Question: When do you switch to a tactical channel (TC)?
If we look at fire incidents at which firefighters are seriously injured or killed, one problem surfaces time and time again. That problem is communications. For as much as firefighters like to talk (normally in the form of kitchen chats, the ever present teasing and joking in the station, and rumor mongering), we usually for some reason hesitate to communicate at fires.
This manifests itself not only in poor (or a lack of) communication but also in the basic use of our radios. I had a chief in my previous department who almost always put the mic too close to his mouth, which resulted in “blurred” or “fuzzy” communications. When you’re crawling down the hall in a fire searching for kids and extending yourself because of fire conditions, you want to hear and understand what the incident commander (IC) running the fire is saying.
Even more basic is ensuring that everyone is on the same frequency or fireground channel. In Toledo, trained fire dispatchers dispatch the crews. At the end of the transmission, the dispatcher gives the channel the crews will use for that incident (usually channel 4). If there is another working incident on channel 4, the crews are told to use channel 5 or 6.
As soon as the officer gets in the apparatus, he changes the radio to the appropriate fire channel. Some officers have the driver perform this task to save time (the driver usually does not bunker up; the officer always bunkers up for a structure fire prior to entering the cab).
John “Skip” Coleman recently retired as assistant chief from the Toledo (OH) Department of Fire and Rescue. He is a technical editor of Fire Engineering, a member of the FDIC Educational Advisory Board, and author of Incident Management for the Street-Smart Fire Officer (Fire Engineering, 1997) and Managing Major Fires (Fire Engineering, 2000).
Bobby Shelton, firefighter,
Cincinnati (OH) Fire Department
Response: When companies are dispatched, regardless of the type of run, a fireground channel is given so that responding units can communicate with each other. On fire runs, generally one person stays on main dispatch while the other members switch to the fireground channel; this way, both channels can be monitored for updates.
Rick Lasky, chief,
Lewisville (TX) Fire Department
Response: We may want to ask this question a little differently. Instead of asking “When do you switch to a TC?” maybe we should ask “Do you use a TC?” Some fire departments use the same channel for dispatch as they do for working a structure fire or large-scale incident. For years we’ve discussed the difficulty in doing that, especially when interior crews are attempting to fight the fire, search floors for trapped occupants, or ventilate the building.
Communications (failures and problems) have always been at the top of the list of contributing factors to line-of-duty deathswhether it’s someone on the fireground who is not using a shoulder or clip-on mic with his portable radio, a fire department that does not have enough portable radios for every member operating on the fireground, radios that don’t work with neighboring or mutual-aid department radios, or trying to work on the same channel dispatch uses. Working off the same channel as dispatch may not be a hindrance when you’re working a car fire or an EMS call; but when multiple companies are working on the scene of a fire, especially those inside a burning building, those interior companies have to have radio priority and an established line of communication with the IC and other operating companies at the fire. It’s hard to do that when you have companies on the same channel asking for directions, staging locations, box numbers, assignments, or anything else that could tie up the radio when your companies are trying to talk to you and give you progress reports.
Our department uses a tactical channel for structure fires and dispatches using the following channels and protocol:
- Channel 1 for dispatching calls and general information (companies on the air, training, etc.).
- After the call is dispatched, Channel 2 is assigned for EMS calls.
- After the call is dispatched, Channel 3 is assigned for miscellaneous fire calls.
- After the call is dispatched, Channel 4 is assigned for structure fires.
- The remaining channels are used for special events, the Fire Prevention Bureau, our reserves, and hospitals. We are in the process of making Channel 16 a duplicate of Channel 4 (the channel used for structure fires; both will have the same frequency). This would assist the firefighter who accidentally may have switched to the wrong channel, allowing himespecially in the smoketo turn the channel knob all the way to the end and be assured that he is on the fireground channel and can communicate with Command.
Note: The above channels are assigned at the time the call is dispatched.
The system has worked well for some time now. Proper communications and everything that goes along with it have to be a priority in your operations. There is nothing more heartbreaking than to listen to a trapped firefighter who can’t get his message out because others performing nonessential tasks or those not even on the scene yet keep covering him or taking up valuable radio time.
