Results - Topic: Critical Incident Management

091101

The date was supposed to be our celebration, our moment to recognize to the efforts of 9-1-1 and emergency dispatchers across our nation. Instead, it became a day of incomprehensible horror. Most of us, if we weren't in the epicenter of the events, watched our TV screens with growing incredulity as those awful images engraved themselves with bloody clarity permanently upon our collective psyche.

091201+

For many, those events, especially those in Manhattan, seemed insurmountable, incredulous, impossible to respond to with any means other than chaos. But there was order in the midst of calamity, an appropriate response was mounted and managed, and diverse responders from many disciplines came together to aid each other. In this issue we focus on the days that followed, examining the aftermath and recovery that followed the dreadful hours of that unforgettable day.

Active Shooting Response: The Call Taker's Role

In every class I teach, I drive home the point that the first person on the scene of every crime, fire and medical emergency is the initial call taker. It's no different when the call for help involves an active shooting incident. When a frightened voice on the other end of the phone is looking for help, you are right on the scene. When the phones start to light up, will you be prepared?

Aftermath: Lakewood LODD

December 8, 2009, 0600 hours. McChord Air Force Base, Tacoma, Washington. All flights in and out were suspended at this busy Washington State Air Force base to allow almost 3,000 law enforcement vehicles onto the flight line. Row upon row of patrol cars, marked and unmarked, fire rigs, ambulances and motorcycles waited silently in the icy darkness . At 1003 hours, the first vehicles in the procession began ten miles of mourning to honor four Lakewood Police officers slain in one awful...

Books

C4i Announces 9th version of SwitchplusIP Communications System

C4i has welcomed an upgrade of their interoperable communications system with the release of SwitchplusIP Version 9.0. As part of C4i's commitment to incorporate new technologies into our SwitchplusIP baseline, the engineering team has been working on further advancing and refining console interactions with digital radio networks. The real advancement of Release 9.0 stems from the introduction of the P25 interface for Command Center LT and Mobile-Dismount platforms.

Communications & Coordination: What has public safety learned from the Oakland Hills Fire?

On Saturday, October 19, 1991, the Oakland (CA) Fire Department responded to a small wildland fire that had broken out in a box canyon near the eastern bore of the Caldecott Tunnel. Initially comprising about seven acres, firefighters gained control of the blaze and, leaving their hose lines in place, checked the area for hot spots throughout the evening and into the next day. Little could they have known at the time that this small fire would progress in the next 72 hours into a...

Communications Network Surge Management: Coping At The Local Level

By identifying the possible things that can create emergency situations to our voice, data, and video pathways we can attempt to find ways to plan for or respond to them... The 2004 hurricane season in Florida and more recently the February 2, 2007 tornado event in Lake County (Groundhog Day Tornadoes) plainly evidenced the need for comprehensive analysis of potential emergencies and how they can or might affect our communications pathways and how we can respond to them.

Covia Labs Launches Communications Interoperability Software Platform for Public Safety

Covia Labs, Inc. has announced the launch of Alert & Respond, a new software platform that offers a cost-effective way for public safety to integrate consumer smartphones and commercially available devices into their operations. Alert & Respond greatly expands the command & control and situational awareness capabilities available to public safety personnel beyond what is available with voice-only communication.

Diesel Power and Disaster Preparedness

As large parts of the nation battle storms of epic proportions, local, state and federal governments, emergency responders and businesses are moving into emergency response mode relying on some of the most powerful and reliable and proven technology available today. Allen Schaeffer, the Executive Director of the Diesel Technology Forum, issued the following statement on diesel's vital role in the United States' emergency preparedness for this storm system.

Disaster Management: A Death in the Family

As a communications center manager, I can only imagine what my counterparts who were directly responsible for dispatching the initial responses had to cope with. What was the mindset in New York City where radio calls to company after company on the scene at the World Trade Center went unanswered? How did the telecommunicators in Arlington, Virginia respond when their focus turned from the CNN reports from Manhattan to the real world scenario unfolding at the Pentagon, right outside their...

Dispatch ICS

When an extraordinary incident hits a community, the dispatch center is thrown into an exceptionally busy period of critical, peak activity. There is the potential for chaos to reign, or for conflicting orders from multiple supervisors to throw dispatch operations into disarray. Having a standardized method of managing extraordinary incidents in the dispatch center will maintain a smooth operation and maximize support to the field responders. A manner of incident command, modeled after the...

E911: Raising Awareness for a Critical Component of Emergency Communications

Over the years, I've met with many safety officers and other managers who think a lot about emergency preparedness at our schools, corporations and government institutions. ... most of these organizations are not using all the tools available to provide the highest level of safety in the event of an emergency. While their intent is right, many safety officers are simply not aware of technology solutions that exist today for multi-line telephone systems that can ensure the right help gets to...

