Wiki Page, Radio Communications: Radio Communication Failure

Wiki Page
2014-04-05T17:47:34-06:00

Effective radio communication between dispatch and all units responding to a fire is essential for firefighter safety.

The table below outlines nine fires where firefighters lost their lives as a result of poor radio communication.

Location | Year | Deaths | Radio Communication Issue(s)
Syracuse, NY | 1978 | 4 | - Unclear radio communications

Hackensack, NJ

1988

5

- Missed communication

- Failure to acknowledge transmission

- Fireground and dispatch operating on same channel

Seattle, WA | 1989 | 1 | - Missed communication

Tonto, AZ

1990

6

- Crews operated on their own channels

- Lack of communication between departments

Brackenridge, PA

1991

4

- Heavy radio traffic

- Switching channels without informing other units/dispatch

Memphis, TN | 1992 | 2 | - Dispatch not monitoring fireground channel
Pittston, PA | 1993 | 2 | - Crew inside building not equipped with radio
Memphis, TN | 1994 | 2 | - Fireground and dispatch operating on same channel

Yarnell Hill, AZ

2013

19

- Heavy radio traffic

- A 30-minute lack of communication

- Improperly programmed radios

Original content contributed by cLEaR Consultants under a Creative Commons Attribution License

[1] Varone, C. (2012, March 14). Firefighter safety and communication. Fire Engineering, vol 156, issue 3.

Fields, L. (2013, September 28). Radio problems cited in the deaths of 19 firefighters. ABC News. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/US/radio-problems-negligence-cited-deaths-19-firefighters/story?id=20408058