Glendora Emergency Response Communications

Radio Operations Report from Station 19

Dec 09, 2009

The 2009 Covina Christmas Parade Radio Operations were held on December 5, 2009. This year we placed an operator with the paramedics to provide needed communications to the Net Control based in a Command Post trailer over a mile away. The following report from Shane Rountree, KC6PSH tells about his experiences as a "shadow" for the paramedic unit as they responded to two accidents. It is important for radio operators to keep good notes and Shane did a great job.

Two incidents involved the paramedics, the first one was fairly short. I heard the call from Station #7 that a woman had fallen down, and that paramedics were requested. I acknowledged the call by net control as requested to get the information, which included the physical address (255 Badillo if I remember correctly) as I was relaying the information to the paramedics and we attempted to determine exactly where that was, there was a second call from station #7 canceling the request for paramedics at their location. Shortly after that, Station #7 (which was a mobile unit) arrived at my location to request some supplies to treat a bloody nose from the fall. That concluded the first incident.

The second incident was approximately 45 minutes later if I recall correctly, which began for me (station #19) with a request for the verification that the paramedics were en route to Station #11's location. Net control came back with the report with the understanding that they were en route. As I was still standing next to the paramedic unit, I checked with them to see if they had gotten a call that I hadn't heard on their radio (they hadn't ) then broke into the net to inform both Net Control and Station #11 that the paramedics were NOT en route, and to clarify if this was a request for them. At that time, I was informed by Station #11 that there was in fact a need for them at 155 Badillo, at the church there on the corner of Badillo and 3rd. I immediately relayed that information to the paramedics that they were in fact needed, and they began the process of turning around so as to go up San Bernardino to 3rd and come in from the back side of the parade route, negating the need to travel against the flow of the parade down Badillo. As they were doing so, I called back to Station #11 to get the details of the injury (fall with an apparent twisted ankle) and relayed that to them before they completed the turn around and departed my location. As they were doing so, the Battalion 16 Chief came over to get the details of the call, and after I informed him of them and the apparent confusion, he called their dispatch center to check with them. It was then learned that there had been a call to there, and they had dispatched a different unit to the call, at which point the Battalion Chief canceled that unit and transferred the call to the unit stationed at the parade. After approximately 45minutes to an hour, the Paramedic unit returned to my location (where I had stayed with the Battalion Chief) and I informed Net Control that they had returned. Shortly after that, a request from Station #7 came in for the name of the individual involved, so the paperwork for the City could be properly completed, which I attained from the paramedics and relayed as requested. This concluded my involvement with the second incident.

I always love to work the parade, and am already planning for next year!

Shane Rountree, KC6PSH

Editors note: Shane was the Net Control operator for the Covina Christmas Festival & Tree Lighting event on November 21 and did a great job there too. N7YLA ed.