When station alerting goes off, the response begins. Crews check the incident location, review cross streets and hydrant maps, then gear up and board the rig. In the cab, the captain monitors the Mobile Data Terminal (MDT), connected to the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, and relays updates from dispatch. These may include a call being upgraded to a cardiac arrest or a fire incident adding details about a trapped occupant.

The information is critical, but the captain is balancing several tasks at once. They are helping the driver navigate, scanning for vehicles, and managing radio traffic, all while trying to pass along new details. In this environment, even short delays in communication can limit what the crew knows before arrival.

The Role of Incident Command

Incident commanders carry the responsibility of building and maintaining the larger picture of an incident. While responding, they are listening to the radio, watching the MDT, and piecing together what they know about the call.

Once on scene, they add a 360 size-up to the mix- assessing conditions, geography, exposures, and resources. They track where crews are working, what has been accomplished, and what remains. For a small incident, this can be done on a whiteboard, an incident template, or even in a legal pad or from memory. But as soon as an incident grows to a second, third, or fourth alarm, the complexity increases sharply.

Some believe a seasoned commander can manage a third alarm in their head. That may be true for resource counts, but multi-alarm incidents involve far more: rescues, hazards, staging areas, and road closures. Each of these variables adds to the mental load, and trying to manage them all without support becomes unrealistic.

When Information Lives in One Place

A related challenge is that much of this information is not shared broadly. If the incident escalates or a unit becomes trapped, transferring what’s in the commander’s head- or on a handwritten sheet- to another officer takes valuable time.

Now picture a company responding to a third alarm at 3:42 a.m. The crew wakes up to the station alert, hears fragments of tactical radio traffic, and climbs into the rig. They may see a few comments from CAD and hear updates over the air, but they don’t know how the incident is structured, where assignments have already been made, or what objectives remain.

In the past, the standard was to “figure it out when you arrive.” That expectation meant crews oriented themselves on scene before meaningful action began. Today, that approach slows down effectiveness. Crews should be able to arrive already briefed, with a clear sense of what they are walking into.

The Cost of Delayed Awareness

Arriving without context creates delays. Crews wait for assignments, piece together radio traffic, or gather information face-to-face. While this has always been part of the fireground, it limits efficiency.

When information is kept with one person- the captain or the commander- others don’t have the same level of awareness. Firefighters in the back of the rig may not know whether they are heading to a cardiac arrest, an overdose, or a possible rescue. Sharing information more widely gives every member of the crew the chance to prepare mentally and physically before stepping off the rig.

Why This Matters

Emergency response will always involve unknowns. Conditions change quickly, and uncertainty is part of the job. But today, more information is available than ever before: CAD notes, hydrant maps, staffing levels, and unit locations are already being generated in real time.

The challenge is not whether the information exists- it’s whether it reaches everyone who needs it. When more responders share the same awareness earlier, departments operate more efficiently and more safely.

Looking Ahead

Maps, MDTs, notepads, and memory have served fire departments for decades. They reflect how firefighters adapt with the tools available. But as incidents grow more complex and as multiple agencies respond together, the need for shared awareness increases.

Technology makes it possible to deliver information to every responder, not just the captain or the commander. This shift is not about replacing experience- it is about extending it across the entire crew before they arrive.

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