Thomas Dunne, deputy chief,
Fire Department of New York
Response: We use separate radio channels for dispatch and for fireground (tactical) communications. The apparatus radio maintains contact with the borough dispatcher’s office. All on-duty firefighters are assigned individual handheld radios for use at the fire scene. The tactical channel on the firefighter’s radio is unrelated to the channel fire dispatchers use and is routinely in use at all of our operations.
Our personnel turn on the fireground radios as they are putting on their bunker gear and preparing for a fire call. By having the radios on as they are responding, firefighters are able to pick up any vital transmissions as they approach the incident site. Once at the scene, everyone is capable of communicating with each other.
Since we are constantly on the TC, it may be more relevant to mention situations when we would switch off this channel. Occasionally, two major fires may be underway in the same general vicinity. If communications from the two operations are interfering with each other, an IC has the option of choosing a different TC for his operation. He would order his personnel to switch to the secondary TC on their fireground radios for the duration of the incident. At a large or complex operation, an IC may also elect to establish a separate command channel exclusively for use by the sector chiefs.
Our department budgeted money to provide all personnel with radios a few years ago. Considering the added safety factor they have provided, it was money well spent.
Gary Seidel, chief,
Hillsboro (OR) Fire Department
Response: We use a countywide dispatch in which seven fire agencies are involved. On any nonemergency response (Code 1), the incident is dispatched and stays on the dispatch channel throughout the incident. There is an exception: If there is reason to expand or upgrade the incident, the IC may request a TC, or the communications center may assign one because of the additional information received. In this case, all resources assigned would end up switching to the newly assigned tactical channel. What we find on these types of nonemergency (Code 1) incidents is that there is little impact in communications between resources and the communication center, so it is more efficient to keep the response on the dispatch channel.
On any emergency response (Code 3), all agencies/resources dispatched are done on the TC. We have found that initially keeping resources on the TC ensures all responding resources can get a good briefing on what is occurring. In addition, the IC has the option to request additional channels as needed, whether for a functional or geographical responsibility, establishing a staging area, or initiating a command channel.
Christopher J. Weir,
division chief,
Port Orange (FL)
Department of Fire & Rescue
Response: Anytime an alarm is toned for two or more units to respond, our dispatch center will assign a monitored TC. Responding units will immediately switch to that channel and then acknowledge all transactions from response, arrival, and other communications thereafter until the IC terminates the alarm.
John Salka, battalion chief,
Fire Department of New York
Response: Actually, we don’t “switch” to the TC, because all of our handheld radios are always on the TC. We operate with two separate and distinct radio systems. The “department” radio is the communication link between all of the apparatus and the dispatcher’s office. Each of the five boroughs has its own frequency (Bronx and Staten Island share one), and the dispatcher communicates with each unit on that radio. The portable handheld system is a separate radio frequency that each firefighter communicates on when talking on the radio. Every handheld radio in every borough is on the primary TC. The handheld radios are approximately two watts and work well on the fireground but do not reach beyond the immediate area, which allows units to operate at numerous locations throughout the city without having to change to a secondary TC. At third alarms and other specific types of operations, a command channel can be activated, but the majority of our one-alarm fires are handled with all units on handheld channel 1.
Mike Bucy, assistant chief,
Portage (IN) Fire Department
Response: Our department uses the TC almost immediately after going en route to a call. Water supply and tactical operations are discussed with all the responding units. This keeps the dispatch channel clear for added response information, toning of extra alarms, other calls taking place, and any other “important” information. While on the fireground, the TC is used for fireground operations. The IC has access to the tactical and main channels during an incident. If the call escalates or other operations are needed (water supply, RIT operations, etc.), we add a TC to the call.
Hugh Stott, deputy chief of
operations,West Chicago (IL)
Fire District
Response: We use a large regional dispatch center for our dispatch and fire alarm operations. One of the advantages of this center is that it tracks which of the three commonly used fireground channels is available and which have been assigned to another local department. The choice as to “when” the change is made depends on the IC. Frequently, on a simple fire alarm investigation in which there is no outward indication of a fire from either the size-up observations, reports of occupants, or receipt of phone calls reporting a fire, the initial main communications channel is used. If the company officer or chief officer believes there is a high suspicion of a fire, that there will be extended operational time, or the main channel is congested, he may ask for a fireground channel assignment early. The advantage of using the main channel is that any second-due companies can hear all of the on-scene operational communications prior to their arrival.
