MFS pagers

[Ryan]

When a station such as Elizabeth is run off of pagers just wondering do the ELizabeth fireys have personal pagers they take home or are there a set kept at the station for the fireys to have when on duty.  Its pretty pointless having a pager at home and it would give you the buggeries going off on your day off.  Anyone who can answer this?

[Scania_1]

Elizabeth run pagers as their Mobile Data Terminals (MDT`s) dont work in their appliances when they are parked in the station. Something to do with the construction of the building. Only the crews that are on shift carry pagers they dont take them home.

[rusty]

Only the Officers carry the pagers... the station bells still drop ok, just have trouble getting to the Appliance MDTs through the new roof.

[Ryan]

what is an MDT

[Scania_1]

Mobile Data Terminal. It receives the same information as the pagers basically. The officer of the appliance then can send their status back to comms. Mobile,arrived , available etc. They are a superseded technology now and the service is looking at a replacement.

[Pipster]

And the police just finsished installing them in all their patrol cars in the last 8 months...   

Pip

[Darius]

aren't the police ones a much more modern version?  (touchscreens and running some form of windows? just what you want! hold on, don't shoot yet, just have to reboot my MDT)

[RescueHazmat]

Yes, SAPOL have much newer versions, which incorperate touch screens, active menus, etc.

[rusty]

MFS are also going the way of "MCT"s (Mobile Computer Terminals) with touch screens. The company that produced the old MDTs is now defunct, so there are no more spare parts!
MFS expect to switchover sometime in the first half of 2007, though initially the MCTs will be just as dumb as the old MDT's. Later they expect on-line mapping and alarm/ premises preplans etc, more in line with SAPol MCTs. All they have to do then is try to teach the S/O's how to use them!

[SA Firey]

MFS are also going the way of "MCT"s (Mobile Computer Terminals) with touch screens. The company that produced the old MDTs is now defunct, so there are no more spare parts!
MFS expect to switchover sometime in the first half of 2007, though initially the MCTs will be just as dumb as the old MDT's. Later they expect on-line mapping and alarm/ premises preplans etc, more in line with SAPol MCTs. All they have to do then is try to teach the S/O's how to use them!

They are currently also having trouble with them as the new Scania's wont operate the alert horn when they are on K9

[medevac]

aaah but will it have Ctrl, Alt, Delete?

[Scania_1]

When I said that the MFS mdt`s were superseded technology I mean they are 80`s technology. The units in the appliances can only send basic messages and status changes back to the commcen. Any new system will probably be similar but different to what SAPOL use. Will allow much more capacity for the officers out in the appliances.

[Pipster]

Jeepers..I hope they are not like the SAPol ones.....may as well not upgrade them if that is what they want to be able to do!!

To explain:

The SAPol MDT's superseeded the old "KDT" system.

The old KDT's could be carried around easily, not matter where you went.   Patrols received details of the jobs they were going to, could update their status via the KDT  (eg on scene, in service, mealing etc).

Patrols could also do checks - regos, people, licences firearms.

Patrols could send messages to anyone else who was logged onto a KDT.

Then SAPol upgraded to "new" technology.  Instead of a portable unit, it is fixed in the car.  It will send your car battery flat in 2 about hours, in 3 hours, you can absolutely guarantee it will be flat.

Patrols get the details of jobs via the MDT.  They can send messages to other patrols who are logged on (assuming they haven't turned their machine off to stop the batetry going flat in your patrol car...).  The y can update their status.

A patrol can do rego checks, people checks, licence checks and firearms checks.

The only things the new MDT's can do, that the KDT couldn't, is have a copy of the UBD on disc.  But, the map is the 2002 version, so in many areas, you may as well not have it, because it doesn't help very much!!

Patrols could take the KDT with them when they when into the office to type, (something that patrols do a lot of) and could have a look at jobs, and assess as to finish typing, or go straight away to the job.  Can't do that any more..have to pack up, go down to the car, turn your MDT on, boot it up, get the job re-sent down, and then assess it....   

So, I hope that MFS don't get something like SAPol...I hope they can get something much better 

Pip

[TillerMan]

mmm....interesting, hopefully the battery problem will be fixed with the new VE's having a second battery put in and hopefully SAMFS won't have this problem due to trucks having 2 or more batteries and the appliances are either plugged in to mains or running.

I heard a rumour that EMA CFS brigades will get them in their front running appliance too, can you confirm this Rusty?

[CFS_Firey]

Tillerman, EMA CFS brigades getting MDTs is in the books for the future of SACAD, but only the distant future...

[rusty]

I heard a rumour that EMA CFS brigades will get them in their front running appliance too, can you confirm this Rusty?

Can't confirm or deny... only heard as rumour myself... however SACAD terminals are likely to go in EMA brigade front running apps... perhaps someone in an EMA brigade might have heard more?