Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer — Lesson 18

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Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer
Lesson 18

• Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer, 4th
  Edition
• Chapter 18 Incident Scene Communications

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Learning Objectives

• Recall information about interoperability.
• Select facts about various types of
  communications equipment.
• Identify correct radio communications procedures.
  
• Select fasts about the five Cs of radio
  communication.

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Interoperability

• Ability of a system to work with and use the
  parts or equipment of another system
• Requirement of the National Incident Management
  System (NIMS)
• Means radio equipment and frequencies must be
  compatible within the organization and between
  agencies
• Helps enable coordinated, disciplined responses

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Interoperability Problems

• Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing, 1995
• World Trade Center attack, 2001
• Hurricane Katrina, 2005

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Interoperable Radio Frequencies

• Currently no radios handle entire range of public
  safety frequencies
• FCC mandates
• APCO International Project 25
• Nationwide multiagency channels

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Analog vs. Digital Communications

• Analog Base carriers alternating current
  frequency is modified by
• Amplifying strength of signal
• Varying frequency
• Digital
• Generates, stores, and processes data as positive
  and non-positive
• Data expressed as a string of 0s and 1s

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Communications Equipment Radios

• Provide instantaneous communication
• Advantages
• Communications center
• Focal point for emergency scene communication
• Computer-aided-dispatch system (CAD)
• Radio frequencies

(Continued)
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Communications Equipment Radios

• Base radios
• Mobile radios
• Portable radios

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Communications Equipment Pagers

• Used to summon personnel to station or incident
  scene
• Wide variety of types and sizes
• Activation
• Modes
• May monitor dispatch frequency at all times

(Continued)
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Communications Equipment Pagers

• Note Broadcasting emergency evacuation messages
  to all personnel over dispatch frequency and
  emergency scene frequency may enable responders
  who do not have portable radios to hear the
  command over their pagers.

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Communications Equipment Citizens Band (CB)
Radios

• Used primarily by small, rural jurisdictions
• Advantages
• Disadvantages

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Communications Equipment Amateur Radios

• Extensive radio communications network of ham
  operators
• Volunteers often available
• Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES)

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Communications Equipment Land-Based Telephones

• Sometimes used on large-scale incidents,
  high-rise incidents, shipboard and other confined
  space incidents
• Effective alternative to tying up radio
  frequencies for lengthy routine messages
• Usually used when base of incident command post
  is in permanent structure that has phone service
• May be used when temporary telephone service is
  set up at incident command post

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Communications Equipment Cellular Telephones

• Advantages
• Disadvantage
• Personal digital assistant (PDA)

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Communications Equipment Satellite Telephones

• Can be assembled for large-scale incidents
• Are independent of land-based and cellular
  systems
• Are reliable and free of limitations and
  interference

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Communications Equipment Fax Machines

• May operate over land-based or cellular telephone
  systems
• Useful for transmitting and receiving written
  documents
• One or more machines at incident command post at
  major emergency scenes

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Communications Equipment Computer Communications

• Computer modems
• Broadband connections

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Communications Equipment Advanced Technology
Systems

• Mobile data terminal (MDT)
• Mobile data computer (MDC)
• Geographic information system (GIS)
• Global positioning system (GPS)

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Communications Procedures

• Standard operating procedures defined by
  organizations communications management policy
• Two purposes
• Establish use of specific common terms (clear
  text)
• Establish system of transmitting periodic
  progress reports to keep all units current

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Radio Communications Procedures

• Allow field units to communicate with each other,
  communications center, and chain of command
• Task-related information or direct order
• Never transmit
• Message that might reflect badly on organization
• Confidential information

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Basic Radio Communications

• Company officers responsibilities
• Crews radio discipline and conduct
• Organizations radio procedures
• Equipment's limitations and alternative methods
• CAUTION! Be sure that all personnel know the
  correct frequency to use for each function.

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Transmitting Essential Information

• Avoid clear texts temptation to ramble when
  transmitting.
• Hey you, its me method
• Company officer identifies unit being called and
  then identifies the calling unit.
• Other unit acknowledges.
• Company officer transmits message.

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Five Cs of Communication

• Conciseness
• Clarity
• Confidence
• Control
• Capability

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Summary

• Effective communication is essential to
  operational effectiveness and safety.
• Company officers play pivotal role in
  communications at incidents.
• Transmitting and receiving most communications
• Setting an example
• Know how to use available communications
  equipment.
• Practice good communication techniques during
  both emergency and nonemergency activities.

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Discussion Questions

• Recount an instance from your experience when
  effective communications played a vital role in
  mitigating an incident. What helped to make
  communications especially effective at this
  incident?
• Recount an instance from your experience when
  ineffective communications hindered mitigation of
  an incident. What would you do to avoid similar
  problems at future incidents?