Worcester, City of
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Worcester City Trunked Radio System Information
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Worcester FD 1988 Info 70 Central St - E1 T1 R1 C3 HM1 180 Southbridge St - E2 E13 T2 C4 141 Grove St (HQ) - E3 E16 L2 C2 424 Park Ave - E4 E10 T3 40 Webster St - E5 L4 267 Plantation St - E6 745 Grafton St - E7 19 Burncoat St - E8 1098 Pleasant St - E9 438 W Boylston St - E11 L6 100 Providence St - E12 L5 534 Cambridge St - E14 837 Millbury St - E15 Airport - Crash 1 + 2 (?seperate FD) (T = Tower)(C = Car)This info came from "American Fire Services - Advancing Into The 1990s". [email protected]
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City of Worcester Items
Worcester City FD Website - apparently does not have a list of stations nor rigs - January 2000
FD uses 16 talkgroups on the city trunked radio system - 911 Lincoln Square = 911 Center + ?Fire Dispatch + ?Police Dispatch - City Amb Service runs 3 ALS ambos and uses private ambos for backup/extra calls/large incidents - the FD has 30EMTs - ?1999 website info - I seem to remember being told that each Worcester fire rig carries 2 portable radios - more ambs on the road (see sme2 around 9/00)
December 1999 FD Info - 479 uniformed firefighters - 12 fire stations - 39 miles square - 170,000 population
October 2000 - NIOSH released their report on the December 2000 fire that killed 6 Worcester Firefighters - the report contains extensive info
January 2001 - Board Of Inquiry Report placed on the City of Worcester website - www.ci.worcester.ma.us/fire/Reports/boardofinquiryreportjan01/boi3.htm will take you to Page 3 of the report.....boi121.htm will take you to the first page of the radio transcript
Info from [email protected] - Nov00 - Although we are not a large city (i.. e. Philly or Boston) Worcester has operated three Mack Baker Aerialscopes. Currently we have two in front line service. Aerialscope 2 is a 1975 Mack Baker CF 75', Aerialscope 3 is a 1973 Mack Baker CF 75', and Aerialscope 1 is currently a spare. It is a 1984 Mack Baker 75'. Tired Iron but they still do a great job. Boston Fire never used the Mack Baker Aerialscopes. They ran two Suckphen towers before replacing them with E-One towers. Chelsea, MA tower 1 had a Mack Baker and replaced that with the FWD/Aerialscope a few years ago. Providence, RI ran a couple of Mack Bakers and I believe they still have one in service. There may be someone on the list who can verifu that for you.
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Historical Info
from the 1974 Polk City Directory - E16 + Squad 1 are based at 26 School St corner of Connor - E1 is at Exchange St - E10 is at 36 Woodland St @ May St
from the 1974 City Report - seek to relocate E10 to Grafton at Blithewood - seek to relocate E4 L7 to Park at Parker - opened new Central Station on Site 33 on Commercial St - opened new Greendale Station in June of 1974 with E11 (1974 rig) + L6 (1974 100' rig) - most apparatus are Maxim (1000GPM pumpers + 100 ladder trucks) - seek a 2nd Aerialscope - received a new Squad (1974 Hahn/Providence $69,000) - the Emergency Reporting System (?red phone boxes on street corners) is provided by the Telephone Company - activation of a ERS box/phone activates a tape recorder and activates a indicator light showing the box location (on a ?wall mounted map)
from the 1975 City Annual Report - the North End District Chief is located at HQ - FD may lose radio freq (460.525) to EMS due to FCC decision
November 1975 - FD has 460 men, 0 call men, 15 stations, 15 E, 7 L, HQ is at 141 Grove St, 409 Pleasant St is at the corner of Pleasant Terrace, L3 is based at 141 Grove St with L2, there was apparently a 5th alarm at box 1142 (Chatham at Irving)
April 1976 - possibly will close Eastern Street Fire Station housing E7
January 1977 - city ambulance service transferred from PD to City Hospital - private ambulances used as backup - previously the Police used 4 ambulances and 18 EMTs to serve the City
Per the 1977 (?Polk) City Guide - 21 men on the ambulance service
more info to follow
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From the Board of Inquiry Report - January 2001
page 118
Time - Radio - Transmission
