How do they contact you? Is it still by beeper? If you don't want to respond, how do you notify them?
How does it work with your regular job? Have you ever had to sprint out of an important business meeting? Do you wear tear-away suit pants for such an occasion?
Do they still publish that awesome magazine for cops/firefighters where you can order decals and lights for your car?
Funny you mention that, as I was reading your post we got a call. All of our calls are dispatched over radio, and we carry pagers like this one.
In the last year, a
company out of Oregon has come along and developed a smartphone app to also notify us of calls. Dispatch enters a code to automatically send them a text message with the location and type of call, and they handle dispatching it out through the app. Its a pretty sweet advancement, mainly because it has mapping capabilities. It's really helpful when responding mutual aid to neighboring districts.
Officers and EMT's carry two way radios so we can communicate directly with communications.
The trucks carry hard wired radios that we use to talk back and forth on. In the old days, we used CB channels, but now use FCC Licensed channels. We learned from experience a few years ago the FCC doesnt like for us to use profanity or slangs on calls. Apparently someone in the public called and complained about something we said over the air, so we got a nice warning letter.
We only notify them if we are responding. Each EMT checks in route and on scene for medical calls, but all other calls only the first officer responding and all apparatus check in route. ISO mandates that we have 3 minutes in which to respond to the station and check a truck in route, and 5 minutes of travel time to the scene. Theoretically, you should have someone there within 8 minutes of the call, but we average a little over 5. If after 3 minutes, no apparatus has checked in route, communications will re-tone us and automatically dispatch the next due department.
I work 30 miles from home, so I dont respond from work. Those that work in district are free to respond if their employer allows it. It varies from employer to employer though. In the back seat of my truck I carry my EMT jump bag and my gear bag enabling me to dress on the scene. We size them large enough to fit over street clothes, but I generally strip down to boxers and a t-shirt as I'm changing so I wont get as hot.
Is this the magazine you're referring to?