The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
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
-
Permalink Reply by Tiger Schmittendorf on
-
Yeah. What Joe said.
-
Permalink Reply by Rescue601 on
-
We use 800mhz radios as primary dispatch and alpha numeric as secondary or for those without radios. If you only get half of the page or a garbled page then that is an issue with your implementation and not the technology itself.
Additionally alpha numeric paging doesn't pose any threat to firefighter safety. However your attempts to read your pager while driving down the road poses a risk to the public as well as yourself pose a significant issue. Who cares if you get an update on the way to the scene as you should report to the staging area when you get on site for your assignment anyways.
If the firefighters are speeding or running "hot" as you call it you have a much larger issue than pagers. :)
-
Permalink Reply by Joe Stoltz on
-
"Who cares if you get an update on the way to the scene as you should report to the staging area when you get on site for your assignment anyways."
Yes; but, suppose the call was cancelled, and there is no staging area?
"If the firefighters are speeding or running "hot" as you call it you have a much larger issue than pagers. :)"
No argument there.
However - New York State passed a law a few years ago prohibiting drivers from using cell phones while driving. There is now discussion about prohibiting the use of phones for text messaging while driving. Both are for good reason: accidents while (mostly young) drivers are yakking or texting on their phones.
Pagers are pretty much the same as phones - miniature electronic gadgets that divert the drivers' attention. It will happen, regardless of how many rules or laws or SOPs we put in place, or how much we argue the question in these forums.
It's a safety issue.
-
Permalink Reply by The Irons on
-
can anyone send me the company that they use to get the text messages to their phone ... my department is looking into switching to the text system because the wireless provider that we are using is dropping the alpha system
-
Permalink Reply by LEO AFD389NY on
-
IN OUR COUNTY WE USE PAGERS AND WE ALSO HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF HAVING A TEXT MESSAGE SENT WHEN EVER OUR DEPARTMENT HAS A CALL. THE TEXTING IS GREAT BECAUSE NO MATTER WERE YOU MIGHT BE YOU ALWAYS KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE A CALL.
-
Permalink Reply by 144Truck on
-
Our regional PSAP recentlybrought our new CAD online, and with it, an API that dumps the 911 ANI/ALI information along with the assignment to alpha paging. The software also will dump to cellular. The alpha paging system itself is owned by a neighboring regional and we subscribe to the system as do two additional regional centers.
After some initial heartburn caused by hardware that was degrading the signal in our local area, the system has been working VERY well. We have also maintained the tone and voice on both 33.80 and 153.125. These systems also work very well.
From an administrator's position, the alpha paging is a better deal, as the pagers themselves are about 30% the cost of a new Minitor.
-
Permalink Reply by PFC Harmon on
-
Also I forgot to mention that sometime we would get a garbled page on our alpha's. If you do go to alpha's I would recomend keeping the minitors to.
-
Permalink Reply by MrGadgets73 on
-
we added a system from fdcms.com that allows us to send it out to text or email. the system pulls the text data from the printouts and then sends it out via our mail server to the sms or email address. it has been very effective and cost is relatively low.
As far as messaging costs it is an opt in program. the member is responsible for the cost of their messaging plan. We use this as an additional method in addition to our minitor pagers.
-
-
check this out: www.iamresponding.com
We saw a presentation on this system and it works pretty well, if you have reliable cell coverage.
-
-
"Yes; but, suppose the call was cancelled, and there is no staging area?"
I would suspect that showing up on the scene and then realizing the call is canceled would be a lot safer then fumbling with a pager.
Once again .... it's not a technology problem. Its merely an implementation problem.
-
Permalink Reply by Tony P on
-
I think I'm understanding some of the differences between 'here' and 'there'. I see people writing about data moving from your '911' system to your CAD and the operator having an 'extra' task if both voice and alpha are used? Our system has the CAD paging out as soon as the address is confirmed, while the operator is taking further information. Further information, and any updates, are given over the radio to responding units - not paged out. Plus for the majority of Stations response is to the Staion, not direct to the incident. Having responders all using radios to clarify information would totally clog up our system - in my area one operator is handling about 50 Stations, get multiple incidents and it would be hell. It's bad enough having Captains (equal to US Chiefs) calling ove the radio for information - that gets in the way of appliances trying to turn out.
A typical turnout for me is to hear the pager, read the message as I walk out to my car then drive to the Station. If it looks like I'm driving I'll check the address on the pager after gettting my gear on. Then check it on a map if needed and then roll. If a cancel page comes through, I'd be reading it after getting to the Station. No reading while driving, no talking on a radio (and therefore driving one handed), so I can watch the speedo to make sure I'm in control of the adrenaline... The cops really don't like us speeding to the Station.
Different horses for different courses.
Of course having just two Fire Services in the State (about the same size as Kentucky) simplifies control - as does a State-wide paging service using the one CAD system.
-
-
Tony P... With the system we have, there is no extra step for the operator. When he/she gets the CAD assignment the system sets up the tone out for the tone and voice, and the CAD populates the alpha paging side. They simply hit the "go" button and the process runs from there. Ours goes so far as to select the proper tower sites.
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief.
Powered by
