Fire Chiefs Ross County Radio Project

Radio Communication System Study
for
Ross County
by The Ohio Fire Chiefs Association October 2013
Executive Summary The Ohio Fire Chiefs Association (OFCA) was contracted to provide a non-technical review and analysis of the existing radio communication system in Ross County, Ohio. The purpose of the study was to identify operational and procedural areas of concern and develop strategies to improve overall system performance. Ross County is Ohios second largest county with 693 square miles. Including the city of Chillicothe, the county has 78,064 residents which are served by 16 fire & EMS agencies. In 2012 there were 5,277 emergency calls for service in the county. Ross County has forestry lands and a rolling terrain that features dramatic changes in topography that can affect radio signals. The countys current system consists of a duplex system in the VHF spectrum (154.1300) and features six repeater/remote tower sites strategically located throughout the county. The six repeater sites are known as Rocky Knob, Tar Hollow, Bainbridge, Frankfort, Debord, and Adelphi. The central control point for the system is the Ross County Communication Center, which is operated by the Ross County Sheriff and is located in downtown Chillicothe in the Law Enforcement Complex. To understand operational issues and obtain accurate information to develop practical strategies, the OFCA utilized a multi-faceted approach to the project. A survey was conducted involving all of the countys emergency response agencies to identify operational experiences and quantify radio hardware. A two-day site visit was conducted by the assessment team which allowed for a visual inspection of the repeater/remote sites, an examination of the Communication Center and an opportunity to interview dispatchers. Additionally, eleven Chief Officers or department representatives were interviewed by the assessment team to further identify operational issues, concerns and gather insight into the radio communication problems. Some of the problems identified in the study include the following: The current communication system does not provide complete coverage in the county. The recent nationwide implementation of narrowbanding radio frequencies has reduced the range and efficiency of the radio signals. Radio system congestion occurs frequently when multiple runs occur simultaneously within the county. Inconsistent and non-use of the Incident Command System also contributes to the radio congestion problem. Many of the users are unfamiliar with the operational aspects of the system. There was no common county-wide radio protocol or procedure for emergency personnel or for communication center personnel. There was no level of system redundancy for dispatching emergency calls. There was no individual charged with the authority to manage the countys communication system. Over 50% of the time, the county only has one dispatcher on duty.
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Some of the strategies developed as a result of the analysis included: Strategy: A standard dispatching protocol needs to be developed and implemented. A clear and concise standard procedure of alerting response crews and the necessary steps to follow if a department cannot respond to a call within a specified time frame needs to be developed and implemented for Communication Center personnel. Strategy: Evaluate and implement methods to strengthen notification and dispatching of departments and their members for the highest level of coverage. There are three options that can improve department notification. Option 1- The text messaging program contained in the Emergitech CAD can be used in alerting fire personnel. Alerting members by both radio and text message would greatly reduce the instances of missed emergency call notification. It also improves the chances of notifying personnel when they may be just out of their response area and close enough to respond but on the other side of a hill or terrain that may block the RF signal. Option 2 Utilize Two-Tone Detect, a windows program for two-tone paging, decoding, e-mailing and scanner control. This program uses an existing departments computer sound card to listen and detect the two-tone paging sequences, then records the audio and e-mails that audio to a specified e-mail address. Option 3 - All departments are encouraged to participate in or implement the I am Responding or other similar program. This is a 100% web-based system that provides department members who are available to respond to an incident the ability to simply press one button on any telephone or internet connected computer and record who is responding and their estimated time of arrival. This information is then displayed on a screen in the fire station or in the County Communication Center. Strategy: Create a level of redundancy by developing the capability to page and alert emergency response agencies from a secondary location. It is recommended that Chillicothe Fire Department be utilized and equipped as a secondary site. This would require the installation of telephone lines to each of the repeater sites (except Tar Hollow) and the installation of an encoder into the radio dispatch console. Strategy: Ross County Fire Departments should adopt a standard radio procedure and follow the proper Incident Command System procedures when responding to and during emergency incident activities. Having all departments operate the same will allow for more effective use of resources on the scene, prevent free-lancing, increase the level of safety for emergency responders and reduce radio traffic.
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Strategy: The County should take immediate steps to repair the building housing the Bainbridge repeater. The building is in need of repair and upkeep. The leaking roof should be given a top priority and repaired promptly; otherwise continued leakage could result in damage to the repeater/radio equipment. Strategy: A Radio System Coordinator should be appointed. Currently, there is limited management oversight of the county radio system. There needs to be an individual appointed by Board of Commissioners who is the point person for system needs, repairs and system operation. It is estimated that this position over the course of a year would require approximately10 hours per month. Strategy: The County Commissioners should appropriate funds for additional dispatchers. One dispatcher on duty creates the potential situation of having the Communication Center become congested and overwhelmed to the point where critical communication is not heard or not acted on. It is understood that local revenues are tight and there is no short term expectation of revenue growth. However, as revenues may become available, adding more dispatchers should be a top consideration. With two dispatchers staffed at all times the county could implement Emergency Medical Dispatch, which would be an enhanced level of service for the public. Strategy: Ross County should engage a consultant to identify the countys future radio needs and determine what type of communication system would provide the coverage and capability needed. As the current VHF system ages, equipment upgrades or replacement will become an issue. As the population of the county increases, user demand also will increase and utilization of available technology will become a more pressing issue. There are a number of consulting firms who have the technical knowledge and experience to provide the county with viable options for future radio system improvements, enhancements, or transitioning to a different type of system. Spending funds on an independent study would be cost effective as it will provide options and implementation plans for the county to address the long-range needs of the citizens of Ross County.
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary .............................................................................................................1 Table of Contents .................................................................................................................4 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................5 Methodology ........................................................................................................................7 Infrastructure ........................................................................................................................8 Repeater/Remote Sites .......................................................................................................10 How the System Works .....................................................................................................14 Ross County Communication Center ................................................................................15 Users/Service Demands .....................................................................................................19 Problems Identified ............................................................................................................22 Strategies ............................................................................................................................26 Short-term Strategies .........................................................................................................26 Long-term Strategies ..........................................................................................................32 Appendix 1 Ross County Fire & EMS Radio Communication Procedures ...................35 Appendix 2 Ross County Communication System Study ..............................................44 References......47
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Introduction At the request of the Ross County Commissioners, the Ohio Fire Chiefs Association (OFCA) performed a review and analysis of the current radio communication system currently being used by fire & EMS agencies operating within Ross County. The overall goal of this non-technical study was to analyze the systems current overall performance, identify operational and procedural areas of concern and develop strategies and options, both short-term and long-term, to consider for implementation to improve the overall effectiveness of the system. The project was limited to these specific areas of study. Ross County is located in southern Ohio approximately 50 miles south of Columbus. The Ross County area has a rich local history that was significant in the growth and development of the state of Ohio. Ross County was formed in 1798 as the 6th county in the Northwest Territory. It encompassed almost all of central Ohio until Franklin County and others were formed in 1803. Today, Ross County encompasses 693 square miles, which is the second largest county in the state. When Ohio became a member of the Union, Chillicothe served as the states first capital from 1803 until 1817, when the capital was moved to a more centrally located area in Columbus. The current population is 78,0641, which includes the city of Chillicothe. A map of Ross County is displayed in Figure 1.
Figure 1
Ross County has forestry lands and other beautiful rural settings including Great Seal State Park, Scioto Trail State Park, Hopewell Cultural National Park and the Adena State Memorial. Ross County is also home to a large Veterans Administration facility, two state correctional institutions, and several large companies and employers including Kenworth, New Page Corporation, Adena Regional Medical Center, and Horizon Telcom.
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Over the past four decades the radio communication system in Ross County has grown from a fairly simplistic system to one that currently utilizes several components and features to meet the needs of the emergency response agencies. At one time the county was served by a single tower and antenna located on Rocky Knob (a high elevation point in Great Seal State Park), and was powered by a single, high-wattage base station. Over the years, several factors have caused changes to the system which has created the current situation where the system at times appears to be congested and unreliable. Radio frequency ranges vary across the country according to discipline. In the public safety sector it is common for law enforcement agencies and fire departments to operate on the VHF spectrum of frequencies in the range of 150 170 MHz or the UHF spectrum of frequencies in the range of 450 470 MHz. In the past decade, it has become more and more common for public safety agencies to migrate into a trunked radio system that typically operates in the 700 MHz and 800 MHz frequency ranges. A trunked radio system is a complex, computer controlled two-way radio system that allows the sharing of relatively few radio channels among a larger group of users. All of these systems utilize either analog or digital platforms for their two-way radio operations. Analog is the technology that has been around for years and has served the public safety services well. As with most technologies, new innovations allow for greater capabilities as is the case with the digital radios. The digital radio provides for a larger calling capacity, enhanced voice quality, and the availability of software applications. While digital radios are capable of transmitting greater distances, they are also subject to more interference due to obstructions such as buildings, tree foliage, etc. As with most of the areas across Ohio, emergency response agencies in Ross County have seen their response areas grow and with that a corresponding increase in demand for services. This was especially noticed as fire departments in the area began to provide emergency medical services (EMS). Another factor that has influenced the communication system is changes promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and subsequent enforcement of those regulations. At some point in the past, the FCC ordered the Rocky Knob antenna to be lowered to the height listed on the license and the power output of the base station reduced to licensure requirements. This action negatively affected the signal reach given the terrain present within the county. Another factor that has had a significant impact on the current system is the increase in the number of users. A user is defined as a mobile radio in a fire truck or ambulance or any individual who carries and uses a portable radio (sometimes called a handy-talkie or walkie talkie). As will be described in greater detail in the users section, there are just under 450 portable radios in the county alone. With an increasing number of calls for service, an increase in the number of users and a lack of a standardized communication plan, the system may become congested and at times overloaded as users compete for air time. Additionally, there is a higher expectation by the public of the level of service delivered, in part due to the influence of media and television. Because of this expectation, when errors, delays or problems occur, response agencies often receive criticism from the public. All of these factors have impacted the current
communication system and has created frustration for emergency responders and elected officials. The city of Chillicothe is the county seat and the countys largest incorporated city with a population of 21,9102. Previously, Chillicothe Fire Department (and Police) communicated on VHF frequencies. In 2009, Chillicothe Fire received a grant for a radio system upgrade from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) via the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG). Chillicothe Fire elected to accept the grant funds and move to an 800 MHz state-wide system called MARCS. Chillicothe Police then decided to migrate to the MARCS system but since the AFG funds could only be used by fire agencies, had to identify an alternative funding mechanism. MARCS, or Multi-Agency Radio Communications System, is the state of Ohio's Motorola Digital 800 MHz trunking network, providing statewide voice and data communication for numerous state, county and local government agencies. The MARCS network operates on three system components: Mobile Voice operating on the 800 MHz digital trunked technology Mobile Data allowing data transmissions, LEADS inquiries, reformatting of data from Mobile Data Terminals (MDT) Computer Aided Dispatch - providing GPS-based auto vehicle location, resource recommendation and GGM display, which allows for GIS mapping integration.
