Los Angeles FD - radio history - ??

[zerg901]

I found a little more info in one of my notebooks

from 1979 "Visiting Fireman"

Los Angeles City FD radio channels

Ch 1 - 506.3125

Ch 2 - 506.5375

Ch 3 - 506.9125

Ch 4 - 507.1375

Ch 5 - 506.6375

Ch 6 - 507.0125

Ch 7 - Central / West / South - 33.70

Ch 9 - Valley - 33.90

Ch 11 - Command - 33.60

=============

and from an unknown source of unknown vintage - this info comes from one of my old notebooks - ( the notes might have been taken in 1982 ish )

LA City - 33.48 - 33.86 - 33.60 - 33.70 - 33.56 - 33.94 - 33.52 - 33.90 - 33.82

33.48 is indicated to be Channel 12

-----

these might be some sort of radio links that LAFD used

Glendale - 6705 - 6745 - 460.525

LA - 959.6 - 956 - 6625

----------------

Baldwin Hill base linked to Verdugo base by microwave

Mt Lee connected to Station 109 and City Hall by microwave

Station 109 connected to Westlake by wireline

City Hall connected to Westlake by wireline

(my notes are a little wonky on this - there are lines pointing in various directions showing various connections - so some of this might be all wrong)

 

[zerg901]

The LAFD Radio History Timeline has been updated at Los Angeles City Calif Pub Safety - LAFD Radio History

It could use much more love but I dont know how we can dig up the info. Probably lots of radio license info is buried in a 3rd sub basement under the FCC in Washington DC. Where it will stay.

 

[zerg901]

Another very interesting milestone would have been when PL / CTCS was added to the low band radio system. Anyone know when that happened? If ever?

 

[AM909]

Another very interesting milestone would have been when PL / CTCS was added to the low band radio system. Anyone know when that happened? If ever?

Research might start around the time of the first co-channel licensee in the US, maybe during the summer months when the skip comes in. RB puts the origin of PL by Motorola in the early 1950s.

 

[Engine104]

Do you guys remember the audible beeps? Digicom, I think it was?

 

[zerg901]

https://www.cert-la.com/downloads/radio/LAFD-Voice-Frequencies-REV-04172011.pdf

2011 Ch5 and Ch9 receive designations as Brush / River and Structure Fire

Interagency channels are at 866 Mhz to 868 Mhz

 

[mikegilbert]

Do you guys remember the audible beeps? Digicom, I think it was?

Do you have any recordings of it?

 

[ladn]

I found a little more info in one of my notebooks

from 1979 "Visiting Fireman"

I recall Channel 8 being 33.820 for (San Fernando) Valley dispatch/Division 3. Channel 9 (33.90) was for brush fires.

 

[Engine104]

Do you have any recordings of it?

Unfortunately, no.

 

[zerg901]

I recall Channel 8 being 33.820 for (San Fernando) Valley dispatch/Division 3. Channel 9 (33.90) was for brush fires.

there was a change at some point due to skip on 33.9

harry marnell talked about it here LAFD: Reminiscing the Old Days

 

[zerg901]

little more LAFD info

LAFD freqs from Monitoring America 1985

Ch 1 to Ch 6 tac on UHF ... except that Ch 4 is for Rescue Ambulances

Ch 7 33.70 Dispatch South

Ch 8 33.82 Dispatch Valley

Ch 9 33.90 alt dispatch

Ch 10 33.94 alt dispatch

Ch 11 33.60 Command 1 / pIO

Ch 12 33.48 Command 2

Ch 13 33.52 command / car to car

Ch 14 33.86 mutual aid

===============

my comments

maybe ch 4 on uhf was the home channel for all of the ambulances in the city

not sure who 33.86 connects to

ch 13 was probably mobiles only

command channels might have only been installed in chiefs radios

the 'alt dispatch' channels were maybe used as response channels on major fires

notes written in the book show 123.175 for helos from July 1985 RCMA
and 959.9 maybe a link channel from March 1986 RCMA

============

we will continue to update the timeline and make the info available here on RR

 

[zerg901]

https://ia800901.us.archive.org/11/items/DTIC_AD0702769/DTIC_AD0702769.pdf

analysis of LAFD vs 1965 Watts Riots

3 dispatch centers

4 radio channels = westlake + san pedro + coldwater + command

if you search for 'radio' you will get 18 hits and you will see that
dispatching fell way behind