The first 12 days of 2014 have been busy here at the Dispatch Center. A total of 720 calls have been dispatched with 19 First Alarms dispatched that turned into 8 confirmed fires in a building ranging from a 1st alarm response to a 3rd alarm response and in most cases extra companies were sent on the request of the incident commander or due to the extreme cold. The eight confirmed fires occurred in New Ipswich, Walpole, Newbrook, Marlow, Dummerston (2 fatalities), Westminster, Temple and Wardsboro.
BRATTLEBORO FD JOB OPENING
THE BRATTLEBORO Fire Department is accepting applications for the position of full time entry level Firefighter. Details, a job description and applications can be obtained at www.brattleboro.org or www.brattleborofire.org Application closing date is January 16, 2014 at 4pm. The Town of Brattleboro is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
5TH ANNUAL WHITINGHAM FIREMEN'S ASSOCIATION FISHING DERBY
THE ART OF READING SMOKE
NORTH WALPOLE FIRE ASSOCIATION DANCE
FIREFIGHTER ONE CLASS AT MEADOWOOD
"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
THE BUILDING OF OUR NEW DISPATCH CENTER AT HEADQUARTERS
Renovations are underway in the space at our Headquarters that will soon be the new dispatch center. January 7, 2014.
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.