arlington mass fd today - all calls via radio

[Peteri Szerlagi]

arlington mass fd is now dispatching all calls via radio and vocal alarm

the onduty deputy fire chief requested that all calls be dispatched
via radio and via vocal alarm at 415 pm today

the vocal alarm system has been having problems over the last couple
of months - apparently the audio coming thru the speakers in the fire
stations is getting lower and lower - and sometimes is filled with
static

previous policy was to dispatch all calls via vocal alarm only

(however iirc they were dispatching all calls via radio and vocal
about 6 to 9 months ago)

thinking back over 50 years - would have to guess that 99% of all
calls have been dispatched by vocal system - maybe 1% of thje time
they simulcast on the radio

the vocal alarm system uses either landlines or fiber optic or
something to broadcast the dispatchers voice via loudspeakers in the
fire stations - the vocal alarm system is separate from the radio
system - except maybe when a dispatcher activates both systems at the
same time