- Joined
- May 11, 2021
- Messages
- 309
I have read a lot about relocations within FDNY. I was a dispatcher in a very busy mutual aid center that had to move many pieces during fires. Whether it’s small towns, medium cities or large cities like New York, the concept is the same: To move available apparatus to cover firehouses in one of three important areas. Those areas are (1) The closest firehouse to where the fire is occurring. If the next alarm is stuck, you’ll have apparatus relatively close. (2) Firehouses that have good access to perhaps two or three neighborhoods. In football terms, it’s like playing zone defense instead of man-to-man defense. (3) Any firehouse that is so remote that leaving it empty for an extended period would cause an unacceptable risk.
Every neighborhood in the United States is left without first due protection at some point. Let me use the 52’s of the FDNY. If Engine 52 goes on a CFR run and 3 minutes later Ladder 52 goes on a stuck elevator call, that area is left unprotected for 10 to 20 minutes. It will be a long run for the next due companies to get to an incident up near the Yonkers line. If Engine 52 transmits a 10-99, CPR in progress, then they will get a relocator. So whether a minor call or a 5th Alarm, for short periods of time, certain areas will be left unprotected until either the original piece clears up, or a relocator gets into the area.
When moving pieces for coverage, there are a lot of moving parts. It’s not a snapshot picture that is good for 15 minutes. Every minute something could change by a piece of apparatus getting: dispatched to another unrelated call, traffic congestion, apparatus breakdowns, coming across another incident, being involved in an accident, a greater alarm struck, or any number of things can change the plan minute to minute.
In general terms, most fire departments/dispatch centers work under the rule that on a Working Fire, the companies on the 2nd Alarm assignment will move into key stations which are closer to the fire so that if the fire escalates they are ready to respond to it. If the fire does not escalate, the apparatus is located in strategic spots to cover the rest of the area most efficiently.
As the fire escalates, other companies start moving into the area to fill the empty firehouses. Many times the same stations are covered, so the 3rd, 4th & 5th alarm ladder trucks all passed through Station 15 (pick a number). If the fire escalates quickly, those ladder trucks may end up going straight to the scene and perhaps another ladder company is moved into Station 15. Many times this may be a ladder that’s from out of the area, because the runcard only goes up to 5 alarms and the dispatchers try to find a ladder that’s not going to trigger two other moves. It’s not an exact science by any means.
Generally the closest to the scene gets assigned to respond. Listening on the radio can lead to misinterpretation by others. “Why are they sending Engine 102, Engine 105 is a lot closer.” What the listener may not know, is that Engine 105 may be handling a trash can fire. Other strange sounding moves may have a reason behind them. It may be that a unit takes the highway to get to a station which needs a relocator, but as they are exiting the highway they may be ½ mile from the fire when the next alarm is stuck and they then get assigned. So the engine assigned was from 6 miles away on paper, but only ½ mile from the scene when the next alarm was sounded. Again, time between alarms plays a factor on who is where at any given point. And finally, I read sometimes where someone will say, “Why did Engine 10 get a relocator when they didn’t even go to the fire.” The reason could very well be that Engine 10 was on a gas leak when they were due to go to the fire. After they clear, they may then get assigned to cover Engine 21 (pick a number); but it wasn’t documented on the rundown because it wasn’t put over the air.
The point being is that it’s like trying to hit a moving target. Sometimes not the best decisions are made in the heat of the moment, but many times there are unknown factors involved that only the dispatchers are aware of. An on-the-ball officer may ask for a HazMat response and leave it at that. When I hear an officer order a HazMat response with Engine 250 as the HazTech engine because it’s the closest, it’s apparent that he/she doesn’t really know how the system works. Engine 250 may be 10-99 with a 6th floor carry down and dispatch will assign the 2nd up HazTech engine for that location, if available. Sorry, no disrespect to any officers, but no one knows everything, including the dispatchers! Stay safe out there!
Every neighborhood in the United States is left without first due protection at some point. Let me use the 52’s of the FDNY. If Engine 52 goes on a CFR run and 3 minutes later Ladder 52 goes on a stuck elevator call, that area is left unprotected for 10 to 20 minutes. It will be a long run for the next due companies to get to an incident up near the Yonkers line. If Engine 52 transmits a 10-99, CPR in progress, then they will get a relocator. So whether a minor call or a 5th Alarm, for short periods of time, certain areas will be left unprotected until either the original piece clears up, or a relocator gets into the area.
When moving pieces for coverage, there are a lot of moving parts. It’s not a snapshot picture that is good for 15 minutes. Every minute something could change by a piece of apparatus getting: dispatched to another unrelated call, traffic congestion, apparatus breakdowns, coming across another incident, being involved in an accident, a greater alarm struck, or any number of things can change the plan minute to minute.
In general terms, most fire departments/dispatch centers work under the rule that on a Working Fire, the companies on the 2nd Alarm assignment will move into key stations which are closer to the fire so that if the fire escalates they are ready to respond to it. If the fire does not escalate, the apparatus is located in strategic spots to cover the rest of the area most efficiently.
As the fire escalates, other companies start moving into the area to fill the empty firehouses. Many times the same stations are covered, so the 3rd, 4th & 5th alarm ladder trucks all passed through Station 15 (pick a number). If the fire escalates quickly, those ladder trucks may end up going straight to the scene and perhaps another ladder company is moved into Station 15. Many times this may be a ladder that’s from out of the area, because the runcard only goes up to 5 alarms and the dispatchers try to find a ladder that’s not going to trigger two other moves. It’s not an exact science by any means.
Generally the closest to the scene gets assigned to respond. Listening on the radio can lead to misinterpretation by others. “Why are they sending Engine 102, Engine 105 is a lot closer.” What the listener may not know, is that Engine 105 may be handling a trash can fire. Other strange sounding moves may have a reason behind them. It may be that a unit takes the highway to get to a station which needs a relocator, but as they are exiting the highway they may be ½ mile from the fire when the next alarm is stuck and they then get assigned. So the engine assigned was from 6 miles away on paper, but only ½ mile from the scene when the next alarm was sounded. Again, time between alarms plays a factor on who is where at any given point. And finally, I read sometimes where someone will say, “Why did Engine 10 get a relocator when they didn’t even go to the fire.” The reason could very well be that Engine 10 was on a gas leak when they were due to go to the fire. After they clear, they may then get assigned to cover Engine 21 (pick a number); but it wasn’t documented on the rundown because it wasn’t put over the air.
The point being is that it’s like trying to hit a moving target. Sometimes not the best decisions are made in the heat of the moment, but many times there are unknown factors involved that only the dispatchers are aware of. An on-the-ball officer may ask for a HazMat response and leave it at that. When I hear an officer order a HazMat response with Engine 250 as the HazTech engine because it’s the closest, it’s apparent that he/she doesn’t really know how the system works. Engine 250 may be 10-99 with a 6th floor carry down and dispatch will assign the 2nd up HazTech engine for that location, if available. Sorry, no disrespect to any officers, but no one knows everything, including the dispatchers! Stay safe out there!