Once the chief officer is in a position where he can track the companies’ actions and locations and has the fireground channel assigned, he will ask for companies to switch and conduct a quick roll call to determine that all companies are switched over. This roll call will assist accountability. In Illinois, six statewide fireground channels are licensed to MABAS and can be used to help avoid fireground radio congestion. Whenever a staging area is established on extra alarms or for special needs, the companies in staging remain on the dispatch channel until Command gives an operational assignment. The staging officer will advise them when to switch to the fireground channel.
John Reiter, lieutenant,
Youngstown (OH) Fire Department
Response: We switch to a TC when the first-due engine arrives on the scene and reports a working fire. This is a standard operating procedure (SOP) and is understood by all company commanders, so this {channel switching} would not be transmitted by fire alarm or the scene commander. If we have simultaneous working fires, then tactical channel 3 is used. This information is transmitted by fire alarm when they check in with the companies responding to the fire. Additionally, it is important that all companies working at both fires understand what title command has assumed. This is usually the street name of each fire or, in the case of a commercial building, the title of the company“Ravenwood Ave. Command” or “Commercial Shearing Command,” for example. This is done so the alarm operators can separate the fires. When 13 companies are operating at one time, things could get confusing.
Matthew Zemski, chief,
Washington Township (NJ)
Fire Department
Response: Our county offers a “talk-around channel.” My department’s policy is to switch to this channel when you arrive on location. The only personnel that operate on the primary fireground channel are the IC and any crews operating in the building’s interior. The thought behind the interior crews’ operating on the primary channel is that firefighters may become trapped or disoriented and call a Mayday. The dispatcher can also monitor the communications and assist the IC. Our talk-around frequency does not hit the repeater; therefore, the dispatcher does not hear or monitor those communications.
Jim Mason, lieutenant,
Chicago (IL) Fire Department
Response: When we are responding to the scene, we are on a dispatch radio channel. During this travel time, the dispatch center provides us with any additional information it has gathered. This could be an update on persons trapped, a change of address, or even an exact location of the reported fire inside the structure. When the first company arrives, the officer provides a first-due radio report on this dispatch channel. This report will identify the unit (with function such as Engine #14 or Truck #19) “on the scene” at the targeted address along with the direction of that company on the street. The rest of the transmission will report on a quick determination of the building’s construction style and fire conditions.
After this report, the first-due company can call for any needed help the situation demands, which will be on the dispatch channel before going to a tactical fireground channel for the rest of the incident. The battalion chief will report on the scene with the dispatch channel and give a more extensive size-up. He then switches to the fireground channel. All still-responding companies will report their arrival to the chief only on the fireground tactical channel.
This accomplishes a number of things. When the first-arriving unit reports on the dispatch channel, it confirms the address, tells the dispatch center that the initial command has been established, and allows still-responding companies to continue their size-up so they can provide support to the first units. The direction of travel of all of the first four companies is important for proper apparatus positioning; the dispatch channel report helps coordinate this. Also, when the first-due company calls for help on the dispatch channel before the tactical band switch, it gets the cavalry coming early so the IC has some lead time to work on the strategic plan. This first fire company’s call for another alarm helps the IC ensure the safety of his command so he can monitor the TC for an early Mayday of the on-scene units more effectively in critical fire situations.
Mark Blair, firefighter,
Lindenwold (NJ) Fire Department
Response: We instituted a TC two years ago, because traffic on the county operations channel was interfering with the inside companies’ relaying information to the IC. We switch to the TC with the arrival of the first company or officer on every job to which we respond in our town. Companies still en route monitor both the TC and the county operations channel for orders. In 2008, the Board of Fire Commissioners has budgeted for a repeater for the TC, to eliminate most, if not all, of our dead zones. We have also made our TC available to our mutual-aid companies for use on their operations and require them to use it when they respond in our town.
