SECTION: 700 POLICY: County Fire SUBJECT: ABBEVILLE COUNTY FIRE DISPATCH EFFECTIVE DATE: 02/04/2014 APPROVAL Sharmel Miller, Director REVISED / SUPERCEDES: 01/03/2018--12/11/2017--10/09/2017--10/02/2017-- 08/25/2017--06/20/2017--06/12/2017--05/31/2017-- 05/23/2017--05/10/2017--05/05/2017--08/18/16-- 01/14/2016--11/07/2014--11/28/2016 PURPOSE The purpose of this directive is to establish guidelines for efficient and effective call processing of fire emergencies. POLICY It shall be the policy of the Abbeville County E-911 Center to: Be the designated center for dispatching of fire/extrication equipment within Abbeville County. Determine what resources is needed for calls requiring fire or extrication according to the recommended dispatch screen. 1. Data Maintenance Individual fire stations will be responsible for updating and modifying their response data and forwarded to the fire marshal for review. The fire marshal must submit any additions, deletions or modifications to existing data in writing, a minimum of 15 days prior to their implementation. The 15-day time frame does not apply to a unit(s) temporarily out of service for repair, training, etc. The 911 Director will make the modification exactly as submitted unless there is a procedural conflict, in which case the change will be returned for re-evaluation. 2. Dispatching Format The telecommunicator will dispatch the fire station having jurisdiction over the location of the call. If a question arises as to the proper fire station to dispatch, the station closest to the incident (based on the information supplied by the caller) will be dispatched. All fire stations dispatched through the 911 center will be alerted by tone activated pager and/or tone activated house siren.
The proper in county fire dispatch format is as follows: 1. Select on county fire frequency 2. Key Transmitted~~pause for 2 seconds~~advise which station to standby Station 1, Station 2 standby for (ex.brush fire) 3. Select from pager screen the station to be toned and hit send~~select page stack for multiple stations. 4. Station, Station have a report of give address and cross street. 5. Activate Sirens~~ Station sirens will not be activated from 22:00 hours 07:00 hours except for Station 5 and Station 7 they will be activated on all alarms. Station 14 does not have tones to activate. 6. Once siren alert is complete~~station, Station have a report of a give address and cross street. 7. In addition, as units respond the telecommunicator will record the status of all units in the CAD system. 8. If automatic aid station is out of county- Attention Stations 05, 07 Respond to a brush fire at the intersection of Keowee Road and Highway 20 - be advised, Honea Path is being notified. 9. Unless additional call changes the status of the alarm or provide additional information as to the location, entrapment, injuries or magnitude of the fire, NO additional transmission is necessary. 10. Notification of out-of-county automatic aid stations should take place after County stations have been toned The proper out of county fire dispatch format is as follows: 1. Type of incident 2. Location of incident with cross street when available 3. Pertinent details of the incident 4. In addition, the telecommunicator will record the dispatcher name and/or operator number When out of county communication centers call our dispatch center to dispatch fire stations for mutual aid: 1. Create cad report, use event code Fire_Mutual Aid 2. Dispatch requested fire station following the in-county dispatch format giving additional information such as resources needed. 3. Fire Marshal is to be notified when two or more county stations are dispatched out of the county. The Fire Marshal will coordinate filling in those stations. In the absence of the Fire Marshal, the Chairman of the County Fire Commission will be notified.
If no 1 st alarm station has answered up within five (5) minutes, of a Dispatch, the telecommunicator will attempt to contact the dispatched units/station via radio. If there is no response, the telecommunicator will re-dispatch all 1 st alarm stations a second time. If after three (3) additional minutes (8 total) if still no 1 st alarm response, tone the next closest stations as outline in the dispatch format listed above. After this dispatch, the telecommunicator will check all equipment related to the dispatch using the handheld to ensure dispatch is transmitting out from the dispatch console. If it is a console issue the telecommunicator will create a trouble ticket and notify the 911 Director immediately. If two (2) stations are responding on 1st alarm, wait until 1st arriving station request the third station, unless they are already en-route. Once a station has been toned and enroute dispatch is not to cancel the station unless directed by I/C. I/C can cancel responding stations, specific apparatus or modify the response to nonemergency. Should another alarm be received for the area involving 1st alarm stations, the I/C should be advised and make the determination if resources can be released from the scene for other alarms. Use of "ten codes" or any other type of codes is not authorized for use within the fire communication. This is to avoid potential confusion. The use of nicknames, slang and any type of profanity is also strictly forbidden. Plain text (abbreviated) will be used. 10-8 Enroute 10-23 On Scene 10-24 Assignment completed 10-19 Back in Station County fire frequencies are not to be used for personal conversations or a locator for personnel. Personnel should use words and phrases that project a professional image of the agency and the individual transmitting. References regarding race, sexual innuendoes and religious preferences that could be offensive shall not be permitted.
