DAUPHIN COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY/911

Transcription

1 DAUPHIN COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY/911 COMMUNICATIONS MANUAL This Communications Manual is a policy for use by the Dauphin County Emergency Communications Center (ECC) staff, Dauphin County administrative personnel, and emergency service providers to detail operational procedures for all radio systems, mobile data computer (MDCs), and computer-aided dispatch (CAD) technologies. Although this document is not considered classified, it is proprietary in nature and is intended for the sole use of Dauphin County personnel and field providers. This document is not intended for public dissemination. Page 1

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page 1. Emergency Communications 5 Communications Manual Objective 5 Purpose and Objective 5 DEMA Contact Information 5 Mission and Vision Statements 6 2. Standard Words and Phrases 7 Standard Words and Phrases for Radio Communications 7 Class Response 10 Incident Location 11 Announcements 11 International Phonetic Alphabet 12 Municipality Abbreviations Radio Equipment Licensing, Ownership and Maintenance 13 Licensing and Ownership 13 Radio Equipment 13 Compromised Radio Equipment Radio System 15 Radio Unit Designations 15 Talk Group Organization 16 Talk Group Terminology 17 Talk Around Radio Procedures and Functions 19 Radio Authorizations 19 Radio System Procedures 19 Talk Group Assignments 20 Busy Signal 20 Emergency Button Procedures 20 Modes of Operation 21 Call Alert 22 Encryption 22 Interoperability Alerting System 24 Alphanumeric Paging 24 Weekly Pager and Siren Testing 24 Other notifications Mobile Data Computer (MDC) Procedures and Functions 25 Mobile Data Computer (MDC) 25 Unit Status 25 Page 2

3 8. Emergency Communications Center (ECC) 27 Communications Center Status 27 Use of Telephone 27 Pre-Scheduled Details/Special Events 28 Exercises Problem Reporting Procedures 29 Radio 29 Mobile Data Computer (MDC) 29 I/Netviewer 29 Communication Concerns Police Communications 31 Radio and Unit Designations 31 Talk Group Assignments 32 Dispatch Procedures 33 Pursuits 36 Traffic Stops/Subject Stops 36 Officer Safety Checks 36 Missing Officer Notification 37 Officer Line Ups 37 Fire and EMS Responses 37 Law Enforcement Computer Information 38 Special Team Paging 39 Dispatch Policy for Secondary Dispatch Centers 39 Dauphin County Prison Escape Plan Fire Communications 41 Unit Definitions and Radio Designations 41 Dispatch Procedures 44 Manpower 47 Command 47 Staging Levels 47 Greater Alarm 48 Transfer/Standby 48 Mayday Procedures 48 Knox Box Information 49 Hazmat Notification and Activation Harrisburg City Fire Communications 51 Unit Definitions and Radio Designations EMS Communications 52 Unit Definitions and Radio Designations 52 Dispatch Procedures 53 Failed To Respond Status 55 Hospital Notification 56 Safety Check 56 Page 3

4 Routine Transports 56 Stand-By 57 Unit Status Changes EMA Communications 58 Alphanumeric Paging 58 Emergency Municipal Coordinator (EMC) Information 58 Notifications 58 EAS Siren Zones and EAS Activations Other Policies and Procedures 59 Recording Duplication Request 59 Field Incident Support Team (FIST) Activation 61 AED Policy Appendices 62 Appendix A: Radio Fleet Maps 62 Appendix B: Interoperability Policy/Procedures 69 Page 4

5 1. EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS Communications Manual Objective The objective of this document is to outline the standard policies and procedures for DEMA employees. It establishes a standard method for the timely and efficient handling of incoming calls and/or requests. Although this document covers a variety of incidents, it by no means covers everything. Therefore, the decisions and actions taken by the 911 telecommunicator must be governed by this document along with good judgment. Guidance for incidents not covered or explained in this document must be obtained from the Shift Manager/OIC in charge. For purposes of this document, Dauphin County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and/or Emergency Communications Center (ECC) will be referred to as DEMA and/or County throughout this Communications Manual. Purpose and Objective The Dauphin County Emergency Communications Center (ECC), as a designated Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), manages and controls a communications network supporting County-wide emergency services, including: Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Emergency Management Coordinators (EMCs), and County Emergency Management personnel. Operations are conducted in accordance with Pennsylvania Act 78 of 1990 as amended by Act 17 of 1998 and Act 56 of 2003, and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licensing and regulations. The primary responsibility of the ECC is to provide the residents and visitors of Dauphin County with courteous, efficient, accurate 911 services 24 hours a day. The ECC serves as the hub for County-wide public safety communications, and is responsible for coordinating police, fire and EMS. Dauphin County ECC manages the primary radio network supporting: all law enforcement agencies within Dauphin County (with the exception of the Pennsylvania State Police), all fire agencies serving Dauphin County, all EMS agencies serving Dauphin County, and all Emergency Management personnel within Dauphin County. The Dauphin County s technical communications systems are designed and operated to provide professional and responsive support to participating law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services agencies. All network users must follow established communications procedures. The use of improper procedures degrades the system and reflects negatively upon public safety organizations. DEMA Contact Information DEMA is located at 911 Gibson Blvd., Steelton, PA Telephone Numbers for Dauphin County EMA: Administrative Personnel: Administrative Fax: Telephone Numbers for Dauphin County ECC: Emergency: 911 Page 5