The grant funds allowed Chillicothe Fire Department to purchase the mobile and portable radio units necessary to move to the MARCS system. Additionally, there is a monthly or annual user fee that the city of Chillicothe pays to the MARCS system for each radio unit, which is exclusive of any maintenance costs. At the time this proposal was presented to the County Radio Review Committee, the decision was to decline any grant funds to move to the MARCS system. Since Chillicothe Fire operates predominately on the MARCS system, their department operations and hardware was not part of this study. However, further information regarding the dispatching of calls and interoperability with other VHF users will be included in the Communication Center section. Methodology In order to fully understand current operational issues and glean accurate information to develop practical strategies for consideration, the OFCA utilized a multi-faceted approach for this project. After initially meeting with the countys Radio Review Committee, a survey was developed and sent to all emergency response agencies in the county. This included Ross County EMA, the American Red Cross and two private facilities; the Veterans Administration facility and P.H. Glatfelter. The survey information allowed the assessment team to quantify existing radio equipment, quantify existing radio frequencies and corresponding FCC licensure, determine
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emergency call volume, and identify operational and equipment issues. One department, Twin Township, did not return the survey. A copy of the survey form can be found in Appendix 2. After assembling the survey data, the assessment team conducted a site visit to Ross County on July 30-31, 2013. During the site visit, the assessment team was able to visually inspect the radio tower/repeater sites, examine the County Communication Center and interview dispatchers from two shifts. The Communication Center visit also allowed the assessment team to watch 9-11 call intake and dispatching sequences for one fire and two EMS incidents. Chief Officers from the various fire & EMS agencies were provided the opportunity to meet with the assessment team to further identify operational issues or concerns, procedural issues and offer insight into the overall communication system problem. Eleven department Chiefs or representatives participated in the interviews, nine in person and two by telephone. Assisting the assessment team in locating tower sites and providing local information were EMA Director Dave Bethel and B&C technician Bernie Zampernelli. B&C Communications is an Ohio based Motorola Communication dealer and repair service. The company has an office and repair facility in Chillicothe. B&C has maintenance agreements with Ross County to maintain and repair the countys radio communication infrastructure. Infrastructure The fire departments in Ross County operate on the VHF frequency of 154.1300 as their primary radio channel as authorized under the FCC license that is held by the Ross County Commissioners. The system includes six radio repeaters strategically placed throughout the county that strengthen the radio signals and improves the coverage in problem areas. These repeaters are known as Rocky Knob, Frankfort, Bainbridge, DeBord (or Huntington), Tar Hollow and Adelphi, which have all been given names due to their location. A radio repeater is a combination of a radio receiver and a radio transmitter, usually located on a mountain top, tall building or radio tower, which receives a weak or low-level signal and retransmits it at a higher level or power, so that the signal can cover or be heard longer distances without degradation. The repeater receives on one radio frequency (the input frequency), demodulates the signal, and simultaneously retransmits the information on a different frequency (output frequency). All radios utilizing the repeater transmit on the input frequency and receive on its output frequency. This is commonly known as a duplex system or operation. Since the repeater is usually located at an elevation higher than the radios using it, the range of the signal is greatly extended. However, there are many variables that can affect the operation and effectiveness of a radio repeater, including topography (terrain), antenna height, output power, number of users, and actual signal strength. The fire & EMS personnel in Ross County can have access to each of the repeaters with portable and mobile radios. Merely by changing the channel on their radio allows emergency personnel access to each of the different repeaters. Once the radio is on the selected channel, the responder depresses the transmit button and states the message; the repeater receives the radio transmission
and then re-transmits it back out over a wider area. This is dependent upon the location of the fire personnel in relation to the repeater and the transmit power of the radio. Typically, portable radios transmit with 3-5 watts of power and mobile radios transmit with 30-50 watts of power. There are some 100 watt mobile radios available on the market, but with advances in technology over the past two decades, the 45-50 watt mobile is the type most commonly used. The higher the wattage the further the transmission travels, and the closer to the repeater site the better the opportunity for reception. The Ross County Sheriffs Office dispatchers have a radio console that allows them to access or utilize the different repeaters located throughout the County. A Motorola MC 5500 radio interface console makes this possible by utilizing a series of electronic controls that connect to each of the repeaters via a separate dedicated pair of telephone lines. This configuration allows the dispatchers to have immediate and overriding access into each of the repeaters except for the Tar Hollow repeater. In other words when the dispatcher talks or alerts a fire department or EMS unit, they select which repeater they want to use, then depress the microphone button which in turn sends an electronic tone over the phone line that goes directly into the repeater, causing that repeater to transmit. When the dispatcher speaks, their voice is carried over that very same phone line and into the repeater. Conversely when the fire department or fire personnel transmit back on their radio, the repeater hears the transmission and the audio is carried back to the dispatcher over the same phone line and into the dispatching center. The Tar Hollow repeater is considered to be a control point repeater and does not have a dedicated pair of phone lines between the Communication Center and base station repeater. Therefore, the operation of the repeater is dependent on a radio frequency (RF) signal from an antenna mounted on the Law Enforcement Complex, where the Communication Center is located. Each department possesses and maintains mobile radios which are installed in their apparatus or trucks. These radios have a channel capacity that can vary from 16 to over 200 channels and produce 30-50 watts of output power depending on make and model. Departments also possess and maintain portable radios, typically for use on the scene of an incident. Most of these portables have at least a 16-channel capacity, with some going as high as 200 channels. These units produce 3-5 watts of output power depending on make and model. Many times these portables are programmed with paging capabilities and therefore will function just like a pager but typically have improved reception and greater range over the standard pager. The departments also have and maintain pagers for their personnel to carry to receive alerts or notifications from dispatch. All of the repeaters, radios and portables have been narrowbanded as required by the FCC. Narrowbanding, once referred to as refarming, allows the creation of additional channel capacity within the same radio spectrum. The FCC began this effort almost two decades ago to ensure a more efficient use and greater spectrum access for public safety and non-public safety users. The specifications required that all land mobile radio systems must cease operating using the 25 kHz efficiency technology and begin using 12.5 kHz efficiency technology by January 1, 2013. .
Repeater/Remote Sites The Rocky Knob tower site is located in the Great Seal State Park in Springfield Township. The area is approximately 1.5 miles east of the intersection of Marietta and Schrake Roads. The site is owned by Horizon Telcom, which is a telecommunication provider in southeastern Ohio. The repeater is a Motorola MTR 2000 model with 100 watts of power and appeared to be in good condition. The repeater is housed inside a small concrete block building along with other communication equipment for Horizon Telcom, Ross County Engineer, and the Ross County Sheriffs Office. The building appeared to be in good condition and has a diesel fueled generator to provide emergency power in the event of power failure. The radio repeater itself is connected by dedicated phone lines that go back to the Ross County Communication Center. The antenna is an omni-directional type and is located at a selected height on the radio tower (as authorized by the FCC license) that also contains other antennae as well. The County currently pays $1,200 per month for use of the Rocky Knob site. The Frankfort repeater is a Motorola Moto Turbo XPR 8400 model with 45 watts of power. The unit is housed inside a stainless steel, weatherproof cabinet located at the base of the Frankfort Village water tower, located on CR 550 at the northwest edge of Frankfort. The repeater is connected by a dedicated pair of phone lines that go back to the Ross County Communication Center. The radio site and repeater is approximately seven months old and appears to be in good condition with a battery back-up, but no emergency generator. The antenna is an omni-directional type and is located on top of the water tower. The licensure and installation of this repeater site was a collaborative effort between the County Commissioners and Concord Township. Because of terrain, radio communication with some members of
Concord Township was unreliable and this additional site has improved signal strength in the area. The Bainbridge tower site is located on California Hollow Road just outside of Bainbridge. The repeater is a Motorola model MTR 2000 with 100 watts of power. The repeater appears to be in good condition and is connected to a dedicated pair of phone lines that go back to the Ross County Communication Center. The unit is housed inside an old military concrete block building that is in need of repair. During the site visit it was noted that the building was lined with visqueen above the radio to prevent water from leaking or dripping onto it. The building is owned by Southern Ohio Communications and also housed some limited radio equipment for commercial operations. The repeater does have a battery backup but no generator was observed. The antenna is an omni-directional type and was located at a selected height on the radio tower that also contains several other antennae. The DeBord or Huntington repeater is a Motorola model MTR 2000 with 100 watts of power. The repeater appears to be in good condition and is connected to a dedicated pair of phone lines that extend back to the Ross County Communication Center. The repeater is housed in a small concrete block building which also houses radio equipment for WXIZ radio, a commercial radio station. The building is owned and maintained by Gerald Davis and Crystal Communications and is located at 2996 Debord Road near Skiver Road in the southeast corner of Huntington Township. The repeater does have battery backup and a manual start generator is housed inside the building. In cases where power is lost for an extended period, the owner of the radio station travels to the site, moves the mobile generator outside the building and starts the gasoline powered generator by hand. The generator can provide up to 6-8 hours of power on one tank of fuel. The antenna is an omni- directional
type and is located at a selected height on the radio tower next the building along with several other antennae. The Tar Hollow repeater/tower site is located in the Tar Hollow State Forest just off Tar Hollow State Park Road #7, which is approximately four miles north of SR 50 at Londonberry. The repeater is a Motorola model MTR 2000 with 100 watts of power. The repeater appears to be in good condition and is housed in a building that also houses additional commercial radio equipment. The building is in good condition and is owned by Ohio University. The University operates station WOUH-FM radio and also owns the tower. This unit does not have a dedicated pair of phone lines coming from the Communication Center. Therefore, this repeater must receive the transmission from the Communication Center via radio signal. This site does not have a generator for emergency power but does have a battery back-up system that should provide approximately 6-8 hours of operational time, depending on the amount of radio activity. However, at the time of the inspection there were no batteries on site to serve as a back-up in case of a power outage. The radio technician could not explain the lack of batteries and stated it was an unusual situation. The antenna is an omni-directional type and is located at a selected height on the radio tower along with other antennae at various heights. The Tar Hollow site is also the co-location of one of the state of Ohios MARCS systems tower and antenna. The Adelphi repeater is a Vertex 45 watt repeater, which is housed inside the Colerain Township Fire Department at 11759 Market Street in Adelphi. The unit appears to be in good condition but did not have a battery backup or generator. The antenna is an omnidirectional type and is secured to the side of the building approximately 25 feet in the air. It should be noted that the antennas current height is approximately 20 feet lower than it was in the past. This change was a result of wind damage to the antenna mast that occurred approximately eight months ago. The locations of the radio towers are shown on a map in Figure 2.
