Effective access to NTG20
Fire control personnel may access National Talkgroup 20 (NTG20) directly through their integrated communication control system (ICCS) or by using desk-mounted radio equipment. Giving fire control personnel access to NTG20 through an ICCS has several advantages, including:
- The ability for several fire control personnel to monitor the talkgroup from different workstations
- The ability to record and replay announcements
Receiving announcements on NTG20
Making announcements on NTG20 helps fire control personnel assisting fire controls to:
- Be aware of events impacting affected fire controls, which could lead to multiple call conditions
- Recognise the possibility they may receive remote emergency calls and become an assisting fire control
- Understand the methods by which affected fire controls require incident information passed to them
- Receive ongoing situational awareness of events impacting affected fire controls
- Be alerted to changes in safety guidance issued by affected fire controls for remote emergency callers
- Understand when events impacting affected fire controls have ended
Recording information received on NTG20
Fire control personnel assisting fire controls should record details of announcements received on NTG20. The creation of an incident record in the mobilising system will help assisting fire control personnel to:
- Record the time information was received
- Share the information with fire control personnel
- Refer to the information later
- Share the latest advice with remote callers
- Record actions they may have taken related to the announcement
- Link any remote emergency calls managed
Training
Fire control personnel will benefit from the regular inclusion of announcement talkgroups in relevant training exercises. This should include how to locate and select talkgroups, such as other fire and rescue service hailing groups, by using:
- The ICCS
- Talkgroup folders in the radio equipment
- Speed dials in the radio equipment
Fire and rescue services may choose to use another of their own talkgroups to simulate broadcasting on NTG20 for regular training exercises, however this should be in addition to taking part in national NTG20 exercises.
Fire control personnel who take part in regular exercises that include the use of NTG20, either through simulation or in real application, are more likely to use NTG20 confidently during multiple call events.
Operational personnel likely to undertake the role of incident commander should be aware of the role NTG20 has in multiple call situations, particularly if they are likely to provide support to fire control personnel under such circumstances.