getting to know your repsonse area(s) this has to do with street names, quirks, water supplys specific Occupancies within your area and going from Yeah I heard of that to OHH yeah I "know" about this or that...I work in a city...streets are paved (usually), have hydrants, (usually) and addresses and cross streets right?(usually) what could be simpler.. especially for those of you who regularly are dispatched to RFD#2 Nextown over highway (which becomes Your town hiway just about at the halfway point between.. better known as 3500 feet past Joe Shagott's Garage (the pumps still advertise Eythl @36 cents gallon) but if you get to the apple orchard ya got to turn back... yeah it sounds pretty bad, especially if the dispatcher happens to be Joe Shagott's Grand niece by marrage.. ..lol
Having general knowledge of your area helps usually here the numbers get bigger heading away from downtown... street names/roads names can change for no reason... I have seen roads through the center of towns with as many as 5 names fr no apparent rhyme or reason as well as renaming or honor naming some blocks then leaving the orginal name below the honoree's name how many sound alikes are there? East Washington avenue left onto Washington Avenue down several blocks to a right on Washington Terrace to a left on Washington CT . a few years ago, we had a small job 2 rooms kitchen and living room On Lorrain terrace which is a left off of Park to the dead end, and not to be confused with Lorraine street whichs right off park offset a few feet.... The 1st due went straight in and the 2nd due engine was charged with watersupply, with a hydrant at the corner.... we went in and started working on it water supplywas established, it turns out that the rescue, assistant chief, and ladder allwentin on the other side of park, Then had to back out of the dead end and with traffic screwed up as it was , well just a nightmare why didnt they see the hose? who knows....They just another fire on the same side yesterday, and I am pretty sure it happened again, but I believe the 1st due was off duty, bringing in further out companies....that dont the district as well.. The"good thing" is that many of the like names are near Laural court is right off Laural Avenue, but at 4 am when Laural Place comes in You would be amazed howmany of these guys think they are heading to the court which is totally in the opposite direction by20 blocks. to make it worse.. Lauralwood Apts an elderly hirise is located on Norman between laural and wood aves ...lol
I can think of a few others but its late,.. for you guys that drive, are offiicers what can we do to keep familiar with our respose areas? GPS? you will never learn it with one of those ...lol