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Figure 2
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How the System Works When a call for service (typically a 9-1-1 call) is received at the Ross County Communication Center, the dispatchers obtain the necessary information from the caller such as the location and nature of the event to determine what type of assistance or response is needed. After determining that it is a valid call for one of the county fire departments or EMS units, the dispatcher then alerts the corresponding fire department. This is accomplished by toning out the department in which the dispatcher selects a predetermined tone that is transmitted out over the selected repeater which in turn activates the fire personnels portable radios and/or pagers. The dispatcher would immediately follow that tone with a voice message indicating the type of call and the location of the call. Typically, this dispatch is made over the Rocky Knob repeater as it has the best coverage throughout the entire county. However, it does not cover all the areas with 100% success. As a result several of the departments must immediately be dispatched a second time on one of the other repeaters which is located in closer proximity to their jurisdiction. This has all been predetermined jointly by the corresponding departments and the dispatchers. Dispatching simultaneously (simulcasting) over two repeaters at the same time is not an option due to each repeater having the same output frequencies. When this occurs, as does happen on occasion, it results in both repeaters talking on the same frequency at the same time which leads to garbled messages or even worse, no audio coming across the airwaves. Once the dispatch has been completed, the dispatchers will then wait on the department to acknowledge the run over the radio. Some of the departments have crews on-station that can very quickly acknowledge the run. Other departments rely on personnel to come from home who will contact the dispatchers on the radio (they must select the best repeater) indicating they are responding to the station or directly to scene. Many times this results in multiple personnel contacting the dispatchers over the radio. If sufficient personnel are not available or more equipment is needed, fire personnel would contact the dispatchers over the radio requesting additional equipment from surrounding departments. The process then is started all over again with dispatching or toning out of the requested departments. On larger incidents, this process of dispatching takes place multiple times to dispatch the required or requested equipment. If no one from the department acknowledges the call, the dispatchers would then re-dispatch the department a second or even a third time, eventually dispatching the next closest department or private ambulance if necessary. This scenario then initiates the entire dispatching sequence all over again. Once the fire equipment is enroute or responding to the call, the emergency response crews would contact the dispatcher (selecting the best repeater at the time) indicating they are responding to the call. During this time the location would be confirmed and any updated or additional information the dispatchers have can be passed on. When the fire equipment arrives
on the scene and it is an emergency medical call, the crew would most likely continue to operate on the very same radio channel. However, if the event is a fire, the crews on the scene may switch to one of the tactical channels in an effort to have clearer and less congested communication on the fire ground. The drawback to using a tactical channel is the fact that it does not go through a repeater, and therefore has a very limited range. However, it is normally sufficient range for crews operating on the emergency scene and eliminates radio congestion from the other responding crews and dispatch. This point to point or radio to radio communication is commonly known as a simplex operation or mode. It should be noted that most radio manufacturers technical information on portable radios describes an operating field of up to two miles. Practical experience has shown that many portables will have an operating field of five to six miles, depending on terrain and output power. Once the incident is terminated or completed, crews will notify dispatch accordingly, place crews and equipment in service and eventually return to quarters. Once back in quarters personnel will begin clean-up of equipment and restocking of any used supplies to ensure they are prepared for the next response. Also during this time administrative duties and the required reports are finished up and completed. One of the reporting requirements specific to each incident is the documentation of certain benchmark times which include: Time of receipt of the 9-1-1 call Dispatch (alerting) time Time units are enroute to the scene Arrival on scene time Call completion time.
Currently, to obtain this information the crew must contact the dispatch center via telephone and speak directly with the dispatcher to obtain the information. This can be challenging at times when the dispatchers are busy, especially if only one dispatcher is on duty. Ross County Communication Center The Ross County Communication Center is housed on the first floor of the Law Enforcement Complex, which is located at 28 N. Paint Street in Chillicothe. This complex houses the Ross County Sheriffs Office, Ross County Jail, and Chillicothe Police Department. It also houses the County Communication Center and City Police Communication Center. The two communication centers are located adjacent to, but separate from each other. The County Communication Center is under the control of the Ross County Sheriff and the dispatchers are Sheriff civilian employees. The County Communication Center serves as the Primary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for Ross County. All 9-1-1 calls originating outside the Chillicothe City limits ring into the Center. Additionally, all of the cellular calls along with all of the Time Warner Cable 9-1-1
calls generated both inside and outside the city ring into the County Communication Center. The center handles a large volume of traffic, with over 31,000 9-1-1 calls handled in 2012. The center handles the dispatching operations for the Ross County Sheriffs Department and all of the Ross County Fire & EMS Departments with the exception of the Chillicothe Fire Department. Buckskin and Paint Township 9-1-1 calls are initially received by the Ross County Center then transferred to the Highland County Communication Center, which then handles the dispatching function for the Paint Creek Fire District that services those areas. The Chillicothe Communication Center is under the direct supervision of the Chillicothe Police Department and is the primary PSAP for the City of Chillicothe. The city center handles all dispatching functions for the Police Department. The Chillicothe Fire Department operates a separate communication center, which is located at Fire Station # 1, 54 E. Water Street. Fire & EMS calls received at the city PSAP are transferred to the Fire Department dispatcher. The County Communication Center is located within a secured 10 x 12 room that has a large window with full view of the entrance into the building. The two-position dispatching console features a Motorola MC 5500 radio interface which provides both dispatching positions access to all of the radios. This is made possible by utilizing a series of electronic controls that connect to each of the fire repeaters via a separate dedicated pair of telephone lines, thus allowing the dispatchers immediate and overriding access into each of the repeaters except for Tar Hollow. In addition to the radios, each position has identical equipment and screens, which allows both dispatchers full access to all telephones, computers, and 9-1-1 call intake equipment. This interface also provides the connectivity to the Sheriffs Office radios. The center utilizes an Emergitech brand Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. This CAD works in conjunction with the incoming 9-1-1 calls to interpret the Automatic Number Identification and the Automatic Location Identification (ANI & ALI) data that is provided with the call. The CAD is able to pinpoint the location of the caller in real time on a mapping screen located next to each dispatcher position. The Emergitech CAD was recently upgraded and has a number of features that could be utilized by the dispatchers. A complete Records Management System (RMS) is available that could be used to track personnel, equipment, identify hazardous materials storage locations, address specific alerts, and specific location incident history. One of the most commonly used features of the system is the ability of each department to determine automatic equipment response and other location specific response criteria. This predetermined information is a time saving feature that reduces dispatcher decision-making during periods of peak radio and 9-1-1 traffic. During interviews with the dispatchers, it was determined that some of these features are in use, but many have not been utilized. During the site visit it was observed that the Ross County Communication Center can transfer a 9-1-1 call (including ANI & ALI information) to the Chillicothe Fire dispatcher and Highland County Communication Center. For example, when a 9-1-1 call is received from Buckskin or Paint Townships requiring a fire or emergency medical response, the Ross County dispatcher can
transfer the caller along with the ANI & ALI information directly to the Highland County dispatcher with the push of a button on the radio console. The Highland County dispatcher can then talk directly with the caller and dispatch the appropriate equipment from the Paint Creek Fire District in Greenfield. The same process is followed if a call is received that requires a response from Chillicothe Fire Department. If Ross County receives a 9-1-1 call requiring Chillicothe Police, the call must be placed on hold, then the dispatcher calls Chillicothe Police by an inside telephone informing them of the call, at which time the Chillicothe Police dispatcher can access the caller and speak directly to them by selecting the flashing telephone trunk line button on their radio console. The inability to directly transfer a 9-1-1 call to Chillicothe Police is related to telephone company equipment and a selective router device. Ross County officials are currently investigating equipment options and alternative methods to allow for push button transfer of a 9-1-1 call to Chillicothe Police. PSAPs are typically set up to roll over to another PSAP close by in the event of a large volume of incoming calls or some type of catastrophic failure at the building housing the 9-1-1 center. In other words, if a 9-1-1 call is not answered within a specified time frame, the call would roll over to the next predetermined PSAP. With two communication centers co-located in the same building, there would be an expectation that these two PSAPS would be able to provide a level of redundancy for 9-1- 1calls. To further illustrate it was initially expected that the Ross County 9-1-1 calls would roll over to the Chillicothe PSAP if the Ross Center was overloaded or incapacitated and that Chillicothe 9-1-1 calls would roll over to Ross County if similar circumstances occurred. None of the Ross County dispatchers interviewed were aware of any such procedure or set up; however the 9-1-1 coordinator was confident that Ross Countys calls would indeed roll over to Chillicothe and vice-versa. The Communication Center is staffed by six full-time dispatchers each working eight hour shifts. There are two dispatchers scheduled to work all three eight hour shifts on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. As a result this leaves only one dispatcher scheduled for Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. As previously stated, one dispatcher can be placed in very difficult situations during high-volume, peak periods or when multiple incidents are occurring. These dispatchers are also responsible for receiving all of the non- emergent calls for the Ross County Sheriffs Office and the dispatching of the Sheriffs Road Patrol units and subsequent follow-up activities. These would include calling for tow trucks for auto accidents, running operators license and vehicle registration checks in the Ohio LEADS system and other similar tasks. There was no procedural manual for the dispatchers to follow for fire or EMS incident dispatching. However, there were numerous memos and letters from some of the different departments or Township Trustees requesting that the dispatchers take certain actions or steps specific to certain types of calls in their jurisdictions. These notes and letters were approved by the Sheriff for implementation and were stored on a clip board and in some cases taped on the desk or console at the dispatcher position. One such example is what steps or actions should be taken after dispatching an EMS unit and no responders show up at the station or acknowledge the call. Each dispatcher interviewed had a slightly different approach on how they would handle
the situation. This can be a very difficult situation for the dispatchers, especially when agencies wish different procedures to be taken. This is an area where a common policy or procedure should be considered for implementation county-wide. Also contained in the Communication Center was a computer screen that displayed the I am Responding Program in use by Scioto Township Fire Department. When a run is toned out and dispatched for Scioto Township, the responding personnel are able to indicate they are responding by using a speed dial feature on their phone (cellular, land line or smart phone) to call a preprogrammed number and then by pressing a predetermined button on the phone, the system logs them in as responding with an estimated time of arrival. This message is displayed graphically on large display screens in the fire station that notifies the on-duty personnel of how many and in some cases the type of personnel (officer, EMT-P, etc.) are responding. This system provides the dispatchers the ability to view the same information simultaneously. Currently, Scioto Township, Liberty Township and Huntington Township Fire Departments are the only departments known to be using the system. Scioto Township is the only organization that has provided the log-in information that allows dispatchers to observe their response information on the display screen in the Communication Center. The county also has a potential back-up site dispatch site at the Ross County Fairgrounds. At one point in the past the county purchased a small used Positron radio console system. This equipment was installed in the SIU building on the fairgrounds with the intent of establishing a back-up dispatching site. However, with the economic downturn in the late 2000s and other factors, it became cost prohibitive to acquire and install the necessary equipment and maintain dedicated telephone lines to keep the site operational. The Assessment Team also visited the Adena Regional Medical Center and met with the security staff on-duty at the time to determine their capabilities for fire and EMS communications. Inside the security office is a 45 watt control station (Motorola CDM 1250 mobile radio with power supply) that is capable of communicating with all of the Ross County Fire Departments and EMS agencies. According to the security staff, the radio has been programmed with the capability to alert all of the Ross County Fire Departments and activate their personnels pagers. It was also noted that this radio was able to communicate with Pike and Highland Counties as well. At the time of the inspection this radio was not operational due to the remodeling under way at the facility and as a result was not connected to an antenna. Having this radio in operation at the Adena Regional Medical Center is a plus for the Ross County operation but it should not be considered as a fully functional back-up site. As stated previously, Chillicothe Fire Department (CFD) operates its own radio dispatch system and on-duty dispatcher. The two-position Motorola radio console is located at Fire Station # 1. There are three shifts for fire crews and each shift has 10 personnel on-duty, with one of those designated as the dispatcher. Push-button technology and system design allow dispatchers from both the County and City PSAPs to transfer 9-1-1 caller information to the CFD dispatcher.