�� 18:13:43.61 F.A. Fire Alarm to Car 3. �� 18:13:46.36 Car 3 Car 3. �� 18:13:47.81 F.A. Chief, be advised that an off duty PO states smoke coming from the building he is up on the highway and sees smoke coming from the top of the building. �� 18:13:57.07 Car 3 Received. �� 18:14:08.95 E-1 Engine 1 to Car 3, heavy smoke showing. �� 18:14:20.34 F.A. Engine 1, you are reporting heavy smoke showing at 18:16. �� 18:14:32.08 Car 3 Fire Alarm, be aware Car 3 is responding from Greendale. �� 18:14:35.75 F.A. Fire Alarm has that. �� 18:16:00.24 F.A. All right, companies responding to Franklin Street the correct address of the fire is 266, 266 Franklin, Worcester Cold Storage. �� 18:17:52.39 Car 3 Car 3 to Fire Alarm. �� 18:17:54.95 F.A. Fire Alarm answering Car 3 �� 18:17:57.40 Car 3 We are just getting off I-290 right now strike the second alarm. We are going to have the second alarm companies stage until we have a place for them. �� 18:18:05.21 F.A. Fire Alarm has that. �� 18:19:31.90 Car 3 Franklin Command to second alarm companies, I want you to stage under 290 until you hear from me. Just stage under 290 until you hear from me. �� 18:19:40.99 E-16 Engine 16 has that. �� 18:19:44.14 A-2 Scope 2 has that. �� 18:19:52.33 E-2 Engine 2. �� 18:19:54.39 F.A. Engine 2 stage on 290 until you hear from Command. �� 18:19:58.45 Car 3 All companies stage on Franklin Street back away until we get a handle on this. �� 18:20:05.05 E-2 Engine 2 has that. �� 18:20:13.03 Car 3 Command to Fire Alarm, do we have any building information on this? �� 18:20:16.43 F.A. I'm checking, Chief. �� 18:20:27.34 E-13/P2 13 to Command, the fire is in the elevator shaft on the second and third floor. �� 18:20:33.04 Car 3 10-4, is it localized, or is it getting out? �� 18:20:38.65 E-12 open microphone. �� 18:20:40.78 L-1/P2 Ladder 100 to Command, URGENT. �� 18:20:44.20 Car 3 Go ahead Ladder 1. �� 18:20:46.42 L-1/P2 This is Ladder 100. I'm on the second floor and I'm in a freezer room, and I've got a room full of fire up here. I need a line on the second floor. �� 18:20:55.78 Car 3 Received. --------------------------------------- 119 Time Radio Transmission �� 18:20:57.91 R-1/P3 Rescue 600 to Command, its not Worcester Cold Storage. It's the building closest to the highway, we're up at the roof, we have heavy smoke and embers showing. �� 18:21:30.89 F.A. Fire Alarm to Franklin Command. �� 18:21:34.75 Car 3 Go ahead. �� 18:21:36.04 F.A. Chief, I'm going to need an accurate building name in order to look for any building information as far as hazmat, etc. �� 18:21:49.39 E-1/P1 Engine 1 to Engine 1's truck. �� 18:21:58.78 L-1/P1 Ladder 1, Command. �� 18:22:01.99 E-1/P1 Engine 1 to Engine 1's truck, bring a line up over Ladder 1. �� 18:22:06.16 E-1 Ya, 10-4 Cap on the way. �� 18:22:11.32 L-1/P1 Ladder 1, Command. �� 18:22:23.17 Car 3 Command to Ladder 100. �� 18:22:30.88 L-1/P1 Ladder 1, Command. �� 18:22:36.16 L-1/P2 open microphone. �� 18:22:58.63 L-1/P2 Ladder 100 to Command. �� 18:23:02.32 A-2/P2 open microphone. �� 18:23:04.99 Car 3 Go ahead Ladder 100. �� 18:23:07.00 L-1/P2 You are going to need that line up here to the second floor, Chief? �� 18:23:10.93 Car 3 They are on their way up, Mike Conley is going up there with Engine 13, they got a 2-1/2 coming up there. �� 18:23:16.90 C-300 300 to Command. �� 18:23:20.35 Car 3 Go ahead 300. �� 18:23:22.30 C-300 Chief, I'm on the C/D corner of the building over here next to 13. We have heavy fire coming out the first floor, its not coming out yet it's burning in and up. �� 18:23:32.98 Car 3 Now you're on C/D corner? �� 18:23:40.27 L-1/P1 Ladder 1, Command. �� 18:23:43.75 Car 3 Go ahead Ladder 1. �� 18:23:46.02 L-1/P1 Chief, this is the building that's right on 290. �� 18:23:52.15 Car 3 What did you say about 290? �� 18:23:55.41 L-1/P1 It's the building right on 290. The one with the sign on the roof. �� 18:24:01.06 Car 3 Right, we have a 2-1/2 going up the inside now to the second and third floor. �� 18:24:08.80 L-1/P1 We have a scuttle on the roof that's been completely vented now �� 18:24:09.01 L-5/P1 talk group busy. �� 18:24:13.06 Car 3 Okay, do we have fire coming up through the roof yet? ---------------------------------------- 120 Time Radio Transmission �� 18:24:16.50 L-1/P1 We have a lot of hot embers blowing through. �� 18:24:19.54 Car 3 Okay, we have a 2-1/2 inside. Command to 300, want to give me that report from the C/D corner again. �� 18:24:28.30 C-300 Negative, I'm right here with 13 and they are hitting it from the inside, that is where that 2-1/2 line is going from Engine 12. �� 18:24:34.32 