FREMS Dispatch

Now that FREMS has switched over to PSC, are the frequencies the same? Are they using the same priority codes?

Yes

Haven't been monitoring much past couple of days. Tonights radio/pager tests were done on the listed FREMS frequencies. Interestingly, last week, did here a Calgary [oops] AHS ambulance based in Calgary ask dispatch for Black Diamond hospital phone number. Seems dispatch couldn't find one, but asked the ambulance if they had meant High River. Ambulance respond, yes, High River. Never did find out if they knew Black Diamond had a hospital or not.

Yeah, Black Diamond dispatch still does all the fire dispatch on those - they weren't dedicated FREMS frequencies.

In talking to a rural firefighter, the FREMS units have all moved over to the Telus Mike system. The ambulances can still use the previous frequencies to communicate with Fire if they need to.

Are other agencies being moved to the Telus Mike system. I noticed that Crowsnest Pass and Banff have also been changed to "backup" repeaters.

Trexer said:

Are other agencies being moved to the Telus Mike system...

Click to expand...

Hmmmm... I wonder if this is going to happen with more ambulance providers untill the province wide system comes online.

Frems ems

150.545 and 151.16 were both used by ambulance tonight. Could have been out of cell phone coverage? Eden Valley.

Trexer said:

Are other agencies being moved to the Telus Mike system. I noticed that Crowsnest Pass and Banff have also been changed to "backup" repeaters.

Click to expand...

Both those were dispatched by Black Diamond previously, so they have been switched to Calgary's PSC and the Mike system.

robertmac said:

150.545 and 151.16 were both used by ambulance tonight. Could have been out of cell phone coverage? Eden Valley.

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I know the RCMP have no cell coverage when they are out there, so that's a good possibility.

So, any idea the protocol when they are forced to use those old frequencies? Does Black Diamond call PSC and give them updates?

Vulcan Linking

2009 Nov. 24 heard a lot of link testing on Vulcan and area frequencies. These were 172.20 and an another on input frequency of 172.92 [? input for 169.155 Carmangay]. Sounded much like IRLP on the amateur bands. Did hear something similar a couple of months ago on PSC when they talked to a US city [forget what city it was]. I know this has been used for other areas but haven't heard it in the Vulcan area.

robertmac said:

2009 Nov. 24 heard a lot of link testing on Vulcan and area frequencies. These were 172.20 and an another on input frequency of 172.92 [? input for 169.155 Carmangay]. Sounded much like IRLP on the amateur bands. Did hear something similar a couple of months ago on PSC when they talked to a US city [forget what city it was]. I know this has been used for other areas but haven't heard it in the Vulcan area.

Click to expand...

Although it was a few years ago there was an agency in the Canmore area that was experimenting with using modified IRLP technology to link repeaters to a dispatch centre, off the top of my head i cant remember who it was. And i am off to work soon and dont have time to search out who it was. i will look after work tonight. It would not suprise me therre are more agencies usng IRLP technology to link repeaters. Dave probably made the biggest leap in linking technology developing IRLP since the now defunct IPARN system was around. (first system to allow hams to talk handheld to handheld from the alantic ocean to the pacific ocean)

EDIT: found it!! http://www.cq-vhf.com/Using Internet Radio Links Spring 2003.html

Trexer said:

Are other agencies being moved to the Telus Mike system. I noticed that Crowsnest Pass and Banff have also been changed to "backup" repeaters.

Click to expand...

I spent last week hanging with some EMS friends in Crownsest Pass. Them and all other FREMS-dispatched agencies are using MIKE.

Trexer said:

Are other agencies being moved to the Telus Mike system. I noticed that Crowsnest Pass and Banff have also been changed to "backup" repeaters.

Click to expand...

It looks like AHS is not going to wait until the province radio system is in place. AHS Is moving as many EMS districts to Telus Mike System quickly. Telus is responding by expanding coverage and channel capacity on the Mike System around the province in areas where EMS districts switched.

