"I am responding" radio systems - what do you do?

[Guest kb822]

I was just wondering besides knowing that mahopac falls has used this system IS anyone else in the county going to it yet? We have the program set up in our facility(putnam valley ambulance). I was wondering whom else has used it or has an opionion on it. i know the county s trying to implement it to try and not tie up the phone lines anymore. Or is my captain just trying to make us assume that the county is doing this to try and change our whole building to a computer based system=recipe for disaster.

[LCFD994 8]

I know that the County Teams are using it, and I think Mahopac FD is as well. I havent used it yet except to test it so I cant tell you if I like it or not.

[64FFMJK 21]

Arlington in Dutchess is using it. I like it so far. We have amonitor set up as soon as you walk in the door at my station so you can see who is on the way to the station or scene. it was also used to plan manpower during storm standbys by having members log into the system and update if they were avalible to respond from home or enter the hours they were avalible to be at the station for standby. I know it also has the ability to text mesage members with information but I am not sure as to the details. Deputy Cheif Pells can probably give beter details.

[Guest feraldan]

My VAC uses it too, it has been invaluable. The customer service is exceptional.

[RichC 0]

Could somebody give me an overview of what this system is and how it works. Thanks

[TAPSJ 30]

East Fishkill uses it. It is awesome. You can have yourself on duty for EMS or Fire. You can call in to the system and it comes up at the firehouse. So if the cal is between you and the firehouse and you go straight to the scene the triver can go driver alone or with one interior. Also gives you a chance to see your man power to the scene. You call an 877 number and push a number to say where you are going. For East Fishkill we have all stations and then for a second call, so we use all 9 numbers. Also, you can program the peoples names, rank, job title and response time. Also, Chief can send out emails or texts messages to you. It has a running banner for scheduals, like meetings and drills. I think the program is great as long as the mebers use it I hope this helps.

IAmResponding.com

Thomas

Edited January 22, 2009 by TAPSJ

[DCJPells 29]

Anybody know how the title changed? This started out as an I Am Responding and now the title does not fit the forum.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Interesting idea, have all the bugs been worked out yet?

[antiquefirelt 994]

Is this a "new" system? The Thread title says I AM RESPONDING radio system and the OP is talking about eliminating phone system traffic?

In our case we have the exact opposite. We use the phone based system to eliminate radio traffic. It has been invaluable to us, and our regional dispatch is very impressed and wants all FD's and EMS to use it. As was also noted, I have yet to deal with an computer based tech support even close to as good as these folks.

[NWFDMedic 58]

I have seen it in action at a couple of departments and quite honestly I'm not a fan. First of all, you're expecting your members to make a phone call either (a) before they leave wherever they are or (b.) while driving. Neither responsibility is one I would put on my fire district, especially with younger members driving to calls and us older guys sometimes waking up from a dead sleep to go to a call. Some have said that it's only 2 or 3 keys that have to be pressed, but that's still 2 or 3 too many in my opinion. Think of this conversation... "So, let me get this straight Chief, your member was calling an automated response system that you required when he backed out of his driveway and hit little Johnny."

The other thing that it doesn't give you is correct information. If there's a call at 8pm and one of my members were to put in that he's resonding, it gives an ETA, but the problem is that ETA is from their home. If he's at Wal-Mart, I might be waiting for him because I figure he's up the street and he's really not. I suppose for departments that allow members to go directly to the scene, it might help people at the firehouse figure out who is going to be there for the crew, but I honestly didn't think that many departments are still allowing members to go to the scene.

Edited January 22, 2009 by NWFDMedic

[citystation1848 15]

More departments should do this, especially ones in Southern Dutchess, and the busy ones on the river. It makes sense for departments that are busy, and have manning. That way you can track whos en route, at the firehouse etc.

