EPS call sign question

[1981k20]

What do the Whiskey, Yankee, India, Tango designations mean when an officer calls in? (ex: 'Tango-20') I know what the different divisions are (A,B,C,D) but not the others. I've tried figuring them out and still can't get a few (Y,F,G). Does anyone have a list anywhere?

Thanks

 

[Tracker852]

Its called the phonetic alphabet.

A google search will get you all the info you need but here's a start fot you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/nato_phonetic_alphabet

 

[richster]

Its called the phonetic alphabet.

A google search will get you all the info you need but here's a start fot you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/nato_phonetic_alphabet

Hi Tracker852,

I think you're misunderstanding his question. He's asking what they specifically mean within the EPS, not what they mean in the phonetic alphabet.

For instance the RCMP designate the letter "C" for a normal patrol car. The EPS must have similar designations, but use different letters. He just wants to know what they mean.

Regards,
Richster.

 

[1981k20]

Sorry, I mis worded that. I know what the letters mean just not what job the officer saying it has. For example, what is an 'India car'? (investigator???) Or when the dispatcher asks if there's an 'Whiskey' car on...what is he looking for?

 

[richster]

Sorry, I mis worded that.

Nope it was fine.

MatteBlack or edmscan are very knowlegable and will definately be able to help you when they see this.

Regards,
Richster.

 

[electricsheep]

What do the Whiskey, Yankee, India, Tango designations mean when an officer calls in? (ex: 'Tango-20') I know what the different divisions are (A,B,C,D) but not the others. I've tried figuring them out and still can't get a few (Y,F,G). Does anyone have a list anywhere?

Thanks

W - Various from Crime Scene to street crimes - all sorts of units have a W district.
Y - Mainly special projects teams, which can be assigned to all sorts of different... er... projects,
I - Units like TRAP auto theft team and other specialized teams.
T - Traffic units
F - North division units, just like B units
G - South division units, just like C units

 

[electricsheep]

Just a quick update to what I wrote last night. You will rarely hear Y units, as they operate on the covert channels. Same with most of the I and W units. It's like spotting a rare bird when you hear a I car on the dispatch channels. You will hear low numbered W units operating on the dispatch channels, but they are usually only people like crime scene investigators booking on or off and routing. F and G are common in the clear. T units also will mainly be in digital and unmonitorable, unless all of their traffic channels are full and they spill over onto rarely used channels like Parks. You will usually only hear the ABCD and assisting districts on the dispatch channels (the ones you can hear with a scanner), and most other more specialized units (including all of traffic branch) have digital channels they like to call home because they know they are safe.

 

[Jay911]

Just to add a Calgary slant to this ...

Calgary thought they would try to renumber their cars similar to the RCMP a few years back. It was almost universally rejected and there are only a few remnants of it hanging around in the fleet these days.. but instead of using the letter to indicate service type, they chose to indicate what shift the crew was. So 4A23 would be District 4, first shift, car 23. I presume that would be the shift that comes on at midnight. So if your shift started at 8:30am and there were other shifts that started at 00:00, 01:30, 03:00, 04:00, 06:30, 07:00, and then you, you would be G shift and your callsign 4G23.

May have an indication as to why it never caught on.

 

[SCPD]

Just to add a Calgary slant to this ...

Calgary thought they would try to renumber their cars similar to the RCMP a few years back. It was almost universally rejected and there are only a few remnants of it hanging around in the fleet these days.. but instead of using the letter to indicate service type, they chose to indicate what shift the crew was. So 4A23 would be District 4, first shift, car 23. I presume that would be the shift that comes on at midnight. So if your shift started at 8:30am and there were other shifts that started at 00:00, 01:30, 03:00, 04:00, 06:30, 07:00, and then you, you would be G shift and your callsign 4G23.

May have an indication as to why it never caught on.

Edmonton does it slightly different, So 1B23, 1 would be first shift, B being the Division in this case north and 23 being the district. It gets a little more complicated once the number exceeds 40 something, then the number gets into ranking, A supervisor would be 1B63

Beyond the letter I and thru Z, In most cases, the first number is dropped and referred to on air as I23, S23, W1, Z23 and as Matteblack said it's rare we hear an I, J, K, L, O, P, R, T, U, V, W, X, on the air.

 

[SCPD]

This is why I only listen to EMS and EFR now. They are alot less confusing .. *and I banged my head at birth when the doctor dropped me*

I think that you guys have given a pretty good description of what the callsigns are made of.

So just a little bit of info that may be handy when listening to your scanner:

A,B,C and D Division Cars .. (as well as E,F,G and H follow a similar pattern)

1-57 Normal Patrol Cars
58-59 Wagons
60-69 Sergeant Cars
70-79 Staff Sergeant Cars
S81 Duty Officer

This is about as far up the chain I know ..

I do agree that listening to your scanner you will not hear too many cars other than these, as most of the other cars have gone to digital channels (which cannot be listened to) after the Overtime incident.

