Why didn’t the Firefighter or Fire Chief stop at the fire or accident?

It is probable that this person is responding to the fire station to ensure that needed apparatus responds to this emergency. This is a difficult judgment call for the firefighter or officer. No one has ever extinguished a fire or removed an injured person with a radio or telephone. Personnel passing an incident scene enroute to the fire station will give other responders information based on what they have observed. In our system at Alpha we always have at least one officer dedicated to respond directly to the scene of the emergency to render immediate assistance if possible and to direct incoming units to best advantage.