BY ERIC G. BACHMAN
DispatchING to an investigation, the telecommunicator advised responding units, "Not sure what you will find…. There is a language barrier." This scenario occurs daily all over the country. With all of the situational challenges that responders encounter, communicating with the reporting party, the victim, or the customer can be extremely difficult. As communities change and expand, so can the cultural diversity, challenging the emergency responder. If these distinct populations and their unique language and cultural challenges are not identified and prepared for, this factor can contribute to an unfavorable outcome.
Preparedness is not just ensuring all of the fire department tools and equipment are ready. It also means identifying contingencies and developing preincident plans. Most fire department preplans concentrate on factors of the built environment—i.e., construction type, fire detection and suppression systems, utilities, processes, and hazardous materials. Preplans, however, must be comprehensive and must account for any response facets that will challenge or influence incident operations beyond structural and infrastructure elements.
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