength and readability reports will not be requested.
J. Various words, phrases, and
signals have been adopted for use in this communications system, and should be
used when appropriate. They appear in
Chapter 6 of this manual. When unsure of
a code, use plain English.
K. Never use language or terms over
the radio which will not be acceptable for public broadcasting.
L. Comedy, humor, jargon, or
practical jokes will not be permitted within this radio system.
M. All radio transmissions will
be made only in connection with departmental or agency business and the
performance of official duties.
N. The station and unit
designators identified in Chapters 3 & 4 of this manual and such others as
shall be issued by the Commission shall be used when calling stations and units
within this system.
O. Vehicle/unit response and
status will be indicated by the use of appropriate response codes. When a unit which is RETURNING TO STATION
(without commitment to a call) receives a call to respond to another incident,
the word "RESPONDING" should be used to verify response to the second
call.
P. When responding to an
assignment, or when any vehicle status change is made, all units must make sure
that the Communications Officer acknowledges the unit. If after two attempts have been made during a
status change and the Communications Officer has not acknowledged, the unit
should assume either radio equipment failure or a very busy Communications
Officer. In this case either wait until
the unit is near a telephone and make the status change by public service or
wait until the Communications Officer advises to go ahead with traffic.
Q. Changes or turnovers of
command should be transmitted via radio in order that all responders are aware
of such changes or designations.
CHAPTER 8 FIRE
GROUND COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTS
A. The first arriving unit on any
emergency shall report as being ON SCENE.
On fire incidents the unit shall give a visual report. Example: "Engine 18‑4 to CENTRAL,
on scene, smoke showing from the second story."
B. Chief Officers and command units
should advise Central when they are on‑scene of any major fire or
emergency.
C. The officer‑in‑charge
(OIC or Fire Command), after summarizing the situation shall, as soon as
possible, make a fire‑ground report to the Communications Officer advising
the nature and extent of the situation, any assistance needed, and any special
instructions.
D. When calling for additional
alarms or units, the OIC should advise what is needed, listen and verify the alerts,
and then advise special instructions for the units to respond. If no specific instructions are given by the
OIC, the responding units should not ask for instructions on the radio but
rather report to the OIC at the fire ground.
F. On multiple alarm fires,
second‑in and later companies are recommended to refrain from attempting
communications with the on‑scene company or Fire Command until nearing
the location. Avoid necessity to relay
through the
G. In the event of an emergency
requiring numerous companies or in specialized situations, it may become
necessary for the OIC to establish a command post. The unit operating as the command post will
be known as "COMMAND POST"; if multiple command posts are in
operation, the designator should be followed by the district number in which
the incident is located. The command
post should be staffed by knowledgeable fire personnel working directly with
the OIC. Incoming and outgoing vehicles
should report to the command post. All
plans for fire attack or rescue strategy should be channeled through the command
post. Requests for additional assistance should be channeled through the
command post. All radio traffic to and from the Communications Officer should
be through the command post.
H. In the event the OIC or Safety
Officer determines that immediate and/or emergency evacuation and retreat of
suppression forces is required, such order shall be communicated to all
personnel by radio. In addition, on
scene apparatus shall be directed to sound a ten‑second continuous blast
of all horns and air horns as an audible warning. This blast shall be known as the "EMERGENCY
EVACUATION SIGNAL" and shall be used when a potential safety danger is
imminent to fire and/or rescue forces.
CHAPTER 9 9‑1‑1
A. The Eastern Shore of Virginia
9‑1‑1 Communications Center is operated by the Eastern Shore of
Virginia 9‑1‑1 Commission on a 24 hour‑a‑day
basis. Personnel are employed by and are
under control of the Eastern Shore of Virginia 9‑1‑1 Commission and
its designated managers and supervisors.
B. Communications Officers serve
as the system telecommunicators. The Communications Officers are the point of
contact through which most information is received or disseminated. They represent the 9‑1‑1
C. Standard operating procedures
shall be used by all Communications Officers handling messages by radio or
telephone. The Communications Officer is
responsible of maintaining system discipline; for handling radio and telephone
message traffic rapidly; for determining the order of priority in which
transmission will be made; and for directing and controlling the use of all
frequencies except those specifically established for field use. The 9‑1‑1 Director or Consultant
shall have authority to order the reassignment of frequencies if technical
and/or legal parameters so dictate.
D. The Communications Officer is
a resource manager. They must know the
capabilities and limitations of the communications systems that he is
authorized to operate. He must be
familiar with the administrative organization of his and other departments so
as to be able to route traffic properly, and be knowledgeable of the equipment
available to public safety agencies for the process of their duties, both
regular and emergency. They must be
familiar with the organization and communications capabilities of cooperating
agencies and with applicable rules and regulations of the Federal
Communications Commission.
E. Radio consoles and
communications equipment will be operated according to these policies and
instructions issued by the Director and supervisors. Communications Officers will select the
appropriate transmitter and receiver based upon services and/or jurisdiction
when communicating with field units.
F. The headset microphones will
be worn at all times while communicating with mobile units and other base
stations. No action will be taken by Communications Officers to circumvent the
proper use of the headset.
G. All switches on the console
will be operated by finger control. Use
of pens, pencils, feet, or other devices to operate such switches is strictly
prohibited. Only such pressure as is
necessary to enable a switch shall be used.
H. Above and beyond any cleaning
and maintenance provided by custodial staff, cleanliness of the
I. Writing surfaces and external
cabinetry of the console and other equipment may be cleaned with any mild, non‑abrasive
cleaner such as a mixture of mild soap and water or glass cleaner. The front panels and switches may be cleaned
with a dampened cloth which has been thoroughly wrung out. Do not allow fluid to drip into the switch
controls at the console positions. Do not
use any petroleum based cleaners.
J. It is recommended that all
communications equipment be maintained in a clean environment free of excessive
dust, heat, high humidity, smoke, and other contaminants. Smoking is prohibited in the 9‑1‑1
K. No magnets shall be used on or
near the console, central electronics bank, or recording equipment. Do not permit magnets in the main
communications room of the
L. Televisions, radios, and audio
components other than those provided by the Commission shall not be permitted
in the communications center, unless prior permission is granted by the 9‑1‑1
Director, Consultant, or Supervisor. Whenever possible, any radio, television,
or other audio component installed for public safety, training, or relaxation
will be installed so that speakers will be muted during radio transmissions;
the volume of each device shall be restricted to a reasonable maximum level.
M. Communications Officers shall
appear in a neat and orderly manner for each shift. Communications operators working in the
CHAPTER 10 TELEPHONE
PROCEDURES AND TECHNIQUES
A. The telephone is the most
available and most important means of accessing the services of public safety
departments.
B. Answer promptly. Treat each call as an emergency. Always answer emergency lines first and
administrative lines second. When
necessary, callers on administrative lines or handling administrative or non‑emergency
business should be placed on "hold" so the emergency lines may be
answered promptly.
C. (12-1-08)
Incoming calls on the telephone lines in the 9‑1‑1 Communications
Center shall be answered using a standard format which includes identification
of the receiving agency or line purpose and dispatcher's name (non‑emergency
lines). As appropriate, the Communications Officer may use their assigned
“Dispatcher Number” (examples – communicating with alarm companies,
communicating with other 9-1-1 Center’s, etc.). The following formats should be
used for each of the designated lines:
9-1-1 Lines “9-1-1,
Where is Your Emergency?”
787‑4100 "9‑1‑1,
Where Is Your Emergency?"