EMS Helicopters: Dispatchers Facing the Challenge

I once had a boss that strongly urged me not to "spend a lot of time and energy on trying to figure out this helicopter mess. We all know helicopter transportation is just a fad and will soon be forgotten." He was so wrong.

EMS Response to the WTC Disaster

All the agencies involved in the September 11th incident faced their own sets of challenges when they responded. It was more like operating in a war zone than in a civil disaster. One of the most daunting tasks was to bring out the wounded while the attack continued to unfold.

Fatal 3rd Alarm Apartment Building Fire

On December 19, 2010 a fire was reported at the Maple Terrace Apartments On Rudderow in Maple Shade at 7:30 p.m. Companies arrived to find heavy fire condition in the building with reports of an occupant missing. Crews encountered heavy fire conditions throughout the apartment and in the roof line and set up for defensive operations. The 2nd Alarm was struck. Crews remained in defensive operations as Truck Companies operated with Ladder Pipes. Multiple 2 1/2" hand lines were placed in...

FEMA US&R Task Force Deployment 9/11:Lessons Learned

26 of the 28 Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task Force teams that are members of FEMA's National Urban Search & Rescue Response System served in New York City and Arlington, Virginia, during the first month following the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, helping with search and rescue operations and to recover the remains of some of the thousands who died. Perhaps because the events of 9-11 have represented the greatest challenge to date for the FEMA US&R Task Force teams,...

First Emergency Management System with Interactive Voice Response Capability

ESi Acquisition, Inc. and the Vox Generation Group are pleased to announce the launch of the first new software product of their joint venture company, Boards Talk, LLC. Boards Talk powered by WebEOC introduces a direct "voice-to-machine" interface between the award-winning Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology of VoxGen and WebEOC Professional from ESi, the most widely used crisis information management software in the world.

Free Fire/EMS Response to Civil Unrest Program for Election Year

Fire departments are getting more involved in and affected by civil unrest events. We can expect more of these as we move through an election year, and all agencies should be preparing for them. The Firefighters Support Foundation's (FSF) training program, Fire/EMS Response to Civil Unrest, is a free downloadable training resource for individuals, agencies, and trainers on this subject.

From Out of the Blue: A 9-1-1 Call from Flight 93

A cellular 9-1-1 emergency call was received at the dispatch center from a passenger on an airline. The Westmoreland dispatcher detected an immediate urgency in the caller's voice. The caller indicated that the plane was being hijacked and was calling 9-1-1 for help.

Gang Migration - Midwest

Inner city gang thugs moving from the cities and literally raping, pillaging, and plundering rural America's smaller cities. Like locusts moving from one town to the next, leaving nothing but crime ridden and drug infested cities now mere shadows of their former selves in the wake of the gangsters leaving and those staying behind -- like enemy troops on occupied territory.

Ground Zero 9-1-1: FDNY Communications on September 11th

On September 11th... I arrived at my union office to see the doorman watching TV. On the screen was something I never imagined would happen. A plane had slammed into #1 World Trade Center. I stared in amazement as massive flames and profuse black smoke engulfed the upper floors. I knew in an instant that I had to get to the Manhattan central office. They were going to need help.

ICS at Ground Zero: Incident Management Teams in NYC

There are 16 national Type 1 Incident Management Teams (IMTs) across the country. Though they mostly deal with wildland fire, they're also dispatched for non-fire incidents such as floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes. One of FEMA's 12 emergency support functions is firefighting, and under ESF-4 the teams can be activated from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho. The teams are prepared to use the Incident Command System (ICS) to handle just about any situation. But no...

Impressions of Hell: A First Hand Report from the WTC

Initially, there seemed to be a lot of disorganization for the first several days as the leadership scrambled to keep up with the volunteers who showed up and the teams that were deployed to help out. Most teams though, especially the FEMA ones, were well organized among themselves and were capable of running autonomously even if little or no input from higher up was forthcomming

Internal Politics: Lessons Learned on The Pile

You've all seen the pictures on television, in newspapers, or in other media, all showing the devastation of what was once called the World Trade Center. What you haven't heard about was the relationship between the New York rescuers and the teams sent from throughout the country to help perform Search and Rescue operations at Ground Zero... What are some of the lessons we learned there, that we could make use of in our own agencies?

IP Intercoms Assist Classroom Support and Emergency Response at UNC Charlotte

Finding a solution to an ongoing problem about reporting malfunctioning audio/visual equipment at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte unexpectedly resulted in a solution that would eventually be used for emergency communications on campus.

Lake County Weathers "Snowmageddon"

On February 2, 2011, Lake County Emergency Management had to mobilize for the third-largest snowstorm to ever hit the area. Although the county's public safety agencies were prepared for the event, many of its residents were not. As the storm quickly escalated, calls came pouring in to assist stranded motorists and residents in need of medical attention. Coordination between first responders from several municipalities - some on snowmobiles, snowplows and front loaders - over a large area...

