(Part I)
| Frank C. Schaper |
Accountability Simplified: The Dispatcher's Role
| Frank C. Schaper is a Deputy Fire Chief for the St. Louis Fire Department. With 27 years exprience at St. Louis Fire, Schaper developed and implemented the department's training programs. He is also an adjunct instructor with the National Fire Academy. |
This article can be found on
page 58 of the Sept/Oct 1997
issue of 9-1-1 Magazine.
The senior dispatcher upgraded the incident to a first alarm assignment. Once the 9-1-1 console lit up, she knew she had a working fire. The first due engine confirmed her hunch with "two story occupied flat, smoke and fire showing." Another dispatcher monitoring the fire ground channel acknowledged the report and set the timer for twenty minutes. The time was 0605. At 0625 he would asked for a progress report and an accounting of all personnel working the fire. Water supply was established at the scene per standard operating procedures and attack lines were advanced inside the burning building.
"Battalion 5 to Dispatch."
"Go ahead Battalion 5."
"Battalion 5 has a fire in a two story, wood and brick flat. We have two pre-connects inside the building, primary search in progress. Dispatch, I'll be Hogan St. Command"
"Clear Battalion 5. Fire in a two story flat, two lines off, primary search in progress. You will be Hogan St. Command."
The dispatcher checked the timer - 0610. The fire fight seemed to be going well. Battalion 5, in command of the fire, was deploying his forces in an effort to cut off the fire and search the building for occupants. Two members of the second-in apparatus began exterior, horizontal ventilation while the other two crew members pushed in with the crews on the hose lines. The truck company made a raise to the roof and was joined by two squad personnel. The primary search team working the second floor could hear the power saw ripping the roof open. Roof sector made quick work of the 4X4 using pike poles to push in the ceiling below. The interior crews felt the heat lift and the smoke lighten as they pushed further into the building. One occupant found in the hall and another found on the kitchen floor were removed to the front yard of the house. The fire was darkening down.
While the first alarm fire was in progress, the dispatching office was kept busy sending crews to a garage fire, an automatic alarm sounding in a downtown high-rise, and a cardiac arrest.
The time - 0625. Burring, ringgg, ring. The dispatcher silenced the timer and activated his microphone.
"Dispatch to Hogan St. Command."
"Go ahead Dispatch, this is Command."
"Hogan St. Command you are at your twenty minute MARC. Give a progress report and account for all your personnel."
"Clear Dispatch. We have rescued two occupants. I have three preconnects off and the fire is is under control. I am accounting for all firefighters at this time."
"Clear Command, message received. Two rescues, fire under control, accountability in progress."
The incident commander poled his sector officers and in less than three minutes was back with Dispatch.
"Hogan St. Command to Dispatch."
"Go ahead Command."
"Dispatch I have two crews inside mopping up, two squad members are in the basement working utilities, everyone else is outside the building or in rehab. All personnel are accounted for."
"Dispatch clear, all personnel accounted for."
Firefighter safety on the fire ground is a major concern of all incident commanders operating at a working fire. Keeping track of apparatus and fire crews during the heat of battle can be a tricky business, however. With people yelling in your ear, fire and smoke blowing out the windows, and fire crews going hither and yon, "tunnel vision" can set in. As incident commander, you can quickly lose track of time and your fire fighters. As I.C. you need all the help you can get. Fortunately help is there for you. The Incident Command System, well written standard operating procedures, a simplified accountability system that really works, and well trained dispatchers are your tools for running a safe fire ground operation. But the dispatchers are the key.
Many departments rely on rings and tags for their accountability system. These systems work up to a point but eventually fall short of their intended purpose of accounting for firefighters working at an emergency. The systems fail in a number of ways. One, these systems are cumbersome and difficult to manage even at relatively small incidents. Two, they fail to track firefighter's whereabouts once they are on scene at the emergency. And three, the systems fail to utilize the fire dispatchers. The dispatchers are kept out of the accountability loop.
In next month's column, we will focus on a simplified accountability system developed and implemented by the St. Louis Fire Department. This system is called the 20 Minute MARC or Member Accountability Roll Call. This simplified accountability system is easy to use, it really works, and the key to its success is the dispatchers.
Part II of this article appeared on page 96 of the Nov/Dec 1997 issue of 9-1-1 Magazine and is currently available on this web site.
