Columbus Area Public Safety
Tom Swisher has a great website full of scanner info for the Columbus area
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Division of Public Safety Website
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Columbus FD
Columbus Fire Department Website
1998 Annual Report for the Columbus FD
Note - the 1998 Report says that Columbus has 569 paramedics. For comparison, Boston has approximately 30 paramedics.
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Standard Operating Procedures
Our department has specific SOP's for apparatus placement from small assignments to high-rise operations. All are specific to first arriving to last due companies.
Some examples are what we refer to as a small box or A assignment. Fire Alarm - 2 Engine + 1 Ladder + 1 Battalion Chief
Report of fire - 2 Engine + 1 Ladder + 1 Heavy Rescue + 1 Medic (Married to first due engine - Has dual roll - could be Fire or EMS - engine officer assigns on arrival ) + 1 Battalion Chief
Working fire, companies added to A assignment - 1 RIC Engine, reports to command post for standby rescue of fire personnel + 1 EMS Supervisor, reports to command post, multi facet roll. coordinates EMS activities + 1 Safety officer, has over rule power over I/C if imminent danger is suspected out of I/C site - They will immediately advise I/C of situation and act accordingly) + 1 Additional Medic strictly used for EMS - Reports to EMS officer at command post.
The first engine always pulls past the scene, 1 to get a 3 side view, 2 to allow for deploy of 1.75" attack line off rear of apparatus, 3 to allow for placement of ladder company in front of structure. The ladder has all rights to the front of the structure. The second engine is to stand by at the hydrant until advised by I/C of other orders. The Rescue arrives and parks out of way of other potential arriving apparatus as well as other arriving apparatus. The Medic is part of the first engine. They can be assigned to Fire suppression or EMS according to the decision of the Engine officer. They also park out of the way of other traffic. Each Medic is required to carry their fire turnouts. Each also has 2 SCBA assigned to the vehicle. The Battalion also parks out of the way but is given leeway to get close to permit them from working from the buggy.
This is all for our small fire alarm / report of a fire assignment. It gets more detailed from here. Everyone has a place to be and all are expected to be there. All follow the standard I/C system.
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Updated - 5 May 2000 - added FD website + Pub Safety website + 1998 FD Annual Report