SA Firefighter
General Discussion => Incident Operations => Topic started by: Alan (Big Al) on February 23, 2006, 09:33:49 AM
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I'm just wondering if anyone knows about the new fixed alarm system that the CFS is implementing??
On the pager website i quite often see multiple alarms going off in differnt locations with the end of the message reading "Total Comms Fail" does this require a response from the brigade.
Or i sometimes see "WFAM" at the end of the message what does this mean???
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total comms fail does not require a response from a brigade....
I think WFAM = Wireless Fixed Alarm Module..... ** I THINK**
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Cheers for that our board will be changed over soon i believe. It always seems that when Theres a fault at leat three seperate alarms go off all together.
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Close Mike - WFAM = Wireless Fixed Alarm Monitoring
It is included in the message to set off an alert tone in the SOCC to notify the OCO's that they have to start the timer for the brigades to respond.
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well 3 out of 4 aint to bad...... :wink:
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can someone explain the new system to me? i have'nt heard about it.
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Briefly - FIP goes into alarm at a premises. A GPRS wireless module sends the alarm to the Romteck at the SOCC, Romteck automatically sends pre-determined response paging messages via GRN paging. SOCC OCO's monitor response times and default if needed.
This replaces brigade monitored alarm systems.
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oh ok. and are all brigades gonna be getting this or is it only in some regions/ groups? i'm in lofty group and for a group in a fair dangerous area we always seem to be one of the last groups to get anything. Dunno why but we probably won't see it for a loooooooong time yet.
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Only brigades that where directly monitoring FIP's using equipment installed in the brigade stations will be migrated to the new system.
There are heaps of brigades that are unaffected.
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All CFS monitored alarms will go to the new system, state-wide
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Yes - to avoid confusion, Fixed alarms monitored by security companies or other means ie. not directly by CFS remain unaffected - to my understanding. Even though a CFS response is required.
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mmm hence the dif between 'fixed' alarms and privately monitored alarms.. 'private alarms'
??
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There are heaps of fixed alarms that are connected to FIP's that are not monitored by CFS in CFS areas.
Simply making the clarification so people didn't think that all fire alarms of all persuasions where being migrated. I think we have clarified.... :-D :-D :-D
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All CFS monitored alarms will go to the new system, state-wide
Are the MFS really going to give up the CFS fixed alarms they monitor without a struggle? Believe it when i see it
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I'm pretty sure it's only alarms monitored on panels in CFS station that are going to the new system, all other alarms that are monitored by other ways stay the same.
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Actually speaking with the CFS Telco guys about the WFAM it sounds like the EMA brigades that have alarms monitored by MFS will also have them switched to WFAM. The CFS WFAM is going to be a lot cheaper for the premesis than having it monitored by MFS.
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All CFS monitored alarms will go to the new system, state-wide
Are the MFS really going to give up the CFS fixed alarms they monitor without a struggle? Believe it when i see it
did you even read my post?
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Are the MFS really going to give up the CFS fixed alarms they monitor without a struggle? Believe it when i see it
MFS don't have any say as to who monitors the alarm, if a business owner wants to have it monitored by a security company or the CFS then it's up to them.
We have one premesis in our area with a full FIP covering a major community centre that was previously monitored by the MFS, then a security company came in and gave them a much cheaper price for monitoring and it was switched to them, now we get called there for Private Alarms rather than Fixed Alarms even though the panel hasn't changed.
The MFS won't like loosing the extra $$$$ but unfortunately it has bugger all to do with them.
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I was asked a couple of weeks ago to be a member of a working party to set up Policy on fire alarm monitoring. (CFS Playing catch up). Have had one interesting meeting so far. I think it will be a good thing for CFS and for brigades that get a lot of un-justified calls. At last we will be able to charge some building owners / occupiers for "False Alarms".
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At Goolwa we are starting a billing system for unjustified alarms to comercial and private premises. Basically they get three free calls then it's $250 + GST which unfortunatly all the money (when we get around to billing people) will go to group.
We told the local nursing home managment this and they then passed on to their nursing staff that if the home is billed then it is the staff that have to pay. The unfortunate thing about this is that recently an elderly person got their head stuck in the bars of the bed for a period of time and the staff were too scared to call us to cut her out because they thought they would get billed for the call, but eventually did call us.
Hopefully the system won't cause problems like that where people or companies abuse the system and people are too scared to call us when soething is wrong. :|
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Thats pretty poor on the nursing homes part..... wonder how they can justify that a certain staff member set the alarm off?
We have had our share of Fixed alarm problems over the years. We now have a very good working relationship with the boss there. Have very few problems at all.
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Thats pretty poor on the nursing homes part..... wonder how they can justify that a certain staff member set the alarm off?
We have had our share of Fixed alarm problems over the years. We now have a very good working relationship with the boss there. Have very few problems at all.
Big company ownes the nursing home and said to the staff if we get billed you have to pay, we've told the staff though if it's a justified call there will be no bill, but basically the higher managment scared the filtered out of the staff which.
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At Goolwa we are starting a billing system for unjustified alarms to comercial and private premises. Basically they get three free calls then it's $250 + GST which unfortunatly all the money (when we get around to billing people) will go to group.
We told the local nursing home managment this and they then passed on to their nursing staff that if the home is billed then it is the staff that have to pay. The unfortunate thing about this is that recently an elderly person got their head stuck in the bars of the bed for a period of time and the staff were too scared to call us to cut her out because they thought they would get billed for the call, but eventually did call us.
Hopefully the system won't cause problems like that where people or companies abuse the system and people are too scared to call us when soething is wrong. :|
Be careful instigating your own billing systems, the act does not have any provision for it. could mean the monies are being collected illegally and subject to reimbursement or other actions.
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oh ok. and are all brigades gonna be getting this or is it only in some regions/ groups? i'm in lofty group and for a group in a fair dangerous area we always seem to be one of the last groups to get anything. Dunno why but we probably won't see it for a loooooooong time yet.
it will be coming (in Lofty group at Aldgate, Stirling and Bridgewater) in the not too distant future, this year sometime.
Lofty group people actually did most of the development of this new GPRS-based system, handed it to HQ where it stalled for a while then HQ started a "trial" of it which didn't include Lofty group. There is various political crap going on.
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Believe it is our group that is instigating the billing system, and from what i've been told we can bill people but if they don't pay theres nothing we can do about it.
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Firefrog is right. Any monies collected for Alarm attendance and/or monitoring in the past could be subject to reimbursement to the payee, unless there is a contract signed by the Chief. To the best of my knowledge as i have discussed with CFS staff, there is none!
If you are going to start to charge be very careful as when the new fees / rates come into effect someone might look silly when a premises owner / occupier gets a bill from HQ for a sum considerably less than $250 ?!?!?!
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As usual there will be Groups who work ahead of the system and drive the system - that is the good thing about CFS - there are always people looking forward, dragging us with them (and we often need it :-D)
As for billing, I have heard of one group that has had contracts (legally binding) for some time now and has offered to the premises in it's area, exactly what the whole of CFS is now migrating too.
Again, CFS is diverse and people looking forward enriches the services and helped us all advance - just as well as my Khaki overalls are now moth eaten and the old leather calf length boots are worn out :evil:
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it will be coming (in Lofty group at Aldgate, Stirling and Bridgewater) in the not too distant future, this year sometime.
Lofty group people actually did most of the development of this new GPRS-based system, handed it to HQ where it stalled for a while then HQ started a "trial" of it which didn't include Lofty group. There is various political crap going on.
tell me about it. My brigades not one of those mentioned by you though.