Incident Dispatch Teams

Date: February 29, 2000 
Subject: 1st MAC Call Out 
From: Ricky D. McCall,  Region-3 IDT

At 16:35 hours on February 26,2000 I received a page from Clay County's Fire/Rescue dispatch center. After calling in, Fire Chief Dave Casey advised me that the Florida Fire Chief's Disaster Response Plan had been activated, and besides fire suppression assets that the Region 3 MAC Unit had been requested to deploy at a very large wild fire in near Gainesville. While enroute to the fire I called the incident's Logistics Chief, Kevin Rolfe from Alachua County. Kevin is also a member of the Region 3 MAC team. Kevin advised me we were still on stand-by but to report to staging at the Alachua County F/R Supply ware house on US 441, just a few miles from State Road 121 and US 441 which was the main location of the fire. Enroute to the fire I could clearly see the fire from the town of Starke and that was some distance away. I arrived at staging at 18:15 hours and immediately checked in. I was told we were still on stand by for deployment pending on what the fire did. As the time passed the sunset and the fire was reported to be 80 to 90% contained around 20:00 hours. We were then told to eat dinner, they provided us with Sonny's, Pizza Hut and Checkers, which I could live with. After the arrangements were made to house us for the night at local hotels. Being only 45 minutes from home, and relatively newlywed, I decided to drive back home for the night. I was told the hotel was very nice by some members of the strike and task force teams who stayed there. Before leaving for the night, everyone was told to report back to staging at 07:00 hours the next morning. The next morning I arrived at 06:30 hours. I was excited with the prospect of getting to do some serious Incident Dispatching. We were fighting a 3000 acre wild fire that was still a very real threat to life and property. After the morning staff meeting at 07:30 I was told I would be in charge of issuing the caches portable radios to all trucks going into the field from staging. One officer per truck received one portable radio and one radio harness. The radio channels used were mutual aid red, white and blue. The fire was divided into two divisions. Mutual aid red was Division A and mutual aid white was Division B with mutual aid blue being Command for the entire fire scene. By now it was determined we were not going to set up the MAC tower unless the fire got out of control again and spread. The Alachua County Sheriff's office had sent their mobile communication unit to the scene on the 26th and it was used for command and dispatching on that day. I was told the bus would be used again for command and dispatching and to report there at 11:30 hours as the Incident Dispatcher. I was happy and nervous to start with such a very large fire. What more can you ask for. The bus had a 38 foot radio tower so it was able to talk to the every one on the fire scene very well. I was then if for a big surprise. The entire command staff had decided it best to stay mobile for most of the day and since they were mobile with out any incident dispatchers with them, I didn't get much radio time in. Around 16:00 hours a weather front blew in bringing some well needed rain with it. The fire was then contained and at 17:00 hours I was demobilized and returned home. Overall I would call the call out a success. The radio caches portables were put to use and most of feed back from the field crews were that they worked very well. The MAC tower an a Incident dispatchers were there if Alachua County had needed them. One thing I would like to say to all incident dispatchers Local and State. BE PREPARED, Get them go bags ready to be call out at any time. I got caught off guard and my response time was slower because of it. It is not a good feeling to be deployed to a major woods fire and not be able to leave because your wife somehow has every pair of socks you own in the dryer. So please GET READY now, the wild fire season is upon us and drought levels are very high for this time of the year be prepared and be safe. 

Ricky D. McCall 
Communications Technician 
Clay County Fire Rescue

Date Incident Began: January 19, 2003

Date IDT was requested: January 20, 2003

Name of person requesting IDT: Captain Larry Beaton

Names of IDT Members that were contacted: Jason Nettles, Christi Wilkinson, Sharon Streets (Sgt. Kuleski was already at work and is the one who initiated the call out. Cindy Day had worked the night before and was scheduled to work that night.)

