Response Assignments - The amount and type of apparatus dispatched
shall be in accordance with the pre-established equipment assignment instructions--(Box cards & Fire Response List established by the responsible district fire chief).
No company will respond on a mutual aid assignment unless properly dispatched.
The communications center dispatcher has authority to sound a box alarm and send additional apparatus on the initial alarm up to a full box alarm compliment if his/her best judgement indicates an incident requires more equipment than is shown on the equipment assignment card. Whenever this is done, the county dispatcher shall notify the officer-in-charge.
The communications center dispatcher can, when his/her best judgement indicates, reduce the normal response, i.e., during storms and other situations where normal response would not be in the best interest of protecting life and property.
Whenever a "box on a local or tactical" is requested the remaining apparatus assigned to the box shall be dispatched. If a "second alarm on a local" is requested, the remaining apparatus assigned to the box and the full second alarm assignment shall be dispatched.
On an upgrade from a local alarm to a tactical or from a tactical to a full box, the original company will be re-dispatched.
On an upgrade from a local alarm to a second alarm, a two step process will be used to ensure dispatch of proper apparatus.
- 1st step - tactical box to box
- 2nd step - box to second alarm