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The assigned duty officer carries a VHF portable radio so CFD simulcasts emergency call notification/alerting on Chillicothes VHF fire frequency, 154.4000 and the 800 MHz system. In addition, there are a large number of rapid entry lock boxs (sometimes referred generically as a Knox Box) that are installed at various commercial occupancies in the city. The key(s) that open these lock boxes is carried on each apparatus in a key safe. The key safes are unlocked electronically by the dispatcher with a signal transmitted over the VHF system when crews are sent to a property that utilizes the rapid entry lock box system. Chillicothe Fire has the ability to communicate with other agencies rather seamlessly through their radio console. There is an icon on the console screen that allows the dispatcher to click and drag other frequencies into a box on the screen. Internally the system then patches the two frequencies together which allows for the communication pass through. This gives CFD the ability to communicate with other agencies in both the VHF and UHF ranges. This process is somewhat one-sided as the process needs to be initiated by the CFD dispatcher. CFD is currently evaluating the acquisition of a mobile multi-switch interoperability controller device to allow on-scene patching of radios from other agencies in a more seamless fashion. These devices would be installed in CFD Chief Officer vehicles. When CFD fire companies respond into the county area, the Chief Officer on- duty responds with the fire company. These radio interoperability devices would allow CFD companies to communicate directly with those fire and EMS agencies on VHF frequencies without further steps or actions by the county agencies or dispatcher. Users & Service Demands Identifying the number of users that may utilize a radio communication system is important because an increased number of potential or actual users may impact system efficiency. With an analogue system the number of users is not infinite. At some point the system may not be able to sustain the number of users, especially if the workload of the agencies continues to increase. As described previously, a user is defined as a mobile radio in a fire truck, ambulance, pick-up truck or car, and may also be found in fire stations used as a base radio. A portable radio (sometimes called a handy-talkie or walkie-talkie) is a small hand-held size radio that is typically carried by an individual. The Ross County system serves 15 fire & EMS agencies that serve primarily Ross County Township areas. Ross County EMA is part of the system and from time to time the Red Cross may also communicate with agencies during certain types of incidents. The Veterans Administration facility has their own Fire/EMS Department and works off of their own system but may use the county system in larger incidents that require mutual aid. The P.H. Glatfelter Company has an Emergency Response Team (ERT) and communicates primarily on the company radio frequency. Paint Township and Buckskin Township are located in the western area of the county. They are part of the Paint Creek Fire District (PCFD) that is headquartered in Greenfield, just west of the county line in Highland County. When PCFD responds to an emergency call in Ross County
they continue to communicate on Highland County frequencies. According to the Paint Creek Fire District Chief, the adjacent departments in Ross County that may be called for mutual aid have PCFD fire frequencies programmed in their radios. He also indicated that communication with the Ross County dispatchers is generally good but that certain areas have dead spots in which radio signals are not able to be received or transmitted. The inventory information assimilated from the surveys revealed there are 174 mobile radios and 421 portable radios within Ross County. This is nonexclusive of the Veterans Facility and P.H. Glatfelter ERT. There are also 389 pagers used to receive notification of emergency calls. Pagers however, do not impact the system because they are receive only and do not transmit messages. It was noted during an analysis of the surveys that 15 mobile radios and 27 portable radios are privately owned. What this means is that individual fire or EMS personnel have purchased the radio unit with their own funds and have the mobiles installed in their personal vehicle or are carrying their own portable radio. Private purchases normally occur in one of two ways; the radio is purchased locally from a radio dealer or the unit is purchased over the internet, often via E-Bay. The issue of who pays for repairs and maintenance was not part of the survey. Note that one department did not return the survey so the number of users is actually larger than the number listed. Call history data was also included in the surveys in order to determine the demand for services within the county. In 2011, there were 5,133 fire and EMS calls for service. In 2012 those numbers increased to 5,227. The actual number of calls for service is probably slightly higher than what was reported in the surveys as one department did not return a completed survey. In some cases full run data for 2011 was not available. In other situations it was found that EMS calls may be given to private ambulance services when EMS units are unavailable to respond. How this type of run data is tracked is unknown and was not part of the survey. However, 5,227 calls for service means approximately 15-17 calls for service each day are being handled through the communication center utilizing the radio system. Of the total calls for service, 78% are EMS related. While there are many factors that affect the number of EMS calls, the ratio of EMS calls versus fire calls in Ross County is similar to those found in other non-metropolitan response areas across Ohio. In 2008 a Thoroughfare Plan for Ross County & the City of Chillicothe was completed by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. This comprehensive study examined economic growth, associated land uses, population growth and necessary transportation system improvements. The report projected, through information gathered from the Ohio Department of Development, that the population for Ross County in 2020 would be approximately 83,000. The projected population by 2030 is 87,000. These population projections are important indicators of the positive growth the county may experience. This projected growth would place greater demands on the fire & EMS services in the county. Several studies have been completed nationwide that identified several factors affecting America in the future. Even with an aging population, advances in health education and medical technology have resulted in people living
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longer than ever before. As this trend continues, the chances of accessing the EMS system greatly increase, thus increasing the number of calls for service. Several years ago the County Commissioners purchased radio interoperability devices in an effort to improve radio communication for larger incidents and for incidents involving agencies from different jurisdictions or disciplines. The Raytheon ACU-M is a somewhat simple to use device that provides interoperability between four audio ports, two voice over internet protocol channels and a headset port for the Incident Commander or Command Post radio operator. The device is portable and operates primarily by battery. The device has the ability to interconnect radios in any band width including VHF, UHF, P25, and 800 MHz To illustrate, if a large incident occurred that involved the release of hazardous materials, a multi-agency response would be required. Using the ACU-M, the Incident Commander could take a portable radio from Chillicothe Fire Dept. (800MHz), the County Sheriff (UHF) and a county fire department and connect then via cable to the ACU-M unit. The Incident Commander could the transmit message over their radio and the message would be received by those agencies over their radio channel. The incoming message would be received in the same manner. The county purchased nine units and they are located in the following departments: Bainbridge, Concord Township, Deerfield Township, Union Township, Green Township, Harrison Township, Liberty Township, Franklin Township, and Huntington Township. The general feeling from the departments was that the units were functional but did require time to set-up. The set-up time was a negative factor for most departments because even on larger building fires, sufficient personnel are not immediately available to assign to the set-up task. Another factor cited was a lack of training time scheduled to allow personnel the opportunity to practice actual unit set-up. Sheriffs Command Van Over the course of several years (2004-2006) the Buckeye State Sheriffs Association (BSSA) in cooperation with the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (OEMA) banded together to build 11 interoperable communications vehicles for the state of Ohio. The communications vehicles were completely funded through a grant from the federal Homeland Security Agency. Each BSSA vehicle contains state-of-the-art equipment that provides seamless cross-patching of VHF, UHF and 800 MHz radio hardware. It also has uplink capability for internet access and cellular phone capability. Its primary use is to respond to large, multi-agency events to provide the means for clear radio on-scene communication. The 11communications vehicles are strategically placed around the state of Ohio. Ross County Sheriffs Office houses one of the vehicles and personnel from the Sheriffs Office are trained in its use and operations. The Comm 1 vehicle is available upon request to all law enforcement, fire, EMS and EMA personnel in a 12-county response area in southern Ohio.
