FDNY goes to ICS for Communications

[tbendick]

As of Today FDNY has switch to ICS for is fireground communications.  You probably won?t hear a difference on the Boro Dispatch freqs but will hear a lot of changes on the HT?s.

We are working on putting together some examples of the new terms.

The Battalions and Division will use sector names:
Command
Fire Floor Sector
Floor Above Sector
Roof Sector
Also can have sectors for each floor such as Sector 1
For taxpayers can use "Fire Store", "Cell Phone Store", etc

 

[Battalion4]

You wonder why they mess with a good thing sometimes? If it ain't broke...don't fix it!  I know this ICS is supposed to make things uniform (or better???) but I think it makes things worse.

Whats wrong with.."fire floor" or "2nd floor", "3rd floor" ect. ?

Now they want .."Lines stretched to fire floor sector, rescue searching floor above sector,truck co. opening up roof sector,second engine advancing to floor below sector" .  What the hell difference does adding the word "sector" do for communication purpose?!?  It's almost starteing to sound like a spoof of the movie "Airplane".  If you remember the cockpit scene... "Over this is Under, Under this is Roger, Roger..Over , Under,Roger, Alpha , Beta... oh what the heck you get my point!! 

 

[lb1878]

I believe this had to do with getting some federal or grant money. Most places in the rest of the country utilize a similar type system. I agree, its more confusing and one other thing for the bosses to remember while battling a fire but I'm sure it will become 2nd nature as soon as everyone gets used to it.

 

[bklyndisp54]

Ummm. I hate revealing how iggerant I am...but what's ICS?

 

[vbcapt]

Incident Command System. Stand by, the name will probably change again depending on the flavor of the month. Here in the Beach we call it IMS, Incident Management System.

 

[bklyndisp54]

OK, thanks.  But what is the operational impact of this?  A different channel for each fireground function, or will everybody usually remain on the primary HT freq.?  Something else maybe?

 

[vbcapt]

Here at the Beach we utilize 1 fireground tactical channel per incident. Unless, the incident gets incredibly large then we may use more than 1.

 

[tbendick]

At the last 2nd Alarm I went to they tried the ICS terms.  Started to get a little crazy and hard to understand.

4 Floors NFP.
2nd Floor was called the Fire Floor
3rd Floor was the Floor above sector
4th Floor was the 4th floor sector
and the Roof Sector.

Everything was on one channel, FDNY SOP's are to use a 2nd channel when we goto a 3rd Alarm.

I think it might have been simpler to just use the Floor numbers and not use the Fire Floor/Floor above sector.