just looking for confirmation but does anyone know if life link 3 and nm air care are encrypted now? i hear dispatch fine but not the pilot or crew.
thanks
thanks
EMS air
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99% sure that isn't the case. Most of them don't have encryption capable radios and they don't air much sensitive information to justify the added expense that police can usually get via grant dollars
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johnmoe1
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North is. Started around 9am on 10/5.
Interesting. *Shrugs shoulders apathetically* seems needless.
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Gotta keep those landing sites confidential...
squad1b
Member
what about the rest of North Memorials EMS?
Scott
Scott
North’s ground stuff around Brainerd and Park Rapids/Walker is still in the clear.
I'm sure this has to do with HIPPA. Also TG 39 seems to be active in SW MN now. This seems to be air ambulance to air ambulance. Heard an NM unit talking to a LLIII unit today.
Correction. I think it's base to base. Not sure if I have heard helicopters on 39 or not.
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box23
Member
As of Monday night, WISFLIGHT was not encrypted.
I don't believe the two are patched, just separate talkgroups between the systems. I have only ever heard Wisconsin operations on the WISCOM talkgroup.
box23
Member
I have an inkling it may instead be for corporate operational security. Competition between AirCare and LifeLinkIII is, shall we say, strong.
Not really. Look at MRCC, patient reports are in the clear but no names or any identifiable information is ever repeated just sex, age and a quick recap of what the problem is. I was in a taxi that a truck hit and was transported by HCMC to HCMC and watched the EMT call in to MRCC dispatch with very generic information about what happened to me. Allina uses mostly cell phones to the hospital (I had a medical and transported by them) and even over the cell phone the information was very basic as well. You can't give any identifiable information like name, DOB, any sensitive info over the air.
You CAN legally give protected health information over the air under HIPAA. It is known as an Incidental Disclosure, but paramedic services will generally opt for protocols that minimize this as a courtesy. https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-profe...ce/incidental-uses-and-disclosures/index.html
TG 39 is for dispatch to dispatch communications for coordination of landing zones at hospitals and scenes to minimize helicopters crossing paths since each service uses a different Operations Control Center. Mobiles and Portables are not allowed to have EMSAIRCOM in their radios.
https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ecn/pr...rdsListNew/Attachments/16/standard-3-29-1.pdf
My feelers indicate that this is an operational security move, but may be part of a larger move to encryption by EMS as the cost for encryption goes down. Many of the initial adopters of ARMER are replacing radios due to life cycles of 10-15 years.
TG 39 is for dispatch to dispatch communications for coordination of landing zones at hospitals and scenes to minimize helicopters crossing paths since each service uses a different Operations Control Center. Mobiles and Portables are not allowed to have EMSAIRCOM in their radios.
https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ecn/pr...rdsListNew/Attachments/16/standard-3-29-1.pdf
My feelers indicate that this is an operational security move, but may be part of a larger move to encryption by EMS as the cost for encryption goes down. Many of the initial adopters of ARMER are replacing radios due to life cycles of 10-15 years.
I don't see encryption being implemented anytime soon, HIPAA notwithstanding. Many regional hospitals, particularly trauma centers, get emergency patients from many other counties. Locally, the trauma center receives patients from at least 17 counties in two states. Some of these counties are small and poor and can only afford basic simplex radios.
I'm sure other areas in other states have comparable conditions. Encryption would be a nightmare.
I'm sure other areas in other states have comparable conditions. Encryption would be a nightmare.
That's a good point and I probably should have looked at the law first. I was going by what the HCMC paramedic told me after he was finished calling it in on the radio what he could say about me. But your right as old radios are replaced encryption will be more attractive since a particular site that streams public safety comms is ruining our hobby. This site is great as so many people with extensive knowledge of the technology it's a big help for everyone. This site is great!!.
Just a bit off topic but it was neat to see his portable APX radio which he used to make that transmission. Had to clean the drool off my mouth seeing that radio cause it's a fantastic radio.
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blue5011
Member
Everyone in Minnesota (State Patrol, County Sheriff, City Police, EMS, Fire) is on the statewide ARMER P25 system. There were grants made available for counties/ departments to offset the purchase radio's. It is a very robust system that I have listened to since my county started using it.
In Faribault County we get some EMS patients from Iowa, and even those are dispatched thru the ARMER system. I am thinking the local Iowa ambulance services have a MN ARMER radio. As when I have heard those calls come in, I can see the radio ID number, so it appears it is not "patched" thru our County dispatch.
I have looked in our county deputy cars and all they have is one radio in their cars. I was surprised there were not VHF back-up radios (from the old county-wide repeater system). But I have never heard a peep from any of the older VHF frequencies (except the dispatch fire "paging") that were used.
n0esc
Feed Provider
I would doubt that any IA agencies have purchased ARMER radios as they would be all but useless unless right at the border within range of a tower site. The VHF Interop channels are all hard patched in the areas that need them and traffic would come up on the ARMER site in the appropriate interop TG. VFIRE23 VMED28 VLAW31 and MNCOMM. Any border agencies I've dealt with in Freeborn Co are calling on VMED28. For intercepts this is patched through to the appropriate Gold Cross TG via ECC in Rochester.
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