[RH31379 0]

Mahopac has been piloting it as long as mahopac falls since sometime in the beginning of september. I was originally not a fan. a When we started the county had us piloting it for fire and ems, which worked perfectly during a thunderstorm, multiple calls going on and as we called in enroute teh dispatcher just acknowledged it on the radio. no delay in waiting to get acknowledged. that has since changed and not it is ems geared with the ditpatch center to eliminate the number of incoming calls to cover an ems call. instead tehy have a 40"+ screen on the walls and can have smaller screens on they dispatch consoles to see that a call is covered or not. As for making a phone call while responding to a call? In putnam we call into cover EMS so your on teh phone anyway and now through working out some of our own trial and error and changing the call in options the total phone call doesnt last anymore then 9 seconds. now tell me thats to long? As far as calling in... if you preform a specific task then it can be programmed into a pause function on ur phone and it is even faster. I have the number in speed dial so i hold the button on my phone until it dials and dut the phone down and it hangs up it self so it is not distracting at all. It has worked great with the only exceptions being members not knowing the codes or the internet going down at the 911 center but that wasn't iamresponding.

as for the put valley member wondering whats going on, the county did purchase the system for everyone and is in the process of rolling this out to all agencies it takes a little getting used to but seems to work well.

[x129K 1,393]

City of |Poughkeepsie uses it. I like it. SnkBtn can give more info, as can DFC278.

[texastom791 31]

I know in putnam that the fire investigation team uses it the hazmat team uses it and brewster and mahopac were doing a trial before they let the rest of the county use it.

[191SH 4]

we use it in Dobbs Ferry for the ambulance corp. the system is outstanding for the $900 a year it cost plus the cost of the 800 number. This is how it works after you are toned out if you are going to respond you call the 800 number assigned to your department and you have a choice of pressing responding to scene , or responding to the rig, whatever you decide. so now you call in and you are an emt and when you arrive you look at the screen and see only you called in and you still need a driver so you repage for a driver lets assume after 1 minute you see john smith's name pop up on the screen and he is a driver it will tell you approx. how long before he arrives at the bay and you now know in 2 minutes you will have a crew. with this system you can see how many calls a member has been on, schedule night crews bulk email all members at once, text all members , print reports and much more. in a nut shell it tells you who is responding and keeps all of your call reports and points in order.

[x129K 1,393]

I will add that when you send the alert - it hits your email and phone INSTANTLY!

[ajsbear 11]

We've been using it in Garrison for a few months and it works well. Drivers and officers know who is coming.

[PEMO3 523]

One question, does anyone know the cost. The say on the web site "affordable" but there is affordable and practical when it comes to budget line items these days.

[DCJPells 29]

The I am responding subscription is about $900 for the year. There are discounts for multi year subscriptions. Our monthly phone charges have been about $10-20. This is a charge for the system to do the text messaging.

[JetPhoto 626]

Beacon Ambulance uses it and it seems to work well

[PC_420 28]

Ok just to clarify: The system has been on a pilot program with the Mahopac Falls and Mahopac Fire Depts and the County Special Teams(Haz-Mat, Coordinators, Fire Police, Fire Investigation). At 911, the system is used mainly for EMS when it comes to the FD's. The county is in the process of expanding it to all fire and EMS departments. And as a dispatcher at Putnam for four years, this is one of the few systems Putnam has done well in picking and implementing and I truly appreciate the ease of looking at the dispatch screen for whos responding instead of shuffling through phone calls.

If you would like more info or I believe there is a trial to show how it works try www.iamresponding.com

Feel free to PM me for anymore.

[effd3918 34]

another problem I could see happening is someone prematurely calls into the system and actually has something else to do. In the EMS field this could mean 911 centers delaying dispatches bc they feel someone is en route and inb the fire field it could mean a rig is down to one interior or no manpower

[EFFD4091-MLSS emt 13]

another problem I could see happening is someone prematurely calls into the system and actually has something else to do. In the EMS field this could mean 911 centers delaying dispatches bc they feel someone is en route and inb the fire field it could mean a rig is down to one interior or no manpower

There is or will be a way to Delete your call very shortly....it depends what your #'s are programmed for... if i am not mistaken

[Guest]

this system works very well, especially on night EMS calls. Even for a older (tech challenged person). Speed dial number and hit the correct resonse buttom. Ten seconds or so.

[antiquefirelt 994]

There is or will be a way to Delete your call very shortly....it depends what your #'s are programmed for... if i am not mistaken

Our system has the number 9 assigned as "Canceling Response". This indicates you will not be showing up as previously indicated. We caution our people to not sign in if they cannot come to the station or call, but there are those times when something happens (stuck in snowbank, family emergency, etc). Most often this is used when the call is canceled by the officer on scene very quickly and those coming in from far away or with something pressing do not want to get tied up.

As a side note, I just tried this with my new ITouch (can't get IPhones this far North) and it works great! As long as wireless is up, I can view who's coming from wherever I am.

