Headset Intercom System in Fire Trucks

[CM36 4]

Is this a good idea and does it work your thoughts on this topic

Is it a good idea to have the head piece units in your fire truck as a intercom system

[Guest DG795]

We had an intercom system in E271 (1996 KME 1500/1000). We took it out...it seems cool for a while, but firefighters just didnt want to use it after a while. What is nice though is that radio traffic can be patched into it, but this can also be achieved by just putting a speaker in the rear. E273 and E270 dont have the system, decided to save the money, and we are not missing it.

[x635 4,066]

It's used widely in California

With new apparatus open cab design, it's not really that practical. For a doghouse style engine, the can be very beneficial. However, they are hard and tricky to wear when trying to put on your SCBA and gear.And of course, this type of system works best for a tiller and a walk in rescue, where members are seperated significantly

I dont think as an intercom sytem is the best/only use for this. I think a headset type device system works best when it is wired so the pump panell/ladder operator can wear one, keeping his hands mostly free and drowns out some of the background noise.

Even might be a good idea in the TL bucket, or for the officer/driver to keep his hands free, when you a foot switch, it frees up your hands.

Boston and Worcester EMS have these for their C-Med (Medical Control) radios. They have a foot switch and knee switch. When you are taking care of a critical patient, it's nice to be able to talk to the doc/hosp and have your hands free.

Ive also seen a new smaller wireless generation of these devices, that "plug"(maybe transfer over is a better word, since they are wirelss) right into your portable when you unplug from the truck, and also intergrate with your SCBA mask.

These definetly can improve safety and effeciency when used appropritely.

[RadnorCo15 0]

I was never a big fan of the headsets until I started using them. I remember riding in the back of Ardsley's Quint 1 and you could only hear half of the radio traffic (the driver/officer's messages were not patched through) and the traffic you did hear was obnoxiously loud and most of the time was just disconnected. With the headset, you can monitor all radio traffic including that eminating from the vehicle you are in, while the officer can easily give pre-arrival instructions without having to compete with the Q, engine noise, or partions otherwise making communication between the crew difficult or impossible. As for donning gear in the rig, that's just silly. You should have it on when you get on the truck, or don it at the scene. You're a fool to be a unrestrained passenger in a vehicle, especially a fire truck. We've all scene what can happen. Donning SCBA's with the intercoms works well if you have alternating seats and you use the intercom opposite you. With the cord now fully extended in front of you, there is no longer the problem of getting it tangled in your SCBA behind you. All of our vehicles have ports for the headsets for fire scene ops either at the pump, ladder control panel, and points from which rescue tools are deployed/operated.

[x635 4,066]

These systems are also good for hearing protection from sirens.

[CFD320 35]

As an officer, it seems to me giving assignments to individual crew member’s enroute to incidents would be easier. I have never used an intercom system, since my engine is not equipped with one. I think the design of the cab makes a big difference when deciding if an intercom would be beneficial.

[afd65 4]

x635 i agree with u. u don't want any1 trying to sue a enigine company for there seirns being too lound now?

also who has this is westchester county?

[Remember585 815]

All of Croton's rigs at one point had David Clark headsets for the Officer's seat and pump panel (or in the case of the old L44, at the turntable). I, for one, like the headsets, but we had nothing but problems with them. We had low audio transmissions from them, and the audio coming in was also poor. With the old L44 and old E120, I believe they had a constant whine in them too. We toyed with the idea of putting them at every seat in the new E119, but we decided not to go with it. Reasons for this included the cost, mounting headaches and probable lack of use. The majority of our calls are only a few minutes from station, and by the time the guys gets suited up and listen in, we would be pulling up on scene. More then likely, we will have them at the Officer's seat and pump panel once again, hopefully with better luck.

[COMMANDCHIEF 4]

I would recomend the headset for apparatus with open jump seats. I know we had an old LaFrance that had and open jump seat. The engine was between the two FF's in the rear and was very loud. I would imagine the headset being helpful to communication. But the one where the headset/intercom system would really help is on another rig that has an open jump seat with four positions. The only way to communicate from the officerrs seat to the ff's in the rear is to yell through a small window that opens on the wrong side for the officer, and then the guys in the rear have to lean over the SCBA rack in the rear to hear anything. Not a good system, but the thing is over 21 years old. In this day and age, with the enclosed cab. I really don't see a need .

[CFD320 35]

Yes, 118 has headsets for engineer, officer, and pump panel. No intercom abilities though.

[doug_e 0]

I took a ride in a Fairview engine a couple of years back that had just been delivered. It had headsets in all positions. All had mics, only the driver and officer had radio b'cast capability. The driver could unplug from the cab and plug into the pump panel on the scene.

E93 in Briarcliff had headsets when the rig was new but have since been disconnected. We still have 'em and think, sometimes, that we might reinstall them. Many people don't like them but I personally think they're useful for intra-rig comms.

We've been looking at an adapter to connect the drivers portable to a headset for on-scene comms.