Simplified User Guide - Community First Responders

Airwave Pager (Tetra Data Messenger) User Guide.
In addition to all the formal user guides and paperwork that you have all received with your new
communication devices, please can I add to this with a “Simple User Guide”, which I hope will
prevent some of the common problems that we in the EOC are seeing recur on a shift by shift basis.
Sign On:
When you wish to log on with your Airwave Pager, please sign on with the pager FIRST by sending
your PPE, Equipment, Vehicle checked messages followed by Available.
THEN – contact the desk by text message or ringing the landline and please QUOTE the call sign of
the pager i.e. FR119, ER165, not your old call sign. We have had quite a few people ring in using their
old call sign for example (Lancaster 1) – if you are not sure of your airwave pager call sign, please ask
– we can plot you on the map! When signing on, please provide your PIN number AND Surname.
If you have already signed on with the pager, you do not need to contact the desk again – only
contact the desk with sign on details IF you are a new holder of the device at time of collection.
Acknowledge:
If you receive a Stand Down or a Free Text Message (Blue Screen Message) you must send an
“Acknowledge” Message. This tells the system that you have read it and deletes it from our message
queue. If you don’t acknowledge the message, it stays on the message queue until we manually
delete it and this can get quite full very quickly.
Allocation:
The best way to think about this is to think of a traffic light system.
RED SCREEN – means STOP, this will be received for a STAND DOWN. This will
be accompanied by a voiced “STAND DOWN” message. Please ALWAYS send
an Acknowledge message to a Red Screen Message.
ORANGE SCREEN – means GET READY to go. This will be received for an
OFFER message. An offer message is the equivalent of an auto-page message
on the old system. If you are able to attend, send an “Able to Attend”
message and wait for a GO message or Free Text telling you not required.
GREEN SCREEN – means GO. This is an allocation message. The dispatcher
has actually allocated you to the call and needs you to attend. The message
you should send when a Green Screen is received is mobile or unable to
attend. Don’t send an “Able to Attend” message to a Green Screen.
BLUE SCREEN. This is a Free Text Message manually typed by the Dispatcher.
Please always send an Acknowledge Message to a Blue Screen message.
Able to Attend
If you receive an ORANGE SCREEN offer message, and send an “Able to Attend” message, you should
not go mobile until a GREEN screen GO message is received. If nothing is received back from Control,
assume that we do not require you to attend. Where possible, we will try and send you a FREE TEXT
message advising you of this, but depending how busy the dispatcher is, this may not happen .
Please don’t ring the desk to tell us that you have sent an Able to Attend.
Clearing from Scene:
Unless you are a STAFF RESPONDER, please only send a “Clear, Ambulance Dealing” message when
clearing from scene.
The Responder Desk will always tray and acknowledge a “Clear” message with a Free Text Message.
Signing Off:
When you decide to sign off from responding, you do not need to contact the Responder Desk to
advise of this.
ALWAYS send an “Unavailable” message FIRST.
Then turn off the device.
If you turn the device off without sending an unavailable status first, the device still shows as
available on the system and the system will still continue to try and send jobs to the device, which
then fail and get stuck in the message queue, which means that a dispatcher will then try and make
contact by phone to pass the details manually.
This ties a dispatcher up un-necessarily and delays them allocating incidents to Responders that are
available.
Faults, Loss, Technical Queries:
The Responder Desk is not a Technical Support Desk, any Faults, Loss or Technical Queries should be
rung to the NWAS Support Centre on 0845 155 0334.
Responder Desk Communication:
As much as the Devices are helping to speed up activation and communication, please always
remember that if you are unsure if you have pressed the correct button or if you have sent the right
message don’t waste time trying to figure it out, just call the desk and speak directly to the
Dispatcher.
The more you use the devices, the more proficient you will become.
Allan Archer
Control Manager / Responder Desk Manager
Broughton Emergency Operations Centre