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue's Mobile Command & Communications Unit

After working on plans for the new Mobile Command Center for nearly a year, work began in October 2003. The unit was delivered to the department in May after being exhibited by Pierce at the FDIC East in Indianapolis. The interior of the Mobile Command Unit (MCU) is divided into three areas: public information, communications, and command & control.

Lone Worker/Man-Down Modules from Midian

Midian introduces the TS-120 and VAE-1 Lone Worker/Man-Down modules. Both units can send ANI and Emergency ANI in Motorola's MDC-1200, Kenwood's FleetSync, Harris' G-Star, DTMF and 5-Tone. The units also support the Lone Worker feature which requires user interaction with the radio otherwise it sends the Emergency ANI. Some versions of the TS-120 and VAE-1 also have an accelerometer for Man-Down applications

Matrox & Trenton to Provide Integrated Hardware Systems for EOC Video Walls

Middletown Township Comm Van Supports EMS Response

As the EMS community in Monmouth County (NJ) prepared to receive the casualties evacuating from New York City in the wake of the World Trade Center attack, the Field Comm unit from Middletown was requested to support the operation. As Field Comm Captain, I would deploy the unit, a 35-foot truck, built by Lynch Diversified Vehicles and purchased several years ago as a joint effort of the police and fire departments, and the city Office of Emergency Management. I

Miracle on the Hudson - The Rescue of Flight 1594: The View from Dispatch

Yesterday marks the third anniversary of the emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 into the Hudson River that saved the lives of all 155 people on board the aircraft. The firefighters and officers who worked the night tour of January 14th and the day tour of January 15, 2009 were in for a busy 24 hours. The men and women of the Manhattan Communication Office were in for a busy day tour. However, they didn't realize how busy!

Multiple Matrox Expander Units Drive Up to 16 Remote Call Center/EOC Displays

Matrox Graphics Inc. has announced a new software release for the Matrox Extio F2208 dual-monitor and Matrox Extio F2408 quad-monitor KVM extenders. The comprehensive package enables a variety of new multi-display configuration opportunities that includes support for two PCIe interface cards, main units and Extio F2408E Expander boxes to drive up to 16 displays - plus keyboard, mouse, audio and up to eight additional USB 2.0 ports - at a distance of up to 1 km from a single PC.

NYC 9-1-1: The Eye Of The Storm

I arrived at the center approximately five minutes after the first plane had struck and at that point there was little credible information regarding the size of the plane or damage estimates from the scene. No matter, our personnel had already sprung into action putting our major incident plan into effect. Administrative and training personnel not normally involved in call taking operations were already on the floor...

One Year Later: Moving Past September 11th

As we all have read or witnessed through news accounts since September 11th, 2001, our world has changed. Those of us in Emergency Management have seen both positive responses in understanding, establishing and mitigating threat, or risk, to our citizens, but we have also seen what I would consider to be the "chicken little" mentality where an uneasy society sees a terrorist around every corner and in every shadow

Operation Serenade: Simi Valley PD and President Reagan's Funeral

As a dispatcher with the Simi Valley (CA) Police Department since 1977, promoted to the position of Communications Manager in 1990, I have been involved with many citywide incidents from earthquakes, to fires, to floods, to the opening of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library with five living Presidents attending. But nothing has come close to being involved in managing public safety during the internment of Ronald Wilson Reagan, 40th President of the United States. This event was...

Pennsylvania State Police Respond To Flight 93 Crash

When hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Somerset County on September 11, 2001 the Police Communications Officers and State Police Officers from Troop A were handling the incoming telephone calls, along with the Somerset 9-1-1 Center.

PlanView Sliding Whiteboard Multi-Track System for Emergency Management

Magnatag's PlanView multiple track cabinets hold up to 10 sliding magnetic steel whiteboards, maps and bulletin panels, turning an ordinary wall into a flexible, easy to use visible Emergency Information Center.

Police and Fire Sharing Facilities:

If you travel across America you'll find that most cities and towns typically have separate police and fire stations and most of these stations also have their own dispatch centers. Even in some of the smallest towns in New England or the Midwest this still is the case. But with most states in a deep recession, taxpayers are questioning whether having separate facilities makes fiscal sense.

Reactive and Proactive

How Communication Helped Safeguard Southern California Residents during the Wildfires

Remembering Ray Downey, FDNY 9/19/37 - 9/11/01

All those who died that day will forever be heroes, but Ray Downey's life prior to that day had already made him a hero to so many who had know him. At 63, he was the Deputy Chief in charge of Special Operations Command (SOC) for the largest urban Fire Department in the world. His contributions to the Rescue community had made him a legend, and he was respected as a leading authority on Structural Collapse Rescue all over the Country.