Roger A. McGary, chief,
Silver Spring (MD) Fire Department
Response: Our 800 system allows for the use of numerous talk groups. As part of the Metropolitan Washington, DC area, Montgomery County is assigned as zone 7 (all jurisdictions have a zone identifier). All of Montgomery County’s dispatch takes place on 7 Alpha. Based on the call type, the units are assigned a talk group. Routine calls go to 7 Bravo. Full assignments or potentially complex incidents are assigned a series of three talk groups such as 7 Charlie, Delta, and Echo. This gives the IC the ability to move certain assignments to a specific talk group. This configuration has been in use for several years and works very well.
Ken Folsom, battalion chief,
Concord (NH) Fire Department
Response: Responding units switch to a TC after the first-arriving unit gives an arrival report on the dispatch frequency. All subsequent transmissions go to the IC, who communicates with dispatch on the command frequency.
Gary Sushka, assistant chief,
Bloomington (IL) Fire Department
Response: Our department members have been instructed to automatically change over to our fireground channel on arrival at the scene after changing the status button on the mobile data terminal (MDT). The general rule is that you will not receive any orders on the dispatch channel once you are on-scene. Each officer is held accountable if members fail to switch over.
As shift commander, I am maintaining control of the fire scene as well as monitoring the fireground and dispatch channels. In addition, I am watching the MDT screen for any additional information being sent by our dispatch center.
With the accountability board on my lap, I confirm a radio presence with my exterior officers before they become interior officers. This is done as they exit their rig and are walking up to the fireground. If they are on the wrong channel, it will become apparent, and I will have a nearby officer operating on the proper channel correct the problem.
I had a digital video recorder mounted to the dashboard of our command car in 2007. This new technology allows me to record all fireground radio traffic and have it on my desk within minutes of returning to the station. We have turned this device into an effective training tool that has improved our radio use. Now we can have an accurate account of how our officers sound to others and if they are operating on the correct channel.
Jay Wieners, chief,
Lake Hiawatha (NJ)
Fire Department
Response: I prefer switching to a TC as soon as possible after arriving at an incident. This accomplishes several things. First, fireground operations are not hindered by radio traffic unrelated to the incident. Second, even if an incident appears routine and will not require a prolonged operation, we have all had experiences where the unexpected happens. This is not the time to try getting everyone at the scene to switch channels, especially for those at the task level of the operation who have their (gloved) hands full. Third, it keeps responders in the habit of switching to and using the TC. By doing so at every “routine” incident, it makes the transition to a TC easier at the “not-so-routine” incidents. Last, as a former dispatcher, I realize that incident-related radio traffic on the dispatch channel can hinder other operations.
Todd Ungar, lieutenant,
Willoughby (OH) Fire Department
Response: Our county has an 800-mHz digitally trunked system. Most departments share a channel with one or two others, and some of the busier departments have their own channel. Typically, incoming mutual-aid companies switch to the host department’s home channel. If the incident is significant enough to tie up the radio channel, we will switch our dispatch operations to a TC. This allows those on an emergency scene to remain on a channel without switching channels during operations.
However, we have two designated TCs. One is for staging mutual-aid companies; all incoming units switch to that channel, and the IC can call the staging officer for additional resources. The other predetermined channel is for medical helicopter operations. TCs are also used for operations at hazmat incidents and RIC operations. In addition, during a recent reconstruction effort on a busy interstate, a common TC was established for police and fire units to use any time an incident was reported in the construction zone. The county sheriff operates a central dispatchanytime a TC is needed, it is requested and then assigned by central dispatch.
Eric Dreiman, lieutenant,
Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department
Response: In our department and all other departments in Marion County, we are assigned to an Ops/TC as soon as a run that has the potential to turn into a working incident (structure fire, technical rescue, hazmat, for example) is dispatched. A run is dispatched on our dispatch channel, and we are then supposed to switch to the assigned channel as soon as we get on the fire apparatus. For single-apparatus runs, EMS runs, and alarm runs, we do not switch to a TC, but we use a countywide channel for EMS runs (County EMS) and a second countywide channel for other runs such as alarms and car fires (County Fire). A dedicated dispatcher at our dispatch center monitors these talk groups.