3. Radio Procedures The proper radio procedure for calling and/or responding to E-911or a field unit is as follows: To call the E-911: Field Unit: Abbeville---(Unit number)~~telecommunicator: {Unit number}--- Abbeville To call a field unit: Telecommunicator: (Unit number)~~abbeville Field unit: "Go ahead, Abbeville" The telecommunicator may then transmit their message. A field unit will not call the 911 center via radio and immediately transmit their message. The filed unit will wait for the call to be acknowledged by the 911 center before transmitting its message. Failure to follow this procedure may result in missed messages with dangerous results. 4. Run Numbers / Faxing Any dispatched or non-dispatched calls will receive a run number, the cad report will auto-email once the CFS has been closed to the responding stations. 5. Complaints Any and all complaints must be submitted via the fire department password protected webpage. Once submitted the complaint will be emailed to the Fire Marshal and 911 Director. Dispatchers should report problems to their appropriate chain of command via guardian tracking. At no time should employees from 911 argue via phone or radio. They are to communicate in a manner of professionalism and courteous to all responders. 6. Designation Numbers Fire Commission represented. Ex. C-1 is commissioner of station 1. The fire commission is a governing body that oversees the operation of fire protection in the unincorporated areas of the County. The Fire Commission is comprised of one (1) elected representative from each of the County Stations. A fire commission chairman will be elected by the commission as a spokesperson. Fire Marshal F-100-Is the department head employed by the County Fire Commission to provide administrative support, training and maintenance coordination of County fire apparatus. The Fire Marshall acts as a liaison between the Fire Commission, County Council and other departments in receiving and distributing information to County stations.
Maintenance Chief F-500- Employed as preventive maintenance technician. Position Rotates from station to station maintaining the firefighting equipment and vehicles. The maintenance chief will be under the supervision of the fire marshal. Incident Commander (I.C.)- The ranking firefighter/officer that assumes overall command of the emergency. The I.C. could initially be a lower rank but could change as a senior officer/supervisor arrives on the scene. The dispatcher directs and receives information and instructions from the I.C. The I.C. is identified by the location, followed by Command. Ex. Grass fire on Keowee Rd., I.C.=Keowee Command Fire apparatus- Unit designations will be as follows; ENG-Engine, TANK- Tanker, ATK- Attack, BT- Brush Truck, SV- Service Van, GRAS- Grass Truck, LAD- Ladder Truck 7. Referred Calls In the event the communication center receives a fire call handled by another dispatch center, the telecommunicator will determine the location and nature. The call will be immediately transferred to the appropriate agency. The telecommunicator will remain on the line until the other dispatch center accepts the call. Should the call not transfer appropriately the telecommunicator will secure the necessary information from the caller and refer the call by the most expedient means available. The telecommunicator will enter into the CAD with an event code of er call For the purpose of brevity in fire communications, a numbering system has been established. Fire station numbers and fire apparatus numbers will be utilized for all radio traffic. 8. Incident Command An Incident Command Officer should be established for all fire calls. This will enhance the flow of information between field users and the 911 Center. All requests from the fire ground will come through the Incident Command Officer. The first arriving Chief or unit on the fire scene will advise the 911 Center that he/she is on scene and in command with a location and condition report. The identifier can be anything directly related to the location of the fire, such as the street name, type of building (Barn, Garage, School etc.) a known landmark (Library, Church, School etc.) or any other title which is appropriate and will be preceded by the Venue number of the incident. (I.e., 35 Lake Secession Rd Command) The Command officer should also give periodic updates to the 911 Center in regard to the ongoing situation and request entries of that information into the Incident Narrative.
