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Commissioners flag CAD mislabels and radio talk-group risks after Walmart shooting response
Summary
Commissioners and staff told the Lancaster County Fire Commission they observed incorrect computer-aided dispatch (CAD) call types and described how radio talk-group congestion during a recent shooting-like incident at a Walmart had posed communication challenges.
Lancaster County fire officials reported ongoing problems with CAD call types changing incorrectly and urged caution about radio talk-group congestion after shots were fired inside a Walmart during a recent incident.
The issue matters because incorrect CAD call types can misdirect responders and distort incident tracking, and radio channels tied up by long transmissions can slow coordination during large scenes.
A staff member told commissioners that an incident initially thought to be an active shooter at Walmart involved shots fired between individuals but not at the public. “We thought we had an active shooter at Walmart. Turned out not to be an active shooter by the by the definition of an active shooter,” the staff member said, adding that police quickly took control of talk-group traffic.
Commission staff also described instances in which personnel radios belonging to different stations caused calls to be assigned to the wrong station in the CAD system. One speaker said career personnel carrying radios from their home station sometimes led dispatchers to attribute the call to that station rather than to the county call number, producing erroneous station call tallies.
Separately, staff reported that CAD call-type labels in some cases have switched mid-stream (for example, a call showing as “drug dealing” then changing to “smoke odor” while staff watched). That speaker said the commission’s IT/dispatch staff are investigating the back-end CAD source for the incorrect labels.
Ending: Commission staff said they will continue to monitor CAD call-type accuracy and radio call identification and requested stations be mindful of radio talk-group usage during large scenes.
