San Bernardino County Fire Unit Suffixes...

I hear, on SBCoFD frequencies, radio identifiers such as "Medic Ambulance 302 'A' " and then there are (for example), Medic Brush Patrol 16 "R", etc... ( those were just samples)... what do the "A", "R", etc... suffixes
at the end of their unit number mean?

Thanks.

I believe they use the A if it second unit of the same type out of the same station and the R is if it is a reserve unit.

LZJSR said:

I hear, on SBCoFD frequencies, radio identifiers such as "Medic Ambulance 302 'A' " and then there are (for example), Medic Brush Patrol 16 "R", etc... ( those were just samples)... what do the "A", "R", etc... suffixes
at the end of their unit number mean?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

I can't speak for SBCoFD but it has been my experience that "A" means it is a second apparatus out of a station similar to other depts that use a 200 series number to denote a second piece of apparatus. It may or may not be staffed full time. Usually, when the front line apparatus is out of service for whatever reason, the crew will staff the "A" apparatus. It sounds like SBCoFD doesn't re number the "A" apparatus to the frontline apparatus number. Some places do it and others don't.

"R" means a reserve apparatus. Since it sounds like SBCoFD doesn't change their apparatus numbers, reserve apparatus are moved to stations where frontline apparatus are out of service.

This is usually how it works.

Thanks for the responses... that is sort of what I figured, but glad others agree and verified...

As was said, 'A' designates a second unit in the same station, so station 302 has two frontline ambulances, 302 and 302A. R is reserve units, so a backup unit if the frontline unit goes down.

San Bern Co Fire doesn't "normally" use R designators.
For example: If (ME10) Medic Engine 10 goes out of service, the crew will obtain a reserve engine and call it Medic Engine 10.

HOWEVER...

If Medic Engine 10 goes on a strike team assignment out of town, the replacement unit at Station 10 being used while they are gone would be called Medic Engine 10 R because in the CAD system, there would be two units and you can't have two with the same # at the same time.