Chicago and Suburban MERCI and Med Frequency Usage

[That_Radio_Geek]

Anyone out here know if the 19 VHF High band frequencies making up the list of MERCI frequencies, and the 103 UHF band frequencies making up the MED channels/Med frequencies are still being used in and around Chicago/the burbs in this modern age of digital radio systems and cell phones?

I'm looking at the following RR and DOJ resources, and I'm asking myself if these frequencies are even worth programming. Does the SDS-100 have these frequencies listed in the internal Home Patrol database so people don't have to program by hand or have a computer at the ready for programming?

Emergency Medical Services Radio - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

Common Public Safety - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

MEDICAL EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS OF ILLINOIS ('MERCI') PDF at the NCJRS Virtual Library​

NCJ Number: 67539

Author(s): D W Vonberg

https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/67539NCJRS.pdf

 

[FFPM571]

19? There are 2 Active VHF 155.340 and 155.400 in the north burbs. mostly by private ambulances Most everyone else uses Cell phones to the resource hospital

 

[That_Radio_Geek]

19? There are 2 Active VHF 155.340 and 155.400 in the north burbs. mostly by private ambulances Most everyone else uses Cell phones to the resource hospital

I was counting the total number of VHF high frequencies on one of those RR lists. I assumed they were all part of the VHF Merci list. I'm wondering how many Merci and Med "channels" are in use in Chicago, and the surrounding burbs north, NW, west, south, SW, etc.

 

[FFPM571]

I was counting the total number of VHF high frequencies on one of those RR lists. I assumed they were all part of the VHF Merci list. I'm wondering how many Merci and Med "channels" are in use in Chicago, and the surrounding burbs north, NW, west, south, SW, etc.

Merci is those 2 VHF 155.340 for the whole state. Except north cook and Lake county who uses 155.400. When I started in EMS in 1986 I had never used the UHF med Channels, my entire 28 year carreer, We started using cell phones in the suburbs in the late 80's Chicago FD used The UHF med Channels

 

[scanman1958]

I started in EMS in 1980 and stayed for just over forty years. I was licensed for MO and IL as we made responses and transports to and from both states from the St Louis metro area.

In MO our main UHF channels were the old MED 1 thru 8 to contact the hospitals. It was right out of the Emergency play book as we used portable Med radios just like Johnny and Roy. We even sent 'strips' to the ER's. Included with those MED channels were MED 9 & MED 10. Also known as dispatch 1 and 2. Our agency used 462.975 (Med 2) as our dispatch channel. I also remember running long distance transfers to Chicago and hearing what sounded like Chicago Childrens Hospital security on 462.975 with a different PL. There was a county (fire dept) in northern IL that utilized 462.950 (Med 9) to dispatch units too. That was well over 10 years ago.

Those radios have long been mothballed. It's been a couple decades since they were in use.

There were a few VHF channels that were used in both states in the St Louis area. They were 155.160, 155.220, 155.280 and 155.340. Even though they were mainly used by ambulance services 155.220 was also utilized by rural school bus companies. 155.160 and 155.280 were used mainly in IL for EMS. IL used all four channels but mostly those two. MO mostly used 155.22 and 155.340.

Today in IL 155.220 is used as a dispatch channel for a few services in the metro east. Within the last decade IL was using the other three channels for patient reports now and then.

In MO, 155.340 is probably the only VHF channel used for patient reports. It is also a common channel for helicopter reports.

As noted above, cell phone reports are the norm these days.

As an extra note...in St Louis County, the fire departments that have ambulances, have the ability to use a few talkgroups on the county's SLATER system to give patient reports. Though they are rarely used.

 

[werinshades]

Also an old timer in EMS here...since 1983, working a couple private ambulances prior to working for the Chicago Fire Department for 27 years and very happily retired. We rarely used MERCI, mainly the Med channels, initially were on simplex, then on a repeater. When we started carrying cell phones for personal use, an idea was spawned from the field asking why we didn't use them to contact our resource or associate hospitals. Phone numbers were added to cell phones and they we were. The city issued us pre-programmed cell phones, and it was a mix between old school and new school as to what was used...radio or phone.

As far as scanner programming, they're not very active these days. Cell phone usage is the primary source, and since cell phone plans come with unlimited minutes, bluetooth capaable cell phones so both hands can be free, technology has taken over. At one time, I submitted a list in the database as to which hospitals had which CTCSS tones etc., but it was scrapped and moved to various hospital listings. While you might catch something now and then on the Med channels or MERCI in regards to CFD, it will be a rarity more than the norm.

 

[FFPM571]

Also an old timer in EMS here...since 1983, working a couple private ambulances prior to working for the Chicago Fire Department for 27 years and very happily retired. We rarely used MERCI, mainly the Med channels, initially were on simplex, then on a repeater. When we started carrying cell phones for personal use, an idea was spawned from the field asking why we didn't use them to contact our resource or associate hospitals. Phone numbers were added to cell phones and they we were. The city issued us pre-programmed cell phones, and it was a mix between old school and new school as to what was used...radio or phone.

As far as scanner programming, they're not very active these days. Cell phone usage is the primary source, and since cell phone plans come with unlimited minutes, bluetooth capaable cell phones so both hands can be free, technology has taken over. At one time, I submitted a list in the database as to which hospitals had which CTCSS tones etc., but it was scrapped and moved to various hospital listings. While you might catch something now and then on the Med channels or MERCI in regards to CFD, it will be a rarity more than the norm.

We mainly called in on the Tele line for everything as we knew they would answer. MERCI was a crap shoot if the speaker was turned up. We had our mobile Cell phone in a cradle in the rig for years before getting a Sonim phone. I had .340 and 400 in my personal XTS that I carried and occasionally called a report in if we were very close as we were bringing the PT to the rig.