Dispatching Format (Locals, Tactical Boxes & Box Assignments of less than Departments)
All companies will be dispatched according to the following format:
- Select the proper tower
- Sound alert tone the proper number of times
- Announce local, tactical, or box, the box number and the address.
Example: "Tactical Box 29-1, the fire is reported at 135 North Main Street
( announce cross streets )."
- Sound station tones
- Announce the location and type of alarm twice using the format,
"Tactical Box 29-1, "*" the fire is reported at 135 North Main Street, (
announce cross streets ) a dwelling." Repeat statement and time out.
"*" If individual apparatus is to be announced or more than one station is
to respond, it will be noted prior to the location.
Announce street addresses whenever possible; Bucks County will give the
street addresses of schools, churches, etc. and name of the building if known,
announcing the address followed by the name of the establishment.
Example: "460 S. State Street at the GDL Plaza"
In the event a house number cannot be obtained by the dispatcher, the
residence name will be given in the dispatch, along with the street name
where residence is located and distance from nearest intersection.
Example: "On Rt. 412, 2/10 of a mile from Rt. 611 at the Smith residence."
Change in Zone for Response
When companies are to respond on a zone other than their primary the
following shall be broadcast within the normal dispatch immediately before time out is given. "All companies operate on ________." This shall be broadcast at the end of the broadcast on the zone frequency.
Companies shall respond on the zone frequency in which the incident is taking place whenever possible. If this is not possible, then the companies shall respond on the zone from which the mutual aid is responding or the emergency band. It shall be the dispatcher's responsibility to know the clearest frequency to respond. When companies respond on a band other than their normal, they should switch over before going responding. It is not necessary to go responding on the normal zone frequency and switch over and go responding on the alternate zone also. Personnel should follow this procedure when responding on multiple alarms also.
