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SOP # 1301-01

CAROLINE COUNTY

DEPARTMENT OF FIRE-RESCUE, AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENTSTANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE

SUBJECT:

General Dispatching Radio Procedures for Fire and

EMS Companies

SOP #

1301.01

APPROVED:

Edward F. Fuzy

Director of Fire Rescue and Emergency Management

INITIATED

December 1, 2007

ADOPTED BY:

Major Mike Hall

Caroline County Sheriffs Office

Applies to : Career and Volunteer Staff

Communications Center Personnel

EFFECTIVE

December 1, 2007

REVISED

A. PURPOSE

To establish Department policies and procedures relative to general radio dispatch of the Fire and EMS

companies.

B. STANDARD

Caroline County has established general procedures for the radio dispatch and alerting of Fire and EMS

companies. The emergency communications center shall utilize this document as a guide for the dispatch of

these resources.

C. EMERGENCY CALL PRE-ALERTINGThe following procedures will be utilized for the general pre-alerting of emergency dispatch calls to fire and

EMS units. Prior to radio tone activations, the communications center shall:

1. Activate the console pre-alert tone2. Broadcast station assignments for the pending call in order of response3. Broadcast the nature of the call4. Broadcast the call address and business name if applicable

D. FIRE COMPANY RADIO DISPATCH INITIAL ALERTThe following procedures will be utilized for the general radio dispatch alerting (toning) of emergency calls

to fire units. After the emergency call pre-alerting procedure, the communications center shall:

1. Activate the radio console tones for the fire assignment in order of responseo Include staffed fire companies as needed SOP 1303.05

2. Broadcast station assignments for the pending call in order of response3. Broadcast the nature of the call4. Broadcast the call address, cross streets, and business name if applicable5. Broadcast additional call information, hazards, etc.

The communication center shall note the time and begin a five minute alerting countdown clock as

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SOP # 1301-01

needed.

E. FIRE COMPANY RADIO DISPATCH RE-ALERTING / RE-TONING

The following procedures will be utilized for the general radio dispatch re-alerting (re-toning) of emergency

calls to fire units. This will occur as necessary after five minutes has elapsed following the initial radio

alerting, and then every five minutes thereafter as necessary. After the five minute emergency call alerting

window, the communications center shall:

1. Poll the dispatched fire companies for units responding. For example, Companies 1 and 2 havebeen dispatched without response Communications would broadcast Companies 1 and 2, units

responding?.

2. If no answer to the polling question, the companies would be re-toned for response and Dispatchshall then add the next due assigned companies to the re-tone list.

This process shall be repeated every five minutes until the assignment is filled or dispatch has been

otherwise advised by an identified company officer. Requesting that communications hold tones in lieu of

an actual apparatus response will no longer be permitted.

F. EMS COMPANY RADIO DISPATCH INITIAL ALERT

The following procedures will be utilized for the general radio dispatch alerting (toning) of emergency callsto EMS units. After the emergency call pre-alerting procedure, the communications center shall:

1. Activate the radio console tones for the EMS assignment in order of response2. Broadcast station assignments for the pending call in order of response3. Broadcast the nature of the call4. Broadcast the call address, cross streets, and business name if applicable5. Broadcast additional call information, hazards, etc.

The communication center shall note the time and begin a five minute alerting countdown clock as needed.

G. EMS COMPANY RADIO DISPATCH RE-ALERTING / RE-TONING

The following procedures will be utilized for the general radio dispatch re-alerting (re-toning) of emergency

calls to EMS units. This will occur as necessary after five minutes has elapsed following the initial radio

alerting, and then every five minutes thereafter as necessary. After the five minute emergency call alerting

window, the communications center shall:

1. Poll the dispatched EMS companies for units responding. For example, Rescue 1 and 2 havebeen dispatched without response Communications would broadcast Rescue 1 and 2, units

responding?

2. If no answer to the polling questions, non-responding companies would be re-toned for response.Dispatch shall add the next due assignment to the re-tone list as needed.

This process shall be repeated every five minutes until the assignment is filled, or an in-county Caroline

EMS unit is responding, or advised by a company officer. This does not apply to Caroline EMS unitsresponding from outside the County or non-Caroline mutual aid EMS units that are responding. In that case,

additional re-toning would occur the same as in section E above.

H. PARROTING OF CALL INFORMATION

The following procedures will be utilized for the parroting or repeating of call and command information

by the emergency communications center:

1. Communications shall advise known additional call information only to the primary or first dueunit and/or chief officer responding only. Unless otherwise requested, it shall not be necessary

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SOP # 1301-01

for the dispatch personnel to repeat additional call information to secondary units as they mark

responding. This is done in an effort to limit unnecessary radio traffic.

2. Communications shall parrot the scene size up and command assignment information given bythe first arriving unit. The use of an alert tone prior to parroting is no longer required.

I. RESPONSIBILITY

All fire, EMS, and communication personnel are responsible for utilizing this established dispatch criteria.