Mohegan FD VAC Switches Dispatch to 60 Control 5/24/04

[CG206 29]

As of 10am Mon. 5/24/04, Mohegan FD VAC will be switching dispatch to 60 Control =D> . Mohegan FD VAC's frequency is 462.200. Mohegan EMS will no longer be toned out over 46.26.

[COMMANDCHIEF 4]

Thank Chris!! Now we can work on getting the dispatcher to stop repeating everything the units in the field are saying.

[Guest CFDFASTleader]

Good luck.

I wish Croton could convince the powers that be to change to the professional dispatchers at 60 control.

Right now we use the Croton Police Department (ok most of the time), but they have enough to worry about without adding the FD.

[Guest EMSwhitecloud]

Chris...maybe now we'll be dispatched properly.......

[tbendick 27]

Now we can work on getting the dispatcher to stop repeating everything the units in the field are saying.

What does this mean?? Are you talking about them repeating everything that 60-control says or everything that the engines and ladders say?

If you are talking about them repeating the Engines, then I think that is someting good. With a radio system that doesn't repeat like UHF, The first due unit might be making reports that other units need to hear.

Such as "On scene have fire on the 2nd floor of a private house" Now the other units can start think about how to fight the fire. As well as the dispatcher repeating it lets the field unit know he heard them and they will know if he got the message right.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Bendick,

He is referring to one career firefighter being that Mohegan gets dispatched by their paid staff whom likes to give a ton of info on every call. He also believes in the echo procedure which means you repeat everything said to you. It is taught in dispatch courses, but sometimes my brother will take it to the extreme. Take his dispatching measures, sending out the tone when it was an ems call several times, add Somers tone parade and forget about anyone else getting stuff in at times.

That's one more extra off 46.26. And another group of people receiving EMD (well they should be anyway.)

Who's next (or who should be) Croton? Ossining? Briarcliff? EMS

[Remember585 815]

I made the effort to switch in Croton - DENIED! ](*,)

Our White Hats must be afraid of a better service, because we're losing out almost as much as the people we serve.

[COMMANDCHIEF 4]

ALS you have struck the nail right on the head. I have NO PROBLEM with them repeating IMPORTANT INFO, but listen to them. You will understand what I'm talking about. 90% of the listening area does. Good luck with the move. 60 is the way to go.

[BFD1054 1,552]

John, not for nothing, and i am not bashing, but i give you guys a lot of credit for dealing with PD dispatching. As CFDFASTleader said, the PD has enough to worry about and listen to & then to add the responsibility of the FD/EMS, that is too much! I dispatched for a PD for a short time, and let me tell you, it is not easy by any means! Not only are you listening to radios, but constantly entering data into the computers and answering numerous phone lines. Personally, i don't think any PD should dispatch an FD, for the simple fact that they have soo much to worry about already! PD dispatchers have lives in thier hands essentially, as do Fire/EMS dispatchers, and it is not very safe or fair for the officers who are on the road. God forbid an officer is calling for assistance, but the dispatcher doesn't hear them because they are tied up dispatching a fire or ems call. But getting back to Croton. As i said, i am not bashing, but there are some people at CPD that seem like they just don't listen to the FD/EMS radio after they dispatch something. After the call at Skyview the other day, Car 2082 was trying to advise PD of certain info, but they weren't responding. Then, when all units cleared, the dispatcher wouldn't answer any of them. I am surprised that they even heard Commands request for a general alarm or to switch fireground operations to a secondary channel! Again, this is all just my own opinion and i am not knocking anyone. I just believe that PD's should only have to be concerned with PD related incidents. Then again, 60-Control is busy as hell to, but at least they are familiar with Fire/EMS dispatching and that is what they are good at!

[FF402 133]

So, let me get this straight.....Mohegan is now dispatched by two separate agencies? Fire by one, EMS by another? EMS is part of the FD I thought. I just think this fragments things even more. Fire should go to 60 as well.

[DRD 0]

If 60 dispatched Mohegan Fire and EMS the County may have to hire additional personnel! lol.

[Grumpy 1]

Sounds like a good move for LMFD. Good for the VAC, good for the career FF's, and good for business for the Pros at WC Dispatchers' office. It would be nice if it improved response times but I doubt it.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Mohegan VAC separated from the fire district by name a couple years ago.

Commandchief, I'm not disagreeing with you, you know I call him the informant, I'm just making a general statement that several depts. could lighten up on the dispatching end.

[hudson144 150]

glad to see them go! the call volume is one of the largest in the north county and now that the ems part of lmfd is gone the air waves might be a little more open. alot of times the guys at lmfd had to transmit the call 3-4 times before the call was covered(unless it was a car accident or something exciting then the members were all over the place) hope it works out for all involved!

[WAS967 97]

WE have one department that I deal with on a not so regular occasion (identity hidden to protect the guilty) that dispatches fire and ambulance. It's a regular problem that they don't call for ALS when they should, and then when BLS gets to the scene they can't figure out why thier medic isn't anywhere near them. I would love to see them move thier dispatch to 60 control, beause when 60 dispatches us, it's the only time that thier ALS gets dispatched at the same time (or so it seems).

[Mofire24 27]

I know most of the county is thankful do to the fact our ems is on another channel totally its been two days and being a member of both fire and ems with mohegan its a big change to get use too i keep checking my pager to see if its on all the time because the last two days have been so quiet it is a good thing it does free up alot of airtime Hudson to address what you said it wasnt all the time we toned out 3-4 times for each call you taking a handful of calls that we do. As a vac we respond to around 3500 calls a year wich is alot for an all volunteer ems agency to handle but we handle it yes car accidents and other calls do get covered faster because we cover alot of bs calls at nursing homes and other facilities that members are burnt out that you to everyone else for supporting mohegan.

