TFS Communica tions – Anatomy of a Call

Communication is important in any relationship, especially in the Fire Service, with the relay of information from the Incident Commander right down to the Junior Member. American Businessman Peter Drucker once said, “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.” Knowing how to communicate in a stressful environment can greatly influence the outcome of an event. Call taker and dispatcher knowledge of the service and various incidents can greatly assist in communicating the details of events to responding members, as well as help the caller. An experienced dispatcher can begin to predict requests of the IC and make pre-emptive calls to Toronto Hydro, Gas Companies, Security, Police and Paramedic Services. Understanding the need for these individuals and agencies can help an incident move along much smoother and more efficiently. It is understandable at times, that the fireground can be a whirlwind of questions and decisions that must be made. The dispatcher needs to be the calm in that storm, especially when the incident is growing.

At times, it is appropriate to suggest additional resources to the IC, however, picking the right time to do so can be tricky. The role of the Incident Management System is to remove the many “cooks in the kitchen,” so the dispatcher needs to be cautious about when and how these suggestions are made. There is never a good time for the dispatcher to cut off firefighter transmissions for anything other than life and safety concerns, which are usually made with the use of the alert tones, followed by a repeated message. Depending on the alarm level of the incident, the dispatcher will wait for a break in the transmissions for general event information. In the case of a growing incident, making use of the Strategic Channels provides an open line of communication. Toronto Firefighters face a wide variety of challenging emergencies and that list is constantly growing, making the use of effective incident communication and call taker/dispatcher fireground knowledge that much more important.

Unlike some communications centres, our members are trained in communicating as a dispatcher and a call taker. This ensures a fair distribution of duties over the course of a tour. Hearing “what isn’t said” can be effective in assisting responding crews and a caller. In the case of a phone call with an open line, or a scared child, the call taker needs to try picking out information from the background while asking questions or contacting a translator. Hearing the crackling of fire, a woman calling for help, coughing or alarm bells

can assist in setting up the correct event to ensure the appropriate apparatus are sent.

Understanding some of the basics of firefighting can assist the call taker in understanding the caller and the situation they are being faced with. Like the other divisions in Toronto Fire, members in Communications bring some type of skillset or experience that can assist a caller or responding apparatus. A certification in mechanics or business for example, mixed with some knowledge of the fireground can help communicating with a caller, but can also assist in how the incident is explained in the call record. These are some of the assets our members bring to the team that help an IC determine whether to request additional resources prior to arrival of the first truck. While the Communications Division is not actively involved in firefighter training scenarios, every day and every call can be a learning opportunity. Not every call is routine, and it is not uncommon for a resident to call on a non-emergency phone line to ask a question, only to have that conversation turn into an event.

While we do have questions that we ask to assist in determining the event type, some callers simply do not have the answers, and those answers are the key to t he city. “Toronto Fire, do you have any more information on this call?” It is the responsibility of the call taker to gather as much information as possible to assist the crews. Many times, that information is vague or nonexistent. Things like entry codes may not be possible to obtain, and many times we rely on a superintendent or a security service to assist us. The Communications Division utilizes a database in the CAD system (CAD DBM’s, as they are commonly referred to), where information about a building, resident or hazard can be stored. In some cases, the answers to the entry code question or another type of building access issue can be found in there. Sometimes, these pieces of information are provided by the keyholder or resident, or occasionally, from one of our members who had previously responded to the address. Unfortunately, Toronto Firefighters attend some addresses more than others, and those that are not attended as often have outdated information. If possible, try to gather access information for a building, which other members can use. When you return from the incident, simply call Communications to have that information entered into the system. By providing this information, we are able to communicate with more members attending in the future. A level of priority can be added to the message that will allow it to show up immediately for a call taker to see when setting up a call, or for firefighters to see on their printout.

Some calls received are tiered from other agencies, and while that agency is communicating with the caller, they are also trying to provide Toronto Fire with that information. Call takers will continue to call these agencies to request more information if there seems to be a lack of specific details, but Communications does not have control of the call and are only able to provide the most updated details shown on the mobile data terminal. In the case where firefighters are away from the truck, any event updates are transmitted via radio to the Captain. Police related calls are received via a direct phone call from that police service, but calls for assistance from the Toronto Paramedic Services come through the CAD system. This is a real-time update of information. Toronto Paramedic Services call takers have a process to follow and with each answer they receive, it takes them down a different route of more questions and assistance. This could delay the input of more information regarding the incident, especially if they are having difficulty gathering information or are providing life-saving instructions. Toronto Fire will provide all information possible about the call, but with a tiered response, that could be difficult to communicate.

Communication could be defined in the emergency services as sharing information to achieve a successful and safe outcome of an incident. If we all work together to successfully achieve the safe outcome of a call by clearly communicating with each other at all levels and divisions, then we have provided an exemplary level of service to the citizens of Toronto.