"FORWARD THINKING DISPATCHING"

Chief Tirrell received the following e-mail complimenting our operation and our dispatchers. Great job Monday morning by Lt. David Whipple and Dispatcher Virginia Gilman. Chief,

I happened to be standing by at a business waiting for recall for a sprinkler system malfunction this morning (one of many that thawed out last night) and had an occasion to listen to the dispatch of this fire. All was otherwise quiet this side of the mountain so it gave me something to do at the end of a very long 24.

After hearing the 1st alarm dispatch, I turned up the radio and disabled the scan then I heard something interesting. "Any Dummerston unit from 415"... "Any Dummerston unit from 415"..."Any Dummerston unit from 415". I don't recall if it was 2 or three times but I do remember that it was in relatively rapid fire succession. I heard no abnormal inflection, no trepidation or irritation in her voice but I'm thinking to myself, "dang, give them a moment to get out of bed". For those very short moments I was thinking that this was the normal "is anyone responding" type check-in that your organization does. Then I heard the following 2nd alarm dispatch...persons reported trapped.

I don't know if this is standard protocol for your center or if this was "dispatcher discretion" or a combination of both. Either way, I wanted to say that listening to this side, the dispatch was spot on. 4AM. Apparent advanced fire. Life Safety threatened. Those first few minutes were exactly, in my opinion, the right way to do things and it showed more than dispatcher competency but also organizational competency. Those actions proved that your dispatcher and center are part of a larger public safety system and you clearly had the backs of those firefighters and officers. From one professional to another, thanks for all the efforts and for leading by example - it does show. Please extend my comments to your team.

Best Regards,

/Jeff

Jeff Marshall, Captain Milford Fire Department 39 School St. Milford, NH 03055

ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY

23 years ago today on January 12, 1991 - 14 people were treated after being injured in a house fire in East Dover at the corner of Captain Copeland and Yeaw Road. Dispatchers on duty were Neal Collier and Paul Hebert.

ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY

34 years ago on January 11, 1980 - Two brothers died in a house fire in West Dover on Johnson Hill Rd. 5 years ago on January 11, 2009 - 4th alarm fire at Lawrence Block in Brattleboro. Dispatchers on duty were Lt. David Whipple and Part time Dispatcher John Bates.

CLARIFICATION

CLARIFICATION - On January 2nd we posted that Deputy Chief Bonnie Johnson had 29 years of service. We also stated that she has the most years of service to date of any employee past and present, starting as a dispatcher in 1985 to her present position. Sorry for that wording as it is not correct as stated. The clarification is that we are talking about the 29 years being full time and all the years being in a position in the organization of the employees who still "actively work the board" or still dispatch calls. Although you don't hear the 2 deputies all the time dispatching calls, they are still the 3rd dispatcher on duty week days and dispatch calls when the 2 front line dispatchers get tied up with calls. That being said, Bonnie has the most years in reference to employees who still dispatch calls. Others with more years of service are a combination of full time and part time years (Ed Mattson and Win Wright) and Retired Chief Paul Szoc who had 31 years of full time service (7 of those years as Chief). The Late Chief Callahan also had more years in the fire service (Keene FD) and Fire Mutual Aid and was Mutual Aid Chief from the beginning of the system until 1987. Sorry for the confusion and if anyone was offended. It certainly was not our intent.