6 Non-Emergency: Toll Free Non-Emergency (717 area code only): Toll Free Cellular: *022 ATT Toll Free Cellular: #022 Secure Fax: Forms and other information can be found on the Dauphin County EMA/911 website at Mission and Vision Statements The mission of Dauphin County ECC is to assess the requests of the general public and public safety entities, and to effectively and efficiently deploy, coordinate and manage the appropriate resources. The Dauphin County Emergency Communications Center, through professional, courteous, dedicated, and community-minded personnel who provide unsurpassed customer service to better serve the general public and public safety services throughout Dauphin County, will pursue and maintain national and state accreditation and certification levels through the opportunities of continuing education, training, quality assurance, and progressive technology. Page 6

7 2. STANDARD WORDS AND PHRASES Standard Words and Phrases for Radio Communications Standard procedures will be used when transmitting and receiving radio messages to conserve air time and provide accurate, concise, pertinent, and rapid transmission of essential information. DEMA uses standard words and phrases on the radio network in order to convey messages in an easily understood manner. The use of lengthy messages is discouraged as other units may need to relay a higher priority message. DEMA utilizes plain language during radio transmissions, excluding unit identifiers and some ten and signal codes. Certain words and phrases will be used on the Dauphin County radio network in order to reduce the length of transmissions, and to ensure the intent of the message is clearly understood. The statements below represent most of these words or phrases. Please note that, whenever available, field personnel should use their Mobile Data Computers (MDCs) to change the status of a unit to reduce the overall demand on air time. Time is always expressed in 24-hour format. When prefacing a radio transmission, the sender shall state the receiver ID first, followed by the sender ID. Single transmissions will be used when changing unit status. Await acknowledgement before proceeding with the message when providing scene size-up, updates, and making requests to the County. Under NO circumstances will DEMA or field personnel inquire or transmit on ANY talk group that injured or deceased victims are field personnel. Under NO circumstances will the name(s) of injured or deceased field personnel be transmitted over the air. Communications of this nature shall be transmitted ONLY by telephone to the DEMA. The term high risk situation used throughout this document is defined as: a potentially lifethreatening situation causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm or bodily injury. Most police Ten Codes have been eliminated and replaced by plain language terminology. The remaining Ten Codes listed below are the only acceptable codes to be used, along with the plain language equivalent (if applicable) and meaning of the message. Some Signal Codes have been eliminated and replaced by plain language terminology. The remaining Signal Codes listed below are the only ones that may be used. Police Fire EMS EMA Meaning Affirmative Affirmative Affirmative Affirmative 10-8/ Available A positive affirmation of information and/or a previous radio transmission Available Available Available An identified unit is available for dispatch 10-38/Clear Clear An identified unit has completed the assigned event Page 7

8 Police Fire EMS EMA Meaning Used when one unit transmits directly to another unit, and re-broadcasting Copy Direct Copy Direct Copy Direct Copy Direct information from DEMA is unnecessary, or a third party acknowledges that message without the need for DEMA to re-broadcast En route En route En route En route An identified unit is responding to an event Negative Negative Negative Negative A negative affirmation of information and/or a previous radio transmission Okay/10-4 Okay Okay Okay Message received, understood, and will be complied with 10-90/On Scene On Scene On Scene On Scene An identified unit is on the scene of an event Out of Service Out of Service Out of Service Out of Service An identified unit is unavailable for dispatch to an event Priority Priority Priority Priority The unit is encountering an immediate situation which must be communicated to others operating, to Command, or to County. 10-9/ Repeat Repeat Repeat Repeat Repeat the last message Responding Responding Responding Responding An identified unit is en route to an event Signal Rape/Molestation Signal 12 Signal 12 Signal 12 Signal 12 Term used to communicate that a fatality has occurred at an incident; request for Coroner Signal An emergency distress signal indicating that one or more police personnel need emergency assistance to escape an immediate danger to life. Units stating Signal 13 shall receive the highest communication priority; all non-related transmissions cease Signal Warrant service Signal 21 Signal 21 Signal 21 Signal 21 Psychiatric case Signal 22 Signal 22 Signal 22 Signal 22 Suicide Signal Bomb threat Signal Drug investigation Stand By Stand By Stand By Stand By Listen, but do not transmit until directed to do so by another unit or DEMA An identified unit is busy An identified unit is off duty There is a visitor present with an identified unit An identified unit has a prisoner in custody Return to station Vehicle registration information Operator information Page 8

