Incident Alerts-What Do YOU Want To See?

[EMTbravo 312]

Members,

I'd like some feedback regarding our Incident Alert section.

Do you feel that the areas the Incident Alerts covers are appropriate? For instance, do you want to see every structure fire in Upstate NY (beyond the Hudson Valley), or just larger, more notable incidents for these outlying areas? Same goes for other outlying areas.

What constitutes an incident that is worthy of an Incident Alert? What type of incidents are acceptable, and what aren't?

What do you like to see, and what don't you like to see?

Any other thoughts, ideas, of feedback is welcomed. Please post on this thread. This feedback will help us continue to grow and shape the Incident Alert section.

I also would like to mention that we truly appreciate all those that write Incident Alerts and make the forum what it is. Without the members who contribute to the IA section, we'd have nothing. Thank you!

Seth G. on behalf of the EMTBravo Staff.

[JJB531 652]

My only complaint about the IA's is when someone reads a news article online and then generates an IA based on the article that just regurgitates the information contained in the article and doesn't offer any real "inside information" (times, units who responded, radio transmissions, etc.)

[JM15 386]

I personally dont care about every fire in upstate NY.... it was great when it was more local with only significant national events. Lately it has become a nuisance instead of a viable news source for me.

[PFDRes47cue 653]

I would like to see significant events. I think that fires from different areas are alright if an EMTBRAVO member worked the job. Things can be learned from people experiences outside of Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess. I am not a fan of fires being posted that are called U/C after a matter of minutes...a dryer fire is not that exciting.

While I understand people saying that they do not care about every fire from upstate NY (and I don't think all are posted), they should keep in mind that some people do not care about every fire in downstate NY.

[firedude 985]

Well here is my opinion...

What I like to see:

Structure Fires, Car Fires, Major MVAs, MVAs w/injurys, MVAs w/extrication, MVAs w/rolloversMCIs, Aircraft emergencies, Hazmat incidents, rescues, marine fires and rescues, large Brush Fires

What I don't like to see:

False alarms, minor MVAs, medical calls, lockouts, kitchen fires, chimney fires w/out extention to structure, small brush fires, grill fires, animal rescues, ems assists,

Overall, I think thses are good rules... Acceptable Types Of Incidents For IA's-Guidelines

I also do not like to see 2 IAs for 1 incident. If there are 2, then the they should be merged onto the post with more info. [FYI, there is two for the Purchase MVA-Mods please fix]. I also would like see that everything is filled out on the template given. I would like to see the actual unit designations that was at the scene rather then just the department names. The First Due department should be listed first. Then the other departments should be mentioned in the order they are requested or dispatched. If there is a FASTeam, it should be noted in the post. If a frequnecy is not know, then the reporter/writer should look it up online. For most major scenes (ie. fires) a time of dispatch and a the time when all units are clear should be stated (if known). If the incident took place on a highway, try to state the milemarker or closest exit with direction (ie. northboud vs Southbound). Posts should have proper titles with Location, Type of incident and the date. If a notable media source has a article about the incident, I would like to see a link to the article. If there is a seperate discusion about the incident, a link should be posted. There should be no photos allowed in the IA. I think it is a good que to post a call if the county bat. cordinator is on scene. There should be no 10- codes used when writing out IAs.

Just my 2 cents.

[x129K 1,393]

I dont give a rats rear end about what engine responded at what time I want the size up! Tell me what they had.

[INIT915 1,119]

I would say, there has been a recent trend of posting an increasing number of non-local events that are hardly significant. Also, I have to agree with JJB, seeing an IA timestamped 5 minutes after the Journal News posted a story is useless.

[xfirefighter484x 234]

My only complaint about the IA's is when someone reads a news article online and then generates an IA based on the article that just regurgitates the information contained in the article and doesn't offer any real "inside information" (times, units who responded, radio transmissions, etc.)

...it was great when it was more local with only significant national events. Lately it has become a nuisance instead of a viable news source for me.

I would say, there has been a recent trend of posting an increasing number of non-local events that are hardly significant. Also, I have to agree with JJB, seeing an IA timestamped 5 minutes after the Journal News posted a story is useless.

100% agreed with all preceding posters. The Staff is working to revise our IA guidelines, and other aspects of the site, all input is welcome!

