[Dispatch] Changes to the Dispatching of Water Rescue calls

[Chelf, Andrew]

Beginning August 1, 2017, Austin Fire Dispatch will change how units are dispatched to Water Rescue calls. Instead of having one general call type there will be three specific call types. The goal of this change is to allow Dispatch and Command to prioritize the calls for assignment, and for the assigned units to receive a more descriptive problem nature at the time of dispatch to be better able to make informed decisions concerning incident response.

The Water Rescue calls will be broken down in to the 3 priorities listed below.
Priority 1:

*         Life Threatening - Victim Visible

o   Still Water - struggling to stay afloat on surface

o   Swift Water - stuck on car, tree, structure

o   Critical illness/injury - pt. only accessible by water

Priority 2:

*         Life Threatening - Victim Not Visible

o   Swift/Still Water - Victim below surface

o   Swift Water - Victim swept downstream, no longer visible

Priority 3:

*         Non-Life Threatening

o   Non-critical illness/injury - only accessible by water or air

o   No identified victim - abandoned vehicle in water w/ no one in vicinity

o   Public Assist involving water (stranded on opposite side of low water crossing, etc)

For questions or additional information regarding this change, contact Capt. Andrew Chelf <mailto:andrew.chelf at austintexas.gov>

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