EdAngiolillo

Same down in my neck of the world. Montgomery and Chester Counties use "plain language" as well. The 911 service I work for is Station 87 and has, for example, Ambulances 87-1 through 87-6 (can be called MICU if ALS-staffed), Medic 87-1 and 87-2, and Utility 87. (I'll post some pics in better weather). Our associated fire company has Chief 47, Deputy 47, etc,...pumpers are simply ENGINE XX-1, -2, etc,.. (ENGINE XX-5 or -6 indicate pumper tankers, a throwback to our old system), ladders are LADDER XX, TOWER XX or QUINT XX, rescues are RESCUE XX and so on. Lieutenants, engineers and specialty officers are identified by a two-digit number after the station (XX-10 is the chief engineer, XX-20 = ambulance captain, XX-30 = fire police captain, etc,...). I'm going to throw this out there: will this be a mandatory change? I know several coal country counties in PA changed their systems when they went to a county-wide 911 system and in both counties, quite a few departments simply refused to change and continue to maintain their "old" numbers.

Hi, all. Its just me, TCA-ALS25, decloaked for now (until I can get my username/password issue resolved). Anyway, I recently moved to a small suburban town NW of Philly that's undergoing some significant - and positive growth - changes. Presently, there are 3 independent volunteer companies in town, supplemented with career personnel. The plan is to consolidate into one borough-run department. The plan is sound and well-researched and calls for the following: Station 65 will become the primary fire/rescue station. Currently, they operate a pumper, quint and tac/support truck. A new, larger and more centrally-located station will be built. Station 66 will be decertified, sadly, due to a consistent lack of response from their volunteers. As we're located along the banks of the Schuylkill River, they also operate the regional dive and swift-water rescue unit and will continue in that respect. Station 67 on the West End is primarily the EMS for the borough and several surrounding townships. The paid staff are all FF/medics and cross-staff the fire apparatus as needed (a common plan in Chester County's combination departments). They will continue exclusively as the borough's EMS, with the fire apparatus (2 pumpers and a heavy rescue) moved to the "new" department station. Station 65 will become a combination career/volunteer station, staffing TBD by the borough. There is an excellent mutual aid agreement in place, with 2 bordering companies (with 3 stations)in-county and another company across the river in Montgomery County assigned to most boxes (either on the initial or WFD box). Now, with all that said, the questions have become these: how will this change the borough's ISO rating and how many insurance companies actually use the ISO rating as a benchmark for setting their homeowner rates? Hope everyone had a great holiday season and here's to a healthy, safe and prosperous 2012 to all!

Sorry, bnechis. I should have said "distance," not time. I was thinking of the response time from the central station. Under the current system, all stations respond on a box alarm. As far as "mutual aid," again, that may be local nomenclature here. On all initial alarms, Stations 65 and 67 respond, plus Tower 61 from Kimberton and a pumper from Valley Forge. A WFD box (working fire dispatch, what you may call a 10-75?) brings in the balance of Kimberton and Valley Forge, plus Mont Clare from across the river. Subsequent alarms are predetermined and based on location and need. Hope that clears things up.

Congrats, Seth!

Thanks! I always knew I could rely on the "experts" in the Hudson Valley! :-) As far as response time, the study showed a centrally-located station a few blocks away from the downtown could respond just as fast to all parts of the borough as any one of the individual companies. In fact, the current three station system is really overkill in this day and age. As far as water supply, we have hydranted water in the borough. Oddly enough, just over the border, most of the area is farming or mountains (Valley Forge National Park is about 3 miles west of me!) and requires tanker support, unless its one of the new McMansion developments. As I said, the mutual aid agreements allow for quite a bit more apparatus and all of the companies are highly-trained and well-staffed by volunteers, although Kimberton has paid FF during the day, Mon-Sat. And one company's sub-station is actually just over the border from the borough (and down the street from the West End station)and was placed because of the aforementioned McMansion developments on an old, huge farm. Again, thanks for the information. Stay safe and I'll have to buy you guys a round next time I get to Arlington to see my family.