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Problems Identified As a result of information obtained from the surveys, interviews conducted with technicians, dispatchers, and emergency personnel, as well as document review and personal observation, the assessment team was able to identify problems or concerns that fire & EMS personnel experienced during emergency response incidents. Those problems listed here, in no particular order of importance, were reflective of numerous departments and will be addressed in the study where possible. Radio/Repeater Coverage According to the fire personnel interviewed, the repeaters do NOT provide 100% coverage throughout Ross County. Many expressed difficulty in receiving pages and dispatch messages from the dispatchers. Even when a second dispatch is made on one of the other predetermined repeaters, coverage still is not 100%. One department indicated that on any given day 40% 50% of their personnel do not receive the pager tones and dispatch message. This is most likely due to the topography (terrain) in Ross County. While this is not the case in all areas, it is a considerable concern expressed by many. Equally concerning was the occasional dead spots in coverage areas forcing personnel to switch repeater channels, which often leads to confusion. Dispatching Inconsistencies In times of peak activity, some dispatchers will try and speed up the alerting process to notify a department of an emergency call. As described previously, many of the departments in the county are situated in areas with drastic differences in terrain. This necessitates the 2nd alerting or page on a different repeater. The radio console allows the dispatcher to simulcast a page or alert as well as the voice message. When this happens, the page tone and voice message are broadcast over both repeaters simultaneously. Since the output on all repeaters is the same frequency, simulcasting results in echoing, garbled messages, and in some cases, the page signal is reduced and can actually fail to trip the pager. Performance Issues Resulting from Recent Narrowbanding Narrowbanding has reduced the range and efficiency of the radios. Everyone interviewed expressed concern for decreased performance of their radios after the narrowbanding has taken place. According to the technician from B & C Communications, the FCC says 17% degradation can be expected with narrowbanding. The experience of the OFCA has shown that as much as 25% degradation occurs as a result of narrowbanding. System/Frequency Congestion Radio congestion occurs frequently when multiple runs occur simultaneously within the county. Several different conditions contribute to this problem. First, all of the repeaters in the county have the identical output frequency. When multiple incidents occur, emergency responders end up transmitting or talking over each other because they are
competing for air time. A single, larger incident with multiple agencies responding can create this situation in and of itself. If other incidents occur at the same time, the situation is further compounded. The results can be static, incomplete messages, confusion over who is attempting to talk with who, and garbled transmissions. To further complicate this problem, multiple dispatches must be made to alert the affected departments, which occupy the airwaves at the same time on-scene critical communications are occurring. Adding to the problem are multiple emergency responders using their individual radios to notify dispatch they are responding to the station or to the scene. Absence of Uniformed Command Systems The lack of the use of the Incident Command System was identified as a contributing factor leading to radio congestion. Once the first piece of fire/EMS equipment arrives on the scene (except for routine medical calls), someone must take charge of the incident by assuming the command position, which is then known as the Incident Commander. In most cases the Chief or highest ranking officer responding will assume this role at an incident. It is the responsibility of the Incident Commander to coordinate the actions of the personnel on the scene and assign duties to additional arriving equipment or responders as they reach the scene. Use of the Incident Command system streamlines onscene communications and actually reduces the amount of radio traffic by following a command hierarchy and communication model. The Incident Commander should be the only one communicating outside of the scene to the dispatchers or additional arriving equipment. If the Incident Command system is not used, there is a tendency for freelancing to occur, which can result in uncoordinated actions on the scene where multiple responders are attempting to direct the operation in different ways. During the site visit the dispatchers provided numerous examples where different personnel on the scene of an incident made multiple requests for the same resources over the course of 15-20 minutes. In some cases the multiple resource requests resulted in resource duplication. Absence of Uniform Radio Discipline In general, everyone from the fire personnel to the dispatchers agreed that a complete lack of radio etiquette and radio discipline existed throughout all agencies. Unfamiliarity of Current System There were a number of misunderstandings as to how the system operates that became evident during the interviews. Only a few actually understood how the entire system operates and functions. The following are just a few examples of this: If the Rocky Knob repeater goes down, why do all the other repeaters go down except for Bainbridge? According to the radio technician this is not an accurate statement. None of the repeaters are interconnected and each operates independently.
The Tar Hollow tower antenna is pointed the wrong direction; the antenna needs to be realigned and pointed back towards the south and west. The Tar Hollow site along with all of the repeaters does not use directional antennae; each has an omni-directional antenna. This means that the radio signal is radiated out in a circular pattern, rather than a straight line. Our department is not permitted to use the Frankfort repeater; therefore its not programmed in our radios. Although the Frankfort repeater is the newest repeater and is only seven months old, it is available for all fire departments to use. The FCC license for this repeater is held by the County Commissioners and there have been no restrictions placed on any of the repeaters that was documented or provided to the assessment team. We normally use the Tar Hollow repeater, but its been down for over two months and we must use a different repeater that is not as effective. During the inspection of the Tar Hollow repeater, it was found to be fully operational and functioning appropriately. The technician accompanying the assessment team indicated there were some recent repairs to unit, but he was unaware of the site being down or out of service for any extended period of time. I shouldnt have to change channels and work off of another repeater. While changing channels may not be the optimal choice, many times it is necessary for successful operation in this system. A common theme heard from many of the participants was that fire personnel frequently operated on the wrong channel, not understanding the need to change channels to utilize the closest repeater. Absence of Standard/County-wide Operating Procedures There is a lack of common procedures, policies or Standard Operating Procedures in place for fire personnel or the dispatch center. There was a common concern expressed by many that at times, personnel, departments, agencies and dispatchers were not operating on the correct channel. Additionally, dispatchers can become overloaded at times, especially on the days when there is only one dispatcher on duty. This results in multiple calls to dispatch due to the dispatchers attention being focused on multiple tasks and radio messages that are difficult to understand. Absence of Standard Radio Templates Not all of the radios are programmed the same throughout the county. There was no common template for programming that aligns channels and positions on the radios.
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Additionally, not all of the radios have been programmed with all of the repeaters and the available tactical channels. Lack of System Redundancy There is no level of redundancy for dispatching emergency calls. The 9-1-1 system has a level of redundancy because incoming calls will roll over to another PSAP if the Ross County system is down. However, no other entity has the ability to tone out or alert departments of emergency calls. Several Chiefs or fire personnel have the ability to page from their vehicle with a mobile radio, but his is a stop-gap measure that is unreliable. Another radio dispatch center, such as Chillicothe PD, Chillicothe Fire, or an adjacent county needs to have the capability to page out Ross County departments. Lack of System Accountability There was no one person dedicated or responsible for oversight of the repeaters and other associated equipment. In addition, there is no management of the overall communication system throughout the county. Communication Center Staffing Inconsistencies Approximately 60% of the time, there is only one dispatcher on duty which can result in complex and demanding situations. The dispatchers have multiple responsibilities. They must handle the incoming 9-1-1 call, dispatch the appropriate resources and complete follow-up tasks that may be associated with the call. In addition, they are responsible for dispatching and monitoring the safety of the Sheriffs deputies on patrol and also assisting with critical law enforcement tasks such as performing LEADS inquiries and during down times, entering data in the Sheriffs database. When multiple incidents occur, and this would include law enforcement incidents, the dispatcher may be placed in a situation in which they are forced to choose which incident becomes a priority. These are situations where the responders in the field become stressed when radio calls go unanswered or follow-up tasks are significantly delayed. One dispatcher also does not permit Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) service to the public. EMD is where a properly trained dispatcher can provide medical assistance instructions to a frantic 9-1-1 caller who is requesting emergency help. Examples would be bleeding control, emergency breathing and CPR instructions. It is not possible for one dispatcher to provide this type of assistance because this would prohibit them from answering further radio traffic or handling an incoming 9-1-1 call while giving EMD instruction.
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Strategies There are no easy solutions to resolve the myriad of issues being experienced by the emergency response and communication center personnel in Ross County. Currently, there is minimal oversight of the overall system and no long range plan for system upgrade. The current system has evolved over the past four decades, primarily driven by problem identification and short-term solution rather than a systematic or strategic plan to improve and upgrade the system. The local Motorola provider has provided a high level of expertise in assisting the county in expanding a functional system, but system improvements have occurred in a more piece meal fashion, a direct result of limited funding. The other primary driver is the increase in demand for service and the huge increase of the number of radio users. Both of these factors have resulted in more traffic and as a result, congestion occurs rather frequently, which negatively impacts the ability for clear and rapid communication. Another factor related to the increased number of users is the lack of a unified radio procedure and proper radio discipline. No one strategy will resolve the problems, but in combination with other measures, may provide a positive impact on radio communication and as a result positively impact the delivery of emergency services. In order to experience short-term improvements the departments operating within Ross County will need to approach decision making from a systems perspective. Instead of approaching each problem individually, the problem should be approached collaboratively to achieve the greatest improvement or most significant impact. The county has already taken steps to work collaboratively as evidenced by the county-wide numbering system. Short-term Strategies Strategy: Ross County Fire Departments are urged to take advantage of the run card program contained within the Emergitech CAD system. This feature can be used in predetermining fire & EMS responses throughout Ross County. This would allow the dispatchers to automatically alert or dispatch additional equipment specific to the type of incident or location of the incident on the initial dispatch. For example, a department may only want their own apparatus responding to a structure (one-family dwelling) fire in a particular area of the township. However, should that structure fire be an industrial complex or large commercial building, the department may want an engine and tanker from the closest department immediately dispatched. This would get the necessary resources to the scene faster with the greatest chance for positive intervention of the emergency. This system can also be easily expanded into a greater alarm system. For example, a township area could be divided into thirds, quadrants or whatever size area makes sense. Each area could have the 2nd , 3rd and 4th alarm resources for each area predetermined which would expedite the dispatching process and
allow the Incident Commander to concentrate on directing fireground operations rather than thinking through what extra resources need to be called. Estimated cost: staff time to enter information into database. Strategy: A standard dispatching protocol needs to be developed and implemented. Dispatchers cannot be expected to look at post-its, memos and others reminders for specific actions for a few different departments. A clear and concise standard procedure of alerting response crews of an emergency call and the steps to take if that response crew is not out the door or acknowledge the call within a specified time frame is a critical component of any communication system. For example, departments should be paged twice at three minute intervals and if no acknowledgement is heard after six minutes, the next closest department is paged. If the original department gets a crew together, the second department can always be cancelled. The times presented here are illustrative only. This strategy may best be accomplished by assembling a group from the Ross County Fire Chiefs Association and the Ross County Dispatchers to collectively work on this procedure or document. However, if necessary the OFCA can develop a protocol. See draft in Appendix 1. Estimated cost: no additional cost if handled in-house. Strategy: Evaluate and implement methods to strengthen notification and dispatching of departments and their members for the highest level of coverage. One or more of the following options could be implemented to make this improvement. Option 1- The text messaging program contained in the Emergitech CAD can be used in alerting fire personnel. Alerting members by both radio and text message would greatly reduce the instances of missed emergency call notification. It also improves the chances of notifying personnel when they may be just out of their response area and close enough to respond but on the other side of a hill or terrain that may block the RF signal. This would essentially create a redundant method of alerting and communicating with fire & EMS personnel. Estimated cost: $3,000. Option 2 Utilize Two-Tone Detect, a windows program for two-tone paging, decoding, e-mailing and scanner control. This program uses an existing departments computer sound card to listen and detect the two-tone paging sequences, then records the audio and e-mails that audio to a specified e-mail address. This system is currently in use at the Huntington Township Fire Department. Specific information and requirements of the system can be found at: https://sites.google.com/site/radioetcetera/twotoneprogram . Estimated cost: minimal, most likely can be installed to an existing computer with an internet connection.
