Fire Service Communication

Flashcards covering fire service communications, dispatch operations, radio types, and emergency terminology based on Chapter 4.

Communication center

Also known as a public safety communications center, it is the location where 911 calls for a community or jurisdiction are directed.

Dispatch

The process of selecting units to respond to a reported incident, alerting those units, and transmitting information to them quickly and accurately.

Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP)

A 911 call center, often located within a jurisdiction's communications center, that receives emergency reports.

Stand-alone communications center

A communications center that serves a single fire department.

Regional communications center

A communications center that serves many fire departments.

Integrated communications center

A communications center where police, fire, and EMS services are co-located in one center.

Telecommunicators

Dispatchers who receive, process, and disseminate information and make quick decisions under pressure.

Computer-aided dispatch (CAD)

A combination of hardware and software that assists dispatchers by determining incident addresses and recommending units for response.

Mobile data terminals (MDTs)

Data devices in fire department units that confirm location and display incident information transmitted by the CAD system.

Voice recording system

A system that records communications over phone and radio lines $24/7$ for review and legal purposes.

Activity logging system

A computer system that maintains a record of every incident and activity occurring in the communication center.

Call receipt

The process of receiving a call for service and obtaining the information needed to initiate a response.

Emergency medical dispatchers (EMDs)

Dispatchers trained to provide medical self-help instructions to callers while units are en route.

TTY/TDD equipment

Devices featuring a keyboard and screen that allow people with speech or hearing impairments to communicate via text.

Direct-line phone

Also known as a ring-down phone, it connects two predetermined points, such as a communications center and a fire station, without dialing.

Multi-line Telephone System (MLTS)

A phone system allowing multiple users to receive calls simultaneously and transmitting specific internal locations (e.g., floor, room) with the street address.

Fire alarm box

A device in a public place that transmits a coded signal to the communications center or fire department when activated.

Call box

A direct-line phone or radio along highways or in remote areas that connects a caller directly to a dispatcher.

Flag down

When a unit on patrol comes upon an emergency situation or is notified of one by a bystander and contacts the communication center via radio.

Automatic number identification (ANI)

An enhanced 911 feature that identifies the caller's phone number for the dispatcher.

Automatic location identification (ALI)

An enhanced 911 feature that identifies the caller's location for the dispatcher.

Next Generation 911 (NG911)

A system that allows digital information, such as voice, text, photos, and video, to be transmitted to communications centers.

Call classification

The process of assigning a response category based on the nature and severity (e.g., major/high, medium, minor/low) of the reported problem.

Run cards

Lists prepared in advance that specify which units to dispatch in order of response distance or estimated time.

Portable radio

A hand-held, two-way radio that a firefighter carries for constant communication.

Mobile radio

A two-way radio permanently mounted in a vehicle and powered by the vehicle's electrical system.

Base station

A powerful radio permanently mounted in a building with an antenna on a tower, used to communicate with portable and mobile units.

Interoperability

The ability to communicate across different radio bands and between different agencies.

Simplex system

A radio system where communication flows in only one direction at a time, often referred to as a talk-around channel.

Conventional radio repeater system

A combination of a receiver and transmitter that receives a signal and retransmits it at higher power to expand operating range.

Trunked radio repeater system

A repeater system where a computer connected to a control channel sets operating frequencies to support more users.

Multiplex channels

Channels that combine analog and digital signals to simultaneously transmit different types of information, such as voice and data, in both directions.

First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority)

A part of the Department of Commerce that provides a nationwide broadband network for first responder communication.

‘Hey you, it’s me’ method

A radio communication protocol where the sender first identifies the receiver and then identifies themselves (e.g., 'Engine 1, Elm Street Command').

Ten-Codes

A system of coded messages beginning with the number $10$ used to standardize communications, though they are not universal across all departments.

Unity of command

An ICS principle where each person reports to only one direct supervisor to minimize confusion.

Size-up

A rapid evaluation of an incident by the first-arriving unit to determine required resources and immediate safety actions.

Emergency traffic

An urgent radio message that takes priority over all other communications, often signaled by a distinctive alert tone.

Mayday

A radio call indicating that a firefighter is in imminent danger, is lost, or has a missing crew member.

LUNAR

An acronym used to organize information during a Mayday call (Location, Unit, Name, Assignment/Air, Resources needed).

Evacuation signal

A standard signal, such as three blasts on an apparatus horn or a $15$-second high-lo siren, directing personnel to abandon a building immediately.