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24 March 2023
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Shawnee Fire Department installs a kinder, gentler wake-up alerting system for firehouse, US
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All Shawnee fire stations in the US will soon be outfitted with a new alert system that aims to give fire fighters gentler, more customized alarms for emergencies in the middle of the night. Under the old alarm system, alerts would go out to all four of the city’s firehouses, waking crews up with clanging bells and bright flashing lights. Even if a crew was not the one being called to a fire, they’d still get the alarm and have their sleep disrupted. Shawnee fire officials say it’s one of the less-talked-about stresses of the job. “You might not ever go on a call but you could get up seven times in the night with the bells ringing right next to you and the light coming on,” Shawnee Fire Captain Tige Lamb says.
The new Westnet Station Alert System is an “incremental” system that uses red lights and in-bunk speakers to alert firefighters in the night of calls.
Individual fire fighters can customize how they receive alerts, from the brightness of the light to the sounds they hear. And alerts can also be sent to specific crews inside the same firehouse so as not to disrupt others that don’t need to go out on a call.
The Westnet system is already installed in two of the city’s four fire stations, at a cost so far of $150 000.
The system will also soon be added to the two other fire stations, which are undergoing $26 million worth of renovations.
The department also hopes the new heart-healthy alerting system will make the workplace more appealing and help it attract and retain fire fighters.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post, KMBC 9 News
The new Westnet Station Alert System is an “incremental” system that uses red lights and in-bunk speakers to alert firefighters in the night of calls.
Individual fire fighters can customize how they receive alerts, from the brightness of the light to the sounds they hear. And alerts can also be sent to specific crews inside the same firehouse so as not to disrupt others that don’t need to go out on a call.
The Westnet system is already installed in two of the city’s four fire stations, at a cost so far of $150 000.
The system will also soon be added to the two other fire stations, which are undergoing $26 million worth of renovations.
The department also hopes the new heart-healthy alerting system will make the workplace more appealing and help it attract and retain fire fighters.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post, KMBC 9 News