Option 3 - All departments should be encouraged to participate in or implement the I am Responding or other similar program. The I am Responding emergency responder reply system has the ability to significantly reduce radio traffic. This is a 100% web-based system that requires no additional software or any unique hardware. The system allows for department members who are available to respond to an incident the ability to simply press one button on any land based telephone, mobile or smart phone, or internet connected computer, and instantly display who is responding and their estimated time of arrival. This critical information can then be viewed in the County Communication Center, any of the fire stations and on any smart phone. The system also has the ability to send out dispatch messages as a text message and/or e-mail, thus allowing fire & EMS personnel to view the dispatch on their cell phone, station monitor and e-mail. I am Responding has now released free apps for both Apple and Android devices that are integrated with Google Maps, which will map the incident location with directions including turn- by-turn voice navigation. Additionally, the system allows departments to post, modify and view the current duty schedule of their members, view and manage the status of all apparatus, and send and receive intra-departmental messages. With this system, the dispatchers would have the ability to view all of the agencies on a single screen, see which personnel are responding, which personnel are on-duty or available, and which vehicles are in and out of service. By utilizing a program such as this county- wide, it would significantly reduce radio traffic and congestion, especially at the onset of an incident. Estimated cost: $300 or $650 per year for each department, depending on call volume and the number of participants county-wide. Strategy: Develop a procedure for sending emergency run data needed to complete the required reports directly to the fire station at the conclusion of the incident. Such a procedure could have the information transmitted by fax directly from the CAD to the station, or the information could be made available via the internet through a web based portal directly from the CAD. This would free up the dispatchers during busy times and allow quicker access for the crew members completing the required reports. Estimated cost: $1,500. Strategy: Test the rollover of 9-1-1 calls to confirm the system is fully operational. This would allow for a training opportunity for dispatchers so they can experience how the system works and verify procedures in the process. If the operational test fails, the 91-1 coordinator must work with the telephone carrier to have the issue resolved. Once the roll-over system is deemed to be functional, the system should be tested on a regular basis to ensure its operational.
Estimated cost: none. Strategy: Create a level of redundancy by developing the capability to page and alert emergency response agencies from a secondary location. Since the Chillicothe Police Communication Center is in the same building as the Ross County Communication Center, it is recommended that Chillicothe Fire Department be utilized as a secondary site. This would require the installation of telephone lines to each of the repeater sites (except Tar Hollow) and the installation of an encoder into the radio dispatch console. Since the radio consoles are identical at all three locations, this should help facilitate expanding this alerting and dispatching capability. Estimated cost: $10,000-$12,000. Strategy: Ross County Fire Departments should adopt a standard radio procedure and follow the proper Incident Command System procedures when responding and during emergency incident activities. Having all departments operate the same will allow for more effective use of resources on the scene, prevent free-lancing, increase the level of safety for emergency responders and reduce radio traffic. This would also include mayday and emergency evacuation procedures that require dispatcher actions. A draft copy of an incident management/radio protocol is attached in Appendix 1. Estimated cost: none. Strategy: All of the tactical channels in the county should be pooled together as a group and utilized in various areas of the county as needed. They should be labeled universally so all will know which channel to use, which can be determined by the on-scene Incident Commander. There were at least seven tactical channels identified in the county. While these frequencies are licensed to individual departments, a workable plan can be developed that maximizes their use for all departments. These could be utilized as follows: Tact 1, Tact 2, Tact 3, etc. They could also have colors assigned to assist in identifying the correct channel: Tact 1 (red) Tact 2 (blue) Tact 3 (green), etc. Consideration should be given to arranging the tactical channels by area of the county. In other words, select three tactical channels for use in the northwest area of the county, three for the southeast, etc. This would reduce congestion and interference if multiple incidents area occurring. The three state-wide mutual aid channels are 154.280, 154.265, and 154.295. These frequencies are good options when working with out of county resources or within the county as well. Estimated cost: undetermined, but possibly would involve the need to reprogram radios by each departments radio vendor/provider.
Strategy: Ross County should develop a template to be used county-wide to help keep departments operating as a system. For example, the first seven channels in each radio could be the primary dispatch channel followed by the repeater channels. This could be followed by the tactical channels, EMA channel and then any mutual aid-channels that the individual department may commonly work with from other counties including the three state-wide mutual aid channels that area available to use. Based on information obtained from the surveys, almost all of the radios in use have 16-channel capacity. This will require some work by the radio committee to develop a standard template that is practical. Cost: reprogramming charge from radio vendor. Strategy: All Ross County agencies need to develop a preventative maintenance program for their radio communication equipment. Clear and effective radio communication is a critical component of any emergency response system. Fire and EMS responders rely on radio communication to effectively respond to and mitigate emergencies and to help provide an element of safety for the responders. Due to the nature of fire & EMS responses, radios sometimes are subject to weather extremes, moisture, drops, falls, and other physical contacts that can affect the radios operability. All radios need to be checked for proper frequency alignment/output and signal power on an annual basis to assure proper operability. Estimated cost: undetermined; varies depending on the number of radios and vendor. Strategy: The county should take immediate steps to repair the building housing the Bainbridge repeater. The building is in need of repair and upkeep. The leaking roof should be given a top priority and repaired promptly; otherwise it is a matter of time for the repeater/radio equipment suffers damage from water or moisture. Estimated cost: undetermined. Strategy: Repeater/remote sites should have battery back-up capability to provide continued radio service during short-term power outages. During the remote site inspection it was determined that the Adelphi site does not have battery back-up or an emergency generator. A battery backup system capable of providing 6-8 hours of operational time should be installed at the remote site. The Rocky Knob site did not have battery back-up but is it serviced by an emergency generator.
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Also during the site inspection it was observed the Tar Hollow battery back-up system was not functional due to missing batteries. This should be corrected as soon as possible. Although there are no specific FCC guidelines or requirements for remote sites regarding emergency power supply, best practices indicate that all remote sites should have emergency generator back-up to keep the radio equipment operating in power outages, which could last several days depending on the cause, such as an ice storm. The longterm goal for the county should be to equip each site with an automatic, diesel- or propane- powered generator. The following sites would need generators installed: Tar Hollow, Frankfort, Bainbridge, and Adelphi. Additionally, the manually operated generator at the Debord site should be upgraded to an automatic operating generator. This is one area that grant funds may be available. Estimated cost for battery backup at remote site $800. Strategy: A Radio System Coordinator should be appointed. Currently, there is limited management oversight of the county radio system; in essence, there is no ownership of the system. There needs to be an individual who reports to the County Board of Commissioners who is the point person for system needs, repairs and system operation. This person would field the questions from emergency response agencies, authorize repairs, and coordinate with the Sheriff and 9-1-1 coordinator on any operational issues that may arise. It is also recommended that the Coordinator conduct monthly or bi-monthly visual inspections of the repeater sites and coordinate with the Motorola vendor on any operational or equipment issues. As part of this study, the Assessment Team reviewed 34 FCC licenses issued to Ross County. The Coordinator would be able to track all licenses and assure timely renewal. This person should attend county Fire Chief or Firefighter Association meetings and keep emergency responders current on operational and equipment issues. The coordinator would also work closely with Fire Chiefs in seeking user compliance with radio procedures and radio etiquette. It is estimated that this position over the course of a year would require approximately10 hours per month. Estimated cost: $1,500 per year. Strategy: The county should develop and execute updated maintenance agreements with B&C Communications. The County Commission currently has multiple maintenance agreements with the local Motorola vendor, B & C Communications. These agreements identify the infrastructure or equipment to be maintained, the labor rate, and the type of preventative maintenance work to be completed. While B&C performs the work appropriately, the maintenance agreements are out dated. Several are dated from 1995 and 2001 with automatic renewal clauses. New maintenance agreements should be developed that specifically identify the type and frequency of preventative maintenance, labor rates, and other information
related to specific equipment. It is suggested that the agreements cover a two year period and should be re-examined for completed work, effectiveness and cost efficiency before renewal. This project could be handled by the Radio System Coordinator. Estimated cost: staff time. Strategy: Fire Chiefs in the county should collectively work on having all personnel observe and follow proper radio etiquette. Personnel should not become upset, yell, or use improper terminology when talking on the radio. Competing for air time can be very difficult and stressful during periods of high volume activity and working together is advantageous for all involved. Maintaining proper radio etiquette, following standard operating protocol, use of the Incident Command System and better utilization of tactical channels will vastly improve on-scene radio communications. Ultimately, it will be the responsibility of each Chief to police his or her department members. Estimated cost: none. Strategy: Further explore the features of the CAD system to improve communication efficiencies. In the coming months, Emergitech will be creating a new customer service program. This will involve account representatives assigned to each customer to maintain close contact and to ensure the customer is getting full advantage of the CAD system. When this is rolled out, Ross County should have the Emergitech account representative meet with the radio review committee to fully explain and demonstrate, where applicable, the features and capability of the CAD system. This way, the county may take advantage of features that may improve communication efficiencies and reduce radio congestion. While costs to utilize some features will always be a consideration, a thorough review and implementation plan could be developed and implemented over a period of time. This project should be led by the Radio System Coordinator. Estimated cost: none. Long-term Strategies Long-term strategies are developed to assist the county in planning for future system improvements and facilitate financial planning to fund those improvements. Given the age of the system and current demands, long-range planning is key in meeting the future needs of the county. Strategy: Departments may want to discuss with B&C Communications the value of utilizing in-vehicle repeaters for use on the scene of incidents.
