There will always be some one-sided aspects of automatic help, or perhaps even a growing sense that others are exploiting your department`s capabilities. I have also seen some innovative solutions to the problem of the situation of automatic auxiliary staff. Many firefighters and paramedics were deployed daily to two adjacent departments of the same size. The mayors and councils of both cities strongly opposed the merger of the two services, so fire chiefs agreed on a judicious consolidation of services. In a perfect world, where each department is busy and trained in the same way, automatic help would be an excellent program. The fact that each department contributes to both a regular service and a specialty would avoid duplication of staff or equipment. With good organization, automatic and reciprocal assistance programs can be very effective. Keep in mind that when signing an automatic aid agreement, you try to offset certain watershed requirements. Once you have met your needs, no recognition will be given for excess equipment. Participating auto support services need to have a clear and accurate understanding of your needs and respond accordingly.

If departments do not respond with the right equipment, specific needs will not be met and no credit will be granted. Even if you have automatic help, make sure that 50% of your erasure capacity stays in your service area and does not respond. Mutual assistance is assistance that is sent on request by responding firefighters. In general, it is requested on arrival at the scene. Reciprocal aid should also be defined by a signed contractual agreement. In theory, automatic help sounds as if it were benefiting all departments and jurisdictions involved, but this may not always be the case Another possible solution during an automatic help reaction might be to simultaneously fill selected stations in your affected area by raising crews and equipment from the distance of detachments. All members with support services should respond to incendiary devices, not in private vehicles. This will reduce the number of vehicles that react at the accident site and reduce traffic congestion.

It will also place staff in a company form before arriving on the premises.