Non-Emergency Lines “Eastern
Shore Communications, Name”
Accomack EOC Lines “Accomack
Emergency Services, Name”
D. Take all information. Write it down or key it in; avoid leaving
anything to memory. If agencies under
dispatching control are not the proper ones to handle a particular call,
transfer or advise the calling party of such and provide the name and phone
number of the proper agency to call. If
uncertain of the agency to handle a particular complaint, take the caller's
name and number and notify them as soon as you can find a referral source.
E. Emergency calls should always
be accepted even when not in your specific jurisdiction. Obtain pertinent information and relay to the
proper agency. Make every effort to
handle the emergency. Never assume that
the caller is in a position to redial another number.
Although an incident may not appear to be an emergency to you, the
caller may perceive such to be an emergency.
In such cases, the image of 9‑1‑1 service will best be
served by accepting the call and transferring it to the appropriate agency.
Non‑emergency calls such as requests to speak to a particular
party, to inquire about civil matters, or to request public utility services (other
than emergencies) may be terminated by referring the caller to dial the correct
number. Always try to direct the caller
to a proper source of information, even if it is your non‑emergency
number. Passing a non‑emergency
number through 9‑1‑1 transfer will build incorrect usage of the
system and is therefore discouraged.
F. The Communications Officer
should take charge of the conversation by asking the required questions rather
than depending on the caller to supply anticipated information. Be courteous but firm in dealing with the
caller.
G. On INCOMING EMERGENCY CALLS,
the Communications Officer shall obtain the correct address, specific
location, type and nature of the emergency, and the telephone number and name
of the person reporting the emergency.
For medical emergencies which are supportable by Emergency Medical
Dispatch, additional questions will be required. A standard information receiving form/CAD
display should be used whenever possible.
H. When a
wire-line silent 9-1-1 call or 9-1-1 hang-up is received (including abandoned
calls, if ANI and/or ALI data is provided), the Communications Officer shall
call the number back (prior to disconnecting the line and calling the
residence/business back the Communications Officer should attempt to determine
if it is a TDD call). If the Communications Officer receives an answer on the
call back, they shall attempt to determine why 9-1-1 was called. If contact is
made with the caller and public safety assistance is needed, the call will be handled
according to standard practices and procedures. If contact is made with the
caller and they indicate there is no emergency and no public safety response is
needed the call may be terminated with no further action, unless the caller is
a minor (unable to verify no emergency/problem with an adult) or the
Communications Officer questions/doubts the information obtained (based on
background noise, tone of voice of the person, or other information indicating
a potential emergency). If contact in unable to be made with the caller,
contact is made with a minor only, or the Communications Officer
questions/doubts the information obtained, the appropriate Sheriffs Office will
be notified. All information from the call will be provided to the Sheriffs
Office, including ANI/ALI information and information from the callback
attempt. At no time shall the Communications Officer advise the caller that
officers are responding to verify the situation. If the Communications Officer
receives an answering machine/voicemail, they will not leave a message.
At a
minimum, Communications Officers should attempt to call back wireless 9-1-1
hang-ups/silent calls to determine if there is an emergency.
I. Telephone calls answered on
the console telephones will be recorded on a Call‑Check Recorder
automatically. Permanent recordings may be made through the use of the proper
recorder and interface equipment by authorized personnel.
J. The use of any obscene,
vulgar, profane, lewd, or indecent language or the act of threatening anyone
over the telephone or radio is strictly prohibited. Such may result in
disciplinary action and/or prosecution under State and/or Federal laws.
K. False alarm calls should be
considered criminal and every effort should be made to eliminate such calls
when possible. The telephone company
will work with the
L. Whenever a fire or rescue
company or a local police department (which utilizes the
M. No fire and rescue personnel
shall call the
N. When fire and/or rescue
personnel are requested to call the
O. It shall be the policy of the 9-1-1 Center to
assure that all Communications Officers and Supervisors are properly trained in
the use of the 9-1-1 TDD interface and re-trained in the use of that equipment
on a regular basis.
Upon the Communications Officer receiving a TDD
call in need of transfer to another agency the call shall be transferred. If
the receiving agency does not have TDD capabilities, the Communications Officer
should remain on the phone to assist with the transfer of information.
P. Upon the Communications Officer receiving a
telephone call requesting law enforcement assistance the caller will be
transferred to the appropriate law enforcement agency. If the incident
indicates a fire or
Q. Language Line
Services provide interpreter service 24/7/365 for more than 150 languages.
Communications Officers are authorized to access this service as needed.
R. Freedom
of Information Act - It shall be the policy of the Commission that all files,
tapes, printouts and documents of the ESVA 911 Commission are public records
subject to the provisions of the Virginia Code, including the Privacy
Protection Act and the Freedom of Information Act. The records maintained by
the Commission may include incident information, criminal investigation
records, and medical information. Release of any of the records pursuant to
either citizen request or subpoena must be governed by the appropriate
restrictions of the statutes and other applicable authority. In some cases
release of the information is mandatory (i.e., incident reports); in other
cases release is prohibited (i.e., personal medical information). Records of
the Commission, including files, tapes, printouts or other documents and
information in print or digital form shall not be released without the approval
of the Director or his designee. This shall include requests for: training
and/or personnel records, CAD and all automated records, tapes, logs, files, or
any other type of records, or information about those records, whether
requested by letter, telephone, mail or other means. Should an employee receive
a request for any type of information, they shall refer the requester to the
Director or designee. If all of those officials are unavailable, the Supervisor
or Communications Officer shall complete the Department Request for Information
Form and forward it to the Director or his designee to be completed as
prescribed by law.
The form
should be filled out completely and accurately and it shall indicate exactly
what type of information is being requested and all of the associated times and
dates; however any request for information will not be denied if the requestor
refuses to complete the form. Upon receiving a request for information,
subpoena or a court order, the Director or designee shall review the request
and determine if the information is still available and if it can be released.
Once a request for information has been received, the Commission has five (5)
working days to respond to the requestor. If it is “not practically possible”
to provide the requested records or determine whether they are available within
the five work day period, the requester will be notified in writing, with
specification of the conditions which make the response impossible and the
9-1-1 Commission will have an additional seven (7) work days to respond.
- The final response to the request shall be
handled in one of the following ways:
- The requested records will be provided to
the requester.
- The requested record will be entirely
withheld and the authority for withholding the records shall be specified
- The requested records will be provided in
part and withheld in part and withheld records as well as the authority for
withholding the records shall be specified.
- The
requested records do not exist or could not be found. If known, the requestor
will be provided contact information for where the information can be found.
As a part of
the review and release process, the Director or designee may consult with the
appropriate law enforcement agency, the appropriate Fire/Emergency Medical
Services Department, or other affected agencies. The Director or designee may
also consult with legal counsel prior to the release of information. Upon the
release of information from the 9-1-1 Commission, the requestor will verify
receipt in person with their signature. If the requestor is unable or unwilling
to receive information in person, the requested information will be delivered
using the United States Postal Service (certified mail). There shall be a
charge of .10 cents per page for all copies over five pages and a flat rate of
.25 cents per tape or other electronic disk. Time spent by the staff in
accessing, duplicating, supplying or searching for the requested records shall
be billed at a rate of the minimum hourly rate per hour of a Communications
Officer. If the research charges are likely to exceed $200.00, the requester
shall be made aware of the cost prior to conducting the research and the
requester shall be required to enter into an agreement for payment of the full
amount. A deposit of the estimated cost
may be required.
S. Inquiries regarding employment reference checks, whether written or
telephonic, are referred to the Director or Chairman of the Commission for response. It is the policy of the Commission to release
only such information which is in the public domain, i.e., classification
title, salary, and dates of employment.
Reasons for termination and references as to character and performance
are not to be released.
CHAPTER 11 RADIO
DISPATCHING ‑ GENERAL
A. The purpose of public safety
radio systems is to dispatch messages and related information (pertaining only
to the official business of the licensee) to and between its units.