Nick Morgan, firefighter,
St. Louis (MO) Fire Department
Response: Our radio system is a duplex system: The Fire Alarm Office and the responding companies share two channels. Fire Alarm dispatches and answers the responding companies on one channel (fire channel 1), and the companies contact Fire Alarm or each other on fire channel 2. Our TC is fire channel 3. Obviously, fire channels 1 and 2 can become “glutted” very quickly during a period of high-run activity or a multiple-alarm fire. Previously, only the IC could order all responding and on-scene companies to switch to channel 3, the TC, once he arrives on the emergency scene. Unfortunately, sometimes this caused a significant delay in the time it took companies to switch to the TC and difficulty in communicating with one another on the fireground.
Now more often, the IC, whether the first-in company or the responding battalion chief, orders companies to switch to the TC while en route for working fires as well as other emergency responses that need a clear radio frequency for operations on-scene. The communication among the various companies at the fire or emergency scene goes much more smoothly when they switch to the TC before arriving on-scene and beginning operations.
Will Anderson, lieutenant,
Euclid (OH) Fire Department
Response: We switch to our TC according to the nature of the incident. Typically, we go to channel 2 (TC) when multiple units are responding to an incident. This includes reports of working fires, alarms, odor investigations, or even a mass-casualty incident. The dispatch is received on channel 1; once all units acknowledge that they’re responding, we’re prompted to switch over to channel 2after our dispatch center has repeated the units responding and the location and nature of the call. Once we switch over, each unit acknowledges it has switched to the TC. Depending on the location of the incident, we may have to switch to channel 3, our talk-around channel. We have difficulty communicating in our high-rises and other sizable buildings. Communication is much easier on the talk-around channel, since we’re bypassing the repeater system. Drawbacks to this include our dispatchers not being able to effectively hear all transmissions, channel 3 cannot be recorded for future reference, the talk-around channel has a limited range, and the IC must monitor channel 2 for information from dispatchers and channel 3 for messages from interior personnel. Positives include the clear transmission of messages and the need for the IC to remain in his vehicle to monitor both channels. It’s by no means a perfect system, but it has worked for us up to this point.
Christopher Fleming, lieutenant,
Portland (ME) Fire Department
Response: We use TCs (OPS channels) for all incidents. These channels run from 2 to 5; our “trunked’” Ops channels run from 6 to 10. Our “Prime” frequency is used for everyday traffic and general dispatching. Once the call is assigned, whether by vocal alarm or radio, units switch to the Ops channel. This maintains an open communications link to fire alarm so that other traffic won’t impede updates during a response. When the unit is in service from a call, it returns to our “Prime” channel. When we first went to this system, occasionally someone would miss which Ops channel they were to be on. Since we recently upgraded all our apparatus with MDTs, that information is on-screen for the officer to see. This has dramatically improved our communications.
Tom DeMint, battalion chief,
Poudre Fire Authority,
Fort Collins, CO
Response: A TC is assigned on the initial dispatch of the incident. We have separate TCs for EMS responses, single-engine responses, and multiple-apparatus responses. The dispatcher announces the channel assignment when the call is dispatched and again when units go en route. These channels are consistent and vary only during extremely busy times when multiple incidents outnumber the number of TCs available. Of course, 800-MHz radios have increased our capabilities of finding frequencies to assign as TCs. Recently, we implemented a protocol for “patching” radio channels with our police department for SWAT calls, suicidal subjects, bomb threats, and other law enforcement calls to which we respond or stand by. Likewise, they patch with us on working incidents where they provide traffic or crowd control. This allows our ICs to communicate easily with a law group or traffic group on these incidents.
We work with different cooperators in the wildland arena. Communications in these areas are coordinated on VHF frequencies and often require multiple TCs coordinated through the incident communication plan.
Devon J. Wells, assistant chief,
Hood River (OR) Fire Department
Response: Crowded dispatch channels are always an issue, especially when multiple units are responding. In our county, switching to the assigned TC happens as soon as one is assigned. Usually, this occurs once the first-due unit has arrived, has given a size-up, and has established command. Every unit responding to the incident after that point switches to the TC after they notify our dispatch that they are responding. This is especially helpful to dispatch and the IC on larger incidents. Our county has an automatic-aid dispatch protocol for all working structural or wildland fires. This auto-aid dispatch brings a minimum of three engines, one truck, and three chiefs. This run card involves three separate agencies responding to the same incident. Even though our communications have improved over the years, there is still a lot of chatter while responding. It is very important for the IC and the first-due engine to be off the dispatch channel; otherwise, there would be no possibility of getting communications sent to responding units.
