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HYATTSVILLE
VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT

FIRE/RESCUE COMMUNICATIONS
CONDITION TWO

(From PGFD Training Bulletin)

Winds are blowing around the station; clouds are boiling overhead; lightning and thunder shatter the sky. Then you hear the station radio beep.... " All stations and units on the air....Communications is operation on "Condition Two. " What is going on? What is Condition Two ?

"Condition Two" means that only emergency radio or telephone traffic to Communications is permitted. "Emergency" means that a message is essential to life or to a system--such as the water or electrical systems. If a citizen were to report an emergency to the station, such as a house fire, that information would be considered an emergency message. If a pumper crew saw an electrical substation endangered, they would report it as an emergency message. An ambulance crew might determine that a rescue squad was needed to extricate someone at the scene of an accident and they would be expected to call for the assistance.

Why is there a need to restrict the numbers and types of transmissions to Communications ? Basically, the "Condition Two" announcement is meant to tell everyone that the system is being overwhelmed. It may be that the telephone lines have too much traffic or that the computer system has just "died" and a manual dispatch system is being implemented. These conditions mean that the five or six people on duty cannot handle the routine duties, such as giving out times, and still handle the increased number of emergencies.

"Condition Two" situations occur most often during severe weather. One instance comes to mind---December 20, 1985. Between 2 and 3 pm, there were 68 reported accidents with injuries. There were another 35 incidents awaiting dispatch when the computer failed. The dispatch personnel implemented the backup dispatch system. In this and similar cases, the communications personnel must prioritize their work and "Condition Two" is the start of the process.

When the emergency has lessened, or the faulty equipment is repaired, or more dispatchers come on duty, "Condition Two" will be lifted. The dispatchers will notify all stations and units saying, " Communications is back to normal operations. " Normal use of the radio and telephones may resume.

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