Lakeland Fire Department has taken immediate actions to prevent further “radio failure” during potential critical moments.
According to a memorandum sent to all fire department personnel by Assistant Chief of Operations Harley Wilson III, LFD has deployed a mobile radio repeater in one of its two battalion chief vehicles as of Oct. 23.
The use of mobile radio repeaters has become a hot topic between the fire department and the Lakeland Professional Firefighters Local 4173 union. Shannon Turbeville, president of the firefighters union, called for the city to purchase additional repeaters after personnel responding to a medical call experienced a “radio failure” leading to difficulty treating a patient.
The fire department has identified 11 buildings that could cause communication issues for first responders, according to the Oct. 23 memorandum.
The sites include several self-storage facilities, Publix buildings, large warehouses, and manufacturing plants.
These addresses are flagged in the department’s Computer Aided Dispatch system so dispatchers are aware of potential issues before sending people to the scene, according to the document.
The department has issued clear instructions to firefighters and first responders on how to respond to incidents reported at these 11 locations.
“[W]hile arriving on scene, assess the situation and if there is any doubt about what is going on inside the structure, stage until the arrival of Battalion 1 and the mobile repeater to make entry,” reads Wilson’s memorandum.
This may cause the first crew arriving on the scene, if not the battalion chief, to have to wait additional time before taking further action to assist in an emergency.
Lakeland has ordered two more permanent vehicle repeaters, which are still pending delivery to be installed on the other battalion chief trucks.