B. The mobile units of each
licensee, whether or not licensed separately, are under the command of their
related manned base station (in most cases, the 9‑1‑1
C. Communications Officers must
be familiar with stations and units to be monitored. Call identifiers and locations of such
stations and units should be known by all dispatchers.
D. Communications Officers must
listen to the radio before transmitting in order to minimize interference and
comply with FCC regulations.
E. Courtesy can be more aptly
expressed by tone of voice and manner of presentation than by words. Eliminate all unnecessary talking and
phrases. Never say "Thank You"
or "Please". Never use salutatory
greetings or expressions such as "Have a Nice Day", "Merry
Christmas", and "Happy New Year". While these phrases may be acceptable when
used by a mobile unit, they do not reflect proper dispatching etiquette for a
9-1-1 Center.
F. Words or voice inflections
which when broadcast reflect or indicate irritation, disgust, or sarcasm must
not be used. Relations with other
operators must remain cordial at all times.
G. Never use language or terms
over the radio which will not be acceptable for public broadcasting.
H. Comedy, humor, jargon, or
practical jokes will not be permitted within this radio system.
I. All radio transmissions will
be made only in connection with departmental or agency business and the
performance of official duties.
J. Be absolutely impersonal while
on the air. Avoid the egotistical
"I" and concentrate on third person language.
K. Avoid familiarity. Use proper names and titles or unit
identifiers. Whenever possible, identify
parties by their unit identifier or title rather than by their name. Avoid addressing units by their name when
communicating by radio.
L. Never change a single word in
a formal message which is received for relay purposes. Record and retransmit it
exactly as given. (Originating station
should monitor transmission if possible to verify correctness.)
M. Write out long messages and/or
announcements and read over the radio rather than trying to make up
phraseology as the message is being transmitted. Long messages should be broken into phrases
and each phrase repeated once before going to the next phrase of the
message.
N. To call a mobile unit or
another base station use your designated identifier followed by the identifier
of the unit or station to be called.
Examples: "Accomac ‑ Car 3", "Central ‑
Engine 18‑4", "Rescue ‑ Medic 19‑1",
"Accomac ‑ Eastville".
In answering a unit or station, state the unit's or station's identifier
followed by the phrase "Go Ahead".
Example: "Station 1, Go
Ahead". For interagency communications, your identifier may precede the
acknowledgement; i.e., "Accomac ‑ Eastville, Go Ahead".
O. At the end of a transmission
when a reply is expected, the phrase "Go Ahead" may be used. When no reply is expected or necessary, the
time and/or call letters may be transmitted.
Do not use the term "Come In" when calling a unit or
soliciting a reply.
P. Any station or unit calling
must be answered promptly. Under no
circumstances, allow a calling station to go unheeded. Give a "Standby" if necessary but
at least answer the call. Don't take
time to explain why a standby is necessary.
It must be honored without question, unless emergency assistance is
required by the caller.
Q. Under many conditions the
radio and telephone traffic at the
R. In an emergency or when any
unit has urgent traffic for the 9‑1‑1 Center and when radio traffic
is heavy, the unit shall call the Communications Officer in the normal manner
and then add the phrase "Urgent, repeat Urgent." An urgent message
will be given priority over all other types of messages and should be reserved
for critical situations.
S. Be brief and use approved
terminology, codes, or signals when practical.
Use the phonetic alphabet and spell out names and words that might be
misunderstood.
T. The international distress
signal is the spoken word "MAYDAY".
This signal is in regular use in the aeronautical and maritime
fields. It should be recognized as an
urgent call for aid, and assistance should be provided as possible. Other phrases indicate emergency conditions,
notably the words "urgent", "emergency", and
"help" repeated several times.
A word such as "assistance" denotes a lesser degree of urgency. These words should not be used in routine
dispatching, but should be reserved for emergency field use only.
U. A Communications Officer may
repeat or "echo" important aspects of a unit's transmission whenever
appropriate. A message should be received,
key points selected, and acknowledged by repeating the unit number and key
points. This confirms correct reception and makes other units who may have not
received the traffic of the unit or situation status. This may also serve as an educational tool if
properly used.
Example:
V. The 9‑1‑1 Center will not provide dispatching or paging
service for any private agency or company utilizing system frequencies. All dispatches of private services shall be
accomplished through such agency's own dispatch or paging service via telephone
referral. Units authorized to operate on
system frequencies for inter‑agency coordination may be communicated with
for such purposes as long as the communications will not be construed to be
actual dispatching or paging. Requests
for dispatch of these agencies by the
W. Special Features – Radio Dispatching
- Simulcasting – feature
initiated by the dispatch center allowing the Communications Officer to
broadcast over multiple channels simultaneously.
- Cross-Patching – feature
initiated by the dispatch center allowing the joining of multiple channels
- Alert Tones – feature
initiated by the dispatch center to indicate the broadcast of a specific
message (
CHAPTER 12 DISPATCHING OF FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES
It is the policy of the ESVA 9-1-1 Center to
dispatch the appropriate response to an incident based on information obtained
from callers. This meaning Communications Officers will generate an incident
and dispatch a response for callers who may be uncertain of what they see
(unknown if on fire, but may be), callers who we believe may not be being
truthful (possible false call), callers we believe do not really have an
emergency, possible brush/woods fire (unattended fire, unknown if a control
burn, or complainant concerned about a safety issue, etc.), someone may be ill
or injured (unknown).
All pertinent information related to the
incident will be relayed over the radio allowing Stations/Officers to make appropriate
decisions regarding response and changes to the assignment.
A.
Response assignments will be made according to data generated by entries
to the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, known as fire boxes,
B. The
C. No unit or company will
respond on an incident unless properly dispatched.
D. (2-1-09) Any smoke, odor of smoke/burning, electrical
fire/problem, article/product fire (appliances, furniture, vehicle, etc), or
hazardous material incident occurring inside (including below (basement) and
above (roof)) a structure will cause a full alert. *Fuel/gas spill/leak inside
a residence shall generate a 1 station alert
* Exception – Fire alarm activations will generate a two station alert
All information related to the incident will be relayed to field
units/personnel and officers/monitors of the responding stations/apparatus have
the authority to alter (reduce or increase) the assignment or response.
The fire investigation classification will only be used for the investigation
of a fire related situation occurring outside of a structure. If the
situation/emergency is occurring inside (including roof or basement) the call
should be treated as a structure incident and generate a full alert.
When a caller advises that a previously reported fire is out or is a
false alarm (or upon a request to cancel the fire department), the
Communications Officer shall advise the fire/rescue officer‑in‑charge
of such whether prior to or while responding to the incident location. The decision to cancel units rests solely
with the fire officer‑in‑charge. General practice calls for on
scene investigation by the fire officer or first due engine/ambulance, even
though the actual response mode may be reduced.
E. (2-10-09)
Requests for emergency ambulance should be dispatched to the company in whose
district the patient is located (regardless of any request).
F. Requests for specialized
equipment should be dispatched to the nearest company with that particular
equipment unless predetermined response zones have been established, and the
equipment needed should be specifically requested during the alert. Example:
"Station 9, Air Bags requested, Accident With Injury at Fisher's
Corner....."
G. When a caller (including
fire/rescue personnel) advises that there are no injuries at the scene of a
previously reported auto accident or medical emergency, the Communications
Officer shall advise the EMS or fire officer‑in‑charge of such
whether prior to or while responding to the incident location. The decision to cancel any or all responding
ambulances/fire apparatus rests with the EMS/Fire officer‑in‑charge
or primary attendant‑in‑charge of the first‑due
ambulance/fire station; the Communications Officer should not cancel any
response without specific authorization from the EMS/fire officer. General practice calls for on scene
evaluation by the primary EMS/fire responder, even though the actual response
mode may be slowed down.