Once the TC has been designated, dispatch tells all units the channel to which they should switch. They switch. On arriving at the incident, they contact Command or Staging on that channel. As with everything, some units forget to switch, so the IC often has to find them on the dispatch channel. However, the benefits of switching early far outweigh the small headaches of finding the units on the dispatch channel and reminding them to change to the assigned TC.
Lawrence Arfmann, lieutenant,
Lehigh (FL) Fire Department
Response: Our county has 20 fire departments and an EMS service that operates on the same dispatch system, so TCs at times can be hard to come by. In our department, we use TCs for fireground operations. We are assigned a TC when we are dispatched to a fire; units switch to the TC for assignment from the battalion chief as they respond. One TC is assigned for all fireground operations, which can cause the channel to get bogged down with unnecessary communications, causing Command to not get the necessary information across and, maybe worse, miss a Mayday.
In wildland fires, it is difficult to operate on one TC; our county has six TCs set aside for large-scale fires. This allows Command, Ops, Staging, and Divisions to have their own channels. This works fine as long as you’re the only department working a large wildfire, but this is not always the case. As the county call volume grows, we can only hope that the dispatch system keeps up so we can keep TCs open and our personnel safe. Fireground operations are dangerous enough without poor communications and lack of TCs standing in our way.
Randall W. Hanifen, lieutenant,
West Chester (OH) Fire-Rescue
Response: We switch to a TC at varying times, based on the type of emergency. For a single-engine or medical call with an assisting engine, we do not normally switch to a TC. If at any time one of the personnel responding determines the need for a TC, we request one from the dispatcher, who will assign a TC. If the call is a multiple-company response, such as fire alarms and structure fires, the dispatcher assigns a TC when units mark en route. Assigning the TC as you begin your response allows for more communication between vehicles. Often, the company officer of the engine or quint will recognize multiple routes for arriving at the incident and will communicate his intentions to the other responding units. This helps to ensure that multiple water sources are secured and that access for the ladder/quint is maintained.
Second, many obstacles may interfere with a response such as a train, vehicle accidents not associated with the current incident, and traffic congestion. The advantage of assigning a TC on marking en route is the increased chance that critical information will not be missed while radios are being changed. This could be the case if an immediate Mayday occurs on the arrival of the first-in company. It is important that a policy about TCs is written and followed so that all responding companies perform in the same fashion.
Todd C. McKee, firefighter,
Eastern Knox County (OH)
Joint Fire District
Response: We go to a TC on all incidents except EMS runs. Our dispatchers are countywide and share the same main channel with seven other departments. We go directly to a TC on arrival at the scene. Going to a TC allows our on-scene members to have their own channel and prevents our communications from being interrupted by other emergencies throughout our county. On a working fire, we may use a few TCs, one for fireground operations and one for water supply. This frees traffic for the attack team and makes it less confusing for all on-scene members. If a Mayday is called, all radio traffic is stopped and only emergency traffic is transmitted.
Kenneth E. Morgan, battalion chief,
Clark County (NV) Fire Department
Response: Because many of the line-of-duty reports cite communications as a factor in firefighter deaths, it has become one of the critical factors on the fireground. We addressed this issue through the Southern Nevada Communications Council. We use an 800-MHz trunked network, which is fleet mapped for all users.
For our system, four fire departments (two “zones” assigned for each department) have access to several communications options. Each battalion (10 total) has its dedicated routine operations channel. Several TCs are available as needed for each battalion (five in each zone). On “full” dispatches (one alarm), a TC is automatically assigned (initial TC is predesignated for each battalioni.e., Battalion 2 has TC 5, Battalion 3 has TC 6, etc.). Should that TC be unavailable, one of the others is used. A total of 27 TCs are available.