 

[1981k20]

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it!!!

 

[Jay911]

For instance the RCMP designate the letter "C" for a normal patrol car.

In Alberta, it goes something like this for the Mounties.. I'm sure I will be corrected on any that are out of date..

A - Rural (i.e. 'out in the country')
B - Town (i.e. bustling downtown Cochrane, Strathmore, Red Deer, etc)
C - Highway Patrol
D - Support
E - Investigations
F - Unknown (last I heard this was high ranking officers, I think)
G - Freeway Patrol (generally Hwy 2 between Cgy & Edm)
Z - Command post (i.e. bus/motorhome/etc)

I'm 99% certain on A/B/C, although the way Cochrane runs their detachment (they're closest to me), pretty much any car will take any call.. I routinely see B cars way outside town working incidents with me. The rest will be, as I said, corrected forthwith by others, I'm sure.

 

[Chilliwack40]

In Alberta, it goes something like this for the Mounties.. I'm sure I will be corrected on any that are out of date..

A - Rural (i.e. 'out in the country')
B - Town (i.e. bustling downtown Cochrane, Strathmore, Red Deer, etc)
C - Highway Patrol
D - Support
E - Investigations
F - Unknown (last I heard this was high ranking officers, I think)
G - Freeway Patrol (generally Hwy 2 between Cgy & Edm)
Z - Command post (i.e. bus/motorhome/etc)

I'm 99% certain on A/B/C, although the way Cochrane runs their detachment (they're closest to me), pretty much any car will take any call.. I routinely see B cars way outside town working incidents with me. The rest will be, as I said, corrected forthwith by others, I'm sure.

Not a bad effort...but here we go.

A - General Duty(Provincial Contract)
B - General Duty(Municipal Contract)
C - Traffic
D - Plain Clothes(GIS/Drugs/Street Crimes)
E - Specialty Units(PDS/Ident/ERT/Radio Techs/etc..)
F - Admin
G - Marine


Unless of course you live in BC, then its a completely different ball game that could support its own thread entirely!!!

 

[elray4321]

I've heard both G and C cars on highway 2. Haven't confirmed it, but G cars might possibly be unmarked freeway patrol. Also hearing T cars on RCMP freq., which are the new sheriff cars.
MPK is the designation for the RCMP helicopter. Anyone know if MPK stands for anything? They flew over my house a couple weeks ago on the way to Sundre. Pretty cool to hear them talk and watch them out the window at the same time!

 

[Jay911]

It's just the last three letters of the callsign/license for the aircraft (known to Transport Canada, the licensing agency, as the 'mark').

C-FMPK is the Alberta machine, IIRC; it's a Bell 206. There's an Astar out there somewhere with the service too, as C-GMPK. "MP" of course for the "mounted police" (didn't know you could get vanity callsigns, did you? - Calgary Police Service used to have C-FCPS - note the last 3 letters - and now has C-FHWC - again, last 3 hint towards the machine it licenses, HAWC2).

This link should take you to a list of aircraft photos on airliners.net with "RCMP" in the description.. there's more than a few helicopters in there. I haven't been able to find a shot of MPK for ages, though.

And this link will take you to a page where you can search for any aircraft registered in Canada by any number of criteria. When searching by mark, leave off the "C-" part. Try "FBWJ" for a freebie starter.

 

[boy_ryan22]

Just to add a Calgary slant to this ...

Calgary thought they would try to renumber their cars similar to the RCMP a few years back. It was almost universally rejected and there are only a few remnants of it hanging around in the fleet these days.. but instead of using the letter to indicate service type, they chose to indicate what shift the crew was. So 4A23 would be District 4, first shift, car 23. I presume that would be the shift that comes on at midnight. So if your shift started at 8:30am and there were other shifts that started at 00:00, 01:30, 03:00, 04:00, 06:30, 07:00, and then you, you would be G shift and your callsign 4G23.

May have an indication as to why it never caught on.

Heh, Well it must have caught on. Vancouver Police does it that way. I believe A-G are all shifts. and the Ones I can remember after that are:

K - K9
L - Detectives
M - Mounted Squad
P - Event Units
S - what we call "Safe Ride"
T - Traffic
V - I think are Victims Services
X - Riot / Crowd Control Units
Y - Youth Squad
Z - ERT/SWAT

 

[electricsheep]

C-FMPK is the Alberta machine, IIRC; it's a Bell 206. There's an Astar out there somewhere with the service too, as C-GMPK.

MPK is due to be replaced this spring apparently. Edmonton is getting an ASTAR as well to replace the old 206. It will also be a MP*, just have to wait for it to arrive.

 

[1981k20]

What do you figure Victor-99 on EPS would be? Just heard him call in for a file number. Thanks for all the info, I knew nothing!!!

Shaun.

 

[electricsheep]

Victim Services.

 

[1981k20]

Thanks.