309 - COMMUNICATIONS

INTRODUCTION - The department uses handheld and mobile in-vehicle radios for all internal communications. Currently, operations are conducted on a single primary base radio channel, with plans for future expansion.

Emergency 911 calls are received and processed through a centralized dispatch center. The LAFD refers to its dispatch center as “Metro,” while other agencies may use terms such as “Central” or “County” based on their jurisdiction.

Dispatchers manage incident notifications and coordinate unit responses via radio communication. This system ensures clear, efficient communication between the public, dispatch, and responding units to maintain operational effectiveness and responder safety.

309.1 SCN P25 SETUP & USAGE

This feature has not yet been implemented and therefore will not be created until after-the-fact.

309.2 PROPER RADIO COMMUNICATION

The proper way to speak over a handheld or radio communicator is important for proper information being relayed to and from a scene or personnel on site. Communications in a fire agency are turned around- instead of saying who is broadcasting; you would say who you are trying to reach first- and then state who is reaching that person. An example would be "Engine 42 from Truck 19, come up." This can also be applied to crew positions on an apparatus; or can be applied directly to a specific member you're trying to reach. An example; "Chief Armstrong from Captain Grundy, Come up." - Keep in mind, when speaking directly to another member in the fashion above, it can be informal to a certain degree- and shouldn't last longer than five seconds over a broadcast. Unless you've specifically called for a clear band to broadcast over, or in the context of providing ample room for others to communicate.

An example of a proper LAFD radio communication

"Metro, from [Apparatus] responding."
1. 1. 1. 1. "Metro, [Apparatus] - pause - :: responding, [incident type, location]"
Metro, from [Apparatus]- on scene.
Metro, from [Apparatus]- Requesting additional [Specify kind of resource] resources / company to [Location.]
Metro, from [Location IC], fire is contained [knockdown] as of [time]

309.1-2 Standardized Situation Reports & Size-ups

Size-up procedures shall be conducted in a clear, concise, and standardized manner to provide responding units and command staff with an accurate assessment of incident conditions. The use of plain language is emphasized to ensure that all personnel, regardless of agency or assignment, understand the nature and scope of the emergency. Specialized radio codes, law enforcement-style brevity signals, or ambiguous jargon shall be avoided. Instead, fire department communications shall focus on direct, situation-based descriptions. If specific information is not known or cannot be verified at the time of the broadcast, it shall be omitted rather than speculated upon. Accurate and relevant details are essential for operational effectiveness; unconfirmed or uncertain information may hinder safe decision-making.

The following outlines general size-up practices across common incident types:

Motor Vehicle Collisions (MVCs):
Initial units shall provide a size-up that includes the number of vehicles involved, the presence of fire or hazards (e.g., leaking fuel, power lines down), patient count and condition, entrapment status, and any need for additional resources such as extrication tools or medical units. Example:

“Engine 4 on scene of a two-vehicle collision, moderate damage, one vehicle on its roof, no fire. One patient trapped, conscious and alert. Requesting rescue unit and one additional ALS ambulance.”

Structure Fires:
The first-arriving company shall perform a 360-degree size-up when possible and transmit a report that includes building type, construction, occupancy, fire location and extent, exposures, and operational mode (offensive/defensive). Example:

“Truck 2 on scene of a one-story, single-family dwelling, light wood-frame construction, heavy smoke showing from the Bravo side. Fire appears to be in the attic space. No exposures at this time. Establishing offensive mode; requesting second alarm.”

Automatic Fire Alarms; Smoke Detectors, etc.

The fire department faction shall treat all fire alarms as structure fires unless it is physically confirmed otherwise. Any advisement of cancellation, whether from a third-party alarm company, an on-scene keyholder, or law enforcement, shall not override this policy.

Only a Battalion Chief or the established incident commander has the sole authority to officially cancel responding resources and return units to service.

The first-arriving company shall perform a 360-degree size-up when possible and transmit a report that includes building type, construction, occupancy, fire location and extent, exposures, and operational mode (offensive/defensive). This size-up shall not be altered, regardless of alarm type or dispatch notes. However, operational procedures may be modified based on findings during the investigation phase.

Example:
“Engine 1 on scene of a two-story commercial occupancy, Type III construction, no smoke or fire visible from the exterior, alarm sounding. Conducting interior investigation. Engine 1 has [location] command (passing command to next arriving unit).”

