Page 8 - Volume 20

TAiered Response By Christopher Carver, MPA
s a chief fire officer, there are incidents to subsequent higher-priority many strategies and tactics that incidents when required.
must be practiced and understood One of the best examples of these
to ensure successful operations at
the scene of a fire or emergency.
What many chief officers do not
fully appreciate, however, is that one
of their greatest tools to ensure the successful outcome of any incident is their dispatcher(s). Dispatchers play a significant role in the effective operation of any incident, a role even more critical when working to ensure the successful management of resources during peri- ods of increased activity.
A prime example of how well- trained and empowered dispatchers
can improve resource management
and decrease response times is the Dispatch Management Triad: “reloca- tions/recalls,” “re-directing,” and tiered responses. We will focus on tiered responses and response modification in this article. Together, these techniques are the key tools for any agency to successfully overcome busy periods without an over-reliance on mutual
aid or excessively long response times. The foundation is information and data—from the caller, outside sources such as The Weather Service, CAD, and GIS— and the dispatcher’s training and intuition, as well as situational aware- ness. Specifically, these skills address having available units in the proper position, understanding the potential severity of an incident, having a reason- able amount of resources assigned, and diverting units assigned to low-priority
skills in action with available data to support effective incident and resource management is related to storm responses. When the average Ohio community is visited by a spring or sum- mer thunderstorm of any significance, an increase in the number of fire related calls is frequently the result. Planning for seasonal storms is a key element
of the Dispatch Management Triad. A key tool a dispatcher (or fire chief) has in their arsenal is the Storm Prediction Center of the National Weather Service. (http://www.spc.noa.gov). This website provides severe weather outlooks begin- ning seven days in advance, continuing multiple times on any given day. The general assessments are supplemented by mesoscale discussions and watch and warning messages, as needed. As an end result, emergency services personnel should never be caught off guard by severe weather.
The data from the storm prediction center should be the basis of any agen- cy’s storm response plan. Just before storm conditions are anticipated, the dispatch center should be authorized to reduce assignments to a minimum level of response. This preserves apparatus for more serious emergencies, reduces response times, and reduces unnecessary mutual aid requests. However, any decent storm response policy should require an upgrade to a full (standard) response in the event that multiple calls are received, or the quality of the call
Author Bio
Christopher Carver is originally from Reynoldsburg, and started his career as a fire dispatcher for Truro Township while attending The Ohio State University.
After graduating, Carver moved to NYC where he was with the FDNY just under
15 years, starting as a dispatcher and taking an early retirement as Director of Fire Dispatch Operations. Along the way, Christopher has worked as a dispatcher, supervisor, chief, or manager for many
of the most serious events that occured
in NYC during that time. As you may be aware, the role of dispatcher in the FDNY is much more dynamic than just answer- ing a phone or even dispatching. We were (and are) resource managers and when it comes to operations, answer only to Chief of Department or own chain of command.
Carver has also served as an adjunct professor for John Jay’s Fire Science Program and authored numerous articles on public safety communications, leader- ship, and related topics. He has his MPA from Jacksonville State University in Public Administration and Emergency Management.
Since May of 2015, Carver has been
the Director of 911 Operations for the National Emergency Number Association, the NFPA of 9-1-1, providing standards, training, support and advocacy for the nation’s 9-1-1 community, which is increasingly being recognized as essential to the success of America’s fire, police, and EMS resources. Quite frankly, if we do not do our job well, it does not matter much if you do your job well.
8 InCommand OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 • www.ohiofirechiefs.org