Communications overview

Question 1

Commo history

Answer 1

a. 911 established in Tucson in 1976
b. Communications Section operated by the general services division
c. Tucson Fire given Communication responsibility on 8/17/11

Question 2

Commo organization

Answer 2

a. Fire Chief Jim Critchley
b. Assistant Chief Laura Baker
c. Deputy Chief Chris Conger (NEW)
d. Captain Fred Blair
e. Captain Bruce Noble
f. Superintendent Geoff Kuhn

Question 3

PSAP

Answer 3

a. Primary PSAP receives the initial call to 911
b. Secondary PSAP receives the transferred call from the primary PSAP
c. TFD manages both the primary and secondary PSAP

Question 4

Primary PSAP

Answer 4

i. Determines the problem -> law enforcement, medical, fire
ii. Determines jurisdiction
iii. Transfer call to the appropriate jurisdiction
iv. Average call processing time is 3-4 second
v. Primary PSAP stats
1. Staffing: 4
2. Training: 1 week classroom and then 4-5 weeks on the floor with a trainer
3. Phone lines (trunks) 23
4. 606,400 calls (9/2014-9/2015
5. 112,700 wired and 493,700 wireless

Question 5

Secondary PSAP

Answer 5

e. Secondary PSAP: Fire/Medical
i. Provides service for 8 fire departments and fire districts
1. Tucson FD
2. NW FD
3. Golder Ranch FD
4. Avra Valley FD
5. Three Points FD
6. Picture Rocks FD
7. Mountain Vista Fire District
8. SAFERC district
9. Mt. Lemmon FD
10. South Tucson FD

Question 6

Secondary PSAP staffing

Answer 6

1. One supervisor
2. Two call takers
3. Four City dispatchers
4. Two County dispatchers
5. Two MEDS dispatchers (heli/hospital coordinator)
6. Two Communications captains

Question 7

Secondary PSAP training

Answer 7

1. 4 weeks classroom
2. 5-6 weeks on the floor with a trainer to qualify for the position
3. 6 positions

Question 8

Secondary PSAP positions

Answer 8

1. Supervisor: oversees and is responsible for all the activity on the dispatch floor
2. Call taker: receives the call from 911 and questions using MPDS (Clawson) or “Fire Questions and Responses”
3. A2 Dispatch – all TFD calls
4. A4 Fire – Primary fire operations
5. B4 EMS North – EMS north of Broadway (things on Broadway count as B4?)
6. B5 EMS South – EMS south of Broadway
7. C1 County fire and EMS ops
8. C2 County Dispatch
9. M1: MEDS phone traffic, helicopters
10. M2: MEDS radio traffic, helicopters

Question 9

What do communications captains do?

Answer 9

a. Supervisor level, 40hrs week
b. Liaison: Comm/field, TPD, Northwest consortium
c. Manuals, accreditations, protocols and procedures
d. Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)
e. Floor presence

Question 10

Secondary PSAP call load

Answer 10

1. 113,208 dispatches for 2014
2. 82,458 Tucson Fire
3. 30,750 County Fire dispatches

Question 11

911 system in Tucson

Answer 11

a. Basic 911 upgraded to E-911 in 1984
b. E-911 provides callback number, address, name of person who owns the phone and PD jurisdiction
c. Recently upgraded to include identifying cell phone calls
d. The next evolution will be location cell phone callers

Question 12

What is ANI/ALI?

Answer 12

i. Automatic Number Identifier/Automatic Location Identifier
ii. ANI/ALI info comes from a large main frame computer database in Denver
iii. Call goes from caller to Comm and simultaneously to Denver and back.
iv. With fiber optic technology, this happens almost immediately, or several seconds
v. ANI/ALI info is retrieved as soon as caller dials 911
vi. Allow the information to get to 911 in the event of a disconnect (before 911 picks up), accidental hang up, or open line.

Question 13

What does ANI give you?

Answer 13

1. Automatic Number Identifier
2. Phone number
3. Type of phone (cell, home, business)
4. Phone company
5. Name of person registered as phone owner

Question 14

What does ALI give you?

Answer 14

1. Automatic Location Identifier
2. Address the fall came from
3. Fire and Law Enforcement jurisdiction

Question 15

What is MPDS

Answer 15

Medical Priority Dispatch System

a. Uses the Clawson System
b. Systematic question of medical calls
c. Responses are based on determinate codes
i. Determinate code: protocol # +response level, i.e. 26B = sick person/BLS Code 3 response
d. Operations determines what resources to respond
e. Cannot deviate from questions. Limits discretion.

