Can you hear me now? A fireground communications poll.

[FatherPierce]

A few points...

NFPA actually recommends that you use a simplex frequency for your fireground operations. If anyone needs to know which number, I can dig it up.

nmfire and I had a discussion a while back about the UCALL and UTAC frequencies. According to our department's FCC Lawyer, the Government set aside frequencies in VHF, UHF and 800mhz for nation-wide interoperability. Any public safety agency is not only allowed, but urged to program these frequencies into their radios for low power (mobile) multi-agency use.

151.1375 base/mobile VTAC 1
154.4525 base/mobile VTAC 2
155.7525 base/mobile VCALL
158.7375 base/mobile VTAC 3
159.4725 base/mobile VTAC 4
453.2125 base/mobile 458.2125 mobile UCALLa, UCALL
453.4625 base/mobile 458.4625 mobile UTAC 1a, UTAC 1
453.7125 base/mobile 458.7125 mobile UTAC 2a, UTAC 2
453.8625 base/mobile 458.8625 mobile UTAC 3a, UTAC 3

800s...

Pre reband = 851/806.0125 Post Reband = 866/821.0125
Pre reband = 851/806.5125 Post Reband = 866/821.5125
Pre reband = 852/807.0125 Post Reband = 867/822.0125
Pre reband = 852/807.5125 Post Reband = 867/822.5125
Pre reband = 853/808.0125 Post Reband = 868/822.0125

I believe the code being used on these frequencies is 156.7. If anyone would like a copy of the memo outlining Public Safety agencies' right to use these frequencies, send me a PM.

It is frustrating that this information is not more readily available to FDs nationwide...

[ChiefKN]

George and ChiefKN. Do you ever think you will see the day when the county utilizes the MIRS radio for county dispatching?

Yes, I do. It's already happening. All county dispatched fire departments will be on the P25 County Trunked system this year. I believe they will still be "paged" on low band.

I don't know that MIRS will ever replace all the other systems, there might be some patches or there might be a use of MIRS and a local system (sign on and communicate with the county on MIRS, but use local system for local ops).

There is a definite movement to go to a county dispatch center for fire/ems.

That said, I sincerely hope that there will still be simplex channels for fireground. I agree it's much better and as the name implies, it's simpler.

[AWingfield1]

My county upgraded to an 800MHz EDACS system about 2 years ago. After about 6 months the county fire dept. dropped it and went back to VHF, citing coverage concerns inside buildings after an incident where a firefighter couldn't get out on his portable deep inside a structure. About 6 months later the city dept. went back to VHF for the same reason, and so they could talk to the county dept. since they worked a lot of calls together. They setup the EDACS system with a simplex group for fireground operations. However, one of the battalion chiefs told me they didn't want to use this as it didn't allow them to use the "emergency" button which was one of the main reasons they went with the 800 system. Plus, they want everything to go through the repeater so it's recorded. Even now the in-building coverage sucks on the VHF system when it's repeated. I can hardly make out what they're saying even when it's a decent signal. They're putting in another 800 MHz tower to improve coverage and I've heard rumors that both dept.'s will try it out again. If it's so important that the transmissions be recorded, would it not be just as easy to bring in a mobile voice recorder on the battalion chief's vehicle?