General Information

There are many things citizens can do to help the fire department help you and other citizens in the community. Whenever there is a fire or a medical emergency, there are things citizens can do, or not do, which make a difference in how effective firefighters and emergency medical technicians can be in emergency situations.

Calling the Fire Department
St. Joseph Township, Allen County and the City of Fort Wayne have an enhanced 9-1-1 system. This means that the 9-1-1 operator (referred to as the "dispatcher") can identify through the system's computer, the phone number and address of the calling party. This assists in timely dispatching of police or fire units to the emergency scene.

Common fire emergencies include structure fires, brush fires, and car fires. Common medical emergencies include heart attack, car accidents, respiratory difficulty, seizures and ill persons.

When a call is received by the 9-1-1 PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point), they will say, "What is your emergency, police, fire or medical?" The caller should tell the dispatcher which type of emergency they are reporting or give a description of the problem, allowing the dispatcher to decide how to route the call. In Allen County, the 9-1-1 operator is actually a police dispatcher assigned to process in-coming emergency calls; in Fort Wayne, the 9-1-1- operator is a civilian call taker.

If it is a police or fire matter, they will stay on the line and take information. If it is a medical emergency, they will tell the caller to stay on the line and will transfer the call to Three Rivers Ambulance Authority (TRAA). The phone line will ring again. The EMS dispatcher will come on the line and ask the caller if there is a medical emergency. A proper address and phone number will be asked for to verify the 9-1-1 information.

The dispatcher will begin to dispatch emergency units immediately. The EMS dispatcher is specially trained for medical emergencies to provide self-help instructions to the caller while units are responding.

St. Joseph Township Fire Department fire engines, ladder trucks and ambulances are dispatched according to the nature of the call. The most appropriate unit will be sent to ensure that help arrives as soon as possible. It also means that more than one unit may be sent to the scene.

Some St. Joseph Township firefighters receive medical training and, at a minimum, are First Responders. Certain firefighters receive additional training as EMTs (Emergency Medical Technician). They are capable of providing advanced life-support treatment including airway management and cardiac defibrillation.

Whenever a person calls 9-1-1, their message needs to be clear. They also need to stay on the phone until the person in the 9-1-1 center has released them from the conversation.

Try to stay calm. State what kind of emergency it is - fire, car accident, heart attack, etc. Then tell the dispatcher where the incident is.

Stay on the phone. The dispatcher may ask more questions or want you to stay on the line. Emergency units already have been dispatched even while you are talking with the dispatcher. Children should be taught their home address and telephone number as soon as possible. In most cases, when a caller dials 9-1-1, the address and phone number of the caller's location is displayed to the 9-1-1 dispatcher. However, this is not always verified because of information that may be called in from cellular or mobile phones.

Location
When the fire department responds to a given location, it may be delayed in arriving if the address is not clearly seen from the street. Although it's fairly easy to spot a column of smoke from a house fire, it's difficult to see someone's heart attack from the street. In a medical emergency, EMTs may waste critical time having to knock on several doors to try and find a correct address. Make sure your address is clearly visible from the street. The numbers should be three or four inches in height and be reflective.

This problem is compounded in large condominium and apartment complexes. Arriving at a correct address, the engine company finds a huge residential facility with many buildings in the complex. Make sure large identification lettering or numbering is mounted on the side of the building. This is as important as the street address. It would be even better if someone could be standing near the street to direct the fire units to the appropriate apartment.

Signal 84
Signal 84 means emergency response in an emergency vehicle. When an emergency vehicle is driving with its lights flashing and the siren going, that means it's going Signal 84 to an emergency somewhere. Someone needs help quickly.

When an emergency vehicle is heard and/or seen, drivers should carefully pull their vehicle to the right of the road and stop. If they are at an intersection, or stopped in traffic when they see lights or hear a siren, drivers should remain stopped and wait until the emergency vehicles have passed. Do not make quick or erratic maneuvers. The law is very specific; drivers must yield the right-of-way to an emergency vehicle. Drivers also should stay 500 feet behind emergency vehicles.

A crash involving an emergency vehicle delays help to those who need it. Firefighters and EMTs are careful to avoid vehicle collisions by driving slowly when traveling against traffic, or coming to a complete stop at intersections. The cooperation of all vehicles on the roadway is required. Be careful when driving by or around a motor vehicle accident or any situation where emergency vehicles are parked and the firefighters and EMTs are working. Resist the impulse to "rubber-neck". This can cause additional collisions.

Even though fire apparatus are placed to protect firefighters and EMTs, tragically, sometimes emergency crews have been hit and killed by passing vehicles.

Fire hydrants
Make sure fire hydrants have a three foot area clear of debris and obstructions. Firefighters may need to get to the hydrant for water supply. An obstruction of fencing, tree branches, bushes, weeds or brush may cause a delay as firefighters try to get water to extinguish a fire. Someone may be injured or killed because water is not available as soon as possible.

A fire hydrant that is leaking, broken, missing caps or malfunctioning should be reported to the fire department at 260.485.5612.

Don't block a fire hydrant by parking a vehicle next to it. Vehicles cannot be parked any closer than 15 feet to a fire hydrant from any direction. Remember, your actions may cause a delay in being able to supply water to an emergency that continues to grow until intervention takes place.