H. Requests for escorts or for
intersections to be blocked for the purpose of allowing ambulances or fire
engines to pass through an intersection without yielding right‑of‑way
while enroute to the scene of any alarm or while enroute to the hospital should
not be made by fire and rescue units and will not be handled by the 9‑1‑1
Center.
I. When a station (with two or
more available ambulances) receives an additional ambulance call while a
unit(s) is already assigned to an incident, the phrase "SECOND or THIRD
AMBULANCE CALL", as appropriate, should supplement the type of call when
the call is dispatched. When a station, having no available ambulances
remaining, receives an
J. When additional personnel are required
during a call, such request will be transmitted by paging/radio. Personnel will
not as a rule be called by telephone except when unusual situations demand
privacy, confidentiality, or security.
Demands upon Communications Officers at the time shall be taken into
consideration in granting such request.
K. When additional specialized
assistance, such as an ALS Provider, is required by an ambulance, the request
for such assistance shall include the nature of the emergency as reported by
the ambulance technician.
L. The
M. Vocal dispatches and the
sounding of alert tones will be made in the same order as companies are due to
respond.
N. If after eight (8) minutes on
a dispatch for an emergency or non-emergency response (fire or ambulance) the
station/unit alerted has not responded, the dispatcher shall alert the next‑due
company.
NOTE: If a designated night
ambulance squad fails to respond within the eight minutes allotted, activate
the daytime paging tones (all‑call) for that station in addition to
paging the second‑due company. [Pertains to Stations 9 and 7]
O. Dispatch information broadcast
at the time of alerting/paging of each incident shall include (1) the stations
due to respond, (2) the type and/or nature of the incident, and (3) the call
location. All medical calls shall include
the patient's nature of illness or injury as indicated by signs and symptoms
(based on EMD policy). Additional
information to be obtained by the
P.
Scene Safety – Staging for Law Enforcement - Ultimate responsibility for the
determination of scene safety and staging for law enforcement rests with field
responders. Communications Officers will provide all information related to
scene safety to field responders to allow for decision making related to scene
safety and staging. When law enforcement is requested to respond for scene
safety the 9-1-1 Center will advise field responders when the scene is secure
based on information from law enforcement personnel (law enforcement personnel
on scene does not necessarily indicate the scene is secure – information must
come from law enforcement personnel indicating the scene is secure).
(7-7-09) When
EMS and fire apparatus stage away from an incident scene due to scene safety
concerns (generally awaiting scene safety verification by law enforcement
personnel), the staging location will not be broadcast via radio by field
personnel. In addition, Communications Officers will not request the staging
location via radio broadcast. If field personnel desire for the 9-1-1 Center to
be aware of the staging location it will be relayed via telephone (or other
secure means). The overall purpose of the policy is to minimize the potential
for field personnel to be approached while at a staging location by individuals
involved in the incident.
Q. Medical natures will generally
be given by describing signs and symptoms rather than providing a diagnosis,
unless a medical professional has already diagnosed the condition. The terms "Subject Passed Out" and
"Possible D.O.A." will not be used; in lieu thereof, the term
"Unconscious Person" should be used. If not breathing, the terms
"Unconscious Person‑‑Not Breathing" or "Cardiac
Arrest" should be used. "Code
Blue" may be used if so reported by on‑scene fire/EMS
personnel. If the person has presumably
been dead for a long period of time and the ambulance is being summoned for
support assistance, the term "Code Gray" should be used.
R. Incident Numbers will be assigned for each incident occurring at a
specific location. All alarms
transmitted to different companies for the same incident will receive the same
incident number (fire and
S. When a fire station marks all
units IN STATION or when the last fire unit marks IN STATION from a fire
incident or when an ambulance crew calls from the hospital for such information
or marks IN STATION from a call, the 9‑1‑1 Center should provide
the station or unit with as much of the following information as is available
at the time and which has not previously been provided: Incident Number, Alarm Time, Time Out
(Responding), Time On Scene, Time Enroute To Hospital for ambulances, Time
Arrived at Hospital for ambulances, Time Assignment Completed (Returning to
Station), and Time In (In Station).
T. Personal paging is prohibited
except for pages of individual officials assigned individual paging tones,
except that the
U. Announcements of meetings,
special meetings, drills, training sessions, work details shall be brief and
shall conform to the procedure established for Announcements as detailed in
Chapter 14 of this manual.
V. Temporary Changes to
Dispatch - Any temporary change to dispatch must originate from a line-officer
or representative of the Department of Forestry. The request must include the
specific details of the change in dispatch and the date/time to return to
normal dispatch procedures. Examples: requests to contact an officer prior to
dispatch, requests to reduce the standard response, and requests to increase
the standard response.
W. Premise/House Watch – Information
for a Specific Address - All premise (attaching information to a specific
address) entries in the CAD must utilize the Premise Form (established by the
9-1-1 Commission). At a minimum the following information must be included:
address, name, phone number, reason for entry, authority (person requesting
entry), and ineffective date. All Premise Forms will be maintained by the 911
Commission. A premise entry into the CAD can be initiated by a fire
line-officer,
X. Helicopter Transports – Communications
between the 9-1-1 Center/field units and helicopter transports will utilize
Channel 11 (Tactical Operations 1) or Channel 12 (Tactical Operations 2). The
dispatch channels will serve as a back-up/safe channel for communications.
(3-24-09) When a helicopter is
requested (such as Nightingale, Life-Evac, Trooper 4, etc.) and a fire response
is not already part of the incident then a fire response should be dispatched
to handle the landing zone. If a request
is made for a helicopter and a fire response is already part of the incident
you should inquire from the incident commander if any additional dispatch is
required to handle the landing zone. Exception: Incidents at
Y. Emergency Activations/Mayday - Radio
Activation from a radio assigned to personnel
involved in an incident – contact Incident Command and advise of the
activation.
Activation from a radio assigned to personnel
not involved in an incident – attempt to contact the member declaring the
emergency and determine situation. If unable to make contact with the member
declaring an emergency the Communications Officer will contact a line-officer
with their station for direction.
Activation from a radio (not assigned to a
member) – attempt to contact the radio declaring the emergency with a general
broadcast. If unable to make contact no further action is required.
Upon the Communications Officer receiving an
emergency activation/mayday from a law enforcement unit on a channel, the
appropriate dispatch center will be notified with all information.
Z. Sensitive Information – Radio/Telephone -
Upon the Communications Officer receiving sensitive information (not
appropriate for radio broadcast) related to an incident (such as, but not
limited to communicable disease information) they will direct the responding
crews/personnel to call the 9-1-1 Center (telephone) and provide them the
necessary information. If field units are unable to contact the 9-1-1 Center
using a telephone they may be provided the information as a radio broadcast.
AA. (5-8-09) Safety Check – EMS
Incidents (not to include EMS standbys or other events where safety of crews is
generally not a concern) – The Communications Officer shall perform a safety
check (using “OK” or “10-4”) of each
BB. Safety Check – Department of Forestry - When
requested by Department of Forestry personnel, the Communications Officer shall
initiate a safety check of their welfare while at incidents or fire-standbys.
Forestry personnel shall notify the Communications Officer of their location,
time they will be at the location, of the means to contact them, and
expectation of interval between welfare checks. If unable to make contact with
forestry personnel during a welfare/safety check the appropriate law
enforcement agency shall be notified to respond and verify welfare of the
individual. The Communications Officer shall continue to attempt to verify the
welfare of the individual until the arrival of law enforcement.
