CAD Enhancement – Automated Battalion Chief & Admin
Chief Alphanumeric Paging Alerts
Date: November 20, 2002
Overview
As the use of alphanumeric pagers by Valley Com customers increased
it became evident that a method needed to be established to alert
battalion chiefs and administrative chiefs of activities occurring
within their districts via those alphanumeric pagers. As more Valley
Com customers transition to using the VCAP (See Service Announcement
VCAP 10/16/02) system for their primary method of fire station and
crew alerting, that need was even more urgent.
Valley Com has implemented a CAD system enhancement that will provide
this critical information to alphanumeric pagers on VCAP, Arch Paging,
and MetroCall Paging services.
Features/Functions
The CAD system monitors the status resource movements within its
service area. Based on certain criteria we can alert on duty battalion
chiefs, or administrative chiefs of resource conditions to better
aid our customers in managing their resources effectively.
The first instance occurs when a unit from your agency is being
dispatched to assist another agency mutual aid, in essence leaving
its first due response area to assist another department. The CAD
system will automatically generate an alphanumeric page to the pre-defined
on duty BC pager phone number (or subscriber ID for VCAP customers)
when this situation occurs. The message looks like this:
TPD1:E73 IS RESPONDING OUT OF JURISDICTION TO WF ON A
AID - #WF02000242
This simple message now informs the Kent Fire on duty B/C that
E73 is leaving its first due area to assist Federal Way Fire on
an AID call. The B/C is completely informed as to the movements
of his/her units.
The second instance occurs when a unit from outside your agency
is being dispatched into your area on a call, and none of your own
units are responding. The CAD system will automatically generate
an alphanumeric page to the pre-defined on duty BC pager phone number
(or subscriber ID for VCAP customers) when this situation occurs.
The message looks like this:
UNITS E66 ARE RESPONDING INTO JURISDICTION KF ON #KF02000519.
NO IN JURISDICTION UNITS ARE RESPONDING.
This simple message now informs the Kent Fire on duty B/C that
E66 is taking a call in his/her area and that none of his/her own
units are responding. The B/C can now investigate the call and determine
the best course of action.
The final instance(s) where we will generate an automated alphanumeric
page is when a type code record has been flagged to do so. Per type
code, each agency can determine if they wish to alert the on duty
B/C, administrative chiefs, or both in addition to alerting the
units who are to respond. This allows for automated notification
of high profile incidents, incidents where the danger to responding
crews is elevated, or where the alerting of additional command level
personnel is required to assist in the operation of the incident.
*Note: For those agencies currently using a **INFO type unit to
perform this function, this enhancement will replace that need and
eliminate any possibility of the information not being sent out
due to human error.
Requirements
In order to effectively use this enhancement your agency will need
to determine the following:
- What single pager phone number (or subscriber ID for VCAP customers)
do you want to use for the on duty B/C alerting? (Only one phone
number is supported)
- What type codes do you/would you like to have the on duty B/C
and/or administrative chiefs alerted to but not dispatched on?
- What single pager phone number will alert your administrative
chiefs (and anyone else you would like to know about the type
codes flagged in #2, again only one phone # is supported)
Budgetary Impacts
There are no charges from Valley Com to existing or new customers
for this service.
*Note: Your paging vendor may have an additional fee to set up
any additional group pages you may require to take advantage of
these changes.
Questions
Should you have additional questions or require additional information,
please contact Valley Com at 253.372.1525.
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