9. Pager / Siren Test / Administrative Notification 10. Notification Emergency alarms ALWAYS take precedent over administrative paging. Daily tone activation and base station check will be done at 1800 hours. (On Sunday the test will be performed on back-up and then placed back on main) All pager tones will be activated on Fridays during the daily check to insure operation of the system. Announcements for meetings and training can be requested by an officer of the department to be broadcast at the time of the daily check. Any notifications after the test will not be given out. The Chiefs or Assistant Chiefs has the authority to call in dispatch to request a special tone out for special assignments that has to do with operations and activities of the fire departments. (Examples but not limited to are: Station cleanup, special meetings, fundraisers, and cleanup after fires etc..) During an emergency, the I.C. will be contacted to authorize the transmission of an administrative page. The I.C. can advise the dispatcher to return to normal traffic, once the situation is under control. Notify Fire Marshal and the primary fire station of the affected area to include road name, type and a brief description of reason for road closure. Make notification to the Fire Marshal and the primary fire station once the road / area has been re-opened. The 911 center will make notifications to any utility agency, service, or individual at the request of a fire marshal, fire chief or incident commander, as long as the request is pertinent to the incident in progress. Examples include, but are not limited to, utility companies, state agencies, building maintenance and business owners. If initial report indicates an involved structure, utilities could be automatically contacted by the dispatcher. The 911 center will make notification to the Fire Marshall of any fatalities or accidents involving responders / equipment. 11. Weather Alerts Fire stations shall be toned and informed of weather conditions and advised to follow department procedures when notified by the National Weather Service. Each Tuesday the system will be tested at 4:00 PM. 12. Personal Phone Calls The 911 center will not make personal telephone calls for fire units/personnel in the field. This will include hook flashing calls for an individual who calls in on Cellular Phone via 911 lines for purposes of bypassing the cellular air time charge. 13. County Fire Station List / Fax Numbers The Abbeville County Fire Stations under the jurisdiction of the Abbeville County Fire Commission. (Except for Station 10 & Station 12 these are municipal stations)
MUNICIPAL STATION- those fire stations located in Abbeville County not under the jurisdiction of the County Fire Commission. McGill (Station 13) is a substation of Antreville (Station 3). The call area for Antreville and McGill is the same. When toning out for emergencies, use Station 3 at all times. If a station 13 unit responds, it is technically from Station 3 however just responding from the sub-station. Headquarters- Station 20--Units that may respond will be: Engine 20, Ladder 20, Haz-Mat 20, Service 20, Tanker 20, Mechanic 20, Tractor 20. Station 1- Sharon 446-2884 Station 4- Lowdnesville 864-348-6087 Station 7- Donalds 1-800-318-3657 Station 10- Due West 379-2883 (Municipal) Station 13- McGill Sub- Station Station 2- Cold Springs 446-2153 Station 5- Keowee 864-369-7547 Station 8- Long Cane 446-2167 Station 11- Broadmounth/Turkey Creek 864-338-5523 Station 14- Bethia 391-3598 Station 3- Antreville 866-802-3608 Station 6- Edgewood 446-3361 Station 9- Montery 446-2373 Station 12- Calhoun Falls 418-9299 (Municipal) Station 20- Fire Headquarters 366-6445
Abbeville County Fire Dispatch / 700 13. Automatic Aid Is the automatic dispatching of a fire station outside their political area of jurisdiction upon receipt of an emergency on first alarm. Calhoun Falls (Station 12) assists Stations 01, 04 & 09 Due West (Station 10) assists Stations 02, 03, 05 & 07 Example - Dispatching Calhoun Falls, Station 12, on first alarm to assist Monterey, Station 09, in the rural area of the county WITHOUT additional authorization. Normally, automatic aid stations will have a geographically assigned area for first alarm as if it were part of the agency it was assisting. Anderson County: Honea Path Municipality - assists Stations 05, 07 & 11 Iva (Station 10) assists Stations 03 & 04 Ebenezer (Station 23) assists Stations 03 & 05 Craytonville (Station 21) assists Station 05 Greenwood County Hodges-Cokesbury (Station 40) assists Stations 02, 07, 08 NorthWest (Station 30 and 31) assists Station 08 Promised land (Station 20) assists Stations 01, 08 Ware Shoals (Station 45) assists Stations 07, 11 McCormick County Little River (Mt Carmel) assists Station 12 MUTUAL AID- normally considered to be second alarm, after first alarm arrives on scene and the Incident Commander determines additional resources are needed. Resources are specifically requested by the Incident Commander. NOTE: Mutual Aid could be requested prior to the first engine going on scene, depending upon physical observations. Example - Antreville, Station 03, determines additional tankers are required upon arrival or enroute. The I.C. could request tankers from Keowee, Station 05, and Ebenezer, Station 23, from Anderson County. This would be the ONLY apparatus dispatched.