[PVFD113 6]

The move to 60 has benefits for both career and volunteers. One thing less for the career guys to worry about, and no more 5 minute delay in dispatching. It has already been proven in less than a week!!! The engine and the utility are BEHIND the ambulance =D> not on location before they dispatch the VAC [-X

[hudson144 150]

mofire-sorry to disagree but i have sat behind that desk where you paige out 3-4 times and a response is handed off to a mutual aid co. as soon as a mva came in the phone rang off the hook of members being available for the call. don't take it wrong,lmfd is one of the busiest and you are not the only organization that has a problem when it comes to the so called "bs" call-keep up te good work!

[Guest alsfirefighter]

I also have heard and seen first hand how that works also Hudson. I've sat at 3441 Lexington Ave for Peekskill VAC to come in. Only to watch 2 ambulances go by 10 mins. later for a wreck on the BMP. That situation will be around for as long as there is volunteer EMS.

Also, I still haven't seen the engine or utility behind the ambulance all that often. That's not a knock on MVAC, its normal when you come from home to get a crew. However the comment made about earlier about them being behind, I personally think was a knock.

[COMMANDCHIEF 4]

ALS. Your right. There are several agencies that should take their EMS off the the main FD dispatch frequency. The using the radio like it is a telephone is out though. If a busy job with it's own dispatchers has that much to say, it would prove more effective for the agency as a whole to go to their own frequency like Elmsford.

[PVFD113 6]

It was not a knock. Simply stating it--there were times when an extended delay in dispatch. Yes it takes longer to drive from home--no doubt -- but now at least both agencies are notified simultaniously as to reduce the ambulance response time. Someone stated earlier that a PD sould not have to focus on anything else other then PD work. Well the same goes for career FD personnel. Dispatching is just another thing for them to worry about. The career staff provides crucial first responder care to the citizens. If you are trying to say I have an issue with the career FF's as a whole--I DO NOT. Sorry if I mis stated my case in my previous entry.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

PVFD:

I couldn't agree with you last post more. Good clarification too. The biggest problem with what goes on in much of Westchester is the fact that they allowed the PD's to be all the PSAP's in the county. So in Mohegan's case, they often received 911 calls from 2 different police agencies, not including cell phone 911 calls that could be answered anywhere depending on what highway your on, and then they would have to dispatch it, keep track of who is what, going where and oh yeah, what does the VAC need now as far as a crew and oops I still have to call 60 control to get the Cortlandt ALS system dispatched. Which, often caused a bit of a delay if they picked up the phone to call them first then toned out the ambulance, right or wrong on doing that is a seperate argument. Then if they dumped house, they would divert calls to 60 control anyway. Not to mention it cost several 1,000 people to miss out on EMD being they weren't trained nor had the resources to do it anyway.

[PVFD113 6]

So I think we agree that every one could benefit from 60 being the first PSAP with the PD's as a back up. They do an outstanding job. Firefighters are firefighters, cops are cops, medic's are medic's--etc... At least to some extent

[Grumpy 1]

To PVFD 113 I've got to agree that having 60 Control dispatch Mohegan VAC is good, but the Career FF's usually toned out the VAC within a minute, not five, and not after the Eng. got on the scene. Also the times that the Amb. responds ahead of, or with the Eng. & Utility are rare! Five plus mins. behind is more like it.

[PVFD113 6]

Let me clarify a bit--There were specific instances where there was a severe delay in dispatch. How is it that the utility can fly past me lights and sirens and yet the VAC tones were not hit for 3-5 minutes. I have nothing to lose or gain here--what I state is fact that I have seen with my own eyes. No it was not every time. There were numerous though. All you had to do is listen to the scanner and hear 10-17 from a eng. or utility--then wait for a few for the VAC notification. Like I siad--it was not everytime--but what was the reason when it did happen??? Call comes in, call the appropriate station for the eng. response, then dispatch--maybe but when you are waiting for an ambulance--it seems like forever.

Maybe this whole issue is getting blown out of proportion. The point is this-Dispatch is in the best place it can be right now. Anyone can give their own version of pro's and con's. The important thing is that the public is receiving the service they depend on (and pay taxes for). We are ALL professionals!!!! We should ALL work together!!! Let's ALL just get along!!!

[Guest ModeratorRobot]

Posts regarding the Centralized 911 system concept in Westchester have been split into a new thread entitled:

"Westchester Centralized Fire/EMS 911 System"

You can find that thread in the Radio forum or follow the link below:

http://emtbravo.just5buckshosting.com/phpB...opic.php?t=1151

Please refer all discussion on that topic to the above thread.

Feel free to continue discussion regarding Mohegan VAC's new disaptch agency here.

[DES630 10]

OK TO ALL THAT BELONG TO MOHEGAN VAC...AND ONLY THOSE THAT BELONG TO THE VAC...IT IS HAS BEEN SEVERAL WEEKS NOW AND I AM CURIOUS TO KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT 60-CONTROL DISPATCHING YOU. BE HONEST. DO YOU SEE A DIFFERENCE AT ALL? FROM ALL ASPECTS OF IT..EX. DISPATCH TIME, TRANSMITTIONS, HOW YOU ARE BEING TONED OUT ETC....

[Mofire24 27]

Personally there arent any complaints that i know of everyone is very happy there are some emergency calls still answered by mohegan and its amazing seeing the utility tear out of the firehouse and 5 mins later we get the call because some of the nursing homes dont call 911 and the FD feels they have to call for the yorktown medic then the ambulance so there are a few things that have to get handled on the fire side but we are all happy

[CG206 29]

I myself have not heard of many complaints. As Mofire pointed out, there are some minor glitches that have to worked out, as happens in all transitions. Besides that, the change has been very positive!!