CC. (2-1-09) Fire Progress – Time -
Communications Officers shall contact the incident commander (unless directed
otherwise) of a structure fire at fifteen (15) minute intervals and notify them
of the time into the incident. Example – “Command you are 30 minutes into the
incident.” If the situation is declared “under control” the Communications
Officer shall discontinue the fifteen minute benchmarks (unless requested to
continue).
DD. (2-1-09) Entrapment Incidents –
Time – Communications Officers shall contact the incident commander (unless
otherwise directed) of an entrapment incident (such as an MVA with
entrapment)at fifteen (15) minute intervals and notify them of the time into
the incident. – Example – “Command you are 15 minutes into the incident”. Once
the Communications Officer is advised all patients/victims are no longer
entrapped, the fifteen minute benchmark shall be discontinued.
CHAPTER 13 PAGING
AND ALERTING FORMATS FOR FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES
A. AMBULANCE CALLS
INITIAL
PAGE
1. Select appropriate
"RESCUE" channel. (
2. Determine channel is free of traffic.
3. Transmit ALERT
tones (
4. (2-10-09)
Transmit brief pre‑alert information which will include the following:
STATION(S) ALERTED
TYPE OF CALL
5. Activate
required stations tones.
The
following stations use night-time tones at the below established times. The
Communications Officer shall use the nighttime tones as indicated below for
Station
7 – Night-time tone used between
2100 hours and 0500 hours (all-call tone used for additional ambulance calls)
Station
9 – Night-time tone used between
1800 hours and 0600 hours (all-call tone used for additional ambulance calls)
The
following station uses a separate tone for
The Communication Officer will use the standard
(all–call) tone for any additional EMS incidents, after the first
6. Transmit the
incident information as follows:
STATION ALERTED
TYPE OF CALL AND NATURE
(State Priority 1, if so classified)
LOCATION (Exact Address
If Possible)
ANY SPECIAL RESPONSE
REQUIRED
TIME
Any second ambulance call or incident dispatched as a “medical assist”
will be dispatched as such on the radio and any
* If necessary the above should be rebroadcast on the opposite “RESCUE”
channel.
REPAGING
UNTIL RESPONDING
1. Use Steps 1, 2, 5, 6, above.
2. Repage after every 2 minutes
until a station is responding.
3. After the initial alert of a Station, they will
be re-paged every two minutes. If a Station fails to advise they are responding
by eight (8) minutes after the initial dispatch, the next due will be alerted.
Any request to not alert the next due station after eight (8) minutes, should
not be honored.
Communications Officers will not ask stations
(including monitors) if they would like to discontinue the paging of their
station or any other station. The policy of the 9-1-1 Center is to continue
paging a station until they advise they are responding. The first due station
and all subsequent stations paged will continue to be re-paged every two
minutes until one of the following occur: the first due station advises they
are responding, the 9-1-1 Center is advised to discontinue paging stations by
responding apparatus, or an apparatus arrives on scene. If a station advises
they are responding, the paging of any stations notified after their dispatch
will be discontinued and they will be canceled (unless the responding unit
advises differently), however other stations notified prior to the responding
station will continued to be paged until one of the above criteria is met.
Any specific request to page a station or
continue paging a station will be honored.
(12-1-08) In addition to the
initial broadcast of field personnel advising they are responding to an EMS
incident, the Communications Officer will broadcast a list of all
apparatus/monitors on scene and responding when apparatus mark-up (such as,
requesting additional personnel), or at the request of any field personnel.
CANCELING OTHER
STATIONS PAGED ONCE RESPONSE IS ACKNOWLEDGED
Once response is generated, transmit a straight message advising other
stations (paged after the responding station) to cancel response, i.e.,
"Station(s) _____, Cancel Response, Unit 6‑1 Is Responding,
(time)". This is not required if the only station affected would be the
first‑due company (company in whose district the incident occurred.)
B. FIRE CALLS,
AUTO ACCIDENTS, RESCUES, HAZ‑MAT INCIDENTS, MCI's, DISASTERS
INITIAL
PAGE
1. Select appropriate “Rescue”
Channel.
2. Determine channels are free of
traffic.
3. Transmit ALERT tones (Fire)
4. (2-10-09)
Transmit brief pre‑alert information which will include the following:
STATION(S) ALERTED
TYPE OF CALL
5. Activate
appropriate stations tones and sirens (house-sirens will be activated once for all
incidents requiring a fire response)
6. Transmit the incident
information as follows:
STATION(S) ALERTED
TYPE OF CALL AND NATURE (to provide a
full description of the incident)
LOCATION (Exact Address If Possible)
ANY SPECIAL RESPONSE
REQUIRED OR SPECIAL HAZARDS
ASSIGNMENT OF TACTICAL
OPERATIONS CHANNEL(number and description)
TIME
7. Activate pre‑programmed controls
for sirens corresponding with station(s) and/or personnel to be alerted by
siren (if not done in Step 5).
* If necessary the above should be rebroadcast on the opposite “RESCUE”
Channel
REPAGING
UNTIL RESPONDING
1. Use Steps 1, 2, 5 (sirens
should not be reactivated), and 6, above.
2. Repage after every 2 minutes
until a station is responding.
3. After the initial alert of a Station, they will
be re-paged every two minutes. If a Station fails to advise they are responding
by eight (8) minutes after the initial dispatch, the next due will be alerted.
Any request to not alert the next due station after eight (8) minutes, should
not be honored.
Communications Officers will not ask stations
(including monitors) if they would like to discontinue the paging of their
station or any other station. Our policy is to continue paging a station until
they advise they are responding. The first due station and all subsequent
stations paged will continue to be re-paged every two minutes until one of the
following occur: the first due station advises they are responding, the 9-1-1
Center is advised to discontinue paging stations by responding apparatus, or an
apparatus arrives on scene. If a station advises they are responding, the
paging of any stations notified after their dispatch will be discontinued and
they will be canceled (unless the responding unit advises differently), however
other stations notified prior to the responding station will continued to be
paged until one of the above criteria is met.
- Any specific request to page a station or
continue paging a station will be honored.
CANCELING
OTHER STATIONS PAGED ONCE RESPONSE IS ACKNOWLEDGED
During a fire or other emergency response, all alerted companies shall
respond unless otherwise directed by the OIC.
Cancellation of responses will not be initiated by the
Pre-Alert Tones
The following tones will be used for the
pre-alert of fire and
Fire Incident – FIRE ALERT (top bar of the radio
console/miscellaneous window) will be depressed for three (3) seconds
(transmitting a high/low tone) prior to the dispatch of fire related incidents
(including MVA’s).
EMS Incident – EMS ALERT (top bar of the radio console/miscellaneous
window) will be depressed for three (3) seconds (transmitting a series of
beeps) prior to the dispatch of
Announcement – ANNOUNCE (top bar of the radio
console/miscellaneous window) will be depressed for three (3) seconds
(transmitting a steady tone) for any announcements (including weather
bulletins).
C. Multiple alarm assignments are
listed in Appendix A, "Multiple Alarm Dispatch Directory" or in CAD
assignments.
D. On auto accidents, alert the
fire company in whose district the incident occurs for hazard control or first
responder medical support in addition to ambulances alerted.
E. Upon receipt of a request from
a central monitoring station (proprietary company) for fire response to a
system fire alarm reported to a central monitoring station, the Communications
Officer shall alert two stations (unless otherwise indicated in policy). Any
additional alerting request or cancellations of companies alerted will be
received from the fire officer‑in‑charge upon acknowledgement of
the call. If the building is believed to
be occupied, the Communications Officer will attempt to establish contact with
the occupant(s) to verify alarm status (AFTER DISPATCH OF INCIDENT).
