Jarring alarms out, quieter alerts in. New firehouse dispatch systems aim to ease stress

Until recently, a call coming into the Danbury Fire Department meant alarms and tones immediately blasting at high volume—startling the firefighters before they headed out to scenes that could get their hearts pumping even faster. Capt. Kevin Lunnie said the effect could be “overwhelming.” He noticed a big jump in his heart rate when the alerts went off, which isn’t a good thing in a profession where heart problems are the leading cause of on-duty deaths. But the city is now taking a gentler approach. A new system that went online in September includes alarms that start softer before gradually increasing in volume, while a computerized voice calmly announces the information the firefighters need to know about the incoming emergency. “It’s much easier on your nervous system,” Lunnie said. Danbury, a city of around 87,000 people in southwestern Connecticut, is using the new alerts in its five fire stations, joining thousands of other departments around the U.S. and world, aiming to both reduce stress and improve response times. One weekday, a call came into Danbury’s main fire station, and the alert began with a single, soft tone. “Truck 1,” said the automated female voice. “Respond to sick person,” it said, giving the patient's address. Around the firehouse, warm, red lighting flashed while monitors displayed the nature and location of the emergency. A timer display began to count down from two minutes, with the goal of firefighters leaving the station before the time ran out. It’s both calmer and clearer than the old system, which began with full-volume single tones followed by a cacophony of longer ones that fluctuated between high and low pitches. Dispatchers would previously announce the calls over the station speaker system, which firefighters said could be static-y and hard to understand. “Most people found it very jarring,” Lunnie said of the system, which would jolt firefighters awake day or night. The new setup is integrated into the computer-aided dispatching system. So, when a dispatcher takes an emergency call and logs the initial information, it can alert the stations and units faster than department staff, while also sending the call information to firefighters’ phones and watches. The result, according to Danbury Assistant Fire Chief William Lounsbury, is quicker response times. This article was provided by The Associated Press.