C-300 We are on the first floor. �� 18:24:34.39 Car 3 talk group busy. �� 18:24:37.87 C-300 Okay. �� 18:24:37.96 Car 3 talk group busy. �� 18:24:41.79 F.A. Fire Alarm to Command. �� 18:24:43.87 Car 3 Go ahead Fire Alarm. �� 18:24:45.59 F.A. Command, be advised a citizen just reported to a police officer that there may be two people that live in that building. �� 18:24:54.61 Car 3 Received . �� 18:24:56.89 F.I.U. open microphone. �� 18:24:58.77 C-300 300 to Command, charge Engine 12's line. Charge Engine 12's 2-1/2 inch line. �� 18:25:06.07 Car 3 Command to 16. �� 18:25:09.76 E-16/P1 Engine 16. �� 18:25:11.77 Car 3 Do you have a hydrant back there? I want you to lay duals up to here. �� 18:25:15.33 E-16/P1 10-4 received. �� 18:25:17.40 E-12/P1 Engine 12 to Command. �� 18:25:22.20 E-12/P1 Engine 12 to Command. �� 18:25:24.57 Car 3 Go ahead. �� 18:25:26.25 E-12/P1 Chief, that 2-1/2 is off of Engine 1, not Engine 12. �� 18:25:33.88 Car 3 Right, do you want that charged now? �� 18:25:43.03 Car 3 Command to Engine 12. �� 18:25:43.75 L-1/P1 talk group busy. �� 18:25:48.00 L-1/P1 Ladder 1, Ladder 100. �� 18:25:59.49 E-1 Engine 1 Pump to Engine 13, do you want that 2-1/2 charged? �� 18:26:04.71 E-13/P2 Charge that now, please. �� 18:26:09.61 L-1/P1 Ladder 1, Ladder 100. �� 18:26:22.89 Car 3 open microphone. �� 18:26:26.25 E-2/P2 open microphone.
25Jan01 - 1300 - I cannot access the Worcester website - 26Jan01 - it is OK
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page 9 of BOI Report
9 The individual city departments are responsible for their own base, mobile, and portable radios.� In the Fire Department, these responsibilities are handled by the Department's Maintenance Division. Oversight and policy are maintained by an Operations District Fire Chief.
The City of Worcester uses an Ericsson EDACS� trunked radio system.� In this system, communications occur in talk groups. The Fire Department uses five talk groups for operational communications. The talk groups used by Operations are labeled as follows: FD ADMINistration, FD OPerations A, FD OPerations B, FD OPerations C, DISPATCH. After an incident description and response is announced to the stations by Fire Alarm on DISPATCH, the incident and response are announced again on FD ADMIN. The standard radio practice is for the North End District Chief to move an incident from FD ADMIN to FD OP A (OP A). Likewise, the South End District Chief moves to OP B.�
The majority of the Department's radios are assigned to Operations. Each fire apparatus has a mobile radio in the cab.� In addition, a remote transmit and receive station is located at each truck's pump panel or turntable. The Department has 57 portable radios assigned to fire companies and command vehicles.� The distribution of portable radios assigned to Operations apparatus are as follows: 2 per engine or aerial/ladder company - 7 on the rescue company - 2�per command vehicle. Additionally, all chief officers are issued an individual portable radio.�
Each radio in the system has a unique identification number or Logical ID (LID) that is recognized by the system's controlling computer.� The LID is displayed on all radios within the talk group when a radio transmits.
The convention in the Fire Department is to address the dispatcher as "Fire Alarm".
[minor changes made to text - PS]
Response to Fire The standard first alarm response to a report of fire in a building is as follows: � 4 engines � 2 aerial/ladders � 1 heavy rescue � 1 district fire chief ��� The standard requests for additional resources by the Incident Commander are as follows: � Second Alarm � 2 engines, 1 aerial/ladder, deputy chief � Third Alarm � 2 engines, 1 aerial/ladder, 1 district chief, chief of department � Fourth Alarm � 2 engines � Fifth Alarm � 2 engines � Sixth Alarm � 2 engines The automatic call back of off-duty personnel is as follows: � Third Alarm � the oncoming group of chiefs, training (safety) chief, maintenance mechanics � Fourth Alarm � the remaining staff positions, oncoming Operations group� � Fifth Alarm � the next oncoming Operations group � Sixth Alarm � the remaining off-duty Operations group
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File Created - 29July00 - Updated - 25Oct00 - moved info from county file into this file - added historical info off card - 07Nov00 - Scopes - 25Jan01 - BOI
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