Why do so many emergency vehicles respond to simple incidents?
Fire Department units are dispatched according to information received by the 9-1-1 operator. With the recent implementation of an enhanced 911 system and computer aided dispatch (CAD), a computer assists that operator in selecting the necessary units to respond based on the information received. With no way of knowing for sure exactly what awaits, and the fact that all incidents are different, the fire department must think pessimistically when responding to an alarm. In other words we must be ready to deal with the worst when arriving at a scene. A typical response to a structure fire in the city, whether perceived or actual, is three engine companies, a ladder company and a battalion chief. Depending on the caller’s information, an ambulance may be dispatched as well. Therefore, there may be as many as five fire department vehicles and an ambulance on the scene for what may appear to some to be a “simple” incident. If, after investigating the situation and it is determined that cert