9 Police Fire EMS EMA Meaning NCIC and Warrant check -- All Clear All personnel have been removed from the structure. Command shall communicate this to County at working fires, and have the time noted. In addition, the OIC shall communicate the removal of entrapped victims from vehicle or industrial accidents in a similar manner -- Conditional Response (HFD only) Companies are in service but would not be responding to routine assignments such as automatic alarms, etc. -- Control The incident is stabilized and will not progress beyond the capabilities of Delayed Response (HFD only) First Alarm Response (HFD only) Mayday On the Air (HFD only) Stand-By (event) Transporting [Transport] Arrive Busy Routine resources at the scene Companies are in service, but will be delayed in their response for reasons such as being out of their district, routine maintenance, training, details, etc. Companies are in service, but will not respond on an initial alarm. Companies will respond on a first alarm for an incident, or for subsequent alarm concurrent with another incident An emergency distress signal indicating that one or more fire personnel need emergency assistance to escape an immediate danger to life or health atmosphere, or any other life-threatening situation. Units stating mayday shall receive the highest communication priority; all non-related transmissions cease An identified unit is operating on its portable or mobile radio, away from its assigned station, and is available for dispatch An identified unit is on location of a contracted event (notification will be received via telephone ONLY) Notification of a unit s destination to a health care facility Notification that a unit has arrived at a health care facility Notification that a unit is committed on a routine transport, and not available for other calls Page 9

10 Police Fire EMS EMA Meaning Clear Routine With Patient Failed To Respond Class Response Notification that a unit has completed a routine transport, and is available for other calls Notification that the provider(s) is/are now with the patient at the event; used after arriving at an event, but distance, terrain, or other circumstances delay the provider from reaching the patient at the same time as arrival. Status of available transporting units; if a company does not respond on an event, the company s units are put in Failed to Respond (FTR) status so that on any subsequent dispatches, the next due company will be added on the initial dispatch. FTR status is cleared once the company responds to an event or contacts the County to advise of available staffing. Dauphin County uses a recommended response level (class) for fire and EMS calls. A recommended class response will be provided during the dispatch announcement. The class response is determined from telephone interrogation from the calling party, utilizing the National Academy of Emergency Dispatch (NAED) Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD) and Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) protocol systems. There are two class levels for fire response (class 1 and class 3) and three class levels for EMS response (class 1, class 2 and class 3), defined as follows: FIRE RESPONSE: Class 1 Unit(s) respond emergency (lights and siren). Class 3 Unit(s) respond non-emergency (no lights and no siren). Fire class responses are reviewed annually by the Fire Steering Committee and upon any protocol version update. EMS RESPONSE: Class 1 ALS and BLS unit(s) respond emergency (lights and siren). Class 2 BLS unit(s) respond emergency (lights and siren). Class 3 BLS unit(s) respond non-emergency (no lights and no siren). EMS class responses are reviewed annually by the Medical Oversight Doctor and upon any protocol version update. A 911 telecommunicator may upgrade a class response to an event based on contributing factors including, but not limited to: multiple calls, severity of information being reported, etc. Certain Page 10

11 situations may arise when DEMA does not provide a response class. In these instances, class response will be at the discretion of the field responders. Class responses are recommendations only. Field providers may choose to respond differently if they deem it necessary and at their discretion. Incident location includes: street number street direction (if applicable) street name street type apartment number/letter (if applicable) common name place Incident Location If clarification is needed, the numerics of street addresses and names of numbered streets will be stated individually. For example, stating One two three South One-Three Street, for 123 S. 13 th St. If any part of the location includes an alpha character, the phonetic alphabet shall be used to clarify the alpha character. Announcements DEMA will only make announcements pertinent to field users and following FCC directives. Four beep tones each approximately one second in length, sounded consecutively, will signify weather warnings or other DEMA-approved announcements. Weather watches will be announced at the discretion of DEMA staff. Weather warnings will be announced immediately upon receipt, as radio traffic permits. One beep tone approximately one second in length on the police dispatch radio will signify officer safety information (weapons information obtained from callers at any time during an incident). Priority announcements are those communicated to County by a field provider for rebroadcast to operating units. For all fire ground operations announcements, including staging, notification of a working fire, special assignments, etc., County will sound three beep tones each approximately one second in length, sounded consecutively, and announce the message to all units simulcast on the fire dispatch talk group and any operations talk group(s). If message receipt is needed, County will roll call units responding to ensure the message was copied. For fire and EMS units placed in service before arriving on the scene of the incident, County will simulcast on fire dispatch talk group and the assigned fire ground operations talk group(s) and make the following announcement: Three beep tones each approximately one second in length, sounded consecutively Voice the announcement (example: Companies responding to the 99-1 box, Command is placing the box in service. ) Roll call of units en route to the location to ensure the message was received Page 11