Abbeville County Fire Dispatch / 700 14. Call Classification / Definitions of Incidents All fire emergencies or hazardous conditions involving the classifications listed below, unless otherwise stated, can only be cancelled by a fire authority with the exception of vehicle accidents. AIRCRACT EMERGENCY Fire, smoke, or equipment failure on aircraft in-flight or on the ground. Aircraft emergencies include but are not limited to the following: Downed (crashed), landing gear inoperative, fuel spillage or off the runway. BOMB THREAT 3 Stations Fire Marshal EMS Emergency Management National Transportation Safety Board- Down or runway accidents only (1-844-373-9922) Highway Patrol if near Highway or Road **County or State Maintained not inside City Jurisdiction** Only sent by request from 2 Stations---Dispatched to a secured stand-by location Bomb Threats can be cancelled by the requesting Law enforcement. CARDIAC ARREST 1 Station 2 EMS Coroner (FYI Notification)
CONTROL BURN Abbeville County Fire Dispatch / 700 1 Station Law enforcement All control burns will be entered into the CAD system as they come in via email. The dispatcher will enter each burn into the hot list to expire the same day at 11:59pm. as a brush fire. If it does match call the control burn contact person and verify if they are on scene and if they fire is out of control. If unable to make contact by phone or no one on scene, send recommended units. Relay any information given from law enforcement concerning the control burn to the fire departments responding. Anytime a burning ban (legally prohibits outdoor burning) has been issued for our area, contact the person immediately to make them aware of the ban. ELECTRICAL EMERGENCY Smoke, fire arcing or downed equipment used for storing, distributing or supporting electrical services. Electrical emergencies include but are not limited to the following: Downed power lines, damaged power pole, transformers, connectors or sub-stations. Should a power line be connected directly to a structure (service drop, meter base) classify as a structure. 1 Stations Electrical Utility FIRE ALARMS 2 Stations If alarm is from 21 Old Calhoun Falls Rd ( Center) the dispatcher should immediately contact the detention center and check the status of the alarm, if the alarm is false no further action will take place. ONLY the primary station will respond with back-up station personnel responding to their station for stand-by. Back-up stations will advise 911 when their stations are manned. Should the primary station fail to respond within five minutes, the first backup station will be advised to respond.
Abbeville County Fire Dispatch / 700 Out -of - county stations will not be notified of an automatic alarm on the initial toneout unless the primary station is Promise Land, then Greenwood County will be notified via phone. Should 911 receive telephone reports of a confirmed fire at the location, the primary responding station and back-up stations will be toned and advised of a confirmed fire at the location. If the alarm company confirms that the automatic alarm is false, 911 will advise the primary station of this information. The primary station will continue to the location, THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE SHALL BE TERMINATED AND PROCEED NON- EMERGENCY. GRASS / WOODS FIRE Smoke or visible flame from any type vegetation, ground cover, forest or unconfirmed control burn. Grass / woods fires include but are not limited to the following: Grass, pine needles, leaves, straw bales or trees. 2 Stations (If traffic control and/or scene control is needed) Highway Patrol **County or State Maintained roads not inside City Jurisdiction** (If traffic control and/or scene control is needed) Forestry Commission (Significant hazard to a large forested area) First alarm request from the Forestry Commission, dispatch only resources requested. HARZARDOUS MATERIAL EMERGENCY Railroad/Highway accidents or structure fires involving materials that could adversely affect human life, property or the environment. Hazardous Material emergencies include but are not limited to the following: Flammable liquids, chemicals, biological or radiological leaks, spills, or releases. 3 Stations Fire Marshal EMS Emergency Management* Law enforcement Highway Patrol **County or State Maintained roads not inside City Jurisdiction** Department of Health Environmental Control* Haz-Mat Requested by the Incident Commander
