Radio Communications for the Fire Service

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Radio Communications for the Fire Service

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Class Objectives

• Understand what CAPCOM is
• Understand the Radio Systems commonly used in
  Thurston County
• Understand Proper Radio Use
• Identify and Understand Proper Radio Terminology
• Understand Emergency Traffic Verbage

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Class Objectives Contd

• Recognize and Understand the components of a
  dispatch
• Understand Radio Frequencies used by Fire
  District 5
• Understand Fire Dist. 5 Radios Alarm Systems
• Portable Radios
• 2-Tone Pagers and Tones
• Alpha Pagers
• Dispatch Printer

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What is CAPCOM?

• Thurston Countys 9-1-1 Emergency Dispatch Center
• Centralized Receiving Dispatch for Police,
  Fire, Medical Emergencies
• Your Lifeline in the field!!

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Thurston County Radio Systems

• Simplex v.s. Duplex Radio systems
• Repeated Radio Systems

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Proper Radio Techniques

• When Initiating a transmission, use K.H.T.
• K Key
• H Hesitate
• T Talk
• Using this will avoid Front End Clipping of
  your transmissions. What is usually at the
  beginning is your own ID and possibly the reason
  for your transmission.
• Simply Depress the microphone key, hesitates to
  one thousand one and then talk

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Proper Radio Techniques

• To terminate a transmission, use S.R.H
• S Stop
• H Hesitate
• R Release
• This will prevent that annoying loss of often
  vital information at the end of your
  transmissions
• Simply finish what you are saying and again,
  count one thousand one and release the
  microphone key!
• Sounds easy right???

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Proper Radio Techniques

• Use your ABCs of Radio Communications
• A Accuracy
• B Brevity
• C Clarity
• A Before your transmit, think about what you
  are going to say. Is it accurate??
• B Basically the Kiss Technique (Keep it Short
  Simple)
• C Talk across the face of the Radio and face
  any source of background noise. Dont Shout, but
  Dont whisper. Speak in a normal conversational
  volume.

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Proper Radio Techniques

• Keep the length of transmissions to an absolute
  minimum
• Dont make unnecessary transmissions
• Combine transmissions
• Make your own phone calls
• Keep dispatcher notified of unit status and
  location
• Acknowledge all calls promptly

• Do not transmit at the same time as another unit
• Always wait about ½ a second after keying the mic
  and before talking
• NEVER use profanity over the radio, it is illegal
• Use plain english! Only a few 10-codes are
  allowed or recognized

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Proper Radio Techniques

• Always use the Hey you.. Its me.. Technique
• Always get your intended recipients attention
  and let them know who is calling
• If you were on Engine 51
• Capital Engine 51
• Aid Unit 51 Engine 51

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Proper Radio Terminology

• Capital
• Enroute
• On Scene or Arriving
• Returning / Cancelled disposition
• On Standby
• Transporting of Pts and destination

• In Service Returning v.s. Out of Service
• Repeat Transmission
• Coroner
• (Code 9)
• Private Carrier
• (Code 12)
• CAPCOM

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Phonetic Alphabet
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Emergency Traffic Verbage

• Priority Traffic Used when you have traffic
  that is of a very urgent nature that would
  significantly effect the outcome of the call or
  important information that is a MUST to be
  relayed. Also used to relay info to dispatch
  during high traffic volumes.
• Capitol Engine 51 Priority Traffic

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Emergency Traffic Verbage

• CAPCOM Used for EXTREME emergencies when
  there is an immediate threat to life or threat of
  bodily harm to response personal and/or any
  situation that REQUIRES an IMMEDIATE PRIORITY
  response of any and all available law enforcement
  units.

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Emergency Traffic Verbage

• When on-scene of an alarm dispatch knows your
  location, use the following format
• CAPCOM ENGINE 91..
• When NOT on-scene or dispatch is NOT tracking
  your unit, add in a location
• CAPCOM.. ENGINE 91.. 36th Biscay

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Components of a Dispatch

• Units dispatched Engine 51, Aid Unit 51..
• Response type ALS/BLS/BLS Yellow
• Type of call . For Chest Pains / Structure
  Fire
• Address .. 5911 Black Lake Blvd. SW
• Cross Street . Cross Street is 62nd Ave SW..
• Map Grid .. Map Grid Lincoln 13..
• Response Channel Response Channel 6.
• Will be repeated 1 more time
• Time of dispatch ..Time out 1345..
• Dispatch FCC call sign .. KQT456

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Thurston County Dist 5 Radio Frequencies

• 1 Ch. 1 County Main Dispatch Frequency
• 2 Ch. 2 Olympia Fire Dispatch and Tactical
• 3 Ch. 3 Tumwater Fire Dispatch and Tactical
• 4 Ch. 4 Channel 5 Tactical Non-Repeated
  Frequency
• 5 Ch. 5 Channel 5 Tactical Repeated
  Frequency
• 6 Ch. 6 Channel 6 Tactical Repeated
  Frequency
• 7 Ch. 7 Channel 6 Tactical Non-Repeated
  Frequency
• 8 Ch. 8 State Fire Chiefs
• 14 District 9 Business Frequency

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Fire District 5 Communications Equipment and
Alarm Systems

• Base Mobile Radios
• Portable Radios
• 2-Tone Pagers
• Alpha-Numeric Pagers
• Dispatch Printer
• Cellular Phones / Nextels