12 Announcements will be made for line of duty deaths only. These announcements must be approved by the Assistant Manager of Public Safety Communications and Manager of Operations/911 Systems. The announcement will be done only by voice and not alphanumeric page, as radio traffic permits. County will sound four beep tones each approximately one second in length, sounded consecutively, and announce the message to all units. Beeps Police Fire EMS EMA 1 Weapons Dispatch Dispatch N/A 3 N/A Cancel units/priority updates Cancel units N/A 4 Weather/DEMA Weather/DEMA Weather/DEMA Weather/DEMA Warble Signal 13 Mayday N/A N/A International Phonetic Alphabet To avoid confusion, alphabetical designations are used to clearly communicate information. DEMA will use the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) indicated below: A Alpha F Foxtrot K Kilo P Papa U Uniform Z Zulu B Bravo G Golf L Lima Q Quebec V Victor C Charlie H Hotel M Mike R Romeo W Whiskey D Delta I India N November S Sierra X X-Ray E Echo J Juliet O - Oscar T Tango Y Yankee Municipality Abbreviations There are 40 municipalities located within Dauphin County. In order to identify each of these municipalities a standard three-letter abbreviation is used, as detailed in the chart below. Municipality Abbreviation Municipality Abbreviation Berrysburg Borough BEB Middletown Borough MDT Conewago Township CWT Mifflin Township MFT Dauphin Borough DAB Millersburg Borough MSB Derry Township DRY Paxtang Borough PAX East Hanover Township EHT Penbrook Borough PEN Elizabethville Borough ELZ Pillow Borough PLB Gratz Borough GRB Reed Township RDT Halifax Borough HFX Royalton Borough ROY Halifax Township HFT Rush Township RUS Harrisburg City HBG South Hanover Township SHT Highspire Borough HSP Steelton Borough STL Hummelstown Borough HUM Susquehanna Township SUS Jackson Township JKT Swatara Township SWT Jefferson Township JFT Upper Paxton Township UPT Londonderry Township LDT Washington Township WST Lower Paxton Township LPT Wayne Township WYT Lower Swatara Township LST West Hanover Township WHT Lykens Borough LYK Wiconisco Township WIC Lykens Township LYT Williams Township WLT Middle Paxton Township MPT Williamstown Borough WIL Page 12

13 3. RADIO EQUIPMENT LICENSING, OWNERSHIP AND MAINTENANCE Licensing and Ownership Dauphin County is the licensee of all radio frequencies used on the Dauphin County radio network. As a licensee, Dauphin County is ultimately responsible for ensuring that all related equipment and operational procedures comply within the rules and regulations established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Authority to operate any non-county owned transmitter (portable or mobile) on frequencies assigned to Dauphin County requires the advance written approval of the agency Director. Those acquiring this approval must provide annual written evidence that a licensed technician has verified that the approved equipment continues to meet or exceed the FCC s required transmitter measurements. All radio transmissions must be restricted to the shortest practical transmission time. Dauphin County is the FCC license holder for the radio system. Dauphin County will take appropriate action for recurring abusive non-essential voice transmissions. Refer to the operating rules of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a detailed list of the acts that are unlawful and subject to significant penalty. All applicable FCC operating rules and regulations must be adhered to. DEMA will take appropriate action for reoccurring abusive non-essential voice transmissions. Failure to comply with these requirements is cause for the immediate withdrawal of operating privileges. Radio Equipment Dauphin County EMA is responsible for maintaining tower site locations, siren controllers and radio system infrastructure. Dauphin County will not authorize the operation of, nor will it assume any obligation for radio equipment that is owned or acquired in the name of a private individual. Department-purchased transmitters, radios (portable, mobile) shall meet the minimum specification requirements as defined by DEMA. Minimum specifications are annually updated to reflect technological advances. Users should confer with DEMA prior to purchasing new equipment. Dauphin County will not assume responsibility for the installation or maintenance of radio equipment. Compromised Radio Equipment Dauphin County assumes no responsibility for theft, loss, or damage due to negligence or unauthorized modifications of equipment, nor does the County provide insurance for any of this equipment. End users compromise radio network security if DEMA is not immediately notified of a radio that has left authorized or trusted users control. If a portable and/or mobile radio is lost or suspected to have been stolen, the provider will IMMEDIATELY notify his/her supervisor. The agency supervisor will then IMMEDIATELY advise the on-duty ECC Shift Manager/OIC in charge of the specific radio missing, in order to notify the appropriate DEMA staff. DEMA staff will disable the radio, making it unable to receive, transmit, or be cloned. When an agency/department vehicle is out of the direct control of the agency/department (i.e.; being serviced, etc.), DEMA must be contacted to disable the encrypted radio, or the agency/department must remove it from the vehicle. Once the vehicle is back in service, DEMA must be contacted to re-enable Page 13

14 the radio. If DEMA suspects a particular radio has been compromised or is being abused, the agency/department will be notified and the radio will be locked out of the system until DEMA is certain the radio has been returned to the agency/department. When it is discovered a radio has been lost, stolen or otherwise potentially compromised DEMA will take immediate procedures to inhibit the radio, which causes the radio to be disabled. The radio display will appear blank upon power-up, but the radio is still functional to receive over-the-air rekeying (OTAR) commands. It will NOT process voice calls. This will cause the radio to be disabled. Or, the radio can be zeroized, which causes ALL cryptographic material to be erased. With either procedure, the radio can be re-enabled by DEMA staff if the radio is recovered. If the lost/stolen radio is located/recovered, the agency/department will notify the on-duty ECC Shift Manager/OIC in charge, in order to notify the appropriate DEMA staff. DEMA staff will then re-enable the radio to be used on the Dauphin County radio network. Page 14

