CAD - Computer Aided Dispatch

[JetPhoto 626]

Modern technology has developed Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) that is widely used for dispatching emergencies. Iit is based on several modules that work together that help you set up your basic alarms and more. It is common knowledge for people that work on CAD's that most are under utilized. There are many things that can be programed too including building information to hydrant location to equipment availability.

It takes people to contact their dispatch centers and ask what can be done and then to gather accurate information to be entered....and ....keep it regulary updated.

Maybe some dispatchers or people that work with CAD's can discuss what type of things are available.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

The lack of training between dispatchers and Firefighters is partially the cause for this.

Does your department pre-plan buildings into your jurisdiction?

Does your department then add the data and hazards within those buildings INTO the CAD or other management system that is accessible by units in the field or in dispatch?

For many of you these may seem like no brainers, but a lot of departments are NOT doing this, and are missing a lot of key situational awareness information as a result.

[x129K 1,393]

You can only get OUT of CAD, what you PUT into it.....simple.

However, if you put volumes of information in, and only have 1 or 2 dispatchers working...dont expect alot back when it is busy...understaffing is a huge problem in 911 Centers, as with most of emergency services.

Speaking for MY CAD, we have housewatches, alerts, (CIDS information equivilant for the FDNY guys), ie; locations of handicapped, dangerous dogs, unsafe building conditions, Officer Safety info, etc..

We use New World Systems...and it is OK...it's an ever evolving system taylored to our needs.

Regardless what system you use, reliability is a must. And even then, you have to be knowledgable and proficient enough to be able to work without it if it goes down. THAT'S where us "buffs" really shine.

[Bnechis 3,961]

You can only get OUT of CAD, what you PUT into it.....simple.

However, if you put volumes of information in, and only have 1 or 2 dispatchers working...dont expect alot back when it is busy...understaffing is a huge problem in 911 Centers, as with most of emergency services.

Its not just the availablity of dispatchers to spit it out. We found that we can not use the airtime to deliver this info. If you can not get it electronicly in the field (or as a rip and run, but that limits you when on the road) the 1st due is trying to radio its size up but cant because we are learning about the building.

[x129K 1,393]

Its not just the availablity of dispatchers to spit it out. We found that we can not use the airtime to deliver this info. If you can not get it electronicly in the field (or as a rip and run, but that limits you when on the road) the 1st due is trying to radio its size up but cant because we are learning about the building.

How could I forget - yes, absolutely!

When i started here - dispatch and ops were on the same channel - more than I care to count, we had guys stretching in, asking for water as we were putting out the second alarm tones.....

[pfdff 10]

How could I forget - yes, absolutely!

When i started here - dispatch and ops were on the same channel - more than I care to count, we had guys stretching in, asking for water as we were putting out the second alarm tones.....

Yea that sucked.. Much better now

[NoWestFF 21]

In Westchester County, can information in the CAD system about a fire department's response area be updated by the fire department or does an employee at 60 Control have to make the update? For example if a department wants to list in the CAD the primary and secondary water sources for locations in an area without hydrants who can make the update?

[Bnechis 3,961]

In Westchester County, can information in the CAD system about a fire department's response area be updated by the fire department or does an employee at 60 Control have to make the update? For example if a department wants to list in the CAD the primary and secondary water sources for locations in an area without hydrants who can make the update?

The local dept does it on a secure website. It needs to be uploaded to CAD by 60 control

[moggie6 54]

the CAD can be better...but it takes the people who run emergency communications to take steps to make it progressive.

[AFS1970 504]

CAD systems can do allot of interesting things, but I have found that with the 3 I have worked with, there are often functions that are designed for one service that end up getting adapted for another service. The best example was on an old system we no longer use, there was a unit status called Transport, it updated the location of a call to reflect a unit was enroute to a 2nd location (there was also a way to arrive them there). This was designed for EMS, and the icon was an ambuolance going towards a hospital, however we ended up also using it to track prisoner transports from scene to jail which was essentially the same thing.

Our current CAD system is set up for multiple fire districts to each have their own protocol. Sadly this does not extend to the police side of things, although I have put that in as a request for the next upgrade. This allows for a different response to a high rise as opposed to a low rise (as long as you identify all those buildings. We even have a different response set up for limited access highways on some incident types. We can do this for EMS too, but only use that in one small section of town. THe police would benefit greatly in my opinion if they could designate target hazards to have a different protocol. Maybe a missing person at a school or a disturbance at a government building or an alarm at a bank or a jewelry store might warrant a different response than other calls at other locations.

One thing we try to do when loading information is typing the date we added it in, so that eveyone sees CURRENT AS OF and a date so that anything that is not updated is known to possibly be out f date.