While investigative mode may not require full deployment of suppression lines (e.g., not pulling 1¾” crosslays or laying supply lines), all personnel shall be in full PPE and carry appropriate hand tools for immediate action if needed. Crews must remain ready to escalate operations should conditions change or hazards be discovered during the investigation.

Hazardous Materials Incidents (Hazmat):
Size-ups for hazmat incidents must emphasize safety and hazard identification. The report shall include material(s) involved if known, container types, visible leaks or vapor clouds, wind direction, potential exposures or evacuations, and any immediate isolation zone requirements.

Example:
“Engine 6 on scene of a box truck leaking unknown liquid, strong chemical odor present. Container placarded as UN1203, flammable liquid. Wind from north at 5 mph, commercial strip mall within 50 feet. Establishing hot zone; requesting Hazmat 1 and law enforcement for traffic control.”

In all scenarios, the size-up should be transmitted within the first minute of arrival and updated as conditions change. The goal is to inform incoming units, guide tactical decisions, and establish a shared operational picture.

309.1-3 MUTUAL AID STANDARDS

The fire department faction shall maintain clear and consistent communication protocols when providing or receiving mutual aid. All mutual aid units responding to another jurisdiction must identify themselves by department and apparatus designation to avoid confusion, especially when overlapping callsigns exist between departments. Units shall not refer to themselves by apparatus number alone (e.g., “Engine 2”) as this can create operational hazards during fireground coordination.

When dispatched, units must transmit in the following format:
“[Dispatch Center] from [Department + Apparatus Name/Number]; responding mutual aid request to [Location or Incident Name].”
Upon nearing the scene or arrival, the unit shall contact the Incident Commander or Logistics (for larger incidents) with:
“[Incident Commander/Logistics] from [Department + Apparatus Name/Number]” — pause for response — “[number of personnel]; ETA [time]; requesting assignment.”
Specifying the number of personnel responding (rather than saying “onboard”) improves clarity for resource tracking and assignment at the incident.

For example:
“LA Metro from County Quint 63; responding mutual aid request to 1245 N. Wilton Structure Fire.”
Then on arrival: “Wilton IC from County Quint 63 - 4 personnel; ETA less than two minutes; requesting assignment.”

This avoids confusion when multiple units with similar identifiers are operating on the same incident. Additional examples include:

“Riverside Central from Bernardino Engine 3; responding for the mutual aid at 2114 East Glen, commercial structure fire,”
or
“Bernardino Central from Riverside Truck 4; responding mutual aid to 89 Hillcrest Drive, second-alarm brush fire,”
followed by
“Hillcrest IC from Riverside Truck 4 - 5 personnel; arriving shortly; requesting assignment.”

All mutual aid units are expected to report to staging or Incident Command upon arrival and shall not self-deploy without assignment. Full PPE must be worn, and all units must be prepared for immediate deployment. Only formal acknowledgment by the requesting IC shall dictate operational integration.

This policy ensures safe, efficient, and professional coordination during multi-agency incidents.

309.1-4 OPERATING RADIO CHANNELS & STATEWIDE COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

FIREREPEATER (FIRERPT) Channel 300 - Similar to the Law Enforcement base channel (100); nothing particularly fancy. Has the greatest range for all channels.

FIREGROUND1 (Channel 301) - Acts as an incident dedicated channel or can act as a limited-range SIMPLEX channel; Most effective for mobile (truck-to-truck) radios.

FIREGROUND2 (Channel 302) - Acts as an incident dedicated channel or can act as a limited-range SIMPLEX channel; Most effective for mobile (truck-to-truck) radios.

FIRETAC1 (FTAC1 - Channel 303) - Acts as Incident Command Talk-Around channels for mostly incident management or critical stress issues that could affect the outcome of an incident entirely.

CTAC4 / REGCOM (California Statewide Agency Channel 600) - Acts as a mutual aid channel for incoming assisting agencies or a liaison between emergency management or state law enforcement- Can also be used as a repeater channel for long-range communication or incident management between varying agencies. (Not yet implemented or used)

309.3 COMMUNICATION CODES AND SIGNALS

Fire Department communications shall generally avoid the use of specialized radio codes or terminology, as such language is deemed unnecessary for the operational requirements of firefighting activities. This practice differentiates fire department radio procedures from those commonly utilized by law enforcement agencies. However, specific terms and brevity codes may be employed when appropriate and as outlined below.

