Florida Incident Dispatch Teams

Today's Incident Commanders have a tremendous amount to manage at the scene of an incident. They must simultaneously complete functions of
Operations, Plans, Logistics, Finance, Fire Tactics, Law Enforcement
Tactics, coordinate and communicate on several different radio
frequencies, while trying to focus on managing the incident through the
hours ahead. These tasks have traditionally been completed by the
Incident Commander alone with valuable and highly trained Fire Fighters
and Police Officers being assigned to handle communications,
accountability and documentation tasks in the Incident Command Post.

Identified in the State of Florida Incident Field Operations Guide,
specialized field telecommunicators known as Incident Dispatchers, are a
recognized resource that staff positions in support of incident
management. Utilizing Incident Dispatchers maximizes effective
communications, accountability and documentation and optimizes the
utilization of resources.

Incidents, large and small, begin and end at the local level, so the
concept of Incident Dispatchers is valuable to local law enforcement and
fire rescue agencies, as well as, on a state level during large scale
man-made and natural disasters. The use of Incident Dispatchers is
targeted toward both fire rescue and law enforcement operations such as
wild fires, large structure fires, SWAT, Hazmat, Bomb operations, special
events or any other extended operations situation in which an Incident
Commander feels the use of an Incident Dispatcher Team can be of
assistance.

In Florida, all-risk Incident Dispatchers, are armed with statewide
standardized training that includes Incident Command System modules, state
disaster mutual aid processes, Division of Forestry operations, regional
radio cache functions, as well as, Local Fire Rescue and Law Enforcement,
mutual aid, command post tactics and resource accountability. The Basic
All-Risk Incident Dispatcher Team Training Course, endorsed by the Florida
Fire Chief's Association, is the first ALL RISK IDT training program in
the Nation.

Incident Dispatching provides new avenues for career development while
also enhancing the dispatcher's role within the public safety system. It is a
great opportunity for dispatchers to learn how to assist in a command post
environment on large scale mutual aid incidents and especially for those
in our consolidated Police, Fire, EMS Dispatch Centers. Incident
Dispatchers are part of a valuable agency and state resource.

With the assistance and support of the Florida Fire Chiefs' Association,
other emergency management agencies, and many hard working individuals,
Incident Dispatch Teams have become a reality!