Question 16

What are some examples of MPDS

Answer 16

#1 Abdominal pain
#10 Chest Pain
#17 Falls
#32 Ukn (Man Down)
#33 Transfer/interfaculty/palliative care

Question 17

General categories of response from Clawson

Answer 17

i. Alpha
ii. Bravo
iii. Charlie
iv. Delta
v. Echo

Question 18

TFD EMS response model

Answer 18

i. BLS1 – one unit, 2-4 person crew, BLS code 2
ii. BLS2 – one unit, 2-4 person crew, BLS code 3
iii. ALS1 – one unit, 2-4 person crew, non-transport capable code 3
iv. ALS2 – two units, PM + 2-4 person crew, code 3
v. ALS3 – two units, PM + 4 person crew, code 3

Question 19

Clawson and TFD models combined

Answer 19

i. Alpha – BLS1
ii. Bravo – BLS1 or 2 (some specialties)
iii. Charlie – ALS1, PAU or RE
iv. Delta – ALS2 or 3 depending on severity
v. Echo – ALS3

Question 20

What are some of the first questions asked on the call?

Answer 20

1. Address/phone number
2. What happened? (Underwater/on fire/hanging = Send immediately)
3. Breathing? (Agonal or no breath = Send immediately)
4. Age?
5. Awake (LOC)

Question 21

What are some key questions that are asked on a call?

Answer 21

1. Is he alert?
2. Is he breathing normally?
3. How far did he fall?
4. Does he have a history of angina?

Question 22

What are some Post Dispatch Instructions?

Answer 22

given prior to hanging up the phone

1. Do not move the patient.
2. Nothing to eat or drink.
3. Lock up the dog.
4. Gather medications for the responder.

Question 23

What are some examples of pre-arrival instructions?

Answer 23

1. CPR
2. Childbirth
3. Choking/obstructed airway

Question 24

How are the calls coded?

Answer 24

k. Codes that things are dispatched as
i. Chief complaint # - level – specific symptom
ii. 10D4
1. 10 = chest pain
2. D = Delta level
3. 4 = clammy

Question 25

TPD response levels

Answer 25

a. Priority Level 1 Hold off: TPD en route ASAP. TFD will send. b. Priority Level 2 Hold off: TPD will dispatch, TFD will send only when there is an officer en route or on scene (because TPD could be 20 minutes away.)((Also, when holding off, park a block or two out of sight.)) c. TFD will send immediately to a Priority 2 if there is no reason to hold off. d. TPD will upgrade all priority levels to Priority 2 if TFD is responding.

Question 26

What's a Code 18?

Answer 26

a. A potentially hazardous situation b. TPD Priority 2 response c. Notifications to the appropriate i. Assistant chief ii. Deputy chief iii. Battalion chief

Question 27

Whats a Code 99?

Answer 27

a. An immediately life threatening situation b. Cannot be canceled once initiated c. TPD Priority 1 response. They treat it like their own 10-99. d. TFD response: 1 BC + closest suppression unit (notification without tones, response on alternate frequency) e. Assistant chief notification

Question 28

Whats a MAYDAY?

Answer 28

a. Report of missing or down firefighter b. Fire alarm will initiate the MAYDAY response i. BC + 3 closest suppression + 2 PM units c. Initiate “Emergency Radio Traffic Only” d. Move fire ops to alternate frequency e. Replace RIC f. Request PAR

Question 29

What's a Code Red?

Answer 29

a. Immediately dangerous situation during fire ops b. “RETREAT” c. Transmit Code Red announcement over working frequency d. 6 second emergency alert tone (HI-LO) i. “Code Red ____ Command” ii. Initiate “Emergency Radio Traffic Only” procedures e. Personnel actions i. Engineers will sound air horns continuously for 10 seconds and may surge hand lines for 3 short bursts ii. All personnel will IMMEDIATELY vacate the building and report to the nearest division or group officer iii. Incident commander will initiate a personnel accountability report (PAR) of all units at the incident

Question 30

Who do we notify on a working 1st alarm fire?

Answer 30

i. Working incident page ii. Fire Cause investigator iii. Tucson Water iv. Southwest Gas v. TEP vi. Building safety (by request) vii. Tucson Police (by request)

Question 31

Who else do we notify when it progresses to 2nd alarm?

Answer 31

i. Fire Chief ii. Operations Asst. Chief iii. Tucson Water (advise of upgrade) iv. Building safety is dispatched v. Communications superintendent vi. Communications captain

Question 32

Who else do we notify when it progresses to a 3rd alarm?

Answer 32

All of 2nd + city manager

Question 33

Whats a MEDS relay?

Answer 33

a. TFD unit b. Patient age and gender c. Initial impression i. Injury – mechanism, spinal immobilization, etc. ii. Illness – symptoms, onset time, etc. d. Alerts: STEMI, sepsis, infection control, bariatric, security, etc. e. Transport unit/ ETC