Phone Calls

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SeagateNews

Well-known member
Okay, here's the thing: I'll be watching TV or something, not listening to my scanner for some reason or another, and I hear a whole lot of sirens in the distance. Of course I then make a mad dash to my scanner, turn it on, and realize there's a big house fire somewhere and I have no idea where it is at all. So, is it appropriate to call either the FD or PD, introduce myself as a photographer, and ask where the incident is at...or should I be more responsible when it comes to listening to my scanner since that's part of the job? (I WOULD ONLY CALL IF IT WAS SOMETHING HUGE IF AT ALL, NOT ALL THE TIME...JUST THOUGHT I'D ADD THAT) So,...?
 

geek

Member
dispatch gets lots of calls as a stringer I won't call I'll have the desk do it. If you really need to know call your radio or tv desks it's thier job to know that stuff and if they don't they should call dispatch.
 

focusthis

Well-known member
Just call dispatch. Be polite, introduce yourself and affiliation, and get to the point. Assignment deskies do more than listen to scanners and answer phones (for better or for worse). If dispatch is too busy to talk to you, they wouldn't have answered the phone. All the really important people there use the radio!
 

Dedline

Well-known member
I'd try and track down the bank the call came over and just wait for the next transmission. If it was a huge deal, they'll come right back on anyway.
 

Terry E. Toller

Well-known member
Depends on how dispatch is setup. In the old days in Sacramento, there would be only one person in dispatch overnight and they would be dealing with responding units. It was bothersome for them to answer the phone. Today, we have a number we can call and get what we need.

If it's a fire and worth covering, you can see or smell the smoke and zero in on it...
 

Lensflare

Member
We have been told in our newsroom that it's OK to call FireCom or MedCom or the police media line for an adress ONLY. One of the dispatch offices called all of the stations in our area and said that people (assign. desk, reporters, producers) were calling in asking for details...trucks dispatched, injuries, transports, conditions, ect. Basically we were told "They are not on the scene, DO NOT ask them for this information." Address only is OK.
 

The Old Guy

Active member
I love those assignment desk newbies who call the fire department before the trucks are even on scene or just as they are arriving. Dispatchers are busy folk. Wait until the trucks get on scene ... all of them. If the fire is huge they will be dispatching more trucks and giving the address again. If you have to call, as said before, quickly identify yourself and ask for the address, say thanks and hang up.

We had a boss before who would say something like this. "Hi it's Ruth Ann Fran calling from ABCD Television. Sounds like you guys are real busy. We heard something on the scanner about a fire? You got any details on that? [PAUSE] 8-1-7 Oak St? Was that Oak or Folk or Joke? I'm sorry I'm having a hard time hearing you over these scanners here in front of me. Let me just turn them off. Anyway, where was that again? Do you have a cause yet or a damage estimate?"

Anyway you get the picture. The dispatchers all hated her. Don't call unless your stuck.
 

vidrock

Active member
I've always called the ambulane co. The police sometimes won't give info and can be pricks. If there's anything going on, even a police op. (i.e. stand-off etc..) an ambulance will be dispatched. Call thier station and ask if they've heard anything going on and they'll usually spill thier guts.....
 

Natural Born Stringer

Well-known member
I called the alarm room (what we call dispatch out here) once... I kept hearing about a horse on one of the tactical channels.... I said to myself "that's weird" and listened more closely... sure enough, they were talking about harnesses and cranes and horse trailers and all sorts of really odd things to hear on a fire tactical channel. One of the words I heard was "canal" and I went "OHHHHHH....HORSE RESCUE!!!" But where?

So after listening for about 30 minutes BEGGING to hear the location I mustered up enough nerve and called them up and just said (as meekly as I could, expecting to be told to piss off) "Hi, I'm with the media, did I just hear someone talking about a horse in a canal on channel 8?"

"Oh yeah! It's at.." and he gave the address, adding "You oughta go check it out, sounds pretty cool."

Needless to say I was totally stoked... I got there and had the scene all to myself..no one else had caught it. Sold it all over the place.

So if you hear something really odd, don't be afraid to give them a call. Worst they will do is tell you they are too busy and you'll have to call back later. Just don't be a pest and call for every little thing - use it sparingly.
 

Terry E. Toller

Well-known member
Hmmm, 'big house fire' should mean big smoke... The engines and trucks use their unit numbers when on the radio. That right there tells you what part of town they are in...
 
That heppened to me the other day. I heard my scnanner go off about a fire, but I didnt catch the address and I missed the 2nd tone. I was thinking to myself if I shoould call dispatch but I was too weary to do so. Well Now I know for future reference that I can on occasion.
 

Son-of-Spam

Active member
Over here I'll give the county 911 media line a call if ive missed the address and they're usually pretty helpful, this happens when i'll be passing the desk and hear all the ruckus but miss out on that lil' ol' address
 
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