Abbeville County Fire Dispatch / 700 OTHER EMERGENCY Any device, alarm, smoke in area or citizen/law enforcement requesting assistance not specified. As determined by the Telecommunicator up to three stations on 1 st Alarm EMS- If needed Law enforcement RESCUE EMERGENCY- the request for assistance from an organized emergency medical service or private ambulance service for manpower, standby or equipment. Rescue emergencies include but are limited to the following: Drowning, cave-ins, stretcher assistance, lost persons or extraction. Determination by the Telecommunicator based upon request, or information received by the requesting agency. Rescue assistance can be cancelled by the requesting agency. RAILROAD EMERGENCY Train derailment or other incident involving the transportation of people or commodities using rail services. 2 Stations EMS Law enforcement Emergency Management 911 Director Department of Health and Environmental Control STRUCTURE FIRE Request for assistance from any device, alarm or person reporting the following conditions; visible flame and/or smoke, smoke odors, unusual electrical occurrences, heat buildup, any furnishings, appliances, within a structure or attached to a structure. Structures include but are not limited to the following: Dwellings, mobile homes, commercial and/or industrial complexes, educational, accessory, farm or agricultural uses. NOTE: If under construction, it is a structure. 3 Stations (If Station 11 send Honea Path 24 x 7 all other call types 6a-6p) EMS- Sent Code 1 (No entrapment) EMS- Sent Code 3 (If entrapment) Haz-Mat or Sort Team* at the request of Incident Commander Only
Abbeville County Fire Dispatch / 700 Tree Down (Roadway) 1 Station County Maintained Roads---County Landfill State Maintained Roads---SCDOT Private Dr---No response from fire station unless a citizen safety issue VEHICLE ACCIDENTS WITH INJURIES Accidents that involve motorized vehicles that present a further danger to occupants (entrapment), pedestrians, by-standers, other property and the environment without fire department intervention. Any overturned vehicle in or out of the roadway. Vehicle accident responses can be cancelled by, EMS or Fire personnel on the scene. 1 Station 1 Station that provides extrication if entrapment EMS Highway Patrol **County or State Maintained roads not inside City Jurisdiction** If a station fails to answer-up follow procedure under section #2. EXTRICATION Is the process of removing a vehicle from around a person who has been involved in a motor vehicle accident, when conventional means of exit are impossible. A delicate approach is needed to minimize injury to the victim during the extrication. This operation is typically accomplished by using chocks and bracing for stabilization and hydraulic tools, including the Jaws of Life. Dispatch format: Station respond extrication unit to (location) cross street Station 2 Cold Springs Response Area: Station 10 Due West Response Area: Station 1 Station 3 Station 2 Station 5 Station 6 Station 7 Station 8 Station 10 Station 14 Station 11 Station 20 Station 13
Abbeville County Fire Dispatch / 700 Station 12 Calhoun Falls Area: Station 4 Station 9 Station 12 VEHICLE ACCIDENTS FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS OR HAZARDOUS MATERIAL VEHICLE FIRE 3 Stations Fire Marshal EMS Emergency Management* Law enforcement Highway Patrol **County or State Maintained roads not inside City Jurisdiction** Department of Health Environmental Control* Haz-Mat--Requested by the Incident Commander Fire or smoke from any type of motorized, wheeled vehicle used for personal, recreational, farm, agricultural or commercial uses. Vehicle Fires include or not limited to the following: Automobiles, recreational vehicles (RVs), motorcycle, tractors or other motorized farm equipment, tractor-trailers, earth moving equipment or personal trucks. 2 Stations Law enforcement Highway Patrol **County or State Maintained roads not inside City Jurisdiction** WATER CRAFT EMERGENCY Smoke or fire from a craft used on the water for recreational or commercial uses. Watercraft emergencies include but are not limited to the following: Boats (ski, pontoon, house or fishing), or jet skis. 2 Stations DNR- If incident occurred on the water
Notes: 08/25/2017 Changed Electrical Fire back to 1 station as originally set 10/02/2017 Added complaint section 10/09/2017 Added Cardiac Arrest 12/11/2017 Change to Section #4, Station 4 email set-up to auto email 01/03/2018 Change to Section #4, All stations are now set up to auto email Add to Section #10, Fire Marshal Notification