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This device is connected to the vehicles mobile radio, then receives the transmission from a portable radio(s) and rebroadcasts the signal with the higher powered mobile radio, thus extending the range of the portable radio. This may prove to be useful in those areas of the county where portable radios are unable to reach one of the repeaters. Other jurisdictions have utilized in-vehicle repeaters with success; however, there are advantages and disadvantages to this option and it should be considered individually. Estimated Cost: undetermined. Strategy: The County Commissioners should appropriate funds for additional dispatchers. The Communication Center and the dispatcher(s), is the central focal point and critical element in an overall emergency response system. Dispatchers handle the incoming call, alert and dispatch resources, monitor the emergency scene, and often times help coordinate multiple disciplines responding to an incident. Even with the advancement in cellular technology, the dispatcher remains the primary contact with the outside world for the emergency responder. One dispatcher on duty creates the potential situation of having the Communication Center become congested and overwhelmed to the point where critical communication is not heard or not acted on. As described in this report, the number of calls in the county will continue to increase in the future. This will only increase the potential for these types of situations to occur. For example, a shooting incident with multiple victims needing medical attention and an active shooter in the vicinity would easily overwhelm one dispatcher when they have to handle both law enforcement and EMS responders. The Assessment Team is very aware of limited revenue at the local government level. However, as revenues may become available, adding more dispatchers should be a top consideration. Whether the positions are filled with full-time or part-time personnel is a discussion between the Sheriff and the Commissioners. If two dispatchers can be staffed at all times, the county could implement Emergency Medical Dispatch, which would be an enhanced level of service for the public. Estimated cost: undetermined. Strategy: Ross County should engage a consultant to identify the countys future radio needs and determine what type of communication system would provide the coverage and capability needed. As the current VHF system ages, equipment upgrades or replacement will become an issue. As the population of county increases, user demand also will increase and utilization of available technology will become a more pressing issue. There are a number of consulting firms who have the technical knowledge and experience to provide the county with viable options for future radio system improvements, enhancements, or transitioning to a different type of system.
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For example, the consulting firm could identify VHF system improvements, variations on paging channels and talk groups, VHF system build-out, or implementation of a 700 MHz or 800 MHz trunked system. Future system enhancement or transition to a new system will be an expensive project for the county. Spending funds on an independent study would be cost effective as it will provide options and implementation plans for the county to address the long-range needs of the citizens of Ross County. Estimated cost: $75,000-$90,000.
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Appendix 1
Ross County Fire & EMS Radio Communication Procedures

____________________________________________________________________________ Purpose: To identify radio communication procedures that will allow for consistent incident management and clear and efficient use of the radio system. Scope: Good communication is a critical component of safe and effective emergency operations. This procedure applies to all personnel. General Procedure: All non-emergency radio traffic shall be confined to departmental business. All radio traffic shall follow all rules and regulations as set forth by the FCC. All emergency radio traffic shall be kept as brief as possible to communicate necessary information. All emergency communication should be clear, concise, and in plain English to avoid confusion or misunderstanding. All radio traffic should be repeated back to sender to be sure message is understood properly. e.g. (Engine 92, Command; Lay supply line to Engine 97 from hydrant at corner of Main and South) (Engine 92 Clear Command; Lay in supply line to Engine 97 from hydrant at Main and South.) Once units arrive on the scene and Command is established, the Incident Commander shall identify a tact channel for the incident and inform all on-scene units to switch to the tact channel chosen. This action will reduce the potential for radio interference for on-scene crews (i.e. other dispatches and/or another incidents radio traffic) and still enable monitored two-way radio communications between all on scene personnel and dispatch. When a tact channel is assigned, crews mark enroute on the primary radio channel and AFTER dispatch confirms their response on primary, crews immediately switch to the assigned tact channel. The balance of radio traffic for the incident will take place on tact channel except traffic between the Incident Commander and dispatch Command termination and apparatus marking in service will be done on the primary channel.
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Incident Command Procedure:

The one function that will always be filled at every emergency incident (except routine medical calls) is the Incident Commander's (IC) position. This is done using an incident management system that involves a progressive process by which to the three strategic priorities at fires and other emergencies and they shall be considered in the following order: 1. LIFE SAFETY: (first priority) The IC must consider life safety issues for all firefighters, other emergency workers, occupants and bystanders at an incident. No property is worth the risk of even one life. Life safety must come before all other considerations. 2. INCIDENT STABILIZATION: (second priority) The IC must develop the command structure and strategy to stabilize the incident. The command structure must match the complexity of the incident, not the size. 3. PROPERTY CONSERVATION: (third priority) Property conservation at an incident means achieving incident goals and objectives while minimizing property damage. While these priorities are always considered in the order listed, they may not always be accomplished in this order. For example, sometimes the incident will need to be stabilized in order to affect life safety. The objectives of each priority are reflected in the following benchmarks of completion: a. RESCUE: primary search All Clear" b. INCIDENT STABILIZATION: "Situation Contained" c. PROPERTY CONSERVATION: "Loss Stopped" The IC shall transmit to dispatch the "all clear" and "situation contained" and "loss stopped" when those priorities have been obtained. In order for the IC to satisfy the objectives of each function in its priority order, he/she must in many cases, overlap the activities of each so as to achieve the current benchmark. Notable examples are the frequent need to achieve interior tenability with active/ extensive fire control efforts before beginning a primary search or the need to initiate salvage operations while fire control efforts are being extended. RESCUE The Incident Commander must structure initial operations around the completion of the primary search. Primary search means crews have quickly gone through all affected areas and verified the removal and/or safety of all occupants. The completion of the primary search is reported utilizing the standard radio reporting term "ALL CLEAR, which should be transmitted to dispatch and the time recorded. Dispatch should repeat the message.
Until the "ALL CLEAR" is given, all initial attack efforts must be directed toward supporting rescue efforts and hose lines must be placed in a manner to control interior access, confine the fire, and protect avenues of escape. Hose line placement becomes a critical factor in these cases and the IC and all operating crews/companies must realize that the operation is in a rescue mode. It may be necessary to operate in a manner that writes off the structure in order to buy rescue time. FIRE CONTROL Offensive Mode In an offensive mode the first attacking hose line must protect civilians who are still exiting the building or in need of rescue. Once victims are accounted for an interior fire attack is conducted. Defensive Mode - A defensive mode is an exterior attack directed to first reduce fire extension and then bring the fire under control. The decision to operate in the defensive mode indicates that the offensive attack strategy has been abandoned for reasons of personnel safety and the involved structure has been conceded as lost (or written off). Transitional This mode of attack is used when either changing fire ground conditions dictate the need to effect a mode change or an attack will be utilized for a short period to relocate or refortify resources. Changing the Mode of Attack. There must be clear direction from the IC when the mode of attack is changed. This should be clearly announced over the radio and all units must acknowledge the transition. When the fire is under control it is reported utilizing the standard radio reporting term: "SITUATION CONTAINED." It is the responsibility of the IC to transmit this report to the dispatcher. The dispatcher should repeat the message. While "SITUATION CONTAINED" indicates the incident is contained or stabilized, it essentially means the forward progress of the fire has been stopped and the remaining fire can be extinguished with the on-scene resources; it does not mean the fire is completely out.
PROPERTY CONSERVATION It is standard procedure to commit the necessary resources, if available, to reduce property loss to an absolute minimum. Salvage and overhaul functions help limit property damage. In addition, these activities must be integrated with investigative efforts. "LOSS STOPPED" can be transmitted when these activities have been completed. Dispatch should repeat the message.
Establishing Command: The first arriving officer or senior firefighter to arrive at the scene shall assume command of the incident and assume all related responsibilities. The initial IC shall remain in charge of the incident until one of the following occurs: 1. Command is passed to the next arriving officer (only once per incident).
2. Command is officially transferred to a higher ranking officer. 3. The incident is terminated. PASSING command is not to be confused with TRANSFERRING command. Command is PASSED only when the situation requires the immediate active participation of the first member or officer on the scene which prohibits them from maintaining a fixed command position. When this occurs the next arriving officer or member shall be notified and will assume command of the incident. Command can be passed only once.
Arrival & Initial Radio Report The first arriving officer or member should establish command using the standard procedure outlined below: 1. Identify the unit 2. Type of structure which can include the building address, size, height, and occupancy. In the case of a MVA, include the number of vehicles and brief description of damage. Note: If the occupancy is well known (such as the Hospital) the name of the building will suffice. 3. Brief description of the situation shall be transmitted: Working fire, smoke showing, nothing showing, multiple patients, etc. 4. In the event of declared working fire: a. Declaration of strategy: Offensive or Defensive b. Any obvious safety concerns 5. Unit number of person that is the Incident Commander 6. Requests for additional resources if required. 7. Follow-up report after conducting 360 walk around As the emergency progresses, the Incident Commander will control all radio traffic and additional resources or other requests will be go through the Incident Commander. Dispatch should repeat the initial radio report. Risk/Benefit Analysis: A risk/benefit analysis using all of the previous information must also be incorporated into the size-up process. The risk/benefit analysis is the key factor in selecting the appropriate mode for the incident. The mode regulates the degree of risk to fire fighters that is acceptable in a given situation. All fire division operations involve some inherent and unavoidable risks: however, many risks can and should be avoided. The degree of risk that is acceptable is determined by the realistic benefits that can be anticipated by taking a particular course of action. The IC must always consider the risks to firefighters in relation to expected benefits that may be gained from those actions. The potential benefits include the possibility of saving lives or preventing injury to persons who are in danger, preventing property damage, and protecting the environment from harm. The major risk factor is the possibility of death or injury to fire fighters. Potential occurrences such as flashover, back draft, and structural collapse, or lost or disoriented
crew members, all have to be evaluated. Each alternative action plan involves a different combination of risks and benefits. Tactical Incident Priorities: Tactical priorities provide a list of considerations that must be addressed in the order of priority for dealing with them. The tactical priorities and the information obtained in the size-up are used to develop the incident action plan. Fire personnel will work to achieve the five tactical goals and they shall be considered in the following priority order: 1. Rescue 2. Exposures 3. Ventilation 4. Extinguishment 5. Salvage Rescue: Life safety is the highest strategic and tactical goal and applies to both citizens and firefighters. Exposures: Exposures and confinement are actions designed to limit the spread and scope of a fire. Exposures generally refer to structures near a building on fire where confinement refers to preventing the fire from spreading to uninvolved areas of the same property. This action supports the second and third strategic priorities as well as supporting rescue efforts. Ventilation: This may be required at different points in the time sequence of a fire because it can support the successful completion of any or all of the other strategic and tactical priorities. Extinguishment: In many instances and if achievable the rapid extinguishment of the fire will resolve many other fire scene issues. Salvage: This action includes protecting or removing property that could be damaged by fire, smoke, water, or firefighting operations. It can also occur in other places on the tactical priority list but never ahead of rescue. Task Assignments: Once the IC has determined the tactical priorities for an incident, the tactical priorities are subdivided into tasks and assigned to individuals. Tasks are specific assignments that are performed by a group of individuals functioning as a small unit or crew. Completion of the tasks results in accomplishment of the tactical objectives. In the early stages of a fire there will be more tasks than personnel. The IC must make assignments based on the tactical priorities and available resources. Therefore, the IC must prioritize assignments and distribute them to units as they arrive or become available. Personnel that have completed one task assignment may be reassigned to another.
