Watch the Burnsville Fire Department demonstrate the Phoenix G2 Fire Station Alerting System on their community station, BCTV:
“We use the Phoenix G2 system [by US Digital Designs] that was installed in 2016,” said Assistant Chief Terry Ritchie, Burnsville Fire Department. “We have found that our response times—from the time they get up, to the time they get on the trucks—have actually decreased.”
In the past, firefighters—awoken in the middle of the night—had to quickly lend an ear to the loudspeaker to hear the call. Now message boards provide a visual instant replay.
Video transcript:
Gino Massina, Dakota County 911 Dispatcher to Caller: Okay, tell me exactly what happened.
Announcer: In an emergency response, time is precious.
Massina: You’re not feeling well today? Okay. One moment then.
Dispatcher: And saving seconds, saves lives.
“Samantha” station alerting digitized voice: “Burnsville medic 1, sick person, 911, 140th Street West…
Announcer: Burnsville’s fire department gained an important tool that improves first responders chances of success by slashing response times.
Terry Ritchie, Assistant Chief: So we use the Phoenix G2 system [by US Digital Designs] that was installed in 2016.
We have found that our response times—from the time they get up, to the time they get on the trucks—have actually decreased.
Announcer: In the past, firefighters—awoken in the middle of the night—had to quickly lend an ear to the loudspeaker to hear the call.
Now message boards provide a visual instant replay.
Assistant Chief Ritchie, explaining how the digital G2 Message Sign works: Obviously, it’s for Burnsville Engine 1, the address the nature of the call (which is structure fire), and then a count up timer.
It actually has become competition between all three shifts of who can get the best monthly report of the best monthly response.
Announcer: The Phoenix G2 fire station alerting system, which was paid for by a FEMA grant, city funds and a generous Lions Club donation, also integrates seamlessly with the Dakota Communication Center where your 911 is answered.
Massina: The new system has allowed us to dispatch our field units much faster than we used to. And, in many cases, our units are already responding to the call even before the digital paging is complete.
“Samantha”: 911 – 140th Street West—in Burnsville
Announcer: The digital paging has made an unlikely star out of this fire station vocalization.
Chief: This voice, we have been told, is basically Siri’s sister called Samantha.
Announcer: The Burnsville Fire Department is very serious about its approach toward saving every second.
Chief: We are the only city right now, in Dakota County, that is using the in-station alerting system.
“Samantha”: For BCTV, that was Jay Golden reporting.
Watch a reply of this video on USDD’s YouTube channel
April 2017