15 4. RADIO SYSTEM Radio Unit Designations Dauphin County uses the designation County for communicating with all first responders. All field personnel shall use the assigned designation for Dauphin County when using mobile or portable radios to contact the ECC. Units will communicate on their assigned dispatch and administrative talk groups; units will not switch to an unassigned talk group unless assigned or permitted by County. County will make an effort to monitor the operations talk groups, however depending upon call volume and radio traffic, the primary dispatch talk group takes precedence. County may not be able to actively monitor operations talk groups. When calling on the radio network, announce the unit being called first followed by your radio designation. When prefacing a radio transmission, the sender shall state the receiver ID first, followed by the sender ID. Single transmissions will be used when changing unit status. Await acknowledgement before proceeding with the message when providing scene size-up, updates, and making requests to the County. All units shall use their complete unit designator when transmitting radio messages; solely using numerals or only half of the numerals to identify a given unit is inappropriate and can cause confusion. Appropriate: County, Engine 99 responding with 4. County, Ambulance 99-1 transporting to Harrisburg. County, 1351 TS. Inappropriate: County, Engine s on scene responding. 99 arriving. Before transmitting, organize your thoughts and listen to make certain the talk group is clear and available. Keep all transmissions brief and to the point. Avoid lengthy description and unnecessary repetition. Accuracy, brevity and speed are important, in that order. Speak distinctly and pronounce words clearly. Speak at a moderate speed using a conversational tone of voice with natural emphasis and rhythm. Messages should be spoken in phrases, not one word at a time. Avoid words and phrases that may be difficult to understand, including slang and jargon. Transmissions that are redundant, or that repeat information provided by another unit are discouraged. Ensure the transmit button is fully depressed and pause before speaking. Hold the radio (or microphone) close to the mouth, and speak directly into it, not across it. Whenever possible, avoid transmitting when vehicle horns and sirens are operating, as radio messages often become unreadable. Talk at a conversational volume level, do not shout. Use official titles, authorized unit and radio designations in ALL transmissions. Do not transmit names or nicknames. If absolutely necessary, refer to personnel by rank and last name. With mobile radios, keep the microphone on the mic clip when it is not in use; do not place the microphone on the floor or seat of the vehicle. Page 15

16 The use of thank you and please, expressions of courtesy, personal greetings, and/or pleasantries should not be used. The expressions should be understood and not using them will conserve airtime. If necessary to thank someone, it should be done by telephone or in writing. During all radio operations, remain calm. Avoid uncivil, angry, abusive, derogatory, or sarcastic remarks, language and/or tone, and avoid retaliating even if other individuals violate these principles of good communication. In cases where corrective action is considered necessary, follow the procedures outlined in Section 9, entitled Communication Concerns. Never forget that you reflect the quality, competence and professionalism of your department/agency every time you transmit. All units should assume good signal strength and clarity unless otherwise notified. Unless one unit cannot hear another or when tests are being conducted by Dauphin County or Radio Maintenance, strength and clarity reports should not be requested. When an exchange is necessary, the reply will be a short and concise statement of actual conditions (i.e.; loud and clear, weak but readable, etc.). If no acknowledgement from DEMA is received within 15 seconds of a transmission, the unit shall transmit again. Simply announcing the time (time stamp) or 10-4 or okay is NEVER an appropriate acknowledgement of a unit s message. At a minimum, an acknowledgement must include the transmitting unit s identifier. This will apply for all services (police, fire, medical, and EMA-related). Appropriate: Transmission: Tanker 99 on scene. Response: Okay Tanker 99. Inappropriate: Transmission: Tanker 99 on scene. Response: Okay. Talk Group Organization The radio fleet map is organized by discipline, with multiple zones (example: A, B, C, Z) and each Zone containing up to 16 talk groups. Zone A will be normal day-to-day operations, and most widely used, for the dispatch of all emergency and non-emergency events. Zone B is for large scale, major incidents. Zone B should be used when two or three of the following apply for the specific event: Span more than 12 hours in duration. Involve more than one public safety entity (PD, FD, EMS). Involve multiple agencies or departments (SUS PD, LPT PD, PEN PD, SUS EMS, etc.). Involves or may involve interagency communications (EMA, PD, FD, EMS). Could expand in size and/or scope. Are strange or unusual in nature (prolonged severe weather event, plane crash, etc.). For events that fit into two or three of the above categories, Zone B should be assigned as early into the event as possible, by the telecommunicator, or can be requested by the Incident Commander (IC)/OIC. It is recommended that the DEMA Field Incident Support Team (FIST) and Comm Van should be dispatched for these events. Approval must be obtained prior to activation of FIST or use of the Comm Page 16

