Communications Flashcards
NFPA Standard: Standard Classifications for incident Reporting and Fire Protection Data
NFPA 901
NFPA Standard: Fire Reporting Field Incident Guide
NFPA 902
NFPA Standard: Standard for Professional Qualifications for Public Safety Telecommunicator.
NFPA 1061
NFPA Standard: Standard for the installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications System.
NFPA 1221
A device that keeps a detailed record of every incident and activity that occurs.
Activity Logging System
An enhanced 911 service feature that displays where the call originated or where the phone service is billed.
Automatic Location Identification (ALI)
An enhanced 911 service that shows the calling party’s phone number on the display screen at the telecommunicator’s terminal.
Automatic Number Identification (ANI)
Radios that are permanently mounted in a building, such as a fire station, communications center, or remote transmitter site.
Base Station
A system of telephones connected by phone lines, radio equipment, or cellular technology to communicate with a communications center or fire department.
Call Box
A facility that receives emergency or nonemergency reports from citizens. Many communications centers are also responsible for dispatching fire department units.
Communications Center
A computer-based automated system used by telecommunicators to obtain and assess dispatch information. The system recommends the type of response required.
Computer-aided Dispatch (CAD)
A telephone that connects two predetermined points.
Direct-line
A summons to fire department units to respond to an emergency. Also known as alerting, dispatch is performed by the telecommunicator at the communications center.
Dispatch
A radio system that uses two frequencies per channel. One frequency transmits and the other receives messages. The system uses a repeater site to transmit messages over a greater distance than is possible with a simplex system.
Duplex Channel
An urgent message, such as a call for help or evacuation, transmitted over a radio that takes precedence over all normal radio traffic.
Emergency Traffic
A warning to all personnel to pull back to a safe locations.
Evacuation signal
The federal regulatory authority that oversees radio communications in the United States.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
A code indication that a fire fighter is lost, missing, or requires immediate assistance.
Mayday
Technology that allows fire fighters to receive information in the apparatus or at the station.
Mobile Data Terminal
A two-way radio that is permanently mounted in a fire apparatus.
Mobile Radio
A system used by fire departments to report and maintain computerized records of fires and other fire department incidents in a uniform manner.
National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS)
A battery-operated, hand-held transceiver.
Portable radio
The community’s emergency response communications center.
public safety answering point (PSAP)
A radio system that automatically retransmits a radio signal on a different frequency.
Radio repeater system
Cards used to determine a predetermined response to an emergency.
Run Cards
A radio system that uses one frequency to transmit and receive all messages.
Simplex Channel
An electric circuit designed to cut off weak radio transmissions that are only capable of generating noise.
Squelch
A simplex Channel used for On-Site communications
Talk-around Channel
User devices that allow speech- and/or hearing impaired citizens to communicate over a telephone system.
TDD/TTY Phone System:
TDD stands for telecommunications device for the deaf. TTY stands for teletype: text phones visually display text.
A trained individual who is responsible for answering requests for emergency and nonemergency assistance from citizens. This individual assesses the need for a response and alerts responders to the incident.
Telecommunicator
The phase in a 911 call during which the telecommunicator asks questions to obtain vital information such as the location of the emergency.
Telephone interrogation
A system of predetermined coded messages, such as “What is your 10-20”, used by responders over the radio.
Ten-codes
Status updates provided to communications center every 10 to 20 minutes. Such an update should include the type of operation, the progress of the incident, the anticipated actions, and the need for additional resources.
Time marks
A radio system that uses a shared bank of frequencies to make the most efficient use of radio resources
Trunking system
Recording devices or computer equipment connected to telephone lines and radio equipment in a communications center to record telephone calls and radio traffic.
Voice recording system.