F. Any system fire alarm which
generates a follow-up report or confirmation of smoke or flame from any source
whatsoever shall be rebroadcast (full assignment) as a structural fire.
H. Map
Page/Coordinates Information - The map page and coordinates, cross-streets, and
town/community should be provided to initial apparatus from each station when
they advise they are responding or when requested. Driving directions should be
provided when requested by a monitor or apparatus. If you are unable to provide
driving directions (due to call volume or other acceptable reasons) you should
advise units of such when the request is made.
When referring to tactical
channels, the channel number (ex. Channel 11) and the channel description (ex.
Tactical Operations 1) shall be used.
All incidents should be
dispatched using F1 (Rescue Dispatch – Accomack) or F2 (Rescue Dispatch –
(5-8-09) In
addition to the initial broadcast of field personnel advising they are
responding to an EMS incident, the Communications Officer will provide a list
of all apparatus/monitors on scene and responding when apparatus mark-up (such
as, requesting additional personnel), or at the request of any field personnel.
If needed or requested (by the
Communications Officer or OIC), an additional tactical channel may be assigned.
If a tactical channel is assigned, the tactical channel of the zone the
incident is occurring in may be used (F3, F5, F7, F9). If this channel is
unavailable, then F11 (Tact Ops 1) should be used. An additional option is the
use of an adjacent zone’s tactical channel (F3, F5, F7, F9) or F12 (Tact Ops
2), however the effectiveness of using these channels will vary depending on
the location of the incident.
Fire Incidents/MVA’s/Hazardous-Material
Incidents
All incidents should be
dispatched using F1 (Rescue Dispatch – Accomack) or F2 (Rescue Dispatch –
Once assigned a tactical
channel, monitors and apparatus will not use F1 or F2 to contact Communications
(unless they are unable to make contact using their assigned tactical
channels).
Monitors and apparatus
should use the pre-assigned repeater tactical channel (based on zone) for
communications during an incident. EMS apparatus transporting to a hospital will
utilize Rescue Dispatch (
Pre-assigned repeater
tactical channels are as follows:
F3 – North Accomack Fire
Operations – Incidents Occurring in Stations 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 20 districts
F5 – Central Accomack Fire
Operations – Incidents Occurring in Stations 7, 8, 9, and 18 (Station 21 will
utilize Channel 11 (their Channel 3 as they have not been reprogrammed)
F7 – South Accomack Fire
Operations – Incidents Occurring in Stations 10, 11, and 12 districts
F9 – Northampton Fire
Operations – Incidents Occurring in all
Multiple incidents
occurring in the same zone will be assigned the same repeater tactical channel,
unless the Communications Officer assigns or Incident Commander requests a
separate channel for a specific incident. If a separate tactical channel is
needed, F11 (Tact Ops 1) should be used. An additional option is to use an
adjacent zone’s tactical channel (F3, F5, F7, F9) or F12 (Tact Ops 2), however
the effectiveness of using these channels will vary depending on the location
of the incident.
The Incident Commander
retains the authority to utilize talk-around tactical
channels as needed (F4, F6,
F8, F10).
Tactical Channels – Other
The Communications Officer
should use the simul-selecting on a very limited basis. However, the following
messages shall be broadcast on the dispatch channel and assigned tactical
channel (using the simul-cast feature):
-
Any reduction in response, request to slowdown response,
or cancellation
-
Any other information requested to be broadcast on both channels
by the incident commander
Communications to and from
the 9-1-1 Center on the dispatch channels will use the radio designation of
RESCUE. Communications to and from the 9-1-1 Center on tactical channels will
use the radio designation CENTRAL.
J. Requests to Deviate from the Established
Alert Pattern - If the Communications Officer receives a request to deviate
from the established alert pattern (dispatch a specific station or apparatus)
the request should be honored, as the requestor is taking responsibility.
K.
Cancellation of Fire and
When units have been
dispatched to fire or EMS related matters, the ultimate responsibility for
canceling the responding units or the incident is with the on scene incident
commander or appropriate fire and
Communications Officers will not cancel an
incident or response; the decision to cancel will come from the appropriate
fire,
L. (2-10-09) Dual Alerts – Fire
Two regions of the Eastern Shore of Virginia
have an established dual response protocol for all fire responses:
-
Station
15/14 or 14/15 – 1. areas south of the
-
Station
16/17 –
Both stations will be alerted for fire incidents
in these established districts. Multiple station alerts will include both
stations as two separate stations for the dispatch.
If requested, Station 2 and Worcester 200 shall
be alerted for any Water Rescue/Marine related rescue incident (Marine 2 (Boat
2) is stationed at Worcester Station 200)
M. (12-1-08) Dual Alerts -
All Code Blue (cardiac/respiratory arrest)
incidents occurring in
Northampton County EMS Incidents (including
All EMS incidents dispatched in Station 8 and
4’s district will require the dispatch of the fire station for a medical
assist, in addition to the appropriate
During the hours of 0600 and 1800 (Monday
through Friday, except official holidays) the closest fully staffed ambulance
will be dispatched in addition to the dispatch of all stations prior to the
staffed unit being dispatched. Stations are required to contact the 9-1-1
Center with staffing levels each day and any changes occurring to staffing
levels throughout the day.
Station 19 shall be dispatched on all fire
incidents in Stations 14, 15, and 17 districts.
Station 20 will be dispatched on all fire
incidents in Station 1 and 4’s area.
N. Diverting of Fire/EMS Apparatus - The
Communications Officer or appropriate filed units have the discretion to divert
apparatus/equipment as needed. If there is a discrepancy on the diversion the
field unit(s) will provide resolution.
O. Extrication Equipment Response – Motor
Vehicle Accident with Entrapment - Upon the Communications Officer receiving a
report of a Motor Vehicle Accident with entrapment they will dispatch the two
closest (based on fire districts) stations with extrication equipment. A list
of stations with extrication equipment will be maintained at the ESVA 9-1-1
Center (CAD).
P. The dispatch of alarms (fire or medical) will
occur prior to any attempt to contact a residence, business, or institution. If
the Communications Officer has enough primary information (address) to dispatch
the incident, it should be dispatched. If time allows after the dispatch, you
should attempt to contact the property generating the alarm for additional
information. Any information obtained from the property owner, key-holder, or
alarm-company will be relayed to responding officers/monitors and apparatus. A
request to cancel from the property owner or business will be relayed over the
radio with the final decision to cancel (or not to cancel) resting with the
fire or
Any cancellation or reduction in assignment will
be the authority of responding officers/monitors or apparatus.
If additional information is received, indicating
a full alert is warranted on an alarm activation, the information should be
relayed to responding units and the assignment upgraded to the full alert for
the structure.
Q. Response to Train Incidents (derailment or
fire) – three stations (including
R.
S. If the Communications Officer receives
information from initial callers or subsequent callers, indicating additional
resources will be needed other than included in the initial dispatch, the
Communications Officer may dispatch additional resources (ex. Mass Casualty
Incident), as indicated based on the information provided. All information and
additional resources dispatched will be echoed to the appropriate officers
and/or field personnel. Final responsibility to continue/cancel additional
resources dispatched rests with the appropriate officers and field personnel.
In
T.
(2-1-09) Personnel Accountability
Report (PAR) – All fire apparatus will include a PAR count to the ESVA 9-1-1
Center when they advise responding to an incident. The Communications Officer
will request the PAR count of fire apparatus failing to provide the PAR count.
The Communications Officer will maintain a PAR record for each fire apparatus
and provide such information if requested.
U.
(2-10-09) Dispatch of Law
Enforcement to Fire and/or
The
appropriate law enforcement center shall be notified and a response requested
to respond with fire and/or
Any
1.
involving a violent or potentially violent situation including, but not limited
to, shootings, stabbings, fights, domestics, assaults, suicides, and
homicides.