Knockdown / Contained:
A fire shall be declared "knockdown / contained" when it is no longer actively spreading and has been sufficiently suppressed or extinguished to prevent further extension.
Mayday:
A "Mayday" shall be immediately declared by any on-duty member who is trapped, lost, injured, or otherwise unable to safely exit a hazardous environment. All personnel are empowered and required to initiate a Mayday under these conditions without hesitation.
Canceled:
The term "Canceled" shall be used to indicate that a unit is released from responding or staging for an incident. This action is taken to conserve departmental resources or to reassign units as necessary.
BCC (Bureau of Central Communications):
BCC shall be recognized as the central communications hub responsible for managing inter-agency radio traffic and dispatch operations. While the use of the BCC prefix in transmissions is not mandatory, its use is authorized and may assist in clarifying communications.
- County / Central BCC: Refers to centralized dispatch serving countywide jurisdictions.
- Metro BCC: Refers to centralized dispatch serving metropolitan jurisdictions, such as the City of Los Santos.
Routine / Routine Traffic:
Units shall respond without activating emergency equipment, with lights and sirens turned off, and shall comply with all traffic laws while proceeding to the scene or to another destination. This constitutes a non-emergency response, reserved for situations that do not warrant a full emergency response and where activating such equipment could unnecessarily risk the safety of other motorists and personnel.

Emergency / Emergency Traffic:
Units shall respond with emergency equipment, lights, and sirens activated, and may exercise due regard to traffic laws to expedite arrival at their destination. This constitutes a priority response, requiring immediate emergency services intervention.

309.4 LOCAL AGENCY REQUESTS AND EMERGENCY RADIO DISCIPLINE

309.4-1 Law Enforcement Presence, and Requests

Law Enforcement shall be requested primarily through the MDT function using ‘REQUEST LEO’. While Law Enforcement can also be contacted via landline telephone or cellular devices, these methods are discouraged as they may introduce potential liability. The only exception to this rule is when requesting a Law Enforcement supervisor, which may be done outside of the MDT system. Otherwise, any requests made outside of the MDT system do not meet department standards and are not permitted. Law Enforcement officials shall be requested under the following circumstances:

A combative or actively resisting patient is unable to make rational decisions on their own accord.
Self-inflicted injuries, not limited to: Shootings, Stabbings, Immolation, Self-Harm, or other negative attritional effects on a person's well-being.
Injuries caused by a third-party involvement, e.g, attempted or successful stabbing or shooting.
Crimes committed in the presence of EMS or Fire Crews.
Self-Preservation under any circumstances deemed imminently requiring Law Enforcement Intervention.
Signs of Domestic Violence, family molestation, or general sexual abuse.
Incidents involving department members result in injury or death.
Any incident listed on the apparatus roll-out sheet that mandates law enforcement presence to ensure scene safety.

Any incident listed on the apparatus roll-out sheet on the personnel roster that mandates law enforcement presence to ensure scene safety requires police response. When requesting police for such incidents, it must be specified that their response is required before EMS personnel can approach or assess the situation. This policy may be overridden in cases of immediate danger to life or health, regardless of other considerations; however, members are strongly encouraged to exercise extreme caution in these circumstances.

Only the following incident types may be exempt from the standard law enforcement response requirement due to their inherently high risk of death or significant injury:

Motor vehicle crash with injury
Motor vehicle crash with no injury
Motor vehicle crash involving a pedestrian
Motor Vehicle Crash with unknown injury status (when no information is available at the time of the E911 call to confirm otherwise)

309.4-2 Activation of Emergency Distress Signals, by handheld or otherwise

Members are authorized to activate their distress signal if they reasonably believe that imminent danger from a person or animal is present and there is insufficient time to make a formal request. Regarding the use of Personal Alert Safety Systems (PASS), firefighters equipped with PASS devices shall use the PASS alarm as their emergency distress signal instead of other distress signals.

If the emergency or priority tone (/p) on a unit’s radio activates for any reason, all other units shall immediately clear the frequency to allow the distressed member to broadcast without interference. The member in distress shall identify themselves by unit/apparatus, rank, and name, state their location, and provide a brief summary of the situation.

