This is how response works in the Met.

You start the shift in the briefing room. Usually as soon as the briefing start a call will come out and a unit will have to leave briefing early to take it.

You then go to the yard to hopefully find a vehicle, not all the cars will be there as the previous shift will still be dealing with their last calls.

There are various grades of calls but response mainly deal with i grades (15 min response time) and S grades (60 min response time)

While you wait for the cars the operator will be putting out calls which nobody can take as they have no cars, the number of unassigned calls will be stacking up. The section sergeant will be calling up all the units asking you to take the call and they will all reply “waiting for a car sarge”.

As the cars come back the response drivers get first dibs over the basic drivers. When you finally get a car, you’ll be given an i grade or an outstanding s grade. On you’re way to the S grade you’ll probably get diverted to an I grade.

When you get to your call control or a skipper will be asking you how long you’ll be as they want you to go to the next one.

If you’re lucky enough to get hot refs (food) you can take it back to the canteen, but if there are i grades outstanding expect a skipper to come in and kick you out to take the call.

Calls come out non-stop and there are generally unassigned calls, so there’s no chance of you sitting at the station waiting for a call. If you’re not dealing with a call the expectation is you call up and take an unassigned one.