I have monitored two situations lately where MCSO Fox units have been working with Phoenix area fire. Communication between the agencies was a mess. Fire wanted to a direct channel with Fox, but the Fox unit in both situations was not able to figure out a channel that they could use. Tonight was a perfect example. Fire was on K11 on the RWC, and MCSO Fox 3 was on Lakes 1 on Maricopa County Trunked system. During the storms the other day, I monitored a similar situation with Fire on K11 and Fox 1 on MCSO East having dispatchers relay messages over the phone. Listening with two scanners, I could have relayed communication between the agencies faster!
In my opinion, the RWC has done great things for interoperability in the valley. When I moved to the valley about 9 years ago, I would monitor situations like this where different agencies could not communicate almost every other day. Today, there is no excuse for this. Every 800mhz public service radio in the valley has G Deck on the RWC. I have heard MCSO on G Deck many times in the past. Are you telling me that two of their most important units (Fox 1 and Fox 3 helos) do not have G Deck in their radios? Every Public service radio in the valley also has AIRS frequencies (the State’s cross band repeater system linking 155.475 to 460.375 to 866.0125). Dispatchers also have capabilities to patch to G Deck, PSAP channels, and probably AIRS from the consoles. There should be no reason that agencies cannot communicate. Don’t even get me started on DPS….
It’s not a fix-all, but why has the MCSO system not been absorbed into the RWC? Are there plans for this? While we are talking consolidation, why is TRWC not part of the RWC like it was in the beginning? Why is the State’s AzWIN/YRCS system not directly connected with radio systems like RWC, PCWIN, or Flagstaff Regional system? All the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on these great radio systems, but there are still issues talking to each other. The technology is all here if agencies would work together!
In my opinion, the RWC has done great things for interoperability in the valley. When I moved to the valley about 9 years ago, I would monitor situations like this where different agencies could not communicate almost every other day. Today, there is no excuse for this. Every 800mhz public service radio in the valley has G Deck on the RWC. I have heard MCSO on G Deck many times in the past. Are you telling me that two of their most important units (Fox 1 and Fox 3 helos) do not have G Deck in their radios? Every Public service radio in the valley also has AIRS frequencies (the State’s cross band repeater system linking 155.475 to 460.375 to 866.0125). Dispatchers also have capabilities to patch to G Deck, PSAP channels, and probably AIRS from the consoles. There should be no reason that agencies cannot communicate. Don’t even get me started on DPS….
It’s not a fix-all, but why has the MCSO system not been absorbed into the RWC? Are there plans for this? While we are talking consolidation, why is TRWC not part of the RWC like it was in the beginning? Why is the State’s AzWIN/YRCS system not directly connected with radio systems like RWC, PCWIN, or Flagstaff Regional system? All the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on these great radio systems, but there are still issues talking to each other. The technology is all here if agencies would work together!