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Alpha Numeric Paging
As great as this sounds. I was told that with our dispatch using CAD and having the enhanced 911 system installed that we couldn't use the alpha numeric paging system. Can anyone tell me if this is true or just dispatch not wanting to add something to there routine? The enhanced 911 has been a great improvement but the MIN IV's still suck!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by PFC Harmon on
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Yes the minitors suck. Our dispatch just done away with our alpha numeric system and switched to text messaging our phones. As far as I know the alpha numeric system is seprate system, just another step.
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Permalink Reply by Dean on
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It could be either way. Our county communications center sends out text messages to our cell phones. From what I understand it works in when the call taker puts the call information into the CAD and sends it over to the dispatcher the text message is sent to our phones at that time. We receive the text messages up to a minute before the communications center drops the tones sometimes. This system is called TAMI Text Alert Messaging Interface.
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Permalink Reply by Tony P on
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Some years ago my service went from tone/voice paging to alpha numeric. We're also on a CAD system. Having a record of the initial message with details of call, map reference etc. is the best way in my view! I know that if I was woken by a dispatchers voice at oh-dark-30 I'd have no hope of remembering an address, let alone map reference, supporting brigades etc..
Your CAD can't handle alpha/numeric paging? Perhaps it needs to be upgraded.
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Permalink Reply by Scamehorn on
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I'm not saying it can't that's just what a dispatcher told me. I believe it can, that she was just confused or doesn't want Another additional task.( My guess is the later of the two!) Our system was just upgraded to the enhanced 911 last year and it rocks! We are just having issues with our pagers and it looked like this alpha numeric paging would be a reliable supplement to the unpredictable voice paging! I just was looking for more information on it so if I get into a discussion about it I am informed enough to make an argument for getting it
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Permalink Reply by Tiger Schmittendorf on
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I disagree.
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Permalink Reply by T.J. on
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Why do you disagree???
Anyways I can't wait for our 911 to go to alpha paging!!
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So what in your opinion is the shortcomings of alpha paging? What suggestions do you have on improving it? And is there something better in your opinion that is better?
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Please refrain from attempting to explain my position on my behalf.
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Permalink Reply by Andy Entwistle on
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We use alpha paging in addition to our Minitor paging. And while I would not trade, I will say that the alpah paging does come in handy. There are times my Minitor has garbled the voice message and I've taken the call details from the alpah page. Plenty of times guys come hustling into the station and say what was the call, what number Main Street was it? And we refer back to the alpha pagers. Now I guess one could say that you just call the dispatcher to have the call repeated to you. We have CAD and sill use alphas - as someone said, it's just an extra step the dispatchers have to take. I like having both. I wouldn't be happy with alpha only, but I also wouldn't let them take it wthout a fight.
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Permalink Reply by Joe Stoltz on
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I firmly believe that the use of alpha paging in the volunteer fire service poses a significant firefighter safety threat.
I have an alpha pager that was issued to me for our county Haz Mat team. Earlier this year we had a haz mat incident unfolding and there were continual updates as to the status of the incident. While driving to the incident, and wishing to keep abreast of the response status, I attempted to read the text message on the teeny display on the pager. I came pretty close to driving off the road at one point while fumbling with the damned thing.
Now: "I should have pulled over to read the message." "I should have known better, after last year's multiple fatal caused by driver inattention due to text messaging." And so on. But the point is, I didn't. I happen to be an amateur radio operator with 30+ years experience of SAFELY driving while chatting into a microphone. I wanted to see if I could actually interact with an alpha pager, and pretty quickly determined that it was a very bad thing. I also concluded that it is a real danger to less experienced drivers.
We have had numerous discussions on FFN regarding the younger members responding "hot" with lights, sirens, and way too much adrenaline on board. Now, add the element of having to divert your eyes to read what's going on (which they will) at significant speed (they do) without killing themselves or someone else. SOPs can be issued mandating that members pull over to a stop to read updates (working fire, call cancelled, etc>) but they won't. I doubt i would.
It's a DISASTER waiting to happen.
In Monroe County, NY alphanumeric paging has been in place for the past 10 years or so. Even today, many FFs in that county wear brand new Minitor 5s in addition to the alpha pager - does that tell you anything?
The only successful alpha pager I could see is one that converts the text into voice at a volume LOUD enough to hear in noisy environments. Then we could have the best of both worlds. We wouldn't need to look at them in the middle of the night or while driving.
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Thanks for your input! That's the problem we have with our current pagers is that 75 percent of the time you have to call dispatch for them to repeat the address or pray that someone shows up that received a better page. I was told that it wouldn't work with the CAD system. Definently need to ask our dispatch a few more questions on why it wouldn't work for us! Thanks
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You'd BETTER apologize, mister.
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