http://www.ci.fitchburg.ma.us/DocumentCenter/View/4358/2018-Annual-Report?bidId=
see page 47 of 70
most important item - easily meet NFPA goals - which iirc is -
'dispatch in 60 seconds 90% of time'
--------------------------
hack job cut and paste of dispatch center report (pg 47 ish) follows
Fire Alarm Annual Report 2018 Fitchburg Fire Department's radio
communications and Fire Alarm is the point of contact for the general
public for fire and EMS emergency and non-emergency calls. This
dispatch center is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by a
firefighter. My position as dispatch supewisor is Monday through
Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fitchburg Fire Dispatch is the communication
center for the District 8 state fire mutual aid. We are the contact
for assembling regional responses for task forces and sfike team for
fire situations, and dive teams and high tech rescue teams for North
Central MA.
A11 911 calls for fire and medical are transferred by the Fitchburg
Police and are handled in this office, along with calls on our other
emergency lines 978-343-4801, and the general calls lines. The Fire
Department also monitors over 300 alarm systems through our AES
Intellinet rystem, which is outlined in a separate section.
Dispatchers are required to monitor the following radio channels
Fitchburg Fire Ops (Operationsl\ufain Channel), Fitchburg Fire ground,
Fitchburg Fire Tac 2 (encrypted simplex channel), Fitchburg Fire VIIF
1 (used by Fitchburg Emergency Management), District 8 Mid-State,
Fitchburg Police, FSU Police, Mass Emergency Management (VHF), and an
additional UHF consulate usually set to Leominster Fire. We also
monitor other local fire departments through scanners, and a dedicated
phone line with attached speaker-phone that is a direct tie line to
Massachusetts Emergency Management in Framingham (The Bunker), known
as the NAWAS line. It is a direct line to Every Fire Distric
ict conuol point, MEMA, State Police, National Weather Sewice and
otler agencies. - The Fitchburg Fire farm dispatched 10,677 emergency
cails in 2018, and calls are being processed and apparatus are being
dispatched well within the recommended NFPA times. 4904 calls were
dispatched for fire and other non EMS emergencies,5,773 calls were EMS
in nature. 44 Radios AJI Fire Department radio communications and
equipment are maintained by myself and David Monty. The portable
radios are now 10 years old and they are starting to show major signs
of wear and I've had to send a number of them off for repair. we are
currently looking into trying out 3.new types'of portable radios and
we r,rill decided which one we will use going forward. Pagers . We
have very few physical pagers left (19) as a majority of the
departrnent member now use text messaging through "I am Responding"
which goes straight to their cell phones. This program allows off duty
frrefighters that are being called in for an incident to respond in
real time as to how long it will take them to respond. Training EMD
training is ongoing with the 12 junior most firefighters but there are
other senior firefighters that elect to keep up their EMD status. Any
new hired firefighter goes through the 40 hour Emergency Medical
Dispatcher course t
atus. Any new hired firefighter goes through the 40 hour Emergency
Medical Dispatcher course to become EMD certified. Fire A-larm
Equipment AII fire alarm equipment as well as the computers are
maintained by myself along with David Monty and the Fitchburg I.T.
department. The consoles are starting to show their age as they are
now 1g years old. 2 new Iron Horse chairs were purchased in 2018
giving us 3 in total. These chairs are rated for 600 lbs. and have a
very long warranty period. AES Intellinet The Fitchburg Fire
Department maintains the AES radio box system that monitors over 300
fire alarms throughout the city. The system continues to be an
efficient and reliable means of monitoring fire protection devices and
carbon monoxide det€ctoi"s in hombs, schools, offices ancl industry
for both the departinent and itis subscribers. The alarm signals from
subscribers' locations are tmnsmitted by radio to our two receivers in
the fire alarm room. This means there are no expensive telephone lines
to L\ lease. This system has been in operation for approximately 20
years, and this system continues to work very well. IMC Dispatch
SJrstem The IMC Computer Aided Dispatch system is at the core of
dispatch and report writing for the Fitchburg Iire Departmenl Several
initiatives, have been undertaken to make the system more manageable,
easier to use for dispatchers, and for it to contain the latest and
best information for the Fitchburg Fire Dept. Ultimate control of IMC
system rests with the I.T. department. Occasionaliy we need to contact
I.T. with issues but most problems are solved by myself or David
Monty. Telephone System The telephone system at Headquarters, Summer
St and the Oak Hill Stations was replaced by the I.T. departrnent in
November 2017. The switch over ofthe phone system went well but some
issues needed to be addressed in 2018. An electronic bell was
installed at both Oak HilI and Summer St stations. These bells were
centrally located so the telephone ring could be heard anywhere in the
station. Summary The Fitchburg Fire dispatchers continue to do a
superb job. The frre dispatch is a place where injured firefighters
can work while recovering from an injury. Its a benefit to the city to
have a firefighter that would possibly be off the job due to an injury
in the alarm doing work as a dispatcher.
Firefighters that work as dispatchers are one of the city's best
resources. Whether it be a rookie firefighter eager to learn or
veteran firefighter that has much knowledge and experience. Both are
invaluable in the high pressure environment of the Fire/EMS disoatch.
Respectf':lly Submitted Captain Richard Jollimore Fire Alarm
Superintendent
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