It has been said that experience is the best teacher. This statement can’t be truer than in the fire service. More specifically, during radio communications. It is next to impossible for any firefighter, officer, instructor etc... to hone the skill of using a radio unless there is frequent use either during a drill or an actual call. This article is aimed mostly at company officers because it’s the company officers that have an obligation to not only properly teach how to communicate using a radio but more importantly provide the opportunities to use a radio.

The bottom line is instructors (including company officers) can provide all the particulars about radio communication but without consistent practice speaking into a radio the likely result will end up sounding like mostly unnecessary, white noise. Remember that the young “blackhats” you are instructing may someday become officers and will have to be properly prepared not to mention that in a volunteer company those same blackhats may be an acting officer on any given call depending on availability and will have to communicate clearly with dispatchers.

To start NFPA 1802 establishes requirements for portable communications equipment used in the hazard zone. This new standard identifies the following:

• Operating environment parameters of RF voice communications devices (RF devices) and remote speaker microphones (RSMs)
• Minimum requirements for the design, performance, testing, and certification of RF devices and RSMs

Using 1802 one of the more important requirements that most of us have seen completely botched is that any transmission begins with the caller first identifying who they are calling and THEN identifying themselves. You should also wait until the person or entity such as “fire control” or “dispatch” responds BEFORE proceeding with your transmission – this is especially important when calling a MAYDAY. Said another way: when first talking on the radio you first identify who is being called and then identify yourself (the speaker). To illustrate:

“Fire Control - Engine 406”. In this case, the caller (presumably an officer) is calling “fire control (dispatch) and then identifying themselves as the officer in Engine 406. Once Fire Control responds the officer will then proceed with the transmission.

Many training videos with regards to radio use highlight the “Five C's of Fireground Radio Communications”

• Concise – Stick to The Point.
• Clarity – Speak Clearly.
• Confidence – Confidently Share Your Information.
• Control – Keep Your Voice Strong and Assertive
• Capability – Continuously Practice to Sharpen Your Skills.

The problem with all of that is what really constitutes “clarity”? What exactly is “concise” communication? What information is really important? These are all very subjective. To a new or acting officer what may be concise and/or important likely wasn’t and it is only time and experience that will narrow down those communications to sound more professional.

From a more practical, everyday language standpoint radio communications should be short and sweet. Don’t say five words when two will do. The reality is not talking (less is more) may be just as important and likely more useful than excessive talking. Also, in keeping with short and sweet communication don’t call the dispatcher several times for the same information. It is understandable if you didn’t hear a dispatcher’s initial response but repeating the question indicates you weren’t paying attention. A more acceptable response would be “please repeat the transmission”. This is indicative that not hearing a transmission was the result of ambient and background sound.

There is also what is called “white noise radio chatter”. An example:

Dispatch this is Engine 2, confirmed two vehicle accident between a van and a car. There are no injuries, so you can clear ambulance. There is no entrapment so you can cancel Squad 3 and Car 5. We are going to cut batteries and clean some road debris and will be here for awhile but we can take another call if you get one. Book us on scene available. (White noise is underlined)

Revised concise version that says the same info:

Dispatch, Engine 2. Two vehicle accident, no injuries. Clear Ambulance. Cancel Squad 3 and Car 5. Book us on scene available.

If clear and concise radio communication is so important then why do officers (acting too) talk so much? The answer is because they don’t have enough air time to practice especially on calls that aren’t critical or perhaps long-winded officers just like the sound of their own voice but either circumstance is unacceptable.

One situation you NEVER want to do is get into a “back and forth” argument. Don’t highlight any mistakes or grievances for the world to hear. Save any disagreements or criticism for a debriefing after the incident. To drive this point home if you are a chief/officer and you are criticizing firefighters on the radio (especially if the problem boils down to training opportunities that they didn’t provide) then you need to consider resigning your position.

Not getting into arguments is especially true for anyone not on scene including chiefs and officers. Also, on this note is that only the officer on scene should be using the radio. Every firefighter has a job to do and although most if not all should have a radio only the officer should be communicating with dispatch and/or the incident commander.

Since the emphasis here is on hands-on training it is incumbent to discuss actual drills that provide radio communications practice. First and most obvious is any simulated fire at your training site. Assuming your engines stage and then drive in to start the exercise give an aspiring officer the opportunity to occupy the “front seat” and call in an arrival response and provide commands to the crew of that apparatus. If I had to guess many firefighters experience the equivalent of writer’s block but once they get going radio communications will flow easily.

A second drill would be similar to many firefighter classes where a picture is shown on a screen to the class while the officer is in a secluded room with the same image and provides what is commonly known as a CAN report (Conditions, Actions, Needs) based on the circumstances seen in the picture. The key in this exercise is to just state what you observe, what you are doing and what you need. Don’t make assumptions or add unnecessary white noise information. This drill can also be used for Explorers and junior firefighters.

Realistically, any drill should start by introducing the radio itself and all the parts. One point of emphasis should be waiting that split second for the beep sound when you first key up the microphone before starting your transmission. Nobody is going to hear what you said when that beeping sound occurs. Other key points would be to make sure firefighters are on the correct channel and lastly to avoid the orange button unless there is an actual emergency because in most if not all districts that orange button is another mayday caller and so even in training pressing that button and your local dispatch center will be notified as if there is a firefighter in distress.

To summarize, proper radio communication is essential to the fire service and so it is incumbent upon everyone but especially the chiefs and line officers to provide the opportunities for everyone to use a radio because ultimately make sure your department drills on radio communications. Good radio communication is so important that in some cases aspiring officers may not reach their potential and remain blackhats due to not having adequate training on radio communications thus never developing the confidence and skill necessary.