2.
involving a mental/emotional/psychological situation.
3.
involving an overdose/poisoning situation.
4.
involving an animal bite (Animal Control).
5.
involving criminal activity or potential criminal activity.
6.
involving alcohol/drug use or potential alcohol/drug use.
7.
where, based on information heard on the telephone call or other means (yelling,
cursing, threats, etc.), the Communications Officer feels a law enforcement
response is appropriate or may be necessary for scene safety.
8.
where CAD premise information indicates a law enforcement response is needed.
9.
when a law enforcement response is requested by fire and/or
In
all cases, the responding stations/personnel will be provided all pertinent
scene safety information, including any notification to the appropriate law
enforcement agency. Once notified, the Communications Officer shall advise
field personnel/stations that the Sheriff’s Office (or other law enforcement
agency) has been notified and any other information that may be available, such
as, but not limited to, ETA’s or delayed responses. In the event of a significant
delay in response indicated by a law enforcement agency the Communications
Officer shall notify the appropriate field personnel/apparatus of such
information.
Ultimate
responsibility for the determination of scene safety and staging for law enforcement
rests with field responders. Communications Officers will provide all
information related to scene safety to field responders to allow for decision
making related to scene safety and staging. When law enforcement is requested
to respond for scene safety the 9-1-1 Center will advise field responders when
the scene is secure based on information from law enforcement personnel (law
enforcement personnel on scene does not necessarily indicate the scene is
secure – information must come from law enforcement personnel indicating the
scene is secure).
ANY
SITUATION INVOLVING AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO THE SAFETY AND WELFARE OF FIELD
PERSONNEL SHALL RESULT IN AN IMMEDIATE REQUEST FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT DISPATCH,
INCLUDING USING ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AVAILABLE.
CHAPTER 14 ANNOUNCEMENTS
AND GENERAL BROADCASTS FOR FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES
Announcements
will be done by the 9-1-1 Center daily at 0900 and 1800. Announcements will
include a list of apparatus out-of-service, station on volunteer response (if appropriate),
station announcements, county announcements, system announcements, weather
bulletins, and the Communications Officers on duty (Dispatcher Number). Daily
announcements should not be broadcast while units are responding to incidents,
rather should be announced after all units have arrived on scene. Also,
announcements should be delayed during large scale incidents. This will allow
monitors and apparatus to communicate with each other or Communications if
needed while responding to incidents.
The format for the 0900/1800 announcement, which will also serve to
identify the
Transmit ALERT tone.
Transmit information:
"EASTERN SHORE OF
"(Today's Date)."
"THE FOLLOWING UNITS ARE
LISTED OUT‑OF‑SERVICE: (Give
unit numbers)."
“STATIONS ON VOLUNTEER
RESPONSE (if applicable): (list)”
"(Announcements
pertinent to public safety)."
Weather Announcements (if
applicable)
"WPSJ218”. DISPATCHER(S) (give Dispatcher
Number(s))."
* Announcements should be transmitted on both towers (
A. Special announcements may be made
as provided herein to transmit information to fire and rescue personnel. Announcements should begin with the phrase
"Special Announcement" and be preceded by a single alert tone (three
seconds). Announcements pertinent to public safety should be announced in
conjunction with the 0900 or 1800 announcement periods.
B. Announcements should be
limited to the briefest format possible and should be used only when considered
essential.
C. Announcements received in
writing and pertaining to functions involving more than one company may be
announced at such times as deemed reasonably necessary by the requesting
official and/or the 9‑1‑1 Center.
Requests should designate preferred announcement dates and times.
D. All announcements for evening activities should be received by the
E. Whenever possible, similar
announcements should be grouped if the length of overall announcements can be
reduced.
F. Paging tones will not be used
in conjunction with announcements except to notify personnel of drills,
training sessions, work details, or meetings.
G. Units "out of
service" will be announced during the 0900/1800
H. Weather Announcements -
Upon the Communications Officer receiving notification of one of the following
weather alerts it will be broadcast on the Rescue Channels as a general
announcement: Tornado Warning, Severe Thunderstorm Warning, Flash Flood
Warning, Winter Storm Warning, Flood Warning, Coastal Flood Warning, Tornado
Watch, Severe Thunderstorm Watch, Flash Flood Watch, Costal Flood Watch, and
Winter Storm Watch. Other weather watches, warnings, statements may be
broadcast at the discretion of the Supervisor on duty or Communications Officer
in their absence.
The following information should be broadcast
when a warning or watch is received: type of watch or warning, which county
(Accomack,
CHAPTER 15 – EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH (EMD)
Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) is designed to
manage
EMD is an integral part of an
EMD shall be used for all calls except for those
callers and situations listed in item #4 of this policy. Therefore, the
following policy will apply to all calls for EMS assistance received by the
Eastern Shore VA 9-1-1
1. General information questions (All Callers
Interrogation) shall be asked of all callers.
2. Vital points questions shall be asked except as
listed in item #4 of this policy. Vital Points Questions should be used to
identify dispatch criteria and gather additional information to be relayed to
responding units. Once dispatch criteria has been determined, the incident
should be dispatched. Additional questions asked for the purpose of providing
additional information to responding units should be asked after giving
appropriate pre-arrival instructions.
3. Pre-arrival instructions shall be provided to
all callers except as listed in item #4 of this policy.
4. With the following callers or situations, EMD
vital points questions and pre-arrival instructions may be modified or not
used.
·
The
caller is a trained individual, including but not limited to
·
The
call is to medical facility capable of providing emergency medical care
·
The
caller refuses assistance
·
The
workload of the 9-1-1 center dictates that asking vital points questions or
providing pre-arrival instructions would cause incoming 9-1-1 lines to be unanswered
or a delay in responding to incoming 9-1-1 lines.
·
The
caller is a third or fourth party caller not with the patient
5. Calls
identified as priority one following questioning of the caller shall be
dispatched as such. Calls identified as Priority 2 and 3 shall be dispatched
without stating such as part of dispatch information.
6. The short report including any safety issues
shall be relayed to responding units and personnel.
7. The use of medical abbreviations included in
the EMD guide cards should not be used. Only approved medical abbreviations
should be used.
8. Health
care facilities covered in item #4 shall be limited to the following
facilities:
·
·
·
·
Tyson
Foods Health Unit
·
·
·
Quail
Run Assisted Living
·
Shore
Life Care at Parksley 26181
Parksley Road
·
·
·
Hermitage
of the
·
ESPS 9524
Hospital Avenue
·
Family
Practice Associates
·
OB/GYN
Associates of the Eastern Shore
·
·
Heritage
Hall 9468
Hospital Avenue
·
·
Bayview
Community Health Center 22214
S. Bayside Road
·
·
·
YMCA
Cardiac Rehab 26164
Lankford Highway
9.
The
following procedure will be used for any call needing
·
Initiate
a transfer call to the Chincoteague 9-1-1 Center
·
Provide
the Chincoteague Communications Officer with any information you may have
regarding the call
·
Chincoteague
will handle the call based on their policies and procedures
·
Remain
on line and provide any needed pre-arrival instructions to the caller
·
Cooperation
between the involved communications centers and personnel is the key to the
success of this procedure
·
This
policy shall also apply to calls for any PSAP unable to provide EMD
CHAPTER 16 DISPATCHING
FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES
A. The Office of Emergency
Services for each County is established in compliance with the Code of Virginia
to prepare for and carry out functions (other than those for which the military
forces are responsible) to prevent, minimize, and repair injury and damage
resulting from natural, man‑made, or war‑ caused disasters,
together with all other activities necessary or incidental to the preparation
for and carrying out of the foregoing functions. These functions include, without limitation,
fire‑fighting services, police services, medical and health services,
rescue, engineering, disaster warning services, communications, radiological,
chemical, and other special weapons defenses; evacuation of persons from
stricken areas, emergency social services, emergency transportation, emergency
resource management, plant protection, temporary restoration of public utility
services, and other functions related to civilian protection.
