Communication and Coordination with the Driver/Operator
Communication and Coordination with the Driver/Operator
Two drivers share one vehicle, so the exam tests whether you have a reliable link and a rehearsed way to use it. Coordination is a qualification item, not a personality trait.
Core rules
- Test the intercom before leaving quarters: both stations, both directions, and with the siren and pump engaged if the rig allows it.
- Agree on short, unambiguous words. Clear right and clear left mean the space is verified. Stop means stop immediately, no discussion.
- The tiller operator calls the turn before the driver commits, not during it. Announce hazards as they appear, then confirm when passed.
- Radio is the backup to the intercom. Pre-select a tactical channel so a failure does not require a negotiation on the dispatch channel.
- Hand signals are the last resort, agreed in advance: fist for stop, pointing for direction, and a signal for hold position.
- At the scene, one person directs the driver into the spot. Multiple voices produce a rig parked in the wrong place.
- Backing: the spotter's directions govern. If the spotter is out of sight, the driver stops.
Worked example
The intercom dies en route. Reasoning: continuing at speed without a link between the two halves of the vehicle is unacceptable, so the driver signals and pulls to a safe stop. The tiller operator switches to a handheld radio on the tactical channel, both confirm audio, and the driver then reduces speed and verbalizes every turn and stop over the air. If that fails too, the apparatus stops and the crew decides whether to continue with hand signals or return.
Traps that cost marks
Assuming the intercom works because it worked last shift; using the dispatch channel for tactical chatter; the driver turning before the tiller acknowledges; a spotter who steps out of the mirror and says nothing.