20/10/2013 - Bushfire Related Logging

[Bigfella237]

I have to say I agree 100% with JAFO, plus the argument that more than one party needs to overhear a particular message is easily overcome, just send the MDT message out to everyone concerned!

As for the additional radio traffic, yes it does partly come from the training given these days but I believe there is a deeper problem within the hierarchy of most services, which is that there's a 'perception' that subordinates can't be left to their own devices these days and everything needs to be micro-managed as it goes up the chain of command, which equals much more radio traffic during an incident

What I mean is, back in the good 'ole days a crew leader would be given a task during the briefing and the crew would go off and do that task; the only time you would've expected to hear from them is if they were either finished or needed assistance.

These days (the bad new days) it's like everything is dumbed-down, nobody can be trusted to work unsupervised and anyone taking their own initiative is reprimanded immediately; add to that everybody up the food-chain trying to justify their own existence and at the same time cover their ass... it's like trying to shovel shit uphill!

Andrew

[Scotty]

The problems with radio traffic that you both outline appear to be more centred around poor end user training and poor SOPS than a reasoning for MDT's.

With the RFS, and FRNSW to a far lesser extent, so much radio time is used on providing updates which would be impractical (if not impossible) to pass via MDT. These updates appear to be some kind of procedural requirement, meaning the install if MDT's alone would not reduce radio traffic

[centralcoastscanman]

for passing sitrep's MDT's are a waste of time as your not going to sit there and type up a detailed sitrep whilst things are going pear shaped around you. for Acknowledging jobs, leaving scene stuff like that mdt's are great