Baltimore City FD Ch B9 ??? Dynamic Regroup

[PeterSz]

I see that Baltimore City FD Channel B9 is listed as 'Dynamic Regrouping'. Does anyone know if this feature is regularly used? Do most firefighters leave their radios on Channel B9, and rely on the dispatcher to switch them to the correct incident channel? (Apparently Memphis TN FD operates this way). Peter S

 

[Llwellyn]

As far as I know, Dynamic Regrouping is very rarely used in this area. It's basically a reserve channel for working larger incidents requiring mutual aid between multiple agencies that don't have preplanned interop frequencies; and for mutual aid for the other counties. A unit from a border county can switch to a dynamic regroup on the Baltimore system and be regrouped to a talkgroup that's not programmed in, if I'm understanding it correctly. That would also patch the out-of-city units into Baltimore PD if the PD units were regrouped also.

Almost all of Central MD is on Motorola trunking with XTS series radios, and most have at least one or two talkgroups from all of their bordering jurisdictions programmed.

Also, I don't think they use it as indicated for switching to proper tac channels and such, that would be a heck of a lot for the dispatcher to keep track of; each incident channel is actually a set of five channels; they'd have to make sure that they knew which radio was the safety officer, which radio was the IC, which radio had EMS command, and which radios were still assigned as FF radios. Not a big deal for the TRO's or chiefs and above (who have their own assigned radios) but what about when a lieutenant or captain has command and is using a portable from an engine or using the engine's mobile set?

It's possible, but not all that likely.

 

[PeterSz]

Thanks for the reply - Ll. That makes sense.

Could you explain about the "five channels per incident"? I take it that the IC, safety officer, and EMS command all operate on seperate channels at an incident?

Is there a "home channel" that all BFD radios are set on initially?

Peter S - Boston MA

 

[Llwellyn]

Channels A1 and A2 on their system are their main channel and dispatch channel; routine calls are dispatched on one and larger incidents on the other. They use MOSCAD over the 800Mhz system for alerting, and those two channels are also simulcast on VHF.

Additionally, there is channel A3 for EMS operations which are not part of an "incident".

Also, I was wrong, it's four channels per incident... here's the breakdown:

C1 Tactical (Fireground)
C2 Pump Operators and Accountability
C3 EMS Ops and Scene Safety
C4 Incident Command

Then, there is C5, C6, C7 and C8, B1, B2, B3 and B4, and B5, B6, B7 and B8 which follow the same breakdown.

There also is A15 unit-to-unit for the FD, and there is B11 which is an FD/PD talkgroup.

I don't monitor this system in trunked mode, so it is possible they use dynamic regrouping, but their layouts seem to indicate that they do not.

 

[PeterSz]

Do the dispatchers announce a response channel (or a fireground channel) for each incident? As I look over the info on the Balt City TRS in the radioref database, I realize that there is a lot I do not understand about the operation of the Balt City FD radio system. Peter S

 

[Admin0140434]

Do the dispatchers announce a response channel (or a fireground channel) for each incident? As I look over the info on the Balt City TRS in the radioref database, I realize that there is a lot I do not understand about the operation of the Balt City FD radio system.

for baltimore city... the dispatcher will announce the response channel... you might here them say "respond on Charlie 1" or what have you

 

[PeterSz]

OK thanks alot. I will assume that the 'home' channel for everyones radios is the Primary Dispatch channel.

Perhaps someone could try to match the Channel Plan and the talkgroup IDs. (I noticed for the Baltimore County FD info in the radioreference.com database, the Channel layout did not seem to match the Talkgroups listings.)