Mutual Aid
The Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire of 1999 was a tragic event that required extensive mutual aid and the coordination of public safety telecommunicators from various jurisdictions.
Telecommunicators played a critical role in managing the flow of information, coordinating the response and ensuring that resources were appropriately allocated. Here’s a closer look at the role of telecommunicators in the aftermath of this incident, before telecommunicator emergency response taskforce (TERT) was embedded in public safety communications.
Role of city public safety telecommunicators
The initial call about the fire was received December 3, 1999, by Worcester Emergency & Communications Management. It stated that there could be people in the building. The alarms increased with the complexity of the incident, volume of fire, lost victims and then lost firefighters. Telecommunicators coordinated information with the incident commander while simultaneously requesting mutual aid to the fire and coverage for the city.
As smoke lingered the next day, the fire had taken the lives of six firefighters. The recovery effort at the incident was going to take a while and require extensive mutual aid coverage. The CAD system was limited with respect to adding mutual aid resources into the system. One of the authors was a firefighter assigned to the communications department as a liaison coordinating the response day and evening shifts with fire companies from other parts of the state called in by the Department of Fire Service and Fire Chief Association of Massachusetts. The two fire telecommunicators would dispatch using a card table and index card to assign resources, then I brought fire dispatch a list of mutual aid apparatus assignments each shift after we escorted the mutual aid companies to the stations.
Communications challenges
One of the significant challenges was ensuring interoperability via effective communication among agencies. Telecommunicators facilitated radio communication by issuing portable radios to the incoming mutual aid task force each shift to communicate with telecommunicators.
Telecommunicators continuously relayed critical information between the incident command and responding units, helping to manage the complex and evolving situation, while continuing to dispatch the normal day-to-day operational calls.
The resulting heavy workload presented staffing challenges. The recovery effort began Saturday, December 4 and continued until Saturday, December 11. Some telecommunicators that had retired or gone on to different jobs returned to assist with shift coverage.
A memorial service was held December 9 at the Worcester Centrum, and the plan was to allow any Worcester public safety employee to attend the service. There were some unique operations that day that included Boston Police and Boston EMS covering Worcester’s day shift and dispatching via communications assets repositioned the day prior. The fire department was covered by a mutual aid taskforce and department of public works employees assisted out-of-town mutual aid partners with navigating the city streets.
In addition to these staffing challenges, President Clinton and Vice President Gore attended the memorial service. The coordination on short notice with the Secret Service was also a new twist for communications plans.
The calling hours and funerals began December 12 and continued through December 17. This required a modified dispatching system for approximately 13 days, taxing staff and logistics.
Legacy and impact
The Worcester fire brought attention to the need for improved dispatch and communications systems. It prompted many fire departments and emergency response agencies to invest in better technology and training for public safety telecommunicators. The initiatives began to address this through different paths, including COMLs, tactical dispatchers and incident dispatchers.
The Worcester fire also highlighted the need for a system of mutual aid among public safety telecommunicators.
When we think of mutual aid, our minds often go straight to the police, fire and emergency medical services — emergency communications centers (ECCs) often go overlooked. ECCs are the hubs through which all emergency communications flow, ensuring that first responders are dispatched where they’re needed. This is where TERT plays a crucial role.
TERT is a specialized group of telecommunicators trained to provide mutual aid to ECCs in the wake of disasters and other significant events. While TERT has been a resource across the country since 2005, efforts to establish the program in Massachusetts faced hurdles for nearly a decade. Issues related to liability, funding and ownership delayed its implementation. However, in December 2021, the program finally became operational under the authority of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS). TERT now functions as part of the Communications Unit Program (COMU), overseen by the statewide interoperability coordinator (SWIC) in collaboration with the Massachusetts State 911 Department.
"The primary mission of TERT is to provide relief to ECC personnel who have experienced a significant incident, offering additional staffing to ensure uninterrupted operations. TERT members can be deployed to various locations, including ECC buildings, emergency operations centers (EOCs), mobile command posts or backup centers."
The primary mission of TERT is to provide relief to ECC personnel who have experienced a significant incident, offering additional staffing to ensure uninterrupted operations. TERT members can be deployed to various locations, including ECC buildings, emergency operations centers (EOCs), mobile command posts or backup centers. Typical activations may be in response to natural disasters or to cover for funerals of activeduty personnel, allow telecommunicators to attend critical incident stress management (CISM) debriefings, bolster staffing during widespread illness or offer relief after a major event. TERT is not intended to address routine staffing shortages, vacancies or preplanned special events.
Each TERT member is credentialed by the statewide interoperability coordinator and approved by their respective agency. Maintaining active status requires regular training and up-to-date certifications.
To activate TERT, a request must be submitted through the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). MEMA then notifies the SWIC, who assesses the request against established criteria. If approved, the SWIC contacts the TERT statewide coordinator, who then liaises with the affected ECC to gather crucial details, such as the CAD system in use, number of telecommunicators needed, time frame, EMD program used and other logistical considerations. The program strives to match ECCs with telecommunicators familiar with their systems, but if none are available TERT telecommunicators are trained to adapt quickly to new environments. Importantly, the program is funded through a TERT grant, so the requesting ECCs incur no fiscal responsibility.
Since its launch in December 2021, Massachusetts TERT has deployed five times in real-world scenarios and has participated in training exercises at additional centers. One notable deployment was to the City of Waltham, where TERT provided coverage after an officer was killed in the line of duty. William Ryan, Waltham’s chief public safety telecommunicator, praised the team, stating, "Your team’s professionalism and training were exemplary and allowed them to proficiently handle all the dispatch duties during a very hectic time in our city. I have received many compliments on their handling of multiple incidents while the wake and funeral were in progress. Their ability to navigate traffic issues and an unfamiliar city was impressive, and I appreciate all the help your team provided."
Similarly, after the team provided support in Cambridge following the passing of one of their telecommunicators, the center’s director noted, "The TERT team was so professional, empathetic and helpful during this difficult time. They approached their assignments with such importance, care and professionalism. It was a great reassurance for us and our community."
After each deployment and training exercise, the team strives to improve and enhance the program. The telecommunicators on the TERT team are dedicated to their mission of "dispatchers helping dispatchers," living up to their motto: "Adapt and overcome." And indeed, they do just that.
