It is disappointing that there are many brigades around who do not have the pagers for their active members, due to a shortage state wide. I know some brigades who have lost their new members, because they haven't been able to supply a pager to them (and don't look like being able to for a while yet!!)
SMS is not the answer, but is at least a temporary measure.
However, with SMS, apart from the issues previously discussed on this (and other forums, there is a new problem.
The new problem, as I see it from a fire fighters perspective is the new phone messaging alert system that is being introduced - the one which sends a text message to mobiles in a particular area, advising of a fire. If a brigade within that area tries to send out an incident call to its members, who don't have a pager, and it coincides with the messaging alert calls, the chance of the message getting through to CFS members, in a timely fashion, is looking less & less likely!
Certainly at other large fires - including Black Tuesday, around Lincoln, and also around Mt Osmond, the recent Proper Bay fire, and I am sure many others, the mobile phone networks were full to capacity, and there were delays in getting access to the network to make calls......very difficult when you are on a fire ground, and trying to make incident related calls!!
I am aware (like many others) of numerous brigades who have been waiting 12 months+ for pagers. It is a disgrace that it has got to this point of such a severe lack of pagers. Perhaps with election time coming up fast, the Government needs to be brought to account!
Pip