B. The
C. Emergency Services operations
will be conducted in accordance with the Virginia Emergency Operations Plan and
County Emergency Operations Plans, in addition to other Emergency Response
Plans developed in compliance with law and/or emergency services procedures.
D. Emergency messages from the
Virginia EOC directed for each County are transmitted via teletype to the
Sheriff's Office of each county. When such messages are relayed to the
E. The Virginia Oil and Hazardous
Substances Emergency Response Plan directs that local governments (through
their Office of Emergency Services) be responsible for minimizing the
occurrence of releases or threats of releases of oil or hazardous substances
and that they develop the capability to respond promptly in cases of discharge
from facilities, vehicles, and vessels.
This response is a coordinated function of existing emergency resources
(fire,
F. Hazardous Materials Response
Teams will be dispatched upon direction of the OES Coordinator, Hazardous
Materials Officer (HMO), or the Virginia EOC.
See "Emergency Response Plans for Hazardous Materials
Incidents" for further information.
G. The Virginia Radiological
Emergency Response Plan delegates local direction and control of radiological
emergency response to the local Director/ Coordinator of Emergency
Services. Local response will be
coordinated in the same manner as Hazardous Materials responses. The
H. Radiological Response Teams
will be dispatched upon direction of the OES Coordinator, Hazardous Materials
Officer, Radiological Response Coordinator, Radiological Safety Officer, or the
Virginia EOC.
I. Other hazards or potential
hazards which may require integrated response of numerous agencies and/or
requests for assistance outside that normally available from local response
agencies, including but not limited to floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, mass
casualty incidents, aircraft crashes, major devastating fires, and large civil
disturbances, should be reported to the OES Coordinator or LCO.
J. Emergency services operations
will be conducted on local government and such other frequencies as deemed
efficient for each operation.
CHAPTER 17 NOTIFICATION
OF OTHER AGENCIES BY
A. 9‑1‑1 Center
Communications Officers will notify Virginia State Police of all auto accidents
not investigated by County or local law enforcement agencies. Notification will
be provided as soon as possible after receipt of the call and dispatch of other
emergency units.
B. 9‑1‑1 Center
Communications Officers will notify fire investigators (VSP) of fires for which
investigations are requested by the Fire Chief or officer‑in‑charge
or upon the request or referral by a law enforcement agency.
C. 9‑1‑1 Center
Communications Officers will notify a medical examiner of deaths requiring
investigation when requested by a public safety unit.
D. 9‑1‑1 Center
Communications Officers will notify appropriate public works agencies and
utility companies of damaged equipment or premises as requested.
E. 9‑1‑1 Center
Communications Officers will notify the appropriate hospitals of any reported
Mass Casualty Incident or disaster which may require added hospital support as
soon as practical following the receipt of the alarm and dispatching emergency
units.
F. Mutual aid assistance will be
requested on a priority basis upon request of command officers or in accordance
with written agreements.
G. Other requested notifications
will be made when deemed a proper public safety or public safety communications
function in a priority assigned by supervisory personnel, command officers,
and/or the
CHAPTER 18 9‑1‑1
CENTER SECURITY AND SECURITY PROCEDURES
A. The
B. The doors of the
C. Only duly authorized
Communications Officers and 9‑1‑1 Commission employees shall be
permitted to dispatch and/or answer incoming calls in the
CHAPTER 19 ALARM
SYSTEMS
A. Dedicated line fire alarm
systems serving governmental, non‑profit, and/or specifically approved
buildings and institutions which either has high occupancy or other special
hazards and dedicated security systems in support of the National defense may
be authorized by the 9‑1‑1 Commission to terminate in the
B. Intrusion, robbery, burglary,
panic, and residential or commercial fire alarms (excluding exceptions noted
above and those local alarms providing security and safety in facilities for
which a Sheriff is assigned responsibility) will not be monitored in the
CHAPTER 20 DISPATCH FLOOR OPERATIONS
All employees shall conduct themselves in a professional manner at all
times. Employees shall be courteous and orderly in their dealings with the public
and members of user agencies. They shall perform their duties quietly, avoiding
harsh, violent, or profane language and always remain in control of their
behavior regardless of provocation; however, employees are not expected to take
abuse from the public or members of user agencies. If abuse occurs, a
Supervisor should be notified immediately.
A.
Dispatch of Incidents – Only Information provided is Post Office Box
Upon the Communications Officer receiving a call
for service with only a post office box provided for the address they shall
attempt to obtain a physical (9-1-1) address from the caller. If a physical
(9-1-1) address (or other location information) is not provided the
Communications Officer shall attempt to obtain other information, such as name
and telephone number, to determine information to dispatch the appropriate
response. If the caller is unable to provide the necessary information and a
dispatch in unable to occur, the Communications Officer will advise the caller
that additional information is needed to dispatch the proper response. An
attempt to contact the local postmaster for additional information will occur
if needed.
B.
Requests for Out-of-State Response/Request to Deviate from Standard Dispatch
Policy
Communications Officers will dispatch incidents
and resources based on adopted polices and procedures. Requests from a caller
for a specific station to respond will not be honored. Callers from outside of
Accomack and
C. Posting/Transferring of Apparatus
Field personnel shall notify the 9-1-1 Center
when apparatus/units are (or need to be) being posted or transferred to promote
better coverage and response to incidents. The Communications Officer may
inquire to the affected stations or the incident commander for authorization to
post or transfer units; however the ultimate responsibility rests with field
personnel.
D.
Request for Fire Investigator
Upon the Communications Officer receiving a
request for a fire investigator the Virginia State Police shall be notified.
The requestor shall be notified of the response of the State Police and ETA’s.
E.
Notification of
The ESVA 9-1-1 Center will maintain contact
information for Virginia Department of Forestry personnel. If needed or upon
request the Communications Officer shall contact Forestry personal using their
contact information or assigned tone pagers (if applicable).
F.
Notification of Hazardous-Material Response Team –
The ESVA 9-1-1 Center will maintain contact
information for the Hazardous Material Response Team on-call personnel. If
needed or upon request the Communications Officer shall contact the Hazardous
Material Response Team for response or direction.
G.
Calls From/About Aircrafts
THE
It shall be the policy of the 9-1-1 Center to handle telephone calls from aircrafts or about aircrafts using the following guidelines:
Procedures:
The NORAD 9-1-1
Emergency Response System consists of relaying possible airborne terrorism
information from a 9-1-1 caller to the local PSAP to NORAD Air Defense Sectors
in a timely fashion. It is paramount
that all PSAP calls to NORAD be limited to serious potential airborne terrorism
matters only. This process will be
followed in reporting any crucial aircraft events, such as Emergency Calls from
Airborne Aircraft, Suspicious Airborne Object or Aircraft, Crop Dusting
Aircraft, Aircraft Theft in Process or just occurred.
Emergency Call from an Airborne Aircraft
Whenever a cell phone
call is received from a passenger or crewmember aboard an airborne aircraft the
Communications Officer will obtain the information by utilizing the appropriate
call classification.
1.
If
a wireless telephone, what is the telephone number?
2.
What
is the wireless telephone carrier, (i.e. Cingular, Nextel, Verizon, Sprint,
Ntelos, etc.)?
3.
The
Name of the Airline the person is flying on, (i.e. American, Northwest, Delta,
etc.)