Communications   38 Lake Street,  Nashua  NH  03062 Phone: [603] 594-3636          Fax: [603] 594-3640 Email Communications

 

Communications is a part of the Fire Alarm Division and is staffed by eight full time Fire Alarm dispatchers.  The communications center is staffed twenty four hours a day by two dispatchers on duty at all time.  The communications center was moved to its current location at 38 Lake Street after decades of being located at 14 Court St the former location of the City's Central Fire Station.  The Central Fire Station was converted to the 14 Court Street Theater where performances are held to this day.  Nashua Fire Rescue's communications is one, if not the only, communications center that occupies an old fire house.  The building built in 1901 is the second oldest fire station, in the fall of 1999 was complete renovated into a state of the art communications center.

The communications center has multiple redundant systems and has complete back up power systems.  The center monitors 21 Municipal Fire Alarm signaling circuits with over 750 fire alarm boxes, the city wide radio system control computer, a dozen incoming phone and telephone tie lines, multiple Mobile Data terminals to each fire apparatus, over 30 radio channels, TTY/TDD terminals and monitors and a direct data link to the Enhanced 911 system.  Each dispatcher's console has a minimum of three computers and a minimum of 4 computer monitors to view.

Dispatcher's operate on both the citywide 800 trunked radio system and conventional VHF frequencies along with monitor only channels for bordering towns.  The City of Nashua went online with the 10 trunk channel system in the summer of 2001.  The radio system utilizes multiple control points, three transmitter sites and various methods of connectivity.  The citywide radio system connects every city department through common radio channels along with higher security with digital encryption.

Nashua Fire Rescue's communications center handled over 24,157 calls for service in 2009.  Dispatchers handle all Fire Department call volume and three dedicated 911 ambulances provided by contract through Rockingham Regional Ambulance.

The dispatches of all calls are preceded by tones and are broken down into two tones:

• Still Alarm Tone - 9 second low pitched tone used for Service Calls (units respond with traffic) and Still Alarm Calls (units respond utilizing lights and sirens) the amount of apparatus is less than a 1st alarm assignment.
• First Alarm Tone - 9 second high pitched tone used for First Alarm calls (units respond with utilizing lights and sirens) with a minimum of two engines, one ladder and the Deputy Chief.  Maximum First Alarm assignments can be three engines, two ladders, a Safety Officer and the Deputy Chief; this is dependent up the type of location (i.e. Nursing homes, higher occupancy buildings, high rise buildings (any building over four stories) and buildings with increase amount of chemicals or hazardous processes.
  
• A special alert tone is also utilized by dispatch in events of Firefighters being injured on scene, a safety situation on a call requiring all members to be aware.  This alternating pitch tone is only used in emergency situations.

 

Communications Phone System Speed dial controller on left with up to 144 presets	Direct connect phone	MOSCAD - monitors citywide radio system	Mobile Data Terminal, provides responders with real time data link
Citywide Radio Console	Radio Console simulating an emergency alert from field personnel's portable radio.	Digital Trunking Scanner monitoring over three dozen other agencies and bordering departments.	TTY/TDD
Remote Weather Station Display - this display cycles through temperature, dew point, relative humidity, barometer and rain totals.	Computer based weather station, this computer application presents a greater amount of data along with archiving data for later retrieval.	Back up radio system along with Digitizer located to the right of the radio operator's position.	Digitizer rack mount with optional computer interface to CAD.

Telephone/Call Taking position - Far left monitor is data from Enhanced 911 system, two center screens are for CAD, email, paging software, and multiple resource applications	Radio/Dispatch position -  Almost identical to the telephone operators position, on the lower far right is the Digitizer terminal which receives fire alarms.  Above the Digitizer is a row of station lights.  A digital radio scanner is in the upper right.