Edited January 23, 2009 by antiquefirelt

[50-65 205]

Mmm. I don't know. Just seems like an un-necessary and added expense and something else to go wrong.

You have to rely on a phone. First problem. There are actually people out there without cell phones. If you have a phone, you have to have signal. Not a problem around here as long as you have Verizon.

For where I live in Newburgh, if I used Nextel/Sprint I would have to stand with one leg in the middle of the road, the other at a 45' angle to the south with one arm pointed north and the other holding a 10' metal pole to the east and hope I could get enough signal to dial out and that it lasted long enough to make the connection. In that amount of time, I could be at the station and gearing up.

For volunteer fire depts, most have been in long enough to know generally who's around when and who you can count on. For volly EMS, duty crews at the bay would eliminate the need for this. Otherwise, pay up and there is no issue.

I would also hope that it works better than the text alert system that Orange County uses. Sometimes we get the text before the pager goes off, other times, we get the text 3 days later, if at all.

Edited January 24, 2009 by 50-65

[NWFDMedic 58]

The more I think about this system, I suppose it would be great for specialized teams (Hazmat, Collapse, Trench, etc.) but for day-to-day operations, I think it's more of a senseless expense than anything else. If your area still works on a call-in system for EMS, which I'm pretty sure we're all out of the dark ages, I guess this could be an upgrade and could eliminate headaches in the dispatch center.

[ckroll 101]

I think it will be problematic in Putnam Valley. We currently don't have a problem covering calls. If 3 EMTs call in, I guess they all go to the scene or station and first one wins? That's great for the patient, but the third time I get left or told I am not needed at scene is when I lose interest in responding. .. and that ends up not being so great for future patients. EMS is dynamic. I think keeping a human element involved in decision making makes for more appropriate responses.

Say we have an EMT to the rig and a driver/EMT to the scene. How do we resend the driver/ EMT to the rig? Or do we wait for another driver to call in or go mutual aid because there is no driver at the rig? The advantage of call-in in our district, which is one of the largest in New York, is to get closest resources assigned. If the new system is first speed dial wins, then we might as well tell vollies that they must do duty shifts in quarters, and then we don't need the fancy system.

[ckroll 101]

I think it will be problematic in Putnam Valley. We currently don't have a problem covering calls. If 3 EMTs call in, I guess they all go to the scene or station and first one wins? That's great for the patient, but the third time I get left or told I am not needed at scene is when I lose interest in responding. .. and that ends up not being so great for future patients. EMS is dynamic. I think keeping a human element involved in decision making makes for more appropriate responses.

Say we have an EMT to the rig and a driver/EMT to the scene. How do we resend the driver/ EMT to the rig? Or do we wait for another driver to call in or go mutual aid because there is no driver at the rig? The advantage of call-in in our district, which is one of the largest in New York, is to get closest resources assigned. If the new system is first speed dial wins, then we might as well tell vollies that they must do duty shifts in quarters, and then we don't need the fancy system.

[NWFDMedic 58]

I think it will be problematic in Putnam Valley. We currently don't have a problem covering calls. If 3 EMTs call in, I guess they all go to the scene or station and first one wins? That's great for the patient, but the third time I get left or told I am not needed at scene is when I lose interest in responding. .. and that ends up not being so great for future patients. EMS is dynamic. I think keeping a human element involved in decision making makes for more appropriate responses.

Say we have an EMT to the rig and a driver/EMT to the scene. How do we resend the driver/ EMT to the rig? Or do we wait for another driver to call in or go mutual aid because there is no driver at the rig? The advantage of call-in in our district, which is one of the largest in New York, is to get closest resources assigned. If the new system is first speed dial wins, then we might as well tell vollies that they must do duty shifts in quarters, and then we don't need the fancy system.

Sorry to break it to ya, but PV isn't even close to one of the largest districts in the state. There are some districts upstate that would make Putnam County look small.

Anyhow, that wasn't the point of my post. Am I reading correctly that you guys still call into the 911 center to tell them that you are responding? If so, I stand corrected; I thought those systems went away with the 1980's. I would assume that most departments have some type of pager to alert you for calls. With the decreasing prices of some of the small radios out there, many departments are using them as pagers as well. Why not get radios at a similar price, get a frequency, and put up a cheap repeater in your town somewhere. Then you guys can talk to each other and figure out the response.