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cell phones at your department..
well this is more for you volunteers. but what is the sop for having cell phones while at your department like during meetings and on calls? my department allows cell phones but they just ask that you dont answer them during calls. but im just curious because of a certain situation thats goin on with another person in my department and me.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by FETC on
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We had this issue occur with a female paramedic on our fulltime FD. She would answer her cellphone even while transporting a patient to the ER! We since now have a personal cell phone useage policy. Pretty simple... NOT ALLOWED PERIOD. I personally do not like it. I have used mine for department business on a cardiac arrest when we hiked in to rescue a guy who was snow shoeing miles off the roadway. The Engine, Ambulance and Rescue (at the time) had cell phones mounted in the vehicles. We called the ER with my cell phone and requested calling the code, with the ER doctor due to the remote location and situation. The recovery was over two hours. Plus we all have seen personal cell phones work for the better, example being WTC with a company trapped in the rubble...
I would like to see a policy that we are allowed to carry them on us, but (shut off). If left on vibrate or silence, they will eventually be answered on the side and someone without an honest notion will say "sorry to interupt".
Personal cell phones are mostly used for non-fire department business (side jobs) and have nothing to do with your paid municipal job... but they at times may also be able to save your life.
My case is for Fulltime FD, as far a VFD policy though, that may be a little more tricky to say "shut them off".
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Permalink Reply by BillySFCVFD on
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Here in rural east Texas cell phones sometimes are the only commo when radio signal is lost. There is no SOP for use but common sense dictates non-use during a response when hands and minds are needed. I for one never have my phone up to my face, use a blue tooth. During meetings they are turned off except for the Chief or other officers when expecting an official call related to the meeting. When is a personal call more important than duty? I say never. TCSS
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Permalink Reply by Medicine Man on
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My dept basically has an unwritten policy that cell phones are to be in silent or vibrate. Your are not to answer if you are driving apparatus or doing pt care activities. I have not seen a problem while on the apparatus however, there has been a recent increase of phones at the station not in vibrate. Then guys will leave there phone unattended to sit there and beep for a missed call for a long time. That is a little anoying. I have no problem with people having them as there may be an emergency in the family for which someone needs to get ahold of them, just have discretion when using them.
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Permalink Reply by Glenn.D.C_15 on
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With my dept., during meetings it's to be on silent or vibrate, although there is always that one person that has it left on, or NEEDS to answer EVERY phone call. As for on scene, we have one pump operator who uses his phone while on the pump panel. Which, personally, I don't agree with, but we don't have any SOP's against it.
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Permalink Reply by mike on
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well i started the discussioin but i never stated what the problem was with me and the other member over the phone thing. well when ever our dep would get a call if i was on the call the chief would call me if he wasnt makin the run to ask wut we have and who all is there. and i would also be on the phone with dispatch gettin call back numbers and things like that just keep radio traffic down. well on a call one day pd was taking pictures and got a pic of me on the phone. and our newest member who has never been around a fd or any emergence service likes to run around town tellin people im gettin in trouble for bein on the phone when it was always for official business. and tellin people that ill be on the phone and not workin the call and just standing around doin nothing on calls. and it has affected me gettin a full time paid position on a paid dep because he had told the people in that department about me being on the phone. so thats the reason for this topic. sorry for the book..
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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on
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Just about everyone has them and thus far has not posed a problem....I guess as long as common sense is used it won't be an issue....Paul
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Permalink Reply by lutan1 on
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Members also need to be mindful of the sort of things they're doing (on scene, etc) when using them.
I was at a fatality many years ago with family members on scene and one member from one service had the "Happy Birthday" ringtone on his phone (as it was his birthday)- not a good sound at that type of incident!
There definitely needs to be very clear rules about their use. I don't beleive a total ban is the way to go, but....
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Permalink Reply by Rob Odenwald on
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They should be set on vibrate and not answered on calls however, I would like to see them not allowed while on duty. People answer them on calls and while driving apparatus. Not to mention inappropriate ring tones on calls when we forget set set them on vibrate. All of our apparatus have a cell phone so individual phones aren't needed while on duty.
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Permalink Reply by Peter Lupkowski on
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Don't use while driving is the only policy. So far no issues, but saying that just cursed me.
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Permalink Reply by Ken Brown on
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My Dept. does not have any laws on cell phone use on most calls , but we are not allowed to take them on any bomb threats or fumes calls , most officers use their cell phones to call central to cut down on radio traffic.
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