17 Van. There could be a possible County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) partial or full activation, depending upon the nature, scope and complexity of the incident. Zone C is conventional (non-trunked) channels for police, fire and EMS. EMS Zone C is fire talk groups. EMS Zone D is conventional (non-trunked) med channels. Zone Z is the national UHF inter-op channels and will be in all Dauphin County radios. The PL tone is Hz and has been adopted for all operations on interoperability. All police and EMS operations talk groups are encrypted (i.e.; Police OPS, EMA OPS, EMS-to-hospital, etc.). All Dauphin County EMS radios will have selectable PLs for the conventional med channels for the surrounding counties. Public Safety 1 and 2 is programmed into every radio in Dauphin County and can also be used for communications between agencies that are on different talk groups. Smaller municipalities, or municipalities that share EMCs, have an area talk group, which may include several adjacent municipalities. Larger municipalities have their own talk groups that can be used for local events (parades, etc.). Private talk groups (or area talk groups) will not be available in the ECC and unable to be monitored by ECC personnel. Refer to the Radio Fleet Map included in Appendix A. Talk Group Terminology The radio fleet map is organized into a system of Zones, which apply to a specific mutual aid jurisdiction or agency, and Talk Groups, which are individual radio subsets within a Zone. Zones have an alphabetical designation: A through H, L and Z. Users should refer to the specific fleet map for each discipline (Police, Fire, EMS, EMA) for details on which Zones are included in the radios. Talk Groups have a number designation: 1 through 16. To ensure both clarity and conciseness in radio communications, it is required to use a combination of both alphabetic Zones and numeric Talk Group designations to locate where in the radio system a unit is conducting operations. To further clarify, phonetic equivalents are substituted for alphabetic designations by using the IPA (see above). Talk Around Talk around on position 16 in the radios is to be used when a unit is out of the coverage area of the Dauphin County radio network. This can be used if multiple Dauphin County units go to a distant municipality to provide service. The talk around position is not on the County radio system. There must be more than one radio on the talk around position for each user to hear one another on that talk group. These positions will not be scanned by the trunking system and when a unit is on the trunking system, the talk around position is not scanned. Page 17

18 There are several different talk around channels. Zone A position 16 is unique to the specific service; Zone C (D for EMS) is the Dauphin talk around which is a common talk around which is common to all users (can fluctuate, not always in position 16). Refer to the Radio Fleet Map in Appendix A for further clarification. Page 18

19 5. RADIO PROCEDURES AND FUNCTIONS Radio Authorizations In compliance with FCC directives, public safety agencies using the Dauphin County Radio Network must apply in writing to the Assistant Manager of Public Safety Communications for radio designation and authorization. The deletion of any unit having radio designation and authorization must be reported to the County within five days. Changes due to personnel change, unit replacement, etc. must be reported to the Assistant Manager of Public Safety Communications within five days of the change. Portable radios shall receive radio authorization with an approved portable identifier. All new radios must be approved by DEMA to be used on the Dauphin County radio network. The appropriate DEMA form must be submitted to the Assistant Manager of Public Safety Communications for approval. Unit designations must include the following: Make, model and year of unit Type PA Department of Health licensure identification (EMS units) Chief designation requests must include the following: Name Home address Home and work telephone numbers Additional telephone number(s) Emergency service company or governing body notification supporting the chief designation Units may transmit the following: Unit status report (en route, on scene, etc.) Emergency messages Incident scene control messages Any emergency service personnel working in an official capacity are authorized to access the Radio Network. Any emergency service personnel working for private/commercial companies not in an official capacity for an emergency service agency within Dauphin County are NOT authorized on the Dauphin County Radio Network. Standardized radio designations specific to each public safety discipline are discussed further in the Police, Fire and EMS Communications sections of this document. Radio System Procedures All personnel on the radio system must manage radio and telephone exchanges in a manner that conserves air time and facilitates the accurate, brief and rapid transmission of mission-critical communications. Using non-standard procedures, needless or duplicate communications, or lack of circuit discipline, causes delays, confusion and/or unnecessary transmissions. Page 19