I would like to see significant events. I think that fires from different areas are alright if an EMTBRAVO member worked the job. Things can be learned from people experiences outside of Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess. I am not a fan of fires being posted that are called U/C after a matter of minutes...a dryer fire is not that exciting.

While I understand people saying that they do not care about every fire from upstate NY (and I don't think all are posted), they should keep in mind that some people do not care about every fire in downstate NY.

Keep in mind that there are (or were) separate sites for those in separate areas.

EMTBravo New England

EMTBravo West

EMTBravo Upstate (now defunct)

EMTBravo Florida (now defunct)

Those defunct came down due to low activity, and recently, we have been seeing a similar trend in some of the other above mentioned extensions of Bravo. Those closures in part lead to a return to the main .NET, and, a higher rate of things posted from those areas (since the 'main/separate' outlet no longer exists). We may be able to adjust what forums within the main .NET appear in the News Feed, we are looking into this at the moment.

Also, for those people who "do not care about every fire in downstate NY", keep in mind where this site began, formed, grew from, and is still based around...

Just some food for thought.

Well here is my opinion...

What I like to see:

Structure Fires, Car Fires, Major MVAs, MVAs w/injurys, MVAs w/extrication, MVAs w/rolloversMCIs, Aircraft emergencies, Hazmat incidents, rescues, marine fires and rescues, large Brush Fires

What I don't like to see:

False alarms, minor MVAs, medical calls, lockouts, kitchen fires, chimney fires w/out extention to structure, small brush fires, grill fires, animal rescues, ems assists,

Overall, I think thses are good rules... Acceptable Types Of Incidents For IA's-Guidelines

I also do not like to see 2 IAs for 1 incident. If there are 2, then the they should be merged onto the post with more info. [FYI, there is two for the Purchase MVA-Mods please fix]. I also would like see that everything is filled out on the template given. I would like to see the actual unit designations that was at the scene rather then just the department names. The First Due department should be listed first. Then the other departments should be mentioned in the order they are requested or dispatched. If there is a FASTeam, it should be noted in the post. If a frequnecy is not know, then the reporter/writer should look it up online. For most major scenes (ie. fires) a time of dispatch and a the time when all units are clear should be stated (if known). If the incident took place on a highway, try to state the milemarker or closest exit with direction (ie. northboud vs Southbound). Posts should have proper titles with Location, Type of incident and the date. If a notable media source has a article about the incident, I would like to see a link to the article. If there is a seperate discusion about the incident, a link should be posted. There should be no photos allowed in the IA. I think it is a good que to post a call if the county bat. cordinator is on scene. There should be no 10- codes used when writing out IAs.

Just my 2 cents.

Firedude, thank you for taking the time to submit your thoughts, and to know where/how to find the Acceptable IA Types thread, bonus points to you.

BUT, in regards to your post about multiple IA's about the same incident, check out my thread from last year ;-)

Also, I understand it is nice to see all the content you mentioned in an IA (if available). I picked a few of my IA's to post as an example of what I like to include, which most of the items you post, are present.

Rombout - Multi-Fatal Fire - 1-19-07

Rombout - Structure Fire - 12-26-10

Staatsburg - 2nd Alarm - 2-15-11

And, if you notice something like 2 IA's for the same incident, use the Report Button to let the Staff know! We try to keep up with everything that goes on, but it is not always feasible, or possible to see every post in every thread, all the time. Read the proper uses for the Report Button, and feel free to use it properly!!!

[turk182 37]

Personally I like it the way it is.. I do not look at every IA for say New England but when one pops up with that is out of the ordinary I will check it out( same goes for the other regions). As far as posting links to news articles sometimes a incident is missed, so the link provides the best info available at the time.. Maybe add a additional category for just news links. I look at IA posts the same as all other posts if it does not interest me I don't read it, if you don't care about upstate don't read about upstate.

[SECTMB 612]

I enjoy the incident alerts and the more specific the better. I would like a litte narrative sometimes because there isn't much detail. If your going to post the incident, a little brief description wouldn't hurt. And, for the Putnam and Dutchess, I have no clue what responded because I can't follow their number system. Same for Rockland. I know the first number is he department number but after that is it an engine, ladder, tanker? As for the geography, if someone's willing to make the effort to post it, why not have it?

