San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District
Communications Division

The departments main communications division consists of six Dispatchers which are managed by three Supervisors (three total Dispatchers per shift) providing 24-hour dispatching of District emergency apparatus 365 days per year.

The Communications Center is equipped with the latest advances in the emergency telecommunications systems. These systems include an Enhanced 9-1-1 System, utilizing Intelligent Workstations.  This allows the location of the caller to be displayed on a computer screen for instant recognition by the fully integrated Computer Aided Dispatch System. The picture on the left is the Mt. Diablo Transmitter (primary) which transmits on 153.995 mhz.

New dispatch stations

In 1993 the District went on-line with the Intergraph Computer system, a highly sophisticated computer that incorporates an extensive mapping system of the District's response area along with the station response zones. This system was updated in 1997 to use the Windows NT operating system. This upgrade improves performance and significantly reduced the operating expenses of the system. In 2000 the system was upgraded upgraded, replacing all hardware, software, and moving to Windows 2000 as the operating system. These improvements have resulted in a further reduction in processing time making the dispatch process even that much more efficient.

The Intergraph system allows the District to draw maps through a digitizing process in the computer, entering the necessary information firefighters need that is not provided by an ordinary street map. The information provided includes water main sizes, locations of underground gas lines, specific road hazards, i.e., weak bridges or narrow roadways that could hamper a fire engine's response, or the location of specific hazardous materials stored in a building.

Dispatchers handle both routine and emergency radio traffic over a Motorola Centracom Elite Gold radio console, communicating by radio or special phone lines with many local agencies, such as Contra Costa Fire, Alameda County Fire, San Ramon and Danville Police, Mt. Diablo State Park Rangers, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, Chevron Security in Bishop Ranch, John Muir and San Ramon Regional Hospital Emergency Rooms, and Pacific Bell Security.

The Dispatchers provide pre-arrival instruction to the responding emergency crew(s) under the auspices of Contra Costa County Emergency Medical Services. The program utilized is the Medical Priority Dispatch System, the primary system is ProQ&A, and is integrated into the CAD system. As a backup there is a set of MPDS cards at every position.

The instructions are given by highly skilled dispatchers who are also trained at assisting the caller in life saving techniques, such as CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver, before professional help can arrive. They will continue to talk the caller through the emergency until the emergency crew arrives, and will assure the caller that help is on the way. In 1996 the District Communications Center was accredited as an Emergency Medical Communications Center of Excellence. This was only the seventh Center to receive this prestigious award word-wide. In 2000 the Communications Center received a re-accreditation.

The District maintains extensive records in its geographic or "GEO" files regarding addresses with specific problems or permanent needs. The GEO data alerts responding units to previous problems experienced, locations of hazardous materials, or specific medical problems of the residents. GEO files are continuously updated, providing current up-to-date information at the touch of a button.

All ambulances are equipped with cellular phones in addition to radios, allowing crews to provide patient updates while enroute to the hospital. These units are also equipped with the Contra Costa County MEDARS radio system for dispatch purposes.

Each chief officer's vehicle is equipped with a cellular telephone and a radio that uses a "MARDI" telephone interconnect device. This device allows a phone call to be completed even following total failure of the local public phone system, as may be the situation in the case of an earthquake. This system is based at Chevron Park in San Ramon.

In the event of a disaster or large scale emergency, the District is fully prepared to operate out of an Emergency Operation Center (EOC). The large boardroom located within the District offices at 1500 Bollinger Canyon Road can be set up as an EOC in a matter of minutes, and also serves as a backup E.O.C. for the City of San Ramon. Station 31 is the Town of Danville's E.O.C. and is completely equipped to operate independently for up to 72 hours.

Our Communication Support vehicle stationed at Sta. 31 in Danville is used as our backup communications center. This back-up location can remotely re-route the 911, seven digit emergency, and business calls. Because of this technology, in the event of a catastrophic event at the primary Center, there is no need to delay the re-positioning of personnel, thus allowing the department to continue operations uninterrupted.

In addition to the Dispatch Center's capabilities for radio contact throughout the State, San Ramon Valley's chief officer vehicles and fire units are also equipped to communicate to all State and local agencies. These units have mobile fax machines to receive emergency documents.

Communication Support Vehicle

Command Stations

The District utilizes TOMES a computerized hazardous material data program offering specific instructions for dealing with a chemical spill or hazardous material problem. The TOMES hazardous material program is updated every three months and is accessed through a personal computer. Once a hard copy printout is obtained by the Dispatchers, the information is faxed to the chief officer's vehicle for instant scene assistance.

While most of the District's emergencies can be handled quickly and efficiently by on-duty staff, some incidents require additional manpower. This assistance can be obtained quickly by a paging system. Since the majority of District personnel carry pagers while off-duty, they can immediately be paged to return for emergency duty.

The Fire District has worked very closely with the City of San Ramon in various areas to improve the level of service to the citizens of the City in various joint ventures. Several of these include: Partners in supplying gas and diesel fuel for City vehicles since 1985, joint purchases of equipment, and the development of the District's Administration Building to act as a secondary EOC. The District takes an active role in all public safety demonstrations, community planning, and future growth issues.

The District recently added a 2003 Sparten Communications and Command ICS Type 1 Mobile Communications Support Unit. This vehicle is designed to perform the duties of a backup communications center, as well as provide on-scene communications and command for larger emergence incidents.

The vehicle is on a Spartan Chassis with 4 Dispatch workstations, a planning and conference room, galley, restroom and an area dedicated to technical solutions for interoperability and communications support. You can click on the picture on the left to see  larger version, as well as Click Here to go to our photo gallery and view additional pictures of this apparatus.