LISBON FIRE DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATIONS
RSB, the Lisbon Municipal fully professional FD, dispatches all units from its Dispatch Office at the HQ Station. The public reports emergencies to the RSB via a 7 digit phone number directly to the RSB Fire Dispatch Center. The public can also report emergencies to the 112/115 Police operated emergency telephone number (which are then relayed to the RSB dispatchers).
The lead dispatcher will determine which pre-detailed Stations should respond to an incident and then a call is placed to the required station(s) via a dedicated phone line.
Each Station has a Watchman who remains in the Station at all times to receive alarms from the Dispatch Center.
The Station Watchman will write down the details of the incident on a piece of paper, sound the station "House Bell" with a coded signal, and then give the run slip to the leading officer after the firefighters have slid the poles to the apparatus floor. The Watchman also announces the call over the Station public address system. At some of the fire stations as the apparatus are leaving, the nearby intersections bells are rung and red traffic lights are simultaneously operated to clear motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
For working fires and other serious incidents, the nearby (pre detailed/pre determined) Volunteer Station will also receive the alarm by phone call from the RSB Dispatch Room. If ,at that time ,there is any manpower available in quarters, the VFD Watchman will send them on the run too ,aboard Pumper ,Tanker or Rescue Units, depending on the nature of incident. For higher alarms pager or mobile phones calls to volunteer personnel may also be activated.
A typical first alarm response (working fire in a structure) will see 1 medium pumper plus 1 aerial ladder respond from the closest RSB Station. If this one is only a Satelite Station, then the Main Station concerned (Battalion HQ) will send one light pumper, with Officer and 1 ambulance as well. The nearby Volunteer Station, if manned at the time of call, will additionally send 1 pumper or tanker, according to Dispatcher's best judgment.
The "RSB radio system" utilizes a coded 800Mhz trunked system in all first line/first response vehicles. Additionally, all rigs retain the older low band radios on 40.10 / 33.42 and 40.34 / 33.36. The 7 Lisbon Volunteer FDs use 40.06Mhz Base - 33.38Mhz Mobile.
The Red Cross units in Lisboa use 40.46Mhz.
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