Embracing The Chnage

EMBRACING THE CHANGE

BY LT. MICHAEL WALSH

As you walk into the lobby of Station 1 at the

Oxford Fire Department, firefighters, visitors, family, and friends see a room that quietly tells the history, heritage, and traditions of the Oxford Fire Department. From the display of late Chief Dewey Webb’s fire helmet and the old bell that tolled Oxford’s early fire wagons on their way in the 1800s to the plaques on the walls recording tomorrow’s history with the achievements of today’s firefighters–tradition and heritage are plentiful at the Oxford Fire Department.

Although the fire service is deeply rooted in tradition, changes occur frequently. Advancements in firefighting knowledge, tools, and technology have changed the way we fight fires. The personal protection equipment firefighters wear today and the modern tools available to save lives and combat fires have changed dramatically since the early days of emergency fire service. As recruits complete their initial training, they learn about tools, techniques, and a firefighting mentality that become concrete–second nature. As they spend years in the fire service repeating and perfecting the ways they were taught to combat fires, new fire students learn about modern-day tools, techniques, and a new mentality that brings change to seasoned firefighters. Some changes are embraced, while others have difficulties taking root. The fact of the matter, however, is that today’s changes become tomorrow’s traditions.

Technology is playing a significant role in how emergency personnel can assist citizens during emergencies. From the use of drones to thermal imaging cameras to communication equipment, the Oxford Fire Department is embracing the change and improvements of modern technology. The latest tech enhancing the services we provide includes the use of Computer-Aided Dispatching (CAD) in the fire engines. CAD is a combination of different tools, technologies, agencies, and systems that efficiently puts the most practical and necessary information in the hands of first responders. This minimizes time and allows us to serve the citizens promptly while ultimately saving more lives. Some of the new tools and technology installed in

the engines include on-board WIFI, touch screen computers, upgraded communication equipment, and emergency alerting mediums.

The introduction of CAD in the engines– as well as in our stations–has drastically changed the way we receive, respond, and mitigate emergencies. Before utilizing the CAD system, our Calhoun County 911 center would take the emergency call, gather the information about the caller, location, and nature of the emergency before relaying the data and transferring the call to our agency. Next, our fire personnel would be dispatched via pagers to the location of the emergency. The first engine to arrive on scene would then give an update and assess the mitigation process. With CAD, the Oxford Fire Department is dispatched via radios, cellphones, and stations alerting the moment 911 knows the emergency type and location. While fire personnel is in route to the scene, not only do they receive updates about the emergency, they can view the updates real-time on the touch screen displays as the 911 operator receives them. The implementation of CAD has reduced the dispatch time (time taken from the initial 911 call to the time the fire department gets dispatched) from an average of three minutes to 45 seconds.

The on-board WIFI not only provides a direct link to 911, but it allows us to access our cloud-based software that puts specific location information at the fingertips of the first responders. Contact information, occupancy load, hours of operation, construction type, and utility and hydrant locations–to name a few–are just some of the items that are readily available at the push of a button. This feature not only provides basic information about the location of

the emergency, but it also helps to provide the information required to determine the mitigation process before the first arriving fire personnel. The WIFI also allows us to utilize the automatic vehicle location (AVL) feature. Not only does this give units turn by turn directions to the emergency location, but it also allows 911 to dispatch the closest unit to the emergency. Outside of the emergency calls, the on-board WIFI enables crews to complete engine company surveys, input hydrant information, and reports while in the field.

Although the CAD system and the use of technology within the fire department has undoubtedly enhanced the services the Oxford Fire Department provides to the citizens of Oxford, we cannot discredit the hard-fought effort given on the emergency scene by the Oxford Fire personnel or the excellent service offered behind the scenes at the Calhoun County 911 Center. These two agencies, coupled with the implementation of technology, are providing topnotch service to the citizens of Oxford.

People deal with changes in routine and the way one works differently–whether at a fire department, in a family household, or at a place of business. To some, changes and advancement in technology may differ from the fundamentals learned during training. To others, it’s a smooth and natural transition. No matter how one adapts to the change–whether it’s the thrill of more quickly being able to make a difference in someone's life or if it’s the peace of mind knowing what to expect before arriving at a fire scene–it’s about continuing a rich tradition here at the Oxford Fire Department. We have a culture of serving the citizens of Oxford to the best of our ability–a tradition that is worth embracing the change.