[xfirefighter484x 234]

And, for the Putnam and Dutchess, I have no clue what responded because I can't follow their number system. Same for Rockland. I know the first number is he department number but after that is it an engine, ladder, tanker? As for the geography, if someone's willing to make the effort to post it, why not have it?

Check out the Dutchess County Reference Guide that I posted with the assistance of DCJPells.

Maybe someone can consolidate and submit a list of the organization of Putnam's numbering system that can be put up for others to reference? I understand the concept behind it, just don't know all their numbers, and which number means what unit type etc...

[texastom791 31]

I would gladly make a list of the puntam agencies

[helicopper 1,050]

Check out the Dutchess County Reference Guide that I posted with the assistance of DCJPells.

Maybe someone can consolidate and submit a list of the organization of Putnam's numbering system that can be put up for others to reference? I understand the concept behind it, just don't know all their numbers, and which number means what unit type etc...

Putnam is actually pretty simple..

First two numbers are department #, second number is apparatus type, and third number is sequential.

13-2-1 is Cold Spring Engine 1, 13-2-2 is Cold Spring Engine 2, and so on.

34-7-1 is Putnam Valley Ambulance 1.

Apparatus Types are:

1 = Chief Officer

2 = Engine

3 = Brush Truck / Mini-Attack

4 = Tanker

5 = Ladder

6 = Rescue

7 = Ambulance

8 = Utility/Specialty/Fire Police

9 = Portable

Marine = Marine

Department Numbers:

11 = Brewster Fire Department

12 = Carmel Fire Department

13 = Cold Spring Fire Department

14 = Continental Village Fire Department

15 = Garrison Fire Department

16 = Kent Fire Department

17 = Lake Carmel Fire Department

18 = Mahopac Fire Department

19 = Mahopac Falls Fire Department

21 = North Highlands Fire Department

22 = Patterson Fire Department Department

23 = Putnam Lake Fire Department

24 = Putnam Valley Fire Department

31 = Carmel Ambulance Corps

32 = Garrison Ambulance Corps

33 = Philipstown Ambulance Corps

34 = Putnam Valley Ambulance Corps

35 = Medic Units

[xfirefighter484x 234]

A reference was posted in the Putnam forum, and I made it a sticky. Once it is completed, I will lock it.

[res6cue 67]

Rockland's system is pretty simple. I have a guide I once sent to N2FG's website...let me dig it up, check it and post it in the O&R section for you to sticky.

[PFDRes47cue 653]

Has an agreement been reached? It seems that people have decided to stick with the current I/A forum rules and guidelines...posting only acceptable incidents with a description of the incident when possible. You can not really limit how many I/A's are posted. As long as they fit the guidelines, they are acceptable to post.

I personally enjoy news and I/A's from places other than Westchester (I like Westchester ones too). It is good to see what other places are faced with, how they handle their incidents, the equipment they utilize. People can learn things from fire around the world.

It makes sense to not post I/A's for locations that have their own branch of EMTBravo (south, west, etc) unless it is a serious incident or worthy of being seen by as many people as possible.

I know EMTBravo originated in Westchester and I am a fanatic of Westchester's emergency services, but one of the reasons EMTBravo is he great site it is, is because it has spread around Westchester and beyond. Plus Westchester is pretty slow in terms of significant incidents (fire, mva's, rescues, etc.)

I think the big issue is incomplete I/A's and insignificant incidents getting I/A's...a dryer fire is not worthy of a working fire I/A IMHO.

Stay Safe,

Madison

[RWC130 594]

How about an Incident Alert worth posting?

2ND ALARM or higher.

If the fire is K/D by the time you post it

is it worth posting?

[PFDRes47cue 653]

What about NYC incidents?

2nd alarm or higher?

[MoFire390 118]

Putnam is actually pretty simple..

First two numbers are department #, second number is apparatus type, and third number is sequential.

13-2-1 is Cold Spring Engine 1, 13-2-2 is Cold Spring Engine 2, and so on.

34-7-1 is Putnam Valley Ambulance 1.