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Emergency Radio Traffic:

Purpose: The purpose of this procedure is to assure that all personnel operating at the scene of an emergency can be alerted to a change in conditions that can affect their safety and can evacuate to a safe location. Scope: This procedure shall apply to all personnel operating at the scene of any emergency incident. The IC and the Safety Officer are responsible for implementing this procedure according to the guidelines presented here. Everyone operating at an incident has the responsibility to pay attention to developing conditions and to inform superior officers of any dangerous conditions that are discovered or observed. Procedure: The EMERGENCY evacuation of a structure shall mean an evacuation that is initiated by the IC or Safety Officer because conditions are believed to pose an immediate and direct threat to the safety of personnel operating in or around the structure. An EMERGENCY evacuation is to be ordered only when personnel are in imminent danger. At the transmission of "MAYDAY" or "URGENT", ALL OTHER RADIO TRAFFIC IS TO CEASE AND ALL PORTABLES MONITORED UNTIL THE MESSAGE IS COMPLETED. A standard MAYDAY report should include the following: Unit, Condition, Action, Needs Examples- Firefighter or Officer: "MAYDAY- MAYDAY" IC: Unit with MAYDAY traffic go ahead FF or Co Officer: Collapse imminent (or other appropriate message). IC: Clear on collapse imminent- All units evacuate building immediately After being informed of the emergency evacuation, the Incident Commander shall announce the following message: "MAYDAY-MAYDAY - ALL PERSONNEL EVACUATE THE BUILDING." The emergency evacuation message shall be transmitted on all frequencies being utilized at the incident and repeated at least twice for a total of three broadcasts. After the evacuation message has been broadcast, IC should notify dispatch of same. On hearing the EMERGENCY EVACUATION MESSAGE, all crews shall immediately exit the building and report to the Officer or IC, whichever is appropriate, that they are safely out of the building. This evacuation is to be accomplished by the shortest available route. Hose lines and other equipment are to be left behind unless they are needed to effect safe escape. On hearing the Emergency Evacuation message, all apparatus drivers shall immediately blast the air horns on the apparatus in operation for a minimum of 30 seconds. If personnel who are not radio equipped hear this signal they shall immediately initiate evacuation of the building.
After exiting the structure all personnel shall proceed to a point outside the established safety perimeter where crew leaders or group supervisors shall immediately initiate a Personnel Accountability Report (PAR) of personnel under their command. The IC shall conduct a PAR as soon as possible. If any personnel are found to be missing the IC will initiate an organized strategy and tactical plan to find the missing person. The RIT, if established, will be utilized as part of the tactical plan. Personnel shall not rush back into the building without the appropriate search and rescue plan established. This is where a strong command system is needed the most and it must be followed. A radio announcement by the IC will be made to secure from the emergency evacuation operation and revert back to standard fireground operations. This procedure can also be used to evacuate smaller areas within large buildings or areas. Other situations in which MAYDAY transmissions should be used: a: Collapse Occurred-trapped victims. Member who is immediately aware of condition transmit "MAYDAY-MAYDAY-Collapse": Give location, number of those trapped and condition. b: Firefighter Unconscious-Heart Attack. Member who is immediately aware of condition transmits: "MAYDAY-MAYDAY-Cardiac": (Give location). c. Firefighter Unconscious. "MAYDAY-MAYDAY"-Man Unconscious: (Give location and cause) d. When an injury is apparently very serious and endangering life transmit: "MAYDAY-MAYDAY." (Give condition, location and injury). e. Missing or Lost Firefighter. "MAYDAY-MAYDAY" Lost Firefighter Use of "URGENT" Transmissions a. For an injury less severe than listed above but requiring medical attention and hospital care transmit: "URGENT-URGENT" (Give condition, location and injury) b. Interior Attack Discontinued - Exterior Attack to Start. IC transmits:
"URGENT-URGENT, BACK OUT-BACK OUT" indicating where evacuation is to take place. (Give floor, part of building, etc.) On receipt of this message, all units leave expeditiously. c. Officer or firefighter observes signs or indications of possible structural problem, possible danger of collapse, transmits: "URGENT-URGENT" Collapse feared (Give location and reasons). IC will determine actions required and transmit the appropriate message(s). Other "URGENT" transmissions a. Discovery that fire is entering an exposure to the degree that a delay may enlarge the fire problem considerably. b. A water loss due to failure of a water main, an engine or hose line which would leave members on or above a fire floor when the fire is of a scope which could endanger such members. c. The IC or a Chief Officer wishing to gain control of the radio network. Radio Dispatching Guidelines 1. All emergency calls will be answered by Ross County Communication Center (Ross Dispatch) through 9-1-1 or the Sheriffs 7- digit number. If you receive a direct or on- station call you should notify Ross Dispatch of the call. They will create a call in the Computed Aided Dispatch (CAD) system and keep times. 2. Ross Dispatch will alert the appropriate agency by giving activating department tones, voice message, and the message repeated with type of run and address or location. In some situations the name of the location may assist responders as well. A 4 minute time is started now. 3. The department needs to acknowledge an alert informing dispatch they are clear and responding and responding shortly. If Ross Dispatch hears no traffic that a unit is enroute to the call in 4 minutes, the department is re-toned. If there is no response after 8 total minutes, Ross Dispatch will tone out the nearest mutual aid department. When the original department then responds, mutual aid can be cancelled if the original department choses to do so. The next available department will be determined by the information set up in the CAD. One responder can acknowledge receipt of the call but if the crew cannot respond by the 8 minutes established, the next mutual aid department will be started. It is not necessary for all personnel responding to the call or the station to inform Ross Dispatch. 4. Units should mark responding, on scene, en-route to hospital, and back in- service. Multiple units do not need to report back in-service if they are all back in service at the same time. One unit can call in for all. Ross Dispatch does not need to know units are back on station, only that they are available to respond to another call. Please remember that all departments in the county share a common radio dispatch frequency. Please keep remarks short and in common language,
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clear, and professional. Please share the radio, especially if another department is being dispatched. Their traffic may be far more important than yours. 5. Medical Helicopter guidelines. When setting up a L.Z. (landing zone) give Ross Dispatch the address or closest cross-street or intersection and they can obtain the Latitude Longitude from the mapping software. There is no need to give them the Lat- Long over the radio unless you have no other way of identifying where you are.
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Appendix 2
Ross County Communication System Study

Agency Survey
Name of Agency: _________________________________ Address:_______________________________ City: ________________, OH Zip:________ Type of Agency (check 1)
Other ________________ Number of stations: _____ Chief: _______________________________ Cell phone: _______________________ Assistant Chief: ________________________ Cell phone: _______________________ Service Demands 2012 EMS Calls: ______ Fire Calls: (includes service and assists) ______ Total:_________ 2011 EMS Calls: ______ Fire Calls: (includes service and assists) _______ Total:_________ Mobile Radios Quantity: _____ Brand: _______________________________ Number of channels: _______ Scan Capability: _______ Wattage:_______ Avg age: ____ Number of mobiles individually owned: ______ Do you have inPortable Radios Quantity: (owned by Dept.)_______ Brand: ____________________________ Number of channels: _______ Scan Capability: _______ Wattage: _______ Avg. Age: _____
Number of portables individually owned: ________
Pagers Number of pagers: ________ Brand: ________________________________

Dual tone capability: _______
Scan capability: _______ Avg. Age: __________
Does your agency have an in-station radio: (please list type e.g. remote, console, modified mobile):_______________________________ Does your agency have its own base station: If yes, type: (simplex or repeater) ___________________ Wattage: _____________
Frequency(s): ________________________________________________________________ Does your agency hold FCC license for radio frequency(s): If yes, please list frequencies: ____________________________________________ Expiration date of license: ___________ What is your primary dispatch frequency: _______________________________ What frequency(s) are used for emergency scene or tactical situations: ____________________________________________________________________________ Regarding operability with other agencies during an emergency incident, please indicate which agencies you can communicate via radio: (check all that apply)
If you cannot communicate with any of the above agencies, please describe the factors affecting your inability to conduct radio communication: ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
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Please describe in detail specific problems or difficulties your agency has experienced with the current communication system: ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Please provide any other information you feel will be helpful: ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
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References Commission on Fire Accreditation International. (2008). Standards of Cover. Chantilly, VA: Author. Federal Communication Commission. VHF/UHF Narrowbanding. From https//:www.fcc.gov/public-safety. Insurance Services Office. (2003). Fire Suppression Rating Schedule. Jersey City, NJ: Author. Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. (2008). A Thoroughfare Plan for Ross County and The City of Chillicothe. Columbus, OH: Author. National Fire Protection Association. (2008). Fire Protection Handbook (20th ed.). Quincy, MA: Author. National Fire Protection Association. (2007). Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications System. (NFPA 1221). Quincy, MA: Author. National Fire Protection Association. (2007). Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health. (NFPA 1500). Quincy, MA: Author. National Fire Protection Association. (2010). Standard for Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments. (NFPA 1720). Quincy, MA: Author. Ross County Sheriffs Department. (2012) . Calls for Service Summary. Electronic Copy. Chillicothe, OH. Roush, W.R. (1989). Principles of EMS Systems. American College of Emergency Physicians
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