Listening to
Fire Scanners
25 July, 2013
Posted by John Niewiecki
Can a restoration company really make more money by listening to fire scanners?
The simple answer? Yes.
Knowledge is power and so is timing in the world of reconstruction. Listening to scanners, if done right, can earn a restoration company more and more new business every year. Yet listening for fire dispatches in order to gather an address and opportunity to help a potential customer is not enough.
Listening to all the transmissions and being able to go back in time is the key, because critical questions beyond just the address of a fire, smoke, or water damage event is not enough.
Questions must be answered such as:
- Was mutual aid called (was the fire big enough that the local fire departments could not handle it?)
- Was it a false alarm? Having access to your scanner audio on your cell phone could save time and money as you hear subsequent dispatch and tactical discussing between the fire departments dispatchers and the their trucks.
- Is there a concern regarding hazardous materials that your restoration company specializes in addressing?
It is well understood in the reconstruction industry that customers want their lives back in order as soon as possible. A restoration company with a good reputation and can prove their value to the customer, when first on the scene, has an excellent chance of earning new business. Being prepared and in the know is the foundation to success.
Listening to fire scanners and getting all fire transmissions is the best and most efficient way to make this happen.