In a genuine distress scenario, the member shall adhere to the following guidelines:

Retreat to a safe and secure area if possible, remaining there until rescue or law enforcement personnel arrive to stabilize the situation.
Secure any equipment that could potentially be used against them, if feasible.
Maintain ongoing communication, providing updates on their movements, physical status, and any relevant information.

At all times, the member’s priority must be self-preservation. Defensive actions are justified to a proportionate level of response, especially if an immediate threat of death or serious bodily harm is present. In such situations, self-defense is legally justified.

Self-defense laws allow individuals to use a reasonable amount of force to protect themselves from harm.

Imminent Threat:
The force used must be in direct response to an imminent threat—meaning the threat is occurring at that moment, not a future or potential threat.

Proportionality:
The level of force employed in self-defense should be proportional to the nature and severity of the threat. For example, using a weapon to defend against a verbal threat would likely be considered excessive and unjustified.

If a patient becomes a hostile threat, they are no longer considered a patient but a combatant, and appropriate defensive actions are warranted within these guidelines.

IMPORTANT:

While members have the legal right to defend themselves, this does NOT permit them to carry or use firearms unless explicitly authorized by their position or department policy. Unauthorized possession or use of firearms is strictly prohibited.

309.5 RADIO UNIT DESIGNATIONS

For all relevant radio designations for apparatus types, please look at UNIT ROLES.

309.5-1 MDT & RADIO DESIGNATIONS

CITY OF LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT

STAFF DESIGNATIONS

Executive 1: Mayor

Staff 1: Chief of Police

FC1: City of Los Angeles Fire Chief

CM1: Director, Office of Administrative Operations

CM2: Director, Office of Emergency Operations

FA1: Director, Office of Administrative Services

FA2: Director, Human Resources Division

FA3: Director, Financial Management Section

FA4: Director, Information-Technology Division

FA5: Director, Media Relations & Community Liason

MD1: Bureau Commander, EMS Bureau

CM4: Bureau Commander, Training and Support Bureau

CM5: Bureau Commander, Fire Prevention Bureau

CM21: Bureau Commander, Operations; Central Bureau

CM22: Assistant Bureau Commander, Operations; Central Bureau

Battalion 1 (B1): Shift Commander, Operations; Central Bureau

CM31: Bureau Commander, Operations; South Bureau

CM32: Assistant Bureau Commander, Operations; South Bureau

Battalion 4 (B4): Shift Commander, Operations; Central Bureau

CM41: Bureau Commander, Operations; Valley Bureau

CM42: Assistant Bureau Commander, Operations; Valley Bureau

Battalion 10 (B10): Shift Commander, Operations; Central Bureau

CM51: Bureau Commander, Operations; West Bureau

CM52: Assistant Bureau Commander, Operations; West Bureau

Battalion 13 (B13): Shift Commander, Operations; Central Bureau

UNIT DESIGNATIONS

FIRE OR INCIDENT COMMAND DESIGNATIONS

FC#: Fire Chief

CM##: Command Chief / Officer

B##: Battalion Chief

FA#: Fire Administrator

MD#: Emergency Medical Director

Office of Emergency Operations

PB: Plug Buggy

E: Engine

E2##: Light Force Engine

T: Fire Truck

AF: Aircraft Rescue & Firefighting Vehicle

WT: Water Tender

RT: Rehab Tender

AO: Air Operations CAD Placeholder (For aircraft on standby or on-call)

RH: Rescue Helicopter

HT: Helicopter Tender

Emergency Medical Services Bureau

EM: Paramedic Captain Command Vehicle

RA###: ALS Rescue Ambulance

RA8/9##: BLS Rescue Ambulance

FR: ALS Fast Response Vehicle

CT: Cycle Team

CE: Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

Homeland Security Division

HL10: Homeland Security Division Commander

JT10: Section Commander, CBRNE/HAZMAT Section

JT20: ICS 400 Planning Section Chief, CBRNE/HAZMAT Section

JT30: HAZMAT PPE Safety Officer, CBRNE/HAZMAT Section

AT10: Section Commander, Arson, Counter Terrorism Section

AR20: Senior Investigator, Arson Investigation Unit

AR30: Senior Investigator, Counter Terrorism Unit

RIVERSIDE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT