Major fire in Cleveland

[subclavius]

There's a structure fire a 216 West 2nd Street on TG 11696. They're hailing station 100 and 300 and chief 100. Unit 40 is responding.

Oh no.....I can't believe this....it's a false alarm (8:53 pm), just TIKI TORCHES AND A BBQ. The fire trucks heading through downtown are having trouble getting turned around.

On a more positive note, they really brought out the big guns, and they even had calls out to watercraft. It makes me feel a little bit better about living in a downtown apartment if a call gets this kind of response. I'll definitely think about this the next time the local FD calls me looking for a donation.

 

[FPO703]

I don't know how you are able to monitor Cleveland FD. They are on a system that is not able to be monitored by any current scanner on the market. Also, Station 100, 300, Unit 40? Cleveland FD doesn't use those ID numbers.

216 West 2nd is not a valid address in Cleveland. That would place it in the middle of Public Square.

 

[subclavius]

Thanks. From here on out I'm going to be running everything on ARC396 when I'm listening at home because the recording feature may make confirmation easier.

TG 11696 is listed on the RR database as Emergency Common channel 15. It looks like each group has their channels spaced in increments of 16, for example ECOMM-14 has TG 11680 and ECOMM-15 has TG 11696, but then there is only a 6 digit jump to ECOMM-16 at TG 11712. After that they jump back up to 16 digit increments again. Is there any special reason for break in protocol?

And for curiosity's sake, does anyone know why the 16 digit spacing is used, and has anybody had any luck with loading unlisted ID's in the scanner by noticing the gaps in the posted numbers and finding a good channel?

 

[FPO703]

What system are you looking at in the RR Database that shows ECOMM-16? That is probably Ohio MARCS. And, the jump between 11696 to 11712 is 16, not 6.

 

[rdale]

ECOMM-15 is in use for the Findlay flooding, and Findlay has a 216 2nd St, so my guess is that's what he heard... Explains the watercraft comment.

Cleveland -- Findlay -- about the same ;>

 

[radioscan]

And for curiosity's sake, does anyone know why the 16 digit spacing is used, and has anybody had any luck with loading unlisted ID's in the scanner by noticing the gaps in the posted numbers and finding a good channel?

MARCS is not a fully digital system yet. It is running digital voice at 3600 baud as a SmartZone Omnilink system, that is why the spacing is still 16.
There are no "gaps" in the talkgroups.

 

[subclavius]

Thanks guys! In addition to the ARC396, I think I'll start using my calculator a little more often, too. That or quit getting up so damn early in the morning...

I'm surprised the reception was so clear. I've read where MARCS will carry a transmission across the state if other agencies local to the receiver are involved, but if this was in Findlay there wouldn't have had enough time for the Cleveland FD to participate, the whole thing was over in less than 10 minutes. I guess I better go back to the database page and load the Toledo info!

 

[rdale]

Now I'm really confused... Cleveland FD has NOTHING to do with this incident. Never did, and never would responsd.

Toledo has nothing to do with this incident either.

Reception being clear is because the MARCS tower is in Cleveland, you are not picking up a direct transmission from Findlay. It is being relayed via towers and microwave.

 

[Dubbin]

ECOMM-15 is in use for the Findlay flooding, and Findlay has a 216 2nd St, so my guess is that's what he heard... Explains the watercraft comment.

Cleveland -- Findlay -- about the same ;>

Your guess would be wrong.

Findlay does not have a station 100 or 300, we also do not have a chief 100 a unit 40 or a 216 West 2nd street.

Oh and Cleveland and Findlay are not even close to being the same... Findlay is a pretty nice little town and Cleveland is one large crap hole.

 

[rdale]

Is this whole thread a hoax then?

 

[fpo701]

Pretty much. It should be noted the orignal poster did mention he is getting a lot of unid'd TGs that are not in the 16-step-size pattern. This is most likely because he has his status bit turned on.

For that user (subclavius), please turn off status bit on that MARCS system. It is not currently used and will cause confusion to many in the RRDB user community.

 

[subclavius]

Got it, thanks fpo701. To clarify for Dubbin, my comment was to wonder why MARCS would relay that traffic to Cleveland when obviously they weren't going to be involved.

I had not previously downloaded any frequencies from RR outside of Cuyahoga county, thinking I wouldn't be able to hear them under more traditional circumstances. But if MARCS will be sending communications statewide, either from inter-agency involvement or by error, then it might be worthwhile to include some of the more distant cities, like Toledo, in the scanner's memory. It was an interesting moment to find on the scanner, even if it was a false alarm. It seems like all you hear in Cleveland are reports of guns fired and people fighting each other.

 

[eorange]

MARCS is not a fully digital system yet.

Does that mean there are some analog voice talkgroups...?

 

[rdale]

No, they are all digital.

 

[radioscan]

Does that mean there are some analog voice talkgroups...?

No. All talkgroups are digital voice systemwide.

 

[subclavius]

There's another fire being fought right now, moderated by "tower one" and "command". The talk group ID is 43472, which is in the RR database as Highland Hills FD-Unknown use. They've just asked for permission for search & rescue and are currently ventilating the "A" and "B" sides. No exact address given or intercepted yet...on freq 866.1000

It looks like this might be a training exercise, a "firefighting training" is switching out a couple of "firefighters". Good listening though....

 

[mdulrich]

Your guess would be wrong.

Findlay does not have a station 100 or 300, we also do not have a chief 100 a unit 40 or a 216 West 2nd street.

Oh and Cleveland and Findlay are not even close to being the same... Findlay is a pretty nice little town and Cleveland is one large crap hole.

This would be Ottawa, Ohio calls. ECOMM-15 has been used in Ottawa and the station 100, 200, 300, etc. is the Putnam County numbering scheme.
http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&action=codes&code_id=722

Mike