DISPATCHING Your primary duty when dispatching is to manage the  assigned  equipment  resources  efficiently  within  the general policies and directives of the Navy and policies set  forth  by  the  equipment  officer. Policies  and directives for dispatch operations are outlined in the NAVFAC  P-300,   Management   of   Transportation; NAVFAC P-404, Equipment Management Manual; and COMSECOND/COMTHIRDNCBINST 11200.1 Series,  Naval  Mobile  Construction  Battalion  (NMCB) Equipment   Management   Instruction. Duties of the Dispatcher The dispatcher is the key equipment management position in a unit and is the hub of communication for daily equipment operations. A competent dispatcher must  possess  the  knowledge,  skill,  and  ability  to accomplish  the  following: Convey information and instruction in a concise and  tactful  manner. Exercise  good  judgment  and  make  decisions quickly. Work  efficiently  under  pressure. Conduct administrative, clerical, and record- keeping duties Have  knowledge  of  equipment  sizes,  types,  uses, and limitations. Some  of  the  major  job  requirements  of  the dispatcher are as follows: 1.  Route  information:  The  dispatcher  must  know and convey to operators information on the weather, road  conditions,  routes  to  travel,  and  emergency procedures. The dispatcher must also know weight limits  on  roads  and  bridges,  low  clearances,  traffic hazards,   and   have   a   good   knowledge   of   local transportation  systems,  schedules,  and  routes. 2. Equipment status: The dispatcher must know the current status and location of every assigned item of equipment. 3. Keys: The dispatcher controls the keys to all vehicle locking devices and ignition keys. Spare keys are maintained in the equipment history jacket. 4.  Records:  The  dispatcher  checks  operator licenses, and issues the Operator’s Daily PM Report, NAVFAC  11260/4,  for  documenting  pre-  and  post- operational checks on construction, weight-handling, and material-handling   equipment.   The   Operator’s Inspection   Guide   and   Trouble   Report,   NAVFAC 9-11240/13,  and  the  Motor  Equipment  Utilization Record, DD Form 1970, are used for documenting pre- and  post-operational  checks  and  recording  the utilization  of  automotive  equipment.  Additionally,  the dispatcher must ensure that equipment required to operate  over  the  road  contains  mishap  reporting procedures and forms. The proper forms are a Standard Form 91 and a description of local mishap reporting procedures. EQUIPMENT STATUS BOARD.—  The  Equip- ment Status Board provides a means of listing, by USN number, all equipment assigned to a unit. The status board should be color-coded to identify the current status, general assignment, and location of each piece of CESE  (fig.  6-12). A responsibility of the dispatcher is to know the current  status  and  location  of  every  assigned  piece  of equipment. This is accomplished by maintaining the status board and by making, at the end of each work day, a  comparison  check  between  the  dispatch  Equipment Status Board and the Equipment Status Board of cost control. USN Numbers.— All Navy automotive vehicles, construction  equipment,  and  weight-handling equipment are assigned USN registration numbers for identification. The number assigned to each unit of equipment is keyed to classify the unit by the pertinent subcategory within one of eight major categories of equipment;  for  example,  registration  series  USN 40-00000  is  a  major  category  consisting  of  earthmoving equipment. 45-00000  of  that  registration  series pinpoints it as a loader. Figure 6-13 shows some of the registration sereis and equipment categories used in the Naval  Construction  Force. Equipment Codes.— The equipment codes on the Equipment  Status  Board  are  used  to  establish  permanent and positive identification of each piece of equipment; for example, the equipment codes for dozers under the same 48-00000 USN number series identify specific pieces by manufacturer, model, attachments (i.e., winch, ripper, and cab), and so forth. DISPATCHER’S LOG.— The  dispatcher  records all vehicles and equipment that are dispatched on the Dispatcher’s  Log,  NAVFAC  9-11240/2  (fig.  6-14). This log sheet, when filled in properly, provides a ready reference  as  to  the  location  of  all  the  vehicles  and equipment   dispatched. 6-16