On additional alarms or other special operations, TCs must be requested through dispatch. The dispatcher also has the option of assigning these TCs without a field request, which is occurring regularly as the number of operations increases. As a routine, the majority of the battalion chiefs request that second-alarm units be assigned a separate TC (used for base/staging) to prevent interference on the operations channel. In addition, the last channel available for selection on each handheld radio is the “Firefighter down” channel. This is universal throughout the system. The dispatchers constantly monitor this channel for activity.
Derek Williams, captain,
Mesa (AZ) Fire Department
Response: We are dispatched on a primary dispatch channel and automatically are assigned a TC. Channel 2 is used as a TC for all medical and single-unit response emergencies. We assign channels 3, 4, 5, and so on, for large-scale/multicompany responses.
Once a unit is on-scene, the company officer/command has the option to move the traffic to a TC at any time, regardless of the number of units or personnel responding. Anytime there is a change of TC, Alarm sounds emergency traffic and alerts everyone on the fireground that the change is to take place. After several minutes, Command should request a personnel accountability report (PAR) on the new TC.
As part of a Regional Operations Consortium (ROC), we have agreed with more than 20 surrounding departments on dispatch and TC protocols, which has led to consistent and effective communications on the fireground. Even during the problems all ROC fire departments have encountered with a switch to 900-MHz radios, our communications overall were seamless and unaffected.
If there is any lesson to be learned about TCs and communications from the Phoenix metropolitan fire departments, it is that cooperation works and that effective fireground communication is not a luxury or an option. A lack of communication can and has cost the fire service lives. Consistent and effective TC use and the continued training and education of fire crews can make a difference.
Erik Kalapir, lieutenant,
Fairfield (CT) Fire Department
Response: Our personnel are always on a TC. We view our radio communications as two very distinct systems. This change took place based on the recommendations of a Union Safety Committee report covering a residential structure fire in which two firefighters were trapped and initiated a Mayday on the radio, which was left unanswered for an uncomfortable period of time.
One system is considered a dispatch channel. It is a repeated radio frequency, and it allows fire apparatus and our combined dispatch center to communicate. Vehicle radios are always left on the dispatch channel.
The second system is the TC. It is a simplex system and does not rely on the repeater system, which was found to have numerous “dead spots,” especially in the basements of some commercial structures. All transmissions between ICs, company officers, and firefighters during an operational incident take place on the TC. The shift commander’s vehicle has a separate radio that can monitor and record all TC transmissions.
All of our on-duty personnel are assigned a personal portable radio, and all are trained to always leave their portable radios on a TC. This prevents the operator from having to change channels during an operation, which could result in being on the wrong channel. The firefighters can elect to scan the dispatch channel. This procedure is not a recommended practice during emergency operations because of the very heavy dispatch channel traffic. It is performed during inspections and details. The priority of scanning is always given to the TC.
Vance L. Duncan III, deputy chief,
Erie (PA) Bureau of Fire
Response: We switch to a TC whenever a multicompany response is dispatched. A multicompany dispatch could be an automatic fire alarm (deputy chief, one engine, and one tower), a still alarm (deputy chief, two or three engines, and one tower), a water rescue (deputy chief, closest tower, water/dive rescue vehicle, next-closest engine), a motor vehicle accident with entrapment (deputy chief, closest engine, and closest rescue-engine), or another specialized rescue or response needing at least a deputy chief, one engine, and one tower.
The responding companies change to a tactical frequency before exiting the fire station. Only the deputy chief acknowledges the call and reports that he is responding over the radio with Fire Communications. All other responding apparatus do not place themselves en route over the radio. This eliminates any chance that pertinent dispatch information will be missed.
David Sasser, firefighter,
Western Wake (NC) Fire Rescue
Response: Our county and all but one municipality use a dispatch system in which the station or stations are toned out and an electronic voice dispatches units, address, call type, TC (TC, Ops, or mutual-aid channel, depending on the call location), and the corresponding map page on a dedicated alert channel. Once the unit is dispatchedwith no radio communication neededwe check en route, on-scene, and available using status head buttons or a computer. Units blindly check on-scene on the TC, but Communications monitors it, and we are updated and can ask about call information on the TC. Units use the TC for the duration of the incident. Communications continuously monitors it until a predetermined point depending on the incident type. If a unit needs to add or swap, it will call dispatch on the main communications channel, which is separate from the Alert channel on which the automated voice dispatches.
This multiple channel system can be confusing. There is a possibility that multiple incidents in one area or department could have missed radio traffic, because it is virtually impossible to monitor an alert, dispatch, and TC as well as act in the role of IC, although there have been no major instances that I know of involving this potential problem. On the plus side, it allows the Communications Center and radio system to process, dispatch, and purge an impressive number of calls quickly. There are 42 county stations, including small municipalities and 27 Raleigh city stations handling calls for a 800,000-plus population. The Raleigh stations and county departments use separate alert and Communications Center channels; they are dispatched together when going on automatic aid. This count doesn’t include EMS stations and units that use the same system and procedures.
Skip Heflin, captain,
Hall County (GA) Fire Services
Response: We have recently upgraded our communications equipment to an 800-MHz-based system. In the past, we had a choice of two side channels that could be used as a TC. We now have many choices that can be used as a TC. Our central communications center has the option to assign a TC if the main radio dispatch channel is busy with other traffic. The officer in charge may also request that a TC be assigned. Our problem used to be a lack of TCs; now we have numerous channels, and our problem is that our Communications Center cannot always monitor the TCs we use. This makes the IC the only person who can hear critical traffic from units operating on-scene.
Staffing in the Communications Center changes from day to day. Some days they can handle the increased task of monitoring multiple talk groups; other days they advise that they are unable to monitor that talk group if a unit switches. After being assigned to a TC, our units are to switch immediately. We have had problems with units not hearing the TC assigned. Minutes later, they were cancelled but failed to hear that critical information, because they were not on the correct talk group. We have considered having the name of the talk group announced on every radio transmission and are researching other solutions to this problem.
Joe Solecki, firefighter,
West Chester (PA) Fire Department
Response: In our department, a crew will always be on the TC the minute it gets off the truck at a scene. All our portable radios are preset this way. By doing this, the command post does not have to get the operations onto the channelit’s already there, which frees radio time for giving orders to approaching equipment. Depending on the incident, the radio chatter will not influence the driver’s operation of the vehicle.
Paul J. Urbano, captain,
Anchorage (AK) Fire Department
Response: We automatically assign a TC when the initial dispatch includes three or more companies/units; however, first-in officers can request a TC on arrival at an emergency scene when appropriatefor example, when a vehicle accident response that normally has one engine and one ambulance on the initial dispatch becomes an entrapment/extrication response requiring more resources. Dispatch assigns a TC and sends additional companies.
Since Maydays are considered incidents within incidents, our department’s policy is to move Ops radio traffic to another TC while rapid intervention communications remains on the primary TC.
In addition to the TC, we recently implemented the use of the command channel, which Command uses for greater-alarm incidents when an Ops section is established.
All radio traffic between dispatch and the IC occurs on the command channel; operations and all other fireground traffic remain on the assigned TC. As you can imagine, effectively communicating on two channels (via two radios) can be challenging. This emphasizes the importance of having a chief’s aide (field technician) when possible.
Since our department has five dedicated TCs, we can use a TC during multicompany training. A company officer requests a TC from dispatch, which it assigns but does not monitor.
TCs have many uses, but it’s important that everyone on the fireground has a portable radio, the batteries are fully charged, and firefighters know their radio well enough so that they can switch channels by feel in a smoky environment.
Elby Bushong III, battalion chief,
Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department
Response: Our regional dispatch center dispatches on channel 1. During the dispatch, a TC is assigned. All traffic then switches to the assigned TC for fire and medical calls. With more than 350,000 calls a year, it becomes necessary to have all traffic moved to the TC immediately after dispatch. The center has 10 TCs, to make sure the amount of traffic can be managed without excessive congestion. The tactical radio operator can then communicate with the responding companies for any additional needs.
Bob Dubbert, firefighter,
Vancouver (BC, Canada)
Fire Rescue Service
Response: When we are dispatched, we are assigned a TC, which is announced by the dispatcher and also appears on the printout. Once we are on the apparatus ready to respond, we ensure the base radio in the rig is on channel 2 to talk to dispatch. The driver tells everyone which is the TC. Everyone on the rig switches their portable to the TCthat way, we can all listen to what is happening with the incident.
