Do different departments communicate with each other? Out my way they call it the intercity or hotline channel.
Our major departments don't interop a lot except for major situations. Most frequently I'll hear a Highway Patrol helicopter talking to LAPD or Sheriff units (or dispatch) on either an "access channel" or directly within their respective systems. Large fires will also generate interop traffic.
Other channels of potential interest to you (look up the actual frequencies in the RR database) include:
- Marine Channel 16
- LA City FD Ch. 7, 8, 9 (plus a plethora of tac channels you can put in a separate zone)
- LA County FD Ch 4 (plus tac channels in a separate zone)
- LAPD Metro and SWAT channels
- LAPD Tac channels
- LA Sheriff A-tac, L-tac and C-tac channels
- California Highway Patrol "blue" and tac channels (for freeway pursuits)
- ZLA air traffic control frequencies, plus LAX tower and ground
- Milair "Beaver" frequencies (Military Radio Comms VHF/UHF Frequencies )
- 123.025 for news helicopters
With the exception of LAPD and ICIS systems, which are P25 with ICIS being trunked,
most other agency are conventional NFM.
While I have them in separate zones on my scanners, I don't usually monitor LAPD or LASD dispatch channels as there is just way too much talking. Major incidents will switch over to tac channels. I will monitor the LA City (7,8,9) and County (4) FD dispatch channels, but most of the runs will be medical. They usually assign a tac channel(s) with the initial response dispatch for fires.
Happy listening.
