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MISSION STATEMENT
The goal of the Derry Fire Department Communications Center is to efficiently and effectively dispatch emergency apparatus for the fire and EMS departments of Derry, Auburn, Chester, Hampstead, and Windham. Additionally, it is the responsibility of the Derry Fire Department Communications Center to provide primary dispatching and support for the Southeastern New Hampshire Hazardous Materials Mutual Aid District.
INTRODUCTION
The Derry Fire Department Communications Center, also referred to as “Fire Alarm”, provides uninterrupted emergency dispatch communications for the fire and EMS departments of Derry, Auburn, Chester, Hampstead, and Windham, New Hampshire. The center provides these services 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, and has proudly done so since its inception in 1982.
Communications Center personnel provide the vital first-link between citizens and the towns' resources. Their performance contributes directly to the safety and well-being of the Departments' members and towns' residents.
In the emergency management setting, the Derry Fire Department Communications Center is the primary notification and dispatching resource for the Southeastern New Hampshire Hazardous Materials Mutual Aid District. This organization is comprised of fire/rescue agencies from 16 communities spanning from the Town of Hooksett, northerly, to the Town of Salem, NH to the south. The district is responsible for hazardous materials mitigation and containment within its catchment area, dealing with emergencies ranging form gasoline spills to weapons of mass destruction responses.
In the event of a local disaster, either weather related or man-made, the center falls under the direction and control of the Emergency Management Director for the Town of Derry. To this end, the center is responsible for providing important emergency information to the inhabitants of Derry, such as emergency sheltering, road conditions, and any and all other information deemed essential for the safety of the community. This is accomplished through radio and cable television communications, along with a Reverse-911 notification system, capable of targeting specific neighborhoods for information dispersal.
Lastly, the center is the primary contact for the Border Area Mutual Aid District, an organization comprised of approximately 20 cities and towns along the southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts border.
As we move into the 21st century with a new, state of the art communications center, our vision, under the direction of the Fire Chief and the Director of Communications, is to expand our scope of service, while continuing to provide quality service to the ever-growing population in Southern New Hampshire, utilizing the latest technologies in radio communications and interoperability, computer-aided dispatching and GIS information systems.
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