Dispatching Disaters

[scannerman]

Here is one from Close Calls. Got any others?

"Take a listen to these recordings (link below). This unfortunate
situation occurred in Texas where a dispatcher-a seasoned dispatcher
it seems, downplayed the calls from citizens...until 45 minutes later
companies were finally dispatched...and the building was destroyed by
fire. The fire was in a Bar B Q restaurant and maybe the smoke was
from the restaurant folks "smoking brisket"...but what if they
weren't. And they weren't.

www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/01/24/24fire.html

Worried about the risk of sending equipment to a call that might be
nothing? Worry more about the risk to firefighters having a chance to
knock down a smaller fire...than a larger, more dangerous one with a
self-imposed delay later....and in this case, much later. And then of
course, there is the issue of the building being saved and even people
possibly being inside. We have to act as if every possible report of a
fire, smoke, smell...whatever, is a working incident until we get
there and determine what is actually is......"

[LIFA Rob]

At the very least activate a chiefs investigation on a call like this, no need to alert a whole department unless multiple calls are coming in. those dispatchers needed to use their heads a little.

[660t]

LIFA, since when did Texans start using their heads a little? lol

[bloomtruck42]

i heard about one in EMD class where there was 2 accidents on the same road and the dispatcher assumed it was the same accident..... what he didn't know was 100 yards down the road an suv had slid on ice and overturned down an enbankment. aparently the lady was pinned for about an hour till somebody else called it in----you know what they say about what happens when you assume (even though it was probably the best thing that happened to her cause she now probably drives a ferari and owns a dispatch center)

[CFD208]

bloomtruck42 said:

(even though it was probably the best thing that happened to her cause she now probably drives a Ferrari and owns a dispatch center)

haha

[scannerman]

"since when did Texans start using their heads a little?"

Now I know those 10 gallon hats weren't for the extra common sense......

[XCAPT1]

I think it was a case of a firefighter trying to be a firefighter through the phone. If it was a civilian I think that call goes out in some way. As a dispatcher you can't screen a fire over the phone. That is why at SC FRES you can't NFA (No Further Action) fire calls. Some one has to respond, even if it's just a chief.

Stay Safe