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Post by canton1 on Sept 10, 2003 6:13:21 GMT -5
Bradford County EMA has tasked me as the Bradford County Fire Coordinator, a dispatcher and someone that has utilzed it several times, with giving them some guidelines and requirements for the bus to be dispatched and to get used. He has also asked that I respond witht he bus on a primary basis. I will be working on this in my spare time (not sure what spare time) to get it in use in a faster and for useull manor. If you have any suggestions let me know. It is in majot need of equipment and lots of upgrades to the radios. It hopefully will be coming with atleast one disptacher, a driver and maybe a assistant. Don't be suprised if you start having dispatch either send it (if you dont want it recall it) or asking you if you want it more. My original thoughts are to send it on any call over 4 departments, all searches, major weather emergencies, all LEPC incidents, All Hazmat incidents and some police incidents. Remember it is a resource not someone to run your scene.
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Post by chief322 on Sept 10, 2003 15:35:32 GMT -5
I have used the comm. bus twice in the last two years and let me tell you it was invaluable to the incident. The staff that accompanied the bus worked totally as a support staff and clearly understood there function. Suffice to say had it not been for the bus and crew, the incidents would have become totally chaotic, given the magnitude of resources I was trying to manage out of my POV with one radio.
I hope that others use this and see what a true value it really has.
Tim
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Post by ntowanda1 on Sept 13, 2003 16:33:40 GMT -5
kim Our department has the command bus on many of our box alarms in but do to the dispatchers not reading the hole box alarm we very seldem get the for major incidents like Osram /Dupont I know that takes time away from the dispatcher but on normal shifts there are two dispatchers on and once the call is taken and is dispatched the box alarm book is put away and never looked at again I'm not tring to make any one mad. it could be used many times a year if you work out a system in which it was to be sent for major incidents I also think EMA can spend some money to up grade the radio equipment on the bus with the LEPC funds they recieve each year. terry sheets n.towanda
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911Mom
Full Member
Welcome to the real world!
Posts: 60
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Post by 911Mom on Sept 13, 2003 18:37:46 GMT -5
Yes, the Comm Bus is a good thing. Trying to get people to drive it and run the radios is not. If it is going to be used more may I make a couple of suggestions. First get more people trained to run it, maybe 1 or 2 people from each department. Second get the driver/operators pagers so that when we are doing a full blown incident we don't have to mess around trying to get ahold of the few individuals that know how to drive and operate it. The task force is a great idea utilize it for this also. Get people who are truly interested in doing it, not because they were assigned to it, that won't work. Make it a thourough training so if only one person shows up they can get it operational by themselves. Also put the beast in a central location ie North Towanda. Just some thoughts.....
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Post by 911guy on Sept 13, 2003 19:41:45 GMT -5
One thing I would note about the bus on box alarms is more of a root problem: Box alarm standardization. While we have gotten a much more standardized FORM for the box alarms, not every chief has the same expectations from the box. Terry, for example, considers his department to have multiple BRUSH box alarms. It is not spelled out exactly this way in the box and, as far as I know, is the ONLY department that "has" brush box alarms. Joe Leonard does not consider his department to have box alarms, per se, but the cover sheet spells out what to send for 2nd and 3rd alarms. If that isn't a box alarm, I guess I don't know what is?
I did not intend this comment to digress into a box alarm issue - that should probably be saved for a separate thread. All I AM saying is that - going along with Tim's posting elsewhere about LDH and other Task Forces, a uniform way of doing things will ALWAYS work better than 25 different ways of doing the same thing.
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Post by canton1 on Sept 15, 2003 23:45:33 GMT -5
Anyone that has suggestions get them to me. Either via this or my email. I have compiled a list of several things and will be giving it to Jim to Handle. If they are handled and this fixed we will get this going in the rioght direction.
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Post by chief322 on Sept 16, 2003 11:07:30 GMT -5
Kim;
I would really like to see a better computer system that the support staff is able to use. I don't know about the software packages (I am really computer illiterate here) but would be interested in seeing weather, creek/river levels, accessing chem/hazard databases, topography layouts to name a few. I would also like to see cellular capability on board, not necessarily individual handhelds. A nice thing to have would be hard copies of the fire alarm assignments and the resource manuals of the individual ema directors that have them.
I realize this costs money and that is a premium these days with Big Brother. So if we are spending it, go ahead and give yourself a little something, brother!
Tim
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Post by 911wacker on Sept 17, 2003 8:30:50 GMT -5
In regards to Tim's post of of access to information, we use the internet to give most of the feild units information regarding weather and such. It would be nice if a laptop computer and cell phone can be used for access, keeping in mind that not everywhere in the county can get cell coverage yet. This would be a start and data-base information can be kept in the laptop if it were committed to the command bus, someone would have to be responsable to keep it updated which would be a regular task. A designated and secure radio channel (ie. 800 mhz) could also be a usefull tool to relay such information and also things that the general public should not hear as well.
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Post by canton1 on Sept 17, 2003 23:29:58 GMT -5
I have taken all this in. A list has been forwarded to Jim Vadja for him top handle along with several other radio and equipment issues. I suggest everyone that gets a chance let him know. If anyone wants to see the list of my reccommendations let me know. There is computeres, both laptopnad desktop on my list as well as better Cell and regular landline phones.
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Post by SIERRA 14 on Sept 19, 2003 20:29:05 GMT -5
Kim The Comm bus interests me greatly. Especially during an extended operation (multiple shifts). I don't know too much about it or its capabilities. I have only had one time where I had the opportunity to work with it. That was the forest fire near Nates Run in 2000 or 2001. The Comm bus was there as well as the Comm trailer the Bureau has. I'm not sure what my ICS position or positions (but I did a lot of running between our trailer and the Comm bus) were but I think it was pretty confusing having two Comm units there. It was like the Bureau and the volunteers fire companies were independent from each other. THAT IS NOT HOW I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THINGS HAPPEN!!! An incident needs to be run as one no matter how many different agencies are involved. The ICS structure needs to be known by all involved. A communications glitch can make that VERY difficult to say the least.
I guess what I'm getting at is what are the capabilities, protocols, etc of the Comm bus? Our Trailer is very basic. It has High band radio capabilities only. That should include fire but I'm not sure if the radio is programmed properly. It also has a full set of topo maps for the district. Other then that it basically just has supplies (batteries, flagging, etc.)
If there is any equipment that I can help you with through the Federal Equipment Personal Property (FEPP) or otherwise known as military surplus let me know. If there is something you want let me know. You would be surprised at what is available sometimes. I just got in some 1.5 kW generator for a couple for FD's and they look like brand new. Something to consider.
If it's easier you can get a hold of me via e-mail or phone on this matter.
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