BARB : Overview

BARB (Box-area Automated Run-card Builder):

BARB is a one-of-a-kind software application for automating the building of static run-cards, or pick lists. BARB expertly handles the building of station orders and unit orders as based on the type of dispatch system at a given department. With BARB, run cards can be created “on the fly” to reflect changes in the field—station/unit relocation, station/unit addition, or station/unit closure, for example.

BARB quickly generates recommendations for road and network-based running routes to every street address. This process eliminates the time and tedium in constructing run orders for every unit which could possibly respond to an incident within a given dispatch grid. The process considers changes in road networks—road closures and openings, bridge closures, or special events, for example—as well as unit types and their capabilities. BARB also offers built-in Q&A tools for checking road quality in the network map being used. In addition, BARB can serve as an electronic back-up in the event of CAD failure.

BARB can work independently or interface with any CAD.

Dispatch Grids & Run Cards in Traditional CAD systems

CAD systems traditionally operate as depicted above, storing run cards for each dispatch grid in the service area and assigning incidents to specific grids as based on the incident address. The CAD system determines the types of units needed for a response as derived from the department’s plan—incident type, risk, and so forth. Finally, the CAD system looks up the run card table for the units needed and, based on their current status, determines which to dispatch for the incident.

Why are Dispatch Grids/Run Cards needed?

With them, a Communications Center can—

Specify pick lists
Ensure that the right units are dispatched
Incorporate them in the Backup Book

Field Operations can—

“Own” their dispatch grids
Work on running routes within a dispatch grid
Factor the hydrants within a dispatch grid

However, manually built run cards are—

Extremely labor-intensive, can take months to create
Prone to human error and subsequently make mistakes in dispatch
Poorly designed with dispatch grids force-fitting the wrong run cards
Laboriously redone after every change in field deployment change
Inadequate in adapting to mutual aid stations

BARB to the rescue!

The picture below explains how building run cards can be automated.
(click to view larger images)

1. Start off with a very fine partition of service area as dispatch grids as shown below.

2. Submit the dispatch grids to the CAD

4. Use BARB to build the run cards

5. Order BARB to export run cards in ASCII text format

6. Import run cards into the CAD*

* The import mechanism/format varies with different CAD systems. Please contact Deccan to determine if we interface with your CAD.

Here’s what BARB can do:

Build run cards (station/unit orders) for given dispatch grids and given station locations
Re-construct run cards based on changes in road networks—closings, additions, etc.
Model mutual-aid stations without requiring mutual-aid maps
Compare departmental and mutual aid station response with a common benchmark
Add/delete street segments and view their impact on the run cards
Simulate field deployment changes and rebuild run cards within minutes
View station/unit running routes “on the fly”
Create and retrieve different field simulation scenarios with different run cards
Perform basic street network QA i.e. identifying island segments, etc.
Export run cards in a format suitable for CAD import

BARB serves as a valuable tool in meeting the following challenges:

Pre-planning for road network changes, street closures, bridge closures
Planning for special events—from a 4th of July parade to a Super Bowl
Preparations for traffic patterns—from extreme to routine—based on speed, time of day, day of week, etc.
Seasonal relocations of apparatus
Planning for changes in field deployment