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Volunteer fire department leaders ask for clearer E911 triage after repeated wood-fire responses
Summary
Volunteer Fire Department leaders told Ben Hill County commissioners they were dispatched to about 53 wood fires and urged better coordination with E911 and EMS so dispatchers collect specific information before sending the VFD, to reduce unnecessary responses and costs.
Volunteer Fire Department leaders briefed Ben Hill County commissioners on May 4 and asked for a formal meeting with E911 and EMS to clarify who should respond to wood-fire calls and what dispatch information is required before the VFD is sent.
Volunteer Fire Department Chief Michael Jay gave an annual activity update and Allen Conger, chairman of the Volunteer Fire Department, said the department was called to about 53 wood fires over the last year. Conger told the board the department believes those incidents should be handled by the Forestry Commission and that current dispatching practices sometimes send the VFD without sufficient information, which increases costs and operational burden for volunteers.
Conger recommended that dispatchers be able to answer certain questions about a call before the VFD responds so the department can determine whether its response is needed. He said the VFD recently met with EMS and the City of Fitzgerald to clarify responsibilities at excavation and accident scenes and is seeking a similar meeting with E911 to reach a solution on wood-fire responses.
No formal action was recorded in the minutes requiring changes to dispatch procedures; commissioners acknowledged the request and the minutes record that the VFD is seeking a meeting with E911 and EMS to resolve the concern.
