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75 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, August 28, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 4, 2004 Firefighters receive grant Medford and Ashland firefighters will soon be able to respond to fires, medical calls and other emergencies faster than ever, thanks to a $237,000 federal grant. Oregon Sen. Gordon Smith will present Medford fire officials with a Department of Homeland Security grant at 9:30 a.m. this morning at the Medford Library. The grant award will allow the Medford Fire Department to purchase and install a computer-automated alert system that sends emergency information directly to fire stations in the area where a 9- 1-1 call originates. Medford Fire Chief Dave Bierwiler said once the system is installed at the Rogue Valley Consolidated Communication Center, fire crews will be able to respond to structure fires up to one minute faster than under the current set-up, which requires 9-1-1 dispatchers to complete a series of tasks in order to notify appropriate fire stations of an emergency in their area. By automating the notification process, 9-1-1 dispatchers are freed up to concentrate on other calls, Deputy Fire Chief Larry Anderson said. "Dispatch won’t need to verbalize radio transmissions," Anderson said. "And we’ll be able to get out of the gate right away." The alerting system will be used by Medford and Ashland fire departments, and the Medford-Jackson County International Airport Fire Department. The grant is the second the Medford Fire Department has received from the Department of Homeland Security. In 2002, it was awarded about $126,000 for the purchase of a fire engine equipped to handle wildland and structure fires, Anderson said. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities