We at WRES are settling into our new Station One on Taft Highway and are so grateful to Hamilton County for this facility. Designed to last for 50 years, our operations and safety have been greatly enhanced. Can you remember when we only had five bays for six vehicles? We now effectively have eight bays and can work on truck maintenance inside the facility. With social distancing protocols easing up, plans are now in the works for a fall open house, and we very much look forward to inviting everyone on the mountain to come and tour this fine facility.
As we have said in the past, communications are key to any emergency operation. Not only between our agency and the 911 communications center, but it is also important for Hamilton County in general. As we all have mutual aid agreements, we often assist each other for larger calls or specialty calls. This is true for all of the volunteer agencies in the county, as well as Hamilton County Emergency Services and many paid departments. For instance, it is not uncommon for WRES to operate in unison with the Town of Signal Mountain’s fire department and the City of Red Bank’s fire department.
Hamilton County has upgraded the entire county emergency communication system, and everyone in the county benefits from this upgrade. We changed over to the new system earlier in July. For the emergency service, this involves the radio in every vehicle we operate, including the handheld radios that are issued to every operations member and also the pagers that some carry to receive notifications from the 911 center. As we are all volunteers, and since we work different jobs and have different family lives, this can be a large task. We basically have to change out every radio on the same day! Rest assured, we are updated and ready for whatever comes our way.
Overall, the emergency communication in Hamilton County works very well. With that said, because we are on a mountain, we do have areas of radio silence due to the hills and trees that interfere with radio signals; we have actually resorted to making a cell phone call to the 911 communications center, which also works. Hopefully this new system will minimize that issue.
Just know that your one 911 call results in a flurry of activity on your behalf. We know that once you make this call, a wait of five minutes can seem like an eternity, and you may have the feeling that nothing is happening. However, know that once you do make this call, the 911 communications center and WRES are in constant contact until the incident is considered complete.
We are still accepting applications for new members at WRES. So, as always, if you have questions or would like any general information, please call our Station One at (423) 886-5974 and leave us a message. You may also find us on Facebook and send us a direct message there. However, if you have an emergency, or even think you may need some assistance, always call 911 for immediate assistance.
by Jay Heavilon
As we have said in the past, communications are key to any emergency operation. Not only between our agency and the 911 communications center, but it is also important for Hamilton County in general. As we all have mutual aid agreements, we often assist each other for larger calls or specialty calls. This is true for all of the volunteer agencies in the county, as well as Hamilton County Emergency Services and many paid departments. For instance, it is not uncommon for WRES to operate in unison with the Town of Signal Mountain’s fire department and the City of Red Bank’s fire department.
Hamilton County has upgraded the entire county emergency communication system, and everyone in the county benefits from this upgrade. We changed over to the new system earlier in July. For the emergency service, this involves the radio in every vehicle we operate, including the handheld radios that are issued to every operations member and also the pagers that some carry to receive notifications from the 911 center. As we are all volunteers, and since we work different jobs and have different family lives, this can be a large task. We basically have to change out every radio on the same day! Rest assured, we are updated and ready for whatever comes our way.
Overall, the emergency communication in Hamilton County works very well. With that said, because we are on a mountain, we do have areas of radio silence due to the hills and trees that interfere with radio signals; we have actually resorted to making a cell phone call to the 911 communications center, which also works. Hopefully this new system will minimize that issue.
Just know that your one 911 call results in a flurry of activity on your behalf. We know that once you make this call, a wait of five minutes can seem like an eternity, and you may have the feeling that nothing is happening. However, know that once you do make this call, the 911 communications center and WRES are in constant contact until the incident is considered complete.
We are still accepting applications for new members at WRES. So, as always, if you have questions or would like any general information, please call our Station One at (423) 886-5974 and leave us a message. You may also find us on Facebook and send us a direct message there. However, if you have an emergency, or even think you may need some assistance, always call 911 for immediate assistance.
by Jay Heavilon
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