EMS Rig Numbers

[Remember585 815]

So I was looking at the photo of the new Yorktown Ambulance - nice and simple by the way - and was wondering....

Why, in 2007, do EMS agencies CONTINUE to NOT USE THEIR COUNTY DESIGNATIONS?! I have seen rigs still getting lettered with their old designations. What's worse is that the members of these organizations don't even know what radio ID they SHOULD be using!

As a former EMS Officer, if I was running a scene where many Mutual Aid units were coming - I would like to know what I have coming - a BLS or ALS unit. Not some number that makes no sense to me!

Anyone care to enlighten my naive-a**?

Edited June 26, 2007 by Remember585

[Danger 160]

Too much pride/nonsense and not enough central county organization. You can write whatever you want on your ambulance in Dutchess County, but it needs to have XX-71 on it and you may only address Dispatch as XX-71. It's that simple.

[MPACE2-299 0]

They have a set of magnets inside the cab, when it’s out for show or driver alone its 86-03. If there is an EMT on board, the driver slaps a B over the 0. If the medic rides the call in, he slaps the A on.

[CPAGE 2]

They have a set of magnets inside the cab, when it’s out for show or driver alone its 86-03. If there is an EMT on board, the driver slaps a B over the 0. If the medic rides the call in, he slaps the A on.

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Now that is to much work to do when going on a call.............Get a bus sign for the front or the LED board sign then the tech or medic can just type what they are......

just joking with the sign stuff

[Goose 188]

Who cares? If your not being dispatched by 60 Control but by your local PD then maybe 101 or 40 or whatever is the unit designation most often used while the county #A# or #B# is used only for M/A. Seems pretty irrelevant to me.

Until Westchester emergency services officials (on the county and local level) figure out and decide to catch up to the rest of the world and create a centralized communications center then who can complain?

Too much pride/nonsense and not enough central county organization. You can write whatever you want on your ambulance in Dutchess County, but it needs to have XX-71 on it and you may only address Dispatch as XX-71. It's that simple.

Thats not completely true. None of the commercials utilize the County designations in Dutchess. IE: if you have Alamo or MLSS or whatever Medic 4 then your addressing dispatch as Alamo or MLSS Medic 4 enroute to XXXX street. Only the flycars use the county designation to the best of my knowledge.

Edited June 26, 2007 by Goose

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Its irrelevant? Your absolutely correct and make the point of why they should use the county designation system PERIOD. How about getting on board with a system that has been in place for nearly 7 or 8 years now. There is a form of centralized dispatch...it has nothing to do with county emergency services officials. What makes you think they don't want that? The system is there, agencies choose to stay in what is generally an a** backwards and substandard dispatching systems. If its that irrelevant than why not get on board and knock off the BS. Then what happens...those same agencies need something their dispatch cannot perform efficiently and then they call 60 control with the designations they use.

Who can complain....very few. Those of us who consider ourselves emergency service advocates and care about the system as a whole discuss, debate and weigh in. If you complain then you are just looking for an audience around the table at the station...not in the meetings where some good positive thinking and discussion can take place.

[Medic5274 45]

Its irrelevant? Your absolutely correct and make the point of why they should use the county designation system PERIOD.  How about getting on board with a system that has been in place for nearly 7 or 8 years now.  There is a form of centralized dispatch...it has nothing to do with county emergency services officials.  What makes you think they don't want that?  The system is there, agencies choose to stay in what is generally an a** backwards and substandard dispatching systems.  If its that irrelevant than why not get on board and knock off the BS.  Then what happens...those same agencies need something their dispatch cannot perform efficiently and then they call 60 control with the designations they use.

Who can complain....very few.  Those of us who consider ourselves emergency service advocates and care about the system as a whole discuss, debate and weigh in.  If you complain then you are just looking for an audience around the table at the station...not in the meetings where some good positive thinking and discussion can take place.

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ALSfirefighter you are absolutely correct. The system is in place and should be utilized by everyone. All of the fire appparatus designations are assigned by the County regardless of whether the department is dispatched by 60-Control and everyone uses those designations with pride. EMS should follow suit. Goose is missing the point with designations when he argues that they should only be used for mutual aid. There should never be a difference in dispatch protocols based on a mutual aid response. You can't blame the County for this mess. Individual departments are what is keeping a true County wide dispatch system from developing. Home rule form of governance is a lousy model for emergency preparedness and is preventing the development of a true countywide dispatch system

[Goose 188]

Ok, obviously my comments were misunderstood. First and foremost, i think that 60 Control needs to be expanded so that it can handle any and all calls from help, PD, FD, EMS. Period, amen. The county giving money to local PDs to update their dispatching equipment is nice and likely needed but highlights a failure to fully promote the need and benefits of centralized dispatching. Until the county is willing to spend the money to expand 60 control to where it could handle every call for help and until you have agency leadership making the switch to county control then who cares how an ambulance is numbered?

[Medic137 6]

About 10 years back when the county wanted 5 digit identifiers for EMS vehicles we repainted the rigs as 86501, 502, and 503. When the they changed their minds again we went back to 8601 etc. As we are dispatched by Yorktown PD and rarely need to communicate with 60 Control, it's not really an issue. We all know that when we are sent out of town we should identify ourselves using the county's nomenclature.

[Medic5274 45]

Ok, obviously my comments were misunderstood. First and foremost, i think that 60 Control needs to be expanded so that it can handle any and all calls from help, PD, FD, EMS. Period, amen. The county giving money to local PDs to update their dispatching equipment is nice and likely needed but highlights a failure to fully promote the need and benefits of centralized dispatching. Until the county is willing to spend the money to expand 60 control to where it could handle every call for help and until you have agency leadership making the switch to county control then who cares how an ambulance is numbered?

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Goose you need to learn the layout of 60-Control. 60-Control does only fire and EMS dispatching they don't due any police dispatching. The law enforcement dispatching in Westchester is even more convoluted then fire and EMS with 42 different law enforcement agencies dispatching police resources. THis includes small municipalities that have one car on the road. Where are you geting information that the county is helping local municipalities update their dispatch capabilites. The only help the County is providing is for police dispatching utilizing a new county-wide police frequency. This program is grant funded and not supported directly by county funds. A county wide police dispatching will never happen in Westchester and if it did it should not be part of 60-Control but under the authority of the County Police.

60-Control has made huge advances in their capabilities. They provide dispatching, I-page, mapping , run report assistance, pre-arrival medical assistance, and information on critical facilities as long as it is provided by a local department. What other agency has these capabilites. The County has spent millions of dollars over the last several years upgrading 60-Control and improving radio communications countywide. THey are in the process of a new radio system upgrade that is costing over fifteen million dollars. Once the bugs are worked out the new system will be a big benefit countywide. But it will only work to its full potential if every department is dispatched centrally by the County. The County has taken the iniative to improve the service. It is now time for every department to get on board to enjoy all the benefits being provide by 60-Control.

[RWC130 594]

They have a set of magnets inside the cab, when it’s out for show or driver alone its 86-03. If there is an EMT on board, the driver slaps a B over the 0. If the medic rides the call in, he slaps the A on.

HUH????