School Fire

On Monday, July 5, 2010 at 4:17 AM units of the San Jose (CA) Fire Department responded to a major fire at Trace Elementary School located at 651 Dana Avenue in the city's Rose Garden neighborhood.

Seeing the Scene

Video Systems in Public Safety Call Taking and Response

September 11th 2011: A Decade of Reflection

In honor of the tenth anniversary of September 11th, 2001, 9-1-1 Magazine presents a number of new features and also archival stories from our original coverage in 2001 and subsequent years.

Somerset County 9-1-1: The Crash of Flight 93

For the men and women at the 9-1-1 Center in Somerset County, PA, September 11 took on a personal meaning when United Airlines Flight 93, hi-jacked by terrorists and bound for an uncertain target in or near Washington DC, crashed in the midst of their jurisdiction, in a field in Shanksville, PA.

Terrorism And Urban Search And Rescue

FEMA sponsors 28 national urban search-and-rescue (US&R) task force teams, comprised of fire-rescue specialists, structural engineers, medical professionals, logistical and communications specialists, canine disaster search teams, and incident support managers, ready to serve as a national resource for disaster rescue response nationwide. "As soon as it became obvious that we were facing a major terrorist event, we knew we were going to have structural collapse responses," said Dave Webb,...

Teton Interagency Fire Reduces Mobile Command Costs with TACPAK

When the Red Rock and Gray Hills fires combined to ravage 12,000 acres in the remote Gros Ventre Wilderness, Teton Interagency Fire responded. Due to the remote Fire Complex location, data and voice communication was limited to costly and inefficient hand delivered messages and radio connections made by sending trucks many miles down valley... In response, the Wyoming Department of Homeland Security deployed their TACPAK Briefcase Command Center, manufactured by 308 Systems, at the fire site.

The Emergency Doctrine: Doing the Right Thing

The Emergency Doctrine was created by human lawmakers who understood that if we are held to our normal standard of care during times when meeting such a standard is impossible, we may not act at all out of fear that we will do the wrong thing.

The Hidden Hazards of Chemical Suicide

Police and firefighters in Aurora, Colorado responded to an apartment building after a report was made of the smell of rotten eggs in the area. The building was evacuated, and responders entered an apartment whose bathroom had been taped shut with duct tape. Signs warned of hazardous materials inside. A young woman's body was soon removed from the residence. Welcome to the new and terrifying world of chemical suicide. As a 9-1-1 dispatcher, it's important for you to know that this threat...

The Importance of Storm Spotting

...From Action News Central... A tornado warning is in effect until 6pm for...

The Poomacha Fire

The Poomacha Fire started in the early hours of October 23 as a residential structure fire that spread to the wildland. Around noon that day, I received a call from CAL FIRE Battalion Chief Alan Knapp from the Lake-Napa-Sonoma Unit; the Communications Unit Leader (COML) on California Incident Management Team 4, which had been pre-staged in Southern California awaiting assignment and were now heading to San Diego County to support command of the Poomacha fire.

The Shooting at Virginia Tech

On the morning of April 16, 2007, the quiet calm that hung over the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, southwestern Virginia, was pierced by the sharp pop of gunshots and the cries and screams of panic and pain.

United 93

Watching UNITED 93, the film about the passengers who fought back against terrorists and prevented them from crashing the plane into the White House or US Capitol building, is quite an emotional experience, especially for those of us in public safety and to whom the events of 9/11 resonate with an especially personal clarity.

United Flight 93 Revisited: Command and Control in Shanksville

Since Shanksville is located in a very rural area, the Pennsylvania State Police were in charge of the crash scene, although numerous other agencies would follow to conduct the investigation and necessary follow-up tasks.

US&R Communications at the World Trade Center

The Puget Sound Washington US&R Task Force encountered several communication difficulties during our deployment to the World Trade Center incident. We were deployed at the site from September 19th-29th and spent most of the assignment working in the Church Street Sector or East Branch area of responsibility between WTC Buildings 4 and 5.

Using ICS for Interoperability

Technology isn't the only answer to interoperability. The Department of Homeland Security is trying to get people to understand there is a "continuum of interoperability" that includes operations and exercises beyond the technology. The Incident Command System (ICS) has been at the center of many of these activities and has shown its ability to manage communications at large scale and well-integrated incidents.

Video Aids Wildfire Management in San Diego County

On Sunday, October 21, 2007 the first of many wildfires began burning out of control in the Portero area of San Diego County. Fueled by high off shore winds, multiple fires were tracked and managed over the course of 10 days.

When Mud Flows

On October 2, 2007, gale-force Santa Ana winds whipped up wildland fires throughout Southern California, charring 517,267 acres; destroying 2,233 homes, five businesses, and 966 outbuildings; killing 10 people and injuring another 139; and launching the largest evacuation in California history, according to the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES).