unified call taker

  • Thread starter Thread starter mmattyphoto
  • Start date Start date
Interesting article on the UCT and the CBDIS system:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=nyc-fire-department-tech-in-the-hot-2009-11-13
 
At the end of the day these systems are only as good as the people you have operating them. The FDNY fire dispatchers have a culture based on a high level of performance and interest in the job.

You can't reasonably expect that an UCT operator is going to have the same level of experience, expertise and "feel" for the calls that come in, that an FDNY dispatcher has; partcularly with a follow up question to the caller. "Under the old process, when someone called 911 to report a fire, the call first went to a police department operator, who would then initiate a conference call with the fire department and the caller, where the address and other important information would be repeated."

Did FDNY brass have any input into the system?  I think it's fair to say that the train has left the station on this one - the Mayor was re-elected and they're not going back to the old system for both monetary and political reasons. Going forward the best hope now is for some intense training of the UCT operators - and this is going to take significant time and effort - and even with this it will never be as good as the old system as far as FDNY operations are concerned.

Human error is going to creep into anything you do - even look at our posts - we all make typos from time to time.  I think the question is - what Quality Assurance/Quality Control procedures do they have in place to minimize these events. 

Computer systems are generally great things but as we all know these systems can't do any critical thinking like most of the FDNY dispatchers can.  This is where the shortfall is.  We know the problem - now we have to find the best solution under the given set of circumstances and constraints we have.  Life is full of problem finders - we need problem solvers and they're difficult to find in all walks of life - this is where the FDNY brass has to play a critical role in massaging this system to the benefit of FDNY as best they can.
 
I can agree with 99% of of what efd said except for one thing. I would hope that the system will return to how it used to operate. Bloombum may not want to go back to the better way, he may be forced depending how many folks lean on him and how hard. Intense training of the UCT's will not yield anything close to what you had before. We've always had UCT's (35 years or so) and the system remains no better than when it was first formed.
 
Need more press like this and FDNY brass to be behind changes - I think the brass are taking the company line - perhaps gritting their teeth as they speak - as some of us saw first hand at a meeting in NYC in early Oct!!!!!!

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/11/11/2009-11-11_a_burning_question_why_does_fdny_use_system_that_keeps_sending_bravest_to_wrong_.html
 
Chief Cassano said "there's bound to be a few glitches". Sending companies to the wrong address where people die is much more than a glitch.
 
Need more press like this and FDNY brass to be behind changes - I think the brass are taking the company line - perhaps gritting their teeth as they speak - as some of us saw first hand at a meeting in NYC in early Oct!!!!!!

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/11/11/2009-11-11_a_burning_question_why_does_fdny_use_system_that_keeps_sending_bravest_to_wrong_.html
Click to expand...

This one's horrible. I'd say go back to the old situation immediately and have the new system working properly first before implementing it in stead of gambling with peoples lives.

In my opinion there's nothing wrong with unified call takers, but the system should work properly and people should be well instructed to operate it ( not saying they aren't now ). This new system should not be part of PD, but of a safety dept. or what name else.

This department could consist of people of all emergency services working together. They should not prefer one department for jobs but check what's the best for the incident.
 
A call went out in Queens for a structual fire at W14 Road in Broad Channel. The disp notified 266 she is gunna check back because they ae not sure if its W14 Rd in Queens or W 14 St in Manhattan. They got the caller on the line, and in fact, was W14 street, Manhattan.  :-\
 
Another perspective...   

There is an experience requirement to become an FDNY dispatcher.  You need X number of year recent full time experience in an emergency dispatch setting in order to qualify for the job.  I did that selfsame job for a solid 10 years, but even I don't qualify...because my experience is stale.

Now, the City has assigned one of the most important dispatch functions (getting the address right) to people working in a job title where they're supposed to be GETTING the experience to qualify as fire dispatchers.  I've had the occasion to call 911 several times for various reasons in the last year and, by gosh, these people do not know and do not quickly recognize the names of the streets in the boro's they're working...much less how to spell them.  [Let me spell that for you...F-U-L-T-O-N Street]

That's one big assed "glitch" right there!

I'd like to see what they do with Onderdonk Avenue.

GEEZ!

 
Petey, from an outsiders point of view looking in, that is a well informed opinion. Unfortunately, it's not working here in New York City. At least once a tour, I am filling out forms documenting errors made by UCT. Chief Cassano is not being truthful when he questions the number of complaints made by not only field forces, but by Supervising Dispatchers. UCT was forced on the NYPD calltakers. It took away a very important filter that was the expertise of the FDNY Fire Alarm Dispatcher. We are now forced to call people back more and more, or call NYPD to ascertain information which may not be given to us in a timely manner. Yes, seconds do count when dealing with a person in a life and death situation. But why shave off seconds to sacrifice pertinent information?? 4 people have died already since the program was implemented. Could they have been saved if errors weren't made?? Hard to say, but those mistakes may not have been made if a properly, and well trained FDNY Fire Alarm Dispatcher was taking the call.
 
UCT's strike again...  (from NY1 News, today)

"Two children and one adult were killed this afternoon when a fire tore through a Brooklyn apartment building"..."Fire officials say response crews were initially sent to the wrong intersection; the intersection where the 911 call was placed from, not from the location of the fire. It is not yet known how that detour affected the response time".

http://ny1.com/1-all-boroughs-news-content/top_stories/109150/three-killed-in-brooklyn-apartment-fire
 
7 dead now...Unfrigginbelievable. December 10th City Council Hearing on this. Get ready for some fireworks.
 
FDNY150 said:
4 people have died already since the program was implemented. Could they have been saved if errors weren't made?? Hard to say, ....
Click to expand...
FDNY150, you're right saying that. But it's a fact that sometimes it is a matter of seconds being rescued or not.
UCT-system indeed is not doing good to this. So, people will be or have been victim of all this.

I'm sorry this is happening to you and tour city guys.
 
I just hope the press keeps up the pressure on the U can't tell system.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top