20 Dauphin County is responsible for maintaining radio circuit discipline; rapidly and efficiently managing radio, telephone and MDC communications traffic; determining the order of priority in which radio transmissions are made; and directing and controlling the use of all radio talk groups. Using primary dispatch talk groups is limited to communications essential to conduct official police, fire, medical, and/or EMA operations. DEMA personnel are responsible for controlling all talk groups applicable to the radio fleet maps. Talk Group Assignments Units will be directed to switch to another Talk Group when requested by command or a field provider OIC to alleviate transmissions on the dispatch channel, and/or when deemed necessary by DEMA personnel. On police events requiring an operations or tactical talk group, the operations/tactical talk group(s) will be assigned either when requested by the police OIC/IC or when deemed necessary by DEMA personnel. On all fire events, units will be assigned to a fire ground talk group when deemed necessary by DEMA personnel, and/or when requested by the fire Incident Commander (IC). On large-scale EMS incidents requiring an operations channel, an operations talk group will be assigned either when requested by field providers or deemed necessary by DEMA personnel. No unit or individual should switch to an alternate talk group unless DEMA directs or approves it. When switching back to the dispatch or primary talk group, there is no need to notify DEMA personnel. It is highly recommended that the scan feature be turned off when a unit is assigned to an operations talk group. This is to eliminate the possibility of a user hearing directions or instructions from a different incident and confusing such as directions to them. Busy Signal An electronic sound will occur in several situations to alert the user s/he is unable to transmit: system is busy, two providers key up on the same talk group simultaneously, Emergency Button Procedures The orange emergency button on the portable and mobile radios should be used for situations in which the operator is in a personal emergent or life threatening situation. Pressing the emergency button places that radio and currently selected talk group at the highest priority through the system, immediately notifies the ECC with an audible tone and visible indication, and activates a 10 second hot mic (immediate transmit). Once the emergency button is pressed, these actions cannot be interrupted. When the emergency button is pressed, the radio will remain on the selected dispatch or county-wide operations talk group. If the user is already selected on a dispatch or county-wide operations talk group, they will remain on that talk group. If the user is on any other talk group, such as a municipal or private, the radio will revert to the user s primary dispatch talk group (see Radio Fleet Map in Appendix A). The radio itself does NOT report location. The emergency button will only work on the trunked system, it will NOT work on any non-system channels (i.e.; talk around). Page 20

21 All radios on the talk group where the emergency was initiated will show the talk group name and EMER RECEIVD. Other users not directly involved in the emergency should limit their transmissions to emergency traffic only or communicate on another talk group. During the 10 second hot mic, the user shall state, if possible, as much pertinent information regarding the type of emergency, their unit identifier, their location, etc. (fire personnel should refer to the mayday procedures listed in Section 11 of this document). Middletown and Harrisburg City Police communications currently do not have radio consoles that show the radio alias name, so it will be up to DEMA to notify Middletown or Harrisburg City Police communications of the specific unit declaring an emergency. Likewise, Middletown or Harrisburg City Police communications will need to notify DEMA when the emergency has been cleared on the radio so the radio console can be reset. A unit emergency will be displayed at the dispatch console. The telecommunicator will initially silence the alarm, note the unit identifier, and listen to the 10 second hot mic message. If it is believed the emergency button activation may be false, the telecommunicator will contact that radio stating, [unit identifier] verify. If the emergency button activation was in error, the unit should respond with okay (10-4) or no need to check or something similar denoting there is no problem. If the unit does not respond, or if the hot mic message indicates a true emergency, the telecommunicator will follow proper policy and/or procedure. At the end of the emergency, the emergency status must be cleared on the radio. The user must press and hold the orange emergency button for 3-5 seconds, the radio will beep and emergency status will no longer be displayed. The telecommunicator shall not reset the console alarm until after the emergency has been cleared on the user radio. Modes of Operation The normal day-to-day mode in which the radios will operate is Wide-Area Trunking, meaning the system is fully functioning, the subscriber radio has full capability, the radio can roam from site to site, communicate to users site to site, and talk to dispatch. The system has several back up capabilities that will allow users to communicate in the event of a critical component failure. The first mode of operation is Site Trunking, which occurs when the radio is affiliated to a tower site that has lost connectivity to the master site. The user will receive an audible tone and SITE TRUNKING will be displayed on the radio. Communication will be limited to other users affiliated to that same tower site. DEMA will have limited ability to communicate on the primary dispatch talk group for a site that is in Site Trunking. In Site Trunking the user will still have the full list of available talk groups, the emergency button will still alert the users affiliated to that site, it will NOT however alert DEMA because of the loss of connection back to the master site. The second mode of operation is Fail Soft, which occurs when the site controller at a particular radio tower site has failed. Any users that are affiliated to the radio will beep and display FAILSOFT, and will only have very basic radio functionality. The user will not be able to select talk groups, the emergency button will not function, and the radio will only be able to communicate with users affiliated to that site. The site is operating in a non-trunking configuration, meaning all the users on that site are all sharing one repeater (regardless of discipline Fire, EMS, Police all sharing one repeater). DEMA will Page 21