Names of IDT Members that responded: Jason Nettles and Christi Wilkinson

Specific Details of Incident and Duties of IDT Members that responded: At approximately 2100 hrs on 01/19/2003, the Sheriff’s Office was notified that the phone service in the western part of the county had been interrupted and citizens with 684 and 659 prefixes and those residents in the Hollister area did not have the ability to dial 9-1-1. they could call each other but could not dial out of their prefix. At approximately 0200 hrs on 01/20/2003, Alltel requested to re-route 9-1-1’s to the Interlachen Volunteer Fire Department. An on-duty communications officer was immediately sent to the fire department to field incoming calls. At 0530 hrs, Sgt. Kuleski began to contact IDT members to staff the Interlachen Volunteer Fire Department and also the Florahome Volunteer Fire Department (Alltel was not able to re-route their 9-1-1’s). IDT members Nettles and Wilkinson responded. Nettles went to the Florahome Volunteer Fire Department and Wilkinson went to the Interlachen Volunteer Fire Department. Nettles and Wilkinson were asked to remain at their assigned locations until it was determined that the phone service had been restored to the citizens of the area. Nettles and Wilkinson were asked to answer phones at each fire department and relay the information to the Sheriff’s Office via radio if law enforcement or fire/rescue were needed. There were only two requests for service (1 fire/rescue and 1 leo) during the outage. Phone service was restored to the area at approximately 1246 hrs on 01/20/2003 and all IDT members were released.

Name of person completing form: Sgt. Alisha R. Kuleski

Date form was completed: January 21, 2003

Taylor Douglas, Sheriff

Brief Description of Incident: 2003 Catfish Festival, Crescent City

Date Incident Began: April 4-5, 2003

Date IDT was requested: March 12, 2003

Name of person requesting IDT: Major D. Kelly

Names of IDT Members that were contacted: Sgt. A. Kuleski, Capt. L. Beaton, Lt. A. Richie, C. Day, J. Nettles, S. Streets, C. Wilkinson

Names of IDT Members that responded: Sgt. A. Kuleski, Capt. L. Beaton, Lt. A. Richie, C. Day, J. Nettles, S. Streets, C. Wilkinson

Specific Details of Incident and Duties of IDT Members that responded: The IDT was requested along with the M.C.C. to provide dispatch support and radio communications for law enforcement officers and fire/ems units that would be working the festival. Friday, April 4, 2003: Capt. Parker and D/S Altice delivered the M.C.C. to the parking lot of the Putnam County Federal Credit Union, Crescent City Branch, at approximately 1800 hrs. Shortly thereafter, Capt. Beaton, Jason Nettles, and Ronnie Lane (Data Processing, PCSO) arrived and began to set-up CAD. Sgt. Kuleski arrived at approximately 2000 hrs. Set-up was completed at approximately 2115 hrs. CAD, FCIC/NCIC, WinGs, COPSMORE, PUTCOPS were all available from a laptop computer that was in the M.C.C. Saturday, April 5, 2003: Sgt. Kuleski arrived at the M.C.C at 0630 hrs. She was asked by Chief Penley (Crescent City P.D.) to attend the briefing at Crescent City City Hall at 0700 hrs. It was determined that all radio communications would be directed to the M.C.C. on Sheriff’s Net for law enforcement and Fire Ground for fire/ems. Crescent City Public Works channel would be monitored in the M.C.C. Also discussed were position assignments for the Catfish Run and the remainder of the festival. The STOP Team (Street Crimes Unit) was scheduled to arrive at 1700 to assist in clearing out the park and other problem areas after the festival closed. At 0730 hrs, Lt. Richie and C. Day arrived at the M.C.C. for their shift. They began completing ICS Form 211 (Check in) as units checked on duty at the festival. The only problem that arose, was establishing communications with Daytona Beach motor officers and FHP troopers. We were able to provide Daytona Beach with a portable radio and one local FHP trooper monitored Sheriff’s Net. Sgt. Kuleski left at 1030. At 1130 Lt. Richie and C. Day were relieved by S. Streets and C. Wilkinson. At 1415, Capt. Beaton and J. Nettles relieved S. Streets and C. Wilkinson. The IDT’s were able to support all law enforcement and fire/ems operations with no major problems. The command center was shut down and taken back to the sheriff’s office at 2030 hrs.

Name of person completing form: Sgt. Alisha R. Kuleski, IDT Coordinator

Date form was completed: April 10, 2003