Parkland county west of Edmonton is a real good example. For years the Telus Mike system had many dead spots between Duffield and Keephills, then west to Wababum Lake. Once Parkland county EMS jumped to Mike. Telus suddently added additional frequencies to an existing tower then built a new tower in the area. I have a few more examples, Leduc county.....

This tells me AHS and Telus have some term agreement in place. I can't see Telus making these changes out of the goodness of their heart unless there is some return on the investment.

Back on topic: You ask "are other agencies being moved to the Telus Mike System" , I will expand on this by saying and other systems, and the answer is YES

IPARN and more

Yes, too bad the owners of the satellite that IPARN used drastically increased their fees. Meant a quick death to IPARN. But IRLP and others allow VOIP. But when computer to computer, might as well be iDen as takes away from listening in and knowing what REALLY is going on. Heard more linking today with stations 14 to 17 linked.

old FREMS freqencies

Hey guys Does anybody still have the old conventional Frequencies for FREMS? I know they are on the Mike System and can't be monitored but figured I would try to get there old conventional frequencies and add them just in case. Can anybody reply back with the Conventional FREMS frequencies before switching the Telus Mike System ??

Thanks for anybody help!

According to Industry Canada:

Tx Frequency Rx Frequency Frequency Status Station Location Licensee Name
150.545000 157.230000 6 HARTELL, AB. FOOTHILLS EMERGENCY SERVICES C/O OILFIELD GENERAL HOSPITAL
151.325000 154.920000 6 BLACK DIAMOND HOSP. DISPATCH FOOTHILLS EMERGENCY SERVICES C/O OILFIELD GENERAL HOSPITAL
154.040000 156.600000 6 BLACK DIAMOND HOSP. DISPATCH FOOTHILLS EMERGENCY SERVICES C/O OILFIELD GENERAL HOSPITAL
156.135000 158.955000 6 BLACK DIAMOND HOSP. DISPATCH FOOTHILLS EMERGENCY SERVICES C/O OILFIELD GENERAL HOSPITAL
157.230000 150.545000 6 OKOTOKS, AB. BILLS HILL S. OF HWY 7 FOOTHILLS EMERGENCY SERVICES C/O OILFIELD GENERAL HOSPITAL
158.880000 153.875000 6 BLACK DIAMOND HOSP. DISPATCH FOOTHILLS EMERGENCY SERVICES C/O OILFIELD GENERAL HOSPITAL
159.180000 155.340000 6 BLACK DIAMOND HOSP. DISPATCH FOOTHILLS EMERGENCY SERVICES C/O OILFIELD GENERAL HOSPITAL
170.670000 173.040000 6 OKOTOKS, AB. BILLS HILL S. OF HWY 7 FOOTHILLS EMERGENCY SERVICES C/O OILFIELD GENERAL HOSPITAL
173.040000 170.670000 6 BLACK DIAMOND HOSP. DISPATCH FOOTHILLS EMERGENCY SERVICES C/O OILFIELD GENERAL HOSPITAL
422.262500 427.262500 6 BLACK DIAMOND HOSP. DISPATCH FOOTHILLS EMERGENCY SERVICES C/O OILFIELD GENERAL HOSPITAL
158.760000 6 BLACK DIAMOND HOSP. DISPATCH FOOTHILLS EMERGENCY SERVICES C/O OILFIELD GENERAL HOSPITAL
170.670000 6 HARTELL, AB. FOOTHILLS EMERGENCY SERVICES C/O OILFIELD GENERAL HOSPITAL

There's no such thing as "conventional FREMS frequencies". For one thing FREMS no longer exists - all those ambulance services were divested to AHSEMS. For another thing, when those ambulances were dispatched out of Black Diamond, the majority were on their towns' respective fire channels, which are still in the RRDB. As far as I can tell, the 'old' EMS-dedicated channels have been repurposed as bylaw channels.

I have not heard any EMS on the frequencies above in the past years. I still hear fire and not EMS on 154.92, 153.875 (High River), 155.34. Certainly 158.76 is used largely by fire when STARS is on a call in their area. 156.60 used to be Okotoks but fire there has gone digital. And it appears I have either locked out or removed 156.60 from my scanners so cannot comment if there was been any action on that old frequency.