San Antonio Fire/EMS Radio Changes

Looks like SA Fire and EMS have gone to a consolidated dispatc. Here is what we know so far:

1) Both Fire and EMS are now dispatched on talkgroup 529 using the new computerized voice dispatch product that the city recently purchased.

2) Response channels are now "TAC" channels, and are shared between Fire and EMS. So far it looks like there are TAC channels 1 through 8 on talkgroups 609-616.

3) It appears that there are 3 or 4 patches up that are used like the old "Access" channels that Fire/EMS used. We're not sure how they align with the rest of the channelization scheme. Patch 517, which has tgs 625, 626, and 630 patched together has been called "Delta."

If anyone has any ideas regarding the new channels plan let the thread know. Thanks!

Questions on these new changes to SAFD / SA EMS

Lindsay,

I take it that the mode of the new SAFD/EMS Dispatch TG # 529 ( 04-021 ) is in Pro-Voice ... Digital
I also take it the new SAFD/EMS Tac's 1 thru 8 TG's are in "No-Voice" too . hoping for analog mode

ps ~ Please pass around that "Uniden Home Patrol" beta tester so we can all play with it ... I'm kidding

At least someone can hear what's going on.

Really new when it comes to all the channel talk, but was wondering if i would still be able to pick up SAFD with my scanner....i am aware that they have changed to the CAD, but am not sure if the feed if offline for this reason, or for others....thanks.

Yeah, getting the feed on line again would be great! It sure was nice while it lasted. Anybody out there with news on that?

Regarding EMS and fire using the same dispatch: That must make for one BUSY talk group!

I've received word that this feed is back up and running.

Woo-hoo!

That auto dispatcher sounds just like the NOAA weather guy.

Is it Just Me?

I'm able to connect to the SAFD feed daily, but I haven't heard any audio since Friday. I reported the problem Friday evening via the appropriate link on the live audio page, but there's been no response. This is very uncharacteristic of the feed provider, who in my experience has been very responsive -- sometimes acting immediately to fix the occasional issue.

I understand the provider is anonymous, so it complicates contacting the person by other means to find out what happened. Or, is it just me? Maybe the feed's humming along just fine and the problem is mine?

Thanks.

i am also having touble listening to the SAFD feed im able to connect to the feed but it just has a repetitive humming/ringing noise to it no voice at all i have also reported the problem hope the provider can get it back up and running

It's back up, but now, as I understand from reading a live audio forum thread, there are some server problems that may impede connecting. RR is working the problem.

Thank you SAFD feed provider!

It looks like the SAFD Feed is down again, any word on this? I use live updates from safdlivedispatch to keep informed and i dont think it can run without the scanner feed thanks

Dose anyone know if SAPD can be on the feed? Can my radio pick it up know?

I have a qustion now I just want to see if my scanner will be able to pick up SAFD n SAPD and if so what do I need to do?

jsch-------, take a look at the "Sticky" in the top of the Texas Forum for tips on monitoring San Antonio.

If you'll look at the database page for their EDACS ProVoice system, you'd be able to monitor anything with an "A" in the mode section. You'll see a lot of "D" (digital), which means no dice, no scanner will monitor that.

There's not much more to it than that.

I moved from San Antonio up to College Station about five years ago so I've been out of the loop on the developments with the SAPD/SAFD radio system, but tonight I saw the news about the Jackson-Keller apartment fire so I turned on the SAFD feed and among the fireground talk, I heard the auto-dispatcher for the first time. Everything in it makes sense to me but I hear a Delta-something at the end of each broadcast. Does anyone have an insight as to what that is? Look at the TG list I'm assuming it's the district patch, I just don't understand the role it plays.

nicknpd said:

I moved from San Antonio up to College Station about five years ago so I've been out of the loop on the developments with the SAPD/SAFD radio system, but tonight I saw the news about the Jackson-Keller apartment fire so I turned on the SAFD feed and among the fireground talk, I heard the auto-dispatcher for the first time. Everything in it makes sense to me but I hear a Delta-something at the end of each broadcast. Does anyone have an insight as to what that is? Look at the TG list I'm assuming it's the district patch, I just don't understand the role it plays.

Click to expand...

From my understanding, Delta stands for "District" So Delta 7 would Be "District 7" and so on

Eddie117 said:

From my understanding, Delta stands for "District" So Delta 7 would Be "District 7" and so on

Click to expand...

Sure, that makes sense... so what's the difference in the use of those channels and the TAC channels?

As the main dispatch channel is supposed to be for 1-way traffic, meaning alerting only, there are additional
channels and designations in use.

With TAC channels, the units and their personnel assigned to that channel can communicate with each other. The general equivalent of Bexar County's Fireground channels.

The Delta channels are a channel are inquiry channels where responding units can get additional info, request resources or otherwise communicate with Dispatch, the general equivalent of Bexar County Fire's access channel. There is 1 channel for each Battalion Chief District (1-8)
I've seen the delta channels patched together in groups of 4 districts per patch, each dispatcher responsible for answering up to 4 district inquiry channels.

There are also Air Channels for coordination with Airlife and Mutual Aid Channels, for coordination of major events, training, or multi-agency responses.

On the topic of multi-agency responses, word is is that after the Multi-Alarm Wedgwood fire in Castle Hills, a channel restructuring was ordered. Watch the talkgroups, as it appears there will once again be changes.

~S~

scrotumola said:

On the topic of multi-agency responses, word is is that after the Multi-Alarm Wedgwood fire in Castle Hills, a channel restructuring was ordered. Watch the talkgroups, as it appears there will once again be changes.

Click to expand...

I reviewed the archives from this incident (Bexar County Response and SAFD response) and personally I thought it sounded like a cluster f*.

Bexar County Fire Alarm at one point had Bexar Bulverde responding to this incident (Bexar Bulverde is a VFD at least 20 miles to the north of the incident). Communications between Castle Hills FD (the first responder) and SA Fire were only established after a SAFD Chief got in the same car with someone from Castle Hills who could relay instructions. Guess what - they had the same radios and were working on the same system.

Training and knowledge was definitely an issue here... almost everyone working on the fireground had radios that could intercommunicate but no one knew how to do so.

There are supposedly 20+ TAC talkgroups for SA Fire and 50+ mutual aid talkgroups countywide on the Bexar County / San Antonio EDACS system. There were a few of these used during the incident, but why wasn't everyone consolidated to set of pre-aranged talkgroups?

I'll tell you why, because there are 70 (SEVENTY) tactical and mutual aid talkgroups provisioned for the system, How can you train personnel to know how to use all of those talkgroups? And when it comes to the dispatchers, they did a great job on this incident, but they had no idea how to manage this complex system of talkgroups and patches and mutual aid SOPs. Were there SOP's for something like this?

Hats off to those that did what they could there, they did the best they could... but the response we should have seen for this incident did not happen due to lack of upfront planning and coordination between all agencies that responded.

I agree, during large brush fires BCFA agencies and SAFD seem to use the Mutual Aid channels together the way they are supposed to be used. Training all municipalities Castle Hills, Balcones Heights etc..and SAFD on what channels should be used for multi agency responses should have been already in place, especially since all of the agencies are on the same system and have access to all the Mutual Aid channels.