An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | April 23, 2019

104th Fighter Wing firefighters answer the calls for help

By Airman 1st Class Randall Burlingam 104th Fighter Wing, Massachusetts Air National Guard

WESTFIELD, Mass. – The responsibility of being a dispatcher at the 104th Fighter Wing fire department is an important one, as the dispatcher working in the alarm room is involved with emergency response situations from start to finish.

It is the dispatcher’s job to obtain the critical information from the caller, disseminate that information to the responding team and ensure all required assets, such as an ambulance, are being sent to respond to the call, all while helping the person on the other end of the line remain calm.

The firefighters here are all trained to work in the alarm room, and they realize how crucial it is to be proficient at the job.

“It’s really one of the most important jobs that we have,” said Fire Lt. Travis Witbeck, 104th Fire Department shift lieutenant. “We spend a lot of time training our people to do it well.”

If a member dials 911 from a base phone, the fire department can see precisely what building and room that person is calling from. If a member dials 911 on a cellphone, they will reach a dispatcher at a local fire department.

Firefighters here have different ways to rapidly communicate with the local dispatchers, such as a direct line to the City of Westfield and specialized radios, which aid in the dissemination of information after someone dials 911 from a cellphone.

The direct lines and radios also serve as a way for surrounding communities to send mutual aid requests. According to Witbeck, this is how they are requested to go out and support the surrounding communities.

Witbeck said the dispatchers do a lot of in house training, and many attend a telecommunications course to ensure they can perform at a high level when assigned to work in the alarm room. The dispatcher is involved from start to finish, and has one of the most critical roles in emergency response, he said.

“It can get pretty hectic in there, depending on the complexity of the incident,” said Witbeck. “It’s really crucial for us to have that person in there with all of that information and the ability to do what they do.”

 

 

Related Articles
SEA John Raines, the senior enlisted advisor to the chief of the National Guard Bureau, attended the African Senior Enlisted Leader Conference in Rabat, Morocco, on June 12 as the keynote speaker, reaffirming commitment to counter terrorism, strengthening national security abroad, and bolstering alliances and partnerships.
2025 African Senior Enlisted Leader Conference Highlights National Guard Role in Africa
By Sgt. Maj. Pete Morrison, | June 20, 2025
RABAT, Morocco – National Guard senior leaders reaffirmed their commitment to counter terrorism, strengthen national security abroad and bolster alliances and partnerships, particularly with countries throughout Africa,...

Spc. Clyde Carr of the 185th Engineer Company dumps his carry of old fill at a construction site at the old Great Northern Paper Company in East Millinocket, Maine, June 9, 2025. The unit is spending their annual training doing site improvements as part of an innovative readiness training project, a collaboration between the Maine National Guard and the town of East Millinocket.
Maine Army Guard Engineers Build Communities, Readiness
By Sgt. 1st Class Richard Frost, | June 20, 2025
CAMP CHAMBERLAIN, Maine - Engineers with the Maine Army National Guard are hard at work this spring, conducting critical training to keep their skills sharp and simultaneously providing a valuable and direct service to their...

A U.S. Soldier assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, pulls security at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La., June 15, 2025. JRTC is designed to improve unit readiness through force-on-force exercises that prepare Soldiers for missions they may be assigned in real-world operations.
Iowa Army Guard Soldiers Train at Tigerland
By Sgt. Ryan Reed, | June 20, 2025
FORT POLK, La. – More than 4,000 Soldiers from the Iowa Army National Guard trained throughout June at Fort Polk, undergoing one of the Army’s most demanding combat training events in preparation for an upcoming overseas...