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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6000_03 Communications with the FCCC 202203166000.03 Communications with the Fire Control Communications Center (FCCC) Standard Operating Procedure Implemented: March 2022 Revised: N/A Next Review: March 2025 This procedure is for internal use only and does not enlarge an employee’s civil liability in any way. The procedure should not be construed as creating a higher duty of care, in an evidentiary sense, with respect to third party civil claims against employees. A violation of this procedure, if proven, can only form the basis of a complaint by this department for non-judicial administrative action in accordance with the laws governing employee discipline. Related Policies: Applicable HI Statutes: I. PURPOSE This Standard Operating Procedure establishes and updates operational procedures for communicating with the Fire Control Communications Center (FCCC). II. APPLICABILITY 1. These procedures shall apply to all uniformed personnel within the Hawaiʻi Fire Department. 2. All Company officers shall be familiar with, and ensure that their respective Company complies with, these procedures. III. PROCEDURES 1. RECEIPT OF ALARM COMMUNICATIONS a. Upon receipt of an alarm, the Company Officer, or designee, shall acknowledge the alarm in the following manner: "Fire Control, Company_ copy, (nature of call, i.e., difficulty breathing) at (reported address). b. If the alarm is a call for the entire Company, or the units responding are different from what was dispatched, the units responding shall be added to the end of the communication. For example, "Fire Control Company 16 copy, smell of smoke 12-mile marker Highway 190. Engine and Tanker will be responding. Medic 16 is available in Station.” Or “Fire Control Company 1 copy, not feeling well 466 Kinoʻole Street, X01 will be responding, the Engine is available in station.” i. This change in procedure is critical due to the limitations of the new CAD system. FCCC will need the correct unit assignments at time of alarm to effectively manage units. ii. Advising FCCC if other apparatus is available in Station and manned, will assist in determining available units if there is another call-in district. c. When multiple companies are dispatched for the same call, only the In-District Company needs to acknowledge with the nature and location of the call. All other companies shall acknowledge receipt of alarm and state units responding when applicable as stated in Item b, above. 2. RESPONSE COMMUNICATIONS a. Upon initiating response, the Company Officer or responding unit officer in charge (i.e., FMS on a medic unit, FRS on a rescue unit, etc.) shall 6000.03 Communications with the Fire Control Communications Center (FCCC) Standard Operating Procedure Implemented: March 2022 Revised: N/A Next Review: March 2025 communicate responding and identify the unit(s) responding. For example: "Control, Co.14 responding, Engine, Medic, Tanker." b. Only Company Officers and Fire Medical Specialists shall determine if a unit is to be redirected and/or cancel a resource or response. For example, Medic 7 is responding to a low acuity call, hears that Medic 12 is being dispatched to a critical call that Medic 7 is potentially closer to. Medic 7 and Medic 12 Fire Medical Specialists shall determine, amongst themselves, who is closer and who will take which call. This change in response shall be communicated to FCCC as soon as practical. The practice of asking dispatch to determine which unit should take which call shall be discontinued. 3. IN-SERVICE COMMUNICATIONS a. Units that are In-Service from a call and returning to quarters shall communicate that they are returning to quarters. If a unit will be returning to quarters via another location, that shall also be communicated. For Example: “Fire Control, Medic 1 is returning to quarters via Shultz siding for fuel.” Or “Fire Control, Medic 10 is returning to quarters via warehouse.” i. In order to collect Back in Quarters times, it is necessary for FCCC to place units in returning status. This leaves the call open for the duration that the unit is returning to quarters. The process of having to leave a unit assigned to a call and leaving that call open in order to capture back in quarters times is a limitation of the Spillman program. ii. Once the unit calls and is acknowledged as being back in quarters, the unit is removed from the call and the call closes. iii. While not practical to define, units that are returning to quarters via another location should only be for limited periods of time. Otherwise refer to Item 2 below. b. Units that are In-Service from a call and not returning to quarters shall communicate that they are clear from the call and then indicate where they will be in-transit to. For Example: “Fire Control, Engine 6 is clear and will be in- transit driver training district 6.” Or “Fire Control, Engine 3 is clear and will be in-transit KTA.” i. Once a unit is placed in clear status from a call, that unit is removed from the call, and no back in quarters times will be collected. It will be the responsibility of the Company Officer to accurately input the back in quarters times for units that made it back in quarters after being placed in clear status. c. While it is impossible to predict all possible scenarios of In-Service status, the ultimate goal is to capture back in quarters times to accurately reflect the amount of time units are spending on the road. 6000.03 Communications with the Fire Control Communications Center (FCCC) Standard Operating Procedure Implemented: March 2022 Revised: N/A Next Review: March 2025 4. ESTABLISHING AND TRANSFER OF COMMAND COMMUNICATIONS a. On arrival at the scene, the first arriving officer on a multi-company incident shall communicate arrival and establish "Incident Command." For example, "Control, Engine 4 on scene, Captain 4 in command." The initial Incident Commander (IC) shall retain command until such time that it is formally transferred in accordance with Item 2 below regardless of the rank of the next arriving officer(s). Refer to the Initial Radio Report for Structure Fire Incidents Policy (Chief’s Memorandum 2019- 004) for Structure Fire related communications. b. If Incident Command is transferred, it shall be communicated on the radio for all involved units and FCCC to receive and understand. The transfer of command will be first discussed and confirmed by the initial and new IC prior to the broadcast message of command transfer. 5. PROPER RADIO ETIQUETTE PROCEDURE a. Hawaii Fire Department Procedures Manual 400.01-400.11 shall be adhered to with the exception of the example provided in 400.07. Providing the operator number is no longer necessary. b. It shall be the individual unit’s responsibility to communicate their status and to ensure that FCCC has acknowledged their communication. For example, “Control, Medic 10 is back in quarters.” “Control copy, Medic 10 is back in quarters at 2000 hrs.” 6. SPECIAL SERVICE EVENT PROCEDURE a. Although an RMS report is not being generated, FCCC still needs to go through the same dispatching procedures to track the involved units. For this reason, Company Officers shall notify dispatch by phone of any Special Service or Stand-by events 30 minutes in advance.