Apparatus Types are:

1 = Chief Officer

2 = Engine

3 = Brush Truck / Mini-Attack

4 = Tanker

5 = Ladder

6 = Rescue

7 = Ambulance

8 = Utility/Specialty/Fire Police

9 = Portable

Marine = Marine

Department Numbers:

11 = Brewster Fire Department

12 = Carmel Fire Department

13 = Cold Spring Fire Department

14 = Continental Village Fire Department

15 = Garrison Fire Department

16 = Kent Fire Department

17 = Lake Carmel Fire Department

18 = Mahopac Fire Department

19 = Mahopac Falls Fire Department

21 = North Highlands Fire Department

22 = Patterson Fire Department Department

23 = Putnam Lake Fire Department

24 = Putnam Valley Fire Department

31 = Carmel Ambulance Corps

32 = Garrison Ambulance Corps

33 = Philipstown Ambulance Corps

34 = Putnam Valley Ambulance Corps

35 = Medic Units

medics are now medic 1, medic 2, medic 3 and bls 4

[sfrd18 360]

What about NYC incidents?

2nd alarm or higher?

My recommendation would be a 2nd Alarm or higher for FDNY. I guess 10-76's and 10-77's are okay, but I would stick to 2nd Alarms and higher to be on the safe side.

Personally, I would like to see more descriptions in the Description of Incident sections of the IA's, particularly in Westchester. Just putting "Struture Fire" or "Working Fire", for example in the description section, and then putting all the dispatch and audio w/times doesn't really help. If you have to read all the way down to when units clear the scene to find out what's going on, it makes things kind of unclear. If you want to add the radio audio, etc. with a description above, that's great, as it makes for a more thorough incident alert.

Also, online newspaper articles about an incident are a great asset, in that they back up the information provided in the IA, sometimes provide pictures of the incident, and may offer more information from neighbors, residents, victims, etc. So, if there is one available for an incident, such as in LoHud, NYPost, etc., it wouldn't hurt to post it. Additionally, I would not like to see a newspaper article link in the Description of Incident section in place of an actual description by the poster. That kind of defeats the purpose of the description section and the IA itself.

[helicopper 1,050]

Has an agreement been reached? It seems that people have decided to stick with the current I/A forum rules and guidelines...posting only acceptable incidents with a description of the incident when possible. You can not really limit how many I/A's are posted. As long as they fit the guidelines, they are acceptable to post.

It has been less than two full days since the question was posted and we've only gotten a limited number of responses so there have been no changes. The staff is still soliciting input so a more informed and popular decision can be made.

Patience. Patience.

[PFDRes47cue 653]

It has been less than two full days since the question was posted and we've only gotten a limited number of responses so there have been no changes. The staff is still soliciting input so a more informed and popular decision can be made.

Patience. Patience.

I was just curious. Plenty of patience here. Hopefully some more people provide their opinions,

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

I personally do not like to see I/As from outside the immediate Tri-State area that only have an article attached. If it is a notable incident like a large fire or complicated rescue, MCI or has some other interesting factor thats one thing but the working barn or working structure fire from East Treestump are useless to me. I understand that some people like to see these incidents seeing as they are not from the Tri-State area but they should remember that this site for the majority of its life was focused on NYC and its Northern Suburbs.

If someone is willing to give the radio updates in an incident alert from anywhere in the country that is a completely different story. The incident alerts that I focus the most on are the ones with times, updates, units etc. If it were possible, maybe the mods have life a space where I/As outside of NYC and its Northern Suburbs could go to be vetted and the ones found to be informative and acceptable get posted on the trending topics and the ones that dont get archived but are still viewable by the members of the this site if desired.

I think one of the main reasons why a lot of people come it this site is for its I/As (i know we had trouble with BNN for a long time) but I think recently the overall quality of the I/As has gone down because too many nondescript, uninformative, poorly written, and too far from Westchester have been posted recently.

[xfirefighter484x 234]

Also, online newspaper articles about an incident are a great asset, in that they back up the information provided in the IA, sometimes provide pictures of the incident, and may offer more information from neighbors, residents, victims, etc. So, if there is one available for an incident, such as in LoHud, NYPost, etc., it wouldn't hurt to post it. Additionally, I would not like to see a newspaper article link in the Description of Incident section in place of an actual description by the poster. That kind of defeats the purpose of the description section and the IA itself.

I like that thought. An IA based solely on a media article should not generate an IA. Anything of that sort should end up going into the Regional Forum that it fits in.

If an IA is posted, and a media article is generated AFTERWARDS, then that article should be linked in the IA.