Forest Fire crews

[Jay911]

Hi all,

Heard last night on my local news that crews from Alberta have been deployed into the NW states to assist your local crews with forest fires. Washington was specifically mentioned, along with Oregon, so I thought I'd start with WA since it's closer. Curiosity has gotten the better of me, and I'm wondering - when out of state fire teams come in and work in your area, do they maintain their call signs from their home region, and use their radios from there as well, or are they assigned locally compatible call signs and frequencies, or a combination of both?

Alberta's radio system is fairly interoperable with British Columbia and possibly elsewhere, but I don't know for sure. From the looks of things, there's far too much frequency overlap for Alberta crews to use their own radios in WA. However, if they do, what I've got posted in the AB provincial database should be a good start for anyone interested.

Second part of the question deals with their callsigns. The team closest to me, operating in the Elbow River Valley, is known as "Elbow HAC" around here. Again, just curious what kind of callsigns your teams use, and/or if incoming teams are reassigned callsigns conforming to your local area, or keep their own names.

Thanks and stay safe!

 

[icom1020]

Depends on how 'out of area' they are. In state teams sometimes use 'rednet' in Wash.state, (if they still have VHF radios and not a Fed complex fire such as DNR cord) Out of area teams or those with non-VHF capability and on a USFS or Fed fire are probably issued radios from the InterAgency Cache on the Forest Service region plan.

DNR also has their own radio plan and some in-state fire dists. have certain freqs for use.

I believe the strike teams and others just use 'names'

 

[icom1020]

Actually, I re read my post and should add that a lot of coordination occurs and multiple agencies couldl be using more than one radio system If it's a large complex fire, monitoring federal as well as statewide and local would be advised

 

[icom1020]

The fire near Dayton Wa is now the nation's top firefighting priority

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/local/story/8119393p-8011766c.html

 

[mikeh]

i can not find new freqs

i can not find new freqs for this fire do you have any

 

[KE7TJK]

I'm in eastern Wa and they use VHF here; both DNR and the USFS, with multiple repeaters. All fires that DNR or USFS responds to in this area use thise freqs.

Last time I was involved with either agency we did use the state RedNet, which is VHF.

Not sure what they are using on the Dayton, Steheken or other fires.

 

[Stavro35]

Logged for the 2006 fire season from my location in Bainbridge island Washington ..

164.150 Olympic national forest
166.6875 NIFC -Air
169.90 U.S.F.S
415.225 U.S.F.S
415.275 U.S.F.S
This list does not include local fire department's