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Portable Radios- One For Each Crew Member or Do You Have to Share Them?
Several months ago, my F.D. updated our portable radios so that each seating position had it's own portable radio. We were able to do this due to a grant. This ensures that each crew member on that rig has his/her own radio. This has greatly improved safety and communication. I was just wondering what other F.D's, (from big city to small town) are doing.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by BRAD ANKERS on
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We are a small town fire dept. we have 25 members to our crew. 1 cheif, 1 deputy cheif, 3 captains and 20 firefighters. All of our officers have their own poratables and we have 6 extras in our rescue van. If we need a radio we grab 1 on our way out of the rescue van.
brad ankers
huron park fire dept.
huron park ontario, canada
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Permalink Reply by Nick on
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Exaclty what I think about happening every time I enter a structure. I am a fire fighter in the US Air Force, and I usually end up on the nozzle if we go into a fire. My crew chief, or officer, is behind me on backup. He usually has a radio and our driver will have a radio. I am constantly worried that if something happens to him, such as falling through the floor to the basement, that I would be stuck in there with no way of communicating that we have a MAYDAY. I think that the potential for something like this to happen in this career field is far too great to not take all the necessary precautions and safety measures. Not to mention that our hydrant man is without a radio as well, and I know that just at drills we have done where I was hitting the hydrant I was unable to see my driver and had to run about 40 ft away from the hydrant to be able to see and communicate with him. Certainly not an ideal situation at a real world emergency.
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Permalink Reply by Anthony on
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I come from a medium sized volly house, and in fire school we were always told everyone on a fire ground should have a radio, but we only have 4 in the trucks, 1 for the driver, 1 for the officer and 2 for B1 and B2. and on our crews we are consistantly running a full or 6 man engine. I am a firm believer that everyone should have a radio. Yes they teach the 2 in 2 out rule but if the man with the radio goes down the other firefighter is helpless.
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Permalink Reply by william craft on
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we have portables for all offcers and each truck has its on portable and some of or firefighter owen there on portables and we r all volunteers here
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Permalink Reply by Dennis Stocker on
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As an Asst Chief, Iwont let any one in without thier own radio, heres why.
WHAT IF ...2 or 3 man operation goes in with 1 radio...We wont get seperated.... we'll stick together.....all of a sudden the floor gives way, 1 man down in the next floor,celing gives out hits the man behind you and buries him in rubble. ... in the middle of this chaos YOU are standing there trying to remember which one of those two has the radio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
unless your rit team has ESP all three of you are in deep dodo. Get ready for the long dirt nap
we are a volunteer dept
this profession (paid or otherwise)is killing way to many of our own. let it stop and let it stop now
to all you that are still thinking "yeah he just dont know how good my team is" "
and "That only happens to the other guys" Think of this. To me YOU are the other guys. To somebody else WE are the other guys.
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Permalink Reply by David Kuecker on
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We currently have 4 radios on our quick attack which seats a crew of 5, 4 radios on our first out engine that seats a crew of 6, and 4 radios on our ladder that seats a crew of 6. Our first responder units both have two radios for a crew of three.
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Permalink Reply by Merlin on
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Our program allow's each memeber there own radio as well... But we are a small EMS Service.
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Permalink Reply by arthur Garcia on
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My Department has 1 radio for every seated position on all apparatus. There are 23 Engines, 6 Trucks, 4 Batt Chiefs, 3 Squads, 18 ALS Rescues, 1 QI officer; (thats 169 portable radios) this does not include the support divisions i.e. arson, training etc. All the radios are each assigned to the seated position on that specific apparatus. So that they cannot be used by someone else in a different seat, or apparatus. Why is this you might ask? This is to ensure that in the event a mayday is sent out, that radio will notify the consoles at the alarm room (dispatch) who sent the Mayday. Command then can be notified what unit and position is affected.
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Permalink Reply by Russell Jorgensen on
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My department also has a radio for each person.
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All of these posts and the first one about using a radio to LISTEN is on page 3! A radio is definitly more of a listening tool than a talking tool. Hearing everything going on on the fireground is a big part of situational awareness.
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Permalink Reply by Glen Garland on
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I am chief of a small department (50 members, 35 active). We have been purchasing Vertex portables for all our members instead of pagers. I can buy 3-3.5 portables for the price of 2 pagers. They seem to hold up as well as the pagers, although they are a bit bigger to wear on the belt. These are 16 channel and can scan. We do our own programming inhouse with very few issues. Each member has one and initially it did take some training to maintain radio discipline but things are much better with clear expectations. They are not CBs and members are expected to remain professional...if not the radio goes away. We also have some spares on our first out engine. This allows for anybody to have comms if needed on scene. I will absolutely agree as has been mentioned above radio discipline and training are tantamount but so is FF safety. I'd much prefer to deal w/ some feedback or an open mic than a FF funeral because of a lack of comms. Take and be safe.
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Permalink Reply by Ricky Dale Maddox on
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Every attack crew needs a portable radio , if the dept does not have enough put 2 poratbles and chargers in each apptaratus , that way one can be for the attack crew and one for another position , also think of haveing the pump operator a way to use the truck radio you could even use a headset outside the truck for the pump operator but it needs to be hooked some way to the truck radio.. I think all trucks needs away to use headsets outside the trucks whether it be new or an old unit. As for just officers haveing radios to talk on I have seen and know of officers who abuse radio usage more than there firefighters who do know how to use them.. This is a shame . You would think chief officers would know how to use a radio !!!! And yes alot of depts do waist there money on things they dont need when they should be buying things they do need!!! I have seen it happen for 18 years in my dept and i have gotten fed up with it and walked away becasue I do not want to see a anyone get killed over to stupid things!! Kepp in mind you dont have to buy the big expensive raidos to have communications also!! Have fund raisers , etc to get money for these things , it aint going to hurt!! Let the community know what your doing and need in your dept , that was another thing about my dept they never posted when there board meetings was if they ever had any so the public never knows what the dept is doing or what it needs or what they do have until it is needed , and then when it is needed on calls, etc it takes and act of God just to get anybody to respond and pickup a truck or even go to the call, and yes it is a volunteer dept , i hope one day the county takes it over and goes fulltime!! But I am afraid it will take a firefighter getting killed before a change nis made!! One thing that is wrong in alot of depts the chief officers has been there for so long and are burned out and do not want to admit it , if they would step down and let someone who cares about the dept and community take over alot of things may get better!!
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