22 communicate via the back up control stations, however there will only be one talk path that all users must share. When in Fail Soft mode, the only transmissions permitted by units will be emergency transmissions, due to conservation of airtime. The final mode of operation is off network communications. The radio will beep and display OUT OF RANGE. Users will need to switch to their respective talk around channel to communicate radio to radio; DEMA will have no means to monitor that communication. Call Alert Call Alert allows a radio to be alerted from DEMA. The radio will beep and CALL ALERT will be displayed on the screen. The call alert can only be sent from a dispatch console. Radio names are listed in the system by the radio alias name. When a call alert is received, a user should contact his/her primary dispatcher on their primary dispatch talk group. Call alert is permitted to be used in the following instance: Unit does not answer radio after several tries, regardless of unit status (on an event, available, not answering safety check). Encryption Radio encryption is the method employed to secure the voice communications so non-authorized entities cannot monitor communications. DEMA employs the AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), which meets the FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard). As a general rule, the police operations talk groups, EMS operations and hospital talk groups, and EMA talk groups are all encrypted. Interoperability Interoperability is the ability of systems, personnel and equipment to provide and receive functionality, data, information and/or services to and from other systems, personnel and equipment, between both public and private agencies, departments, and other organizations, in a manner enabling them to operate effectively together. Interoperability allows emergency management/response personnel and their affiliated organizations to communicate within and across agencies and jurisdictions via voice, data, or video-on-demand, in real time, when needed, and when authorized. The counties in the South Central Region have established radio interoperability links to provide direct radio communications between public safety responders. These links are 911 center radio console patches. These links and patches allow radio messages to be connected between each patched center. Then in turn each center implements a console patch from the link to whatever channel or talk group is assigned for the specific incident on their own system. The advantage of this solution is to provide cross-border, day-to-day, interoperable communications between responders from different counties on different systems. The disadvantage of this solution requires users to still have radio signal coverage from their location of operation to the tower site in their home county system. If the user cannot make radio signal back to their home county system from their location of operation, this solution will not work. If this solution does not work for the incident at hand and interoperable communications is required, a Mobile Command Vehicle should be requested to respond to the scene of the incident and provide on-scene tactical interoperable communications. Page 22

23 Some counties have more than one link to patch to, so more than one active incident can be patched to adjoining county responders. DEMA has the ability to enable direct communications with any Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Aviation Division Aircraft through the Pennsylvania State 800 MHz Radio System. This connectivity is afforded by the fact that all state radios have what is referred to as the Global profiles. These global profiles are banks or zones of common talk groups on any state radio. For further information, refer to the Interoperability Policy/Procedures in Appendix B. Page 23

24 6. ALERTING SYSTEM Alphanumeric Paging The alphanumeric paging system is a combination of the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system and radio system from sixteen simulcast sites to send digital notifications to public safety personnel. The non-voice notifications are used to advise applicable public safety personnel of weather warnings, fire and EMS dispatch and response information, special teams activations, and County/municipal EMArelated messages. Only DEMA personnel are able to send alphanumeric pages. For further information, refer to the discipline-specific section of this document. Weekly Pager and Siren Testing A weekly alphanumeric pager test will be sent manually by DEMA staff each week, at 12 noon Saturday, depending upon call volume. This action will include an all-call page to all pagers on the system. The text of the page will be: COUNTY TESTING NO NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE. A weekly siren test will be conducted manually by DEMA staff each week, at 12 noon Saturday, depending upon call volume. The siren will be activated for 20 seconds. Other Notifications In the event of a major incident involving DEMA where loss of critical capabilities have occurred or are known to be imminent, at its discretion DEMA will institute a mass notification system to advise all public safety executive management. Page 24

25 7. MOBILE DATA COMPUTER (MDC) FUNCTIONS Mobile Data Computer (MDC) The Mobile Data Computer (MDC) component of the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system provides digital (non-voice) communications between the CAD system and emergency vehicles equipped with MDCs. Thus, emergency vehicles are provided with direct access to information that resides in the CAD system and other remote databases as well. The Dauphin County CAD/MDC system is designed with the goal of maintaining the highest quality public safety communications possible. For further information, refer to the discipline-specific section of this document. Use of CAD/MDC digital communications system supplements existing voice radio capabilities. MDCs are not intended to completely replace voice radio communications with DEMA or between units. The MDC system is intended and recommended to be used for non-emergency communications, database inquiries and status keeping, allowing radio time to be more available for higher priority transmissions. Certain situations dictate the use of voice over MDC. Units equipped with MDCs shall not hesitate to use voice radio if, in their judgment, it is safer or more appropriate for communicating in a particular situation. Calls for backup, traffic and subject stops, and any events involving unpredictable people or events in undesirable, isolated areas, pursuits, and communicating while a vehicle is moving are examples of when voice radio communications may be more appropriate than using the MDC. If doubt exists about communicating by/through the MDC, the voice radio shall be used. Telecommunicators will verbally dispatch any call that is considered life-threatening or presents a possible safety issue. All fire and EMS calls will be dispatched according to CAD event priority. Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) information will only be provided in cases where field provider safety is an issue. Requests for this information for any other purpose will be submitted in writing via the DEMA Recording Duplication Request Form. All information transmitted or received via MDC is governed by FCC regulations. This includes messages sent from unit to unit, unit to telecommunicator, and telecommunicator to unit. Personnel shall not use obscene, indecent or profane language and shall keep transmissions on a professional level. All MDC transactions are recorded and subject to review. Personnel are responsible for ensuring system security in MDC-equipped vehicles. An assigned password and individually assigned CAD ID number shall be utilized when accessing information via the MDC. This information shall not be disseminated to unauthorized individuals at anytime. If possible, when the MDC is left unattended, officers shall change to the appropriate available status to reflect that they are out of the vehicle, then use the Lock command or secure the MDC through other measures to prevent unauthorized use. Basic instruction on the use and purpose of the MDC is required before operating the equipment. This instruction is the responsibility of the individual department. Unit Status Each MDC user will be able to change the status of the unit. Page 25