Moving to AZ

[MEDIC135]

So I’m moving to the Phoenix area in a few months and I’m trying to study how to properly monitor the fire radios. Looks like most of the dispatches are on VHF and then they move to the TRS but I’m not too sure.
If anyone could help guide me on what I need to program in that would be greatly appreciated.

 

[GlobalNorth]

Regional Wireless Cooperative is the largest player in the metro Phoenix area. Topaz Wireless is the other and serves the SE valley. You should get a radio capable of simulcast for clarity of dispatch [K deck on RWC and C deck on Topaz]. All calls effectively start on 700/800 MHz and may get assigned to VHF channels if SCBA is required [house fires, HAZMAT, etc]. Non-SCBA calls such as injury accidents, drownings, EMS calls are generally assigned to K deck.

Yes, you can do VHF only, but you will miss a lot of calls that are broadcast and worked only on 700/800 MHz.

Buy a SDS radio and get them all in one receiver.

Fire Phoenix Regional Radio Network

www.phoenix.gov

 

[KB7MIB]

For the Phoenix FD Regional Dispatch Center, the largest in the region, dispatches are sent out on both A-1 (VHF-High) and K-1 (RWC trunked system) simultaneously.

The nature and location of the call determine whether they are assigned to a K-deck talkgroup or an A-deck analog conventional VHF-High simplex channel.

Fire and HazMat incidents will generally be assigned to a VHF-High channel. EMS incidents will generally be assigned to a K-deck talkgroup.

Incidents in Tonopah or Harquahala Valley, which are well West of Phoenix along I-10, do not yet have sufficient coverage by the RWC, so all calls are (normally) assigned to A-13 at this time. When the new RWC site in Tonopah goes online, that may change.

Additonally, calls in Black Canyon City and the Sunset Point rest area along I-17 North of Phoenix will usually be assigned to A-10. Again, because the RWC doesn't have coverage that far north.

I heard another exception this past week. An injury acident involving a towed RV. Squad 44 was assigned to HazMat sector to check on a possible propane leak in the RV, and although you could hear that they were wearing SCBA, they were still on the assigned K-11 talkgroup.

Mesa FD Regional Dispatch also dispatches on both VHF-High (B-deck) and the TOPAZ RWC (C-deck) simultaneously, but seems to prefer to keep things, including small fires, on the C-deck talkgroups. Larger working fires will be assigned to a B-deck analog conventional VHF-High simplex channel.

The vast majority of calls are EMS in nature, so the vast majority of calls will be assigned to either K-deck or C-deck respectively.

Rural-Metro Fire Inc, a private for profit EMS provider and fire protection company, only uses VHF-High channels in the Phoenix metro area, Maricopa and Pinal counties. (I think they're on the PCWIN trunked system in Pima County, but I could be wrong. I'm not sure about their operations in Yuma County.)

There are a few other FD's in the region. There are 3 Indian reservations in the Metro area, and all 3 have their own fire department. All 3 are on a trunked system. (Ft. McDowell on the TOPAZ RWC, the Salt River and Gila River FD's on their own systems.) Luke AFB fire is on Luke's trunked system. Tonto Hills is a very small volunteer district in an HOA on the north end of Cave Creek on a VHF-High repeater. Circle City-Morristown, northwest of Phoenix between Surprise and Wickenburg at the juncture of US 60 and SR 74, is on another VHF-High repeater. Wickenburg, farther up US 60 at the juncture with SR 93, is also on a VHF-High repeater.

John
Peoria

 

[MEDIC135]

Thank you for the helpful info
I currently have Motorola radios and Unication pagers so I’ll be set for everything

 

[b1100mac]

i moved from fountain hills 2 years ago, and you are are on the right track, a unication g5 is ALL you will need to listen to everything. I had 2 and missed nothing. If you want i can see if i can find my old code plug and send it to you. All you would need is to add the new Maricopa County Sheriff system that wasn't up when i left,,,,bob

 

[speedway_navigator]

I’m moving to the Phoenix area in a few months

Another political refugee from California, like me.

 

[scannerizer]

So I’m moving to the Phoenix area in a few months and I’m trying to study how to properly monitor the fire radios. Looks like most of the dispatches are on VHF and then they move to the TRS but I’m not too sure.
If anyone could help guide me on what I need to program in that would be greatly appreciated.

I ditto what everyone else said. Phoenix Alarm (which dispatches for the lion's share of agencies), uses a simplex VHF system, for hazard calls (basically anything that requires donning an SCBA), as well as P-25 trunked, Regional Wireless Cooperative (K-Deck). Mesa-Gilbert area fire dispatch (on TOPAZ), uses their B-Deck VHF channels, as well as trunked "C-Deck," channels.

I believe Rural-Metro Fire is strictly on VHF.

Keep in mind that the VHF tacticals, as stated above, are simplex - meaning they cannot be monitored unless you are in the vicinity of the fire, etc.

 

[cfsimmont]

I ditto what everyone else said. Phoenix Alarm (which dispatches for the lion's share of agencies), uses a simplex VHF system, for hazard calls (basically anything that requires donning an SCBA), as well as P-25 trunked, Regional Wireless Cooperative (K-Deck). Mesa-Gilbert area fire dispatch (on TOPAZ), uses their B-Deck VHF channels, as well as trunked "C-Deck," channels.

I believe Rural-Metro Fire is strictly on VHF.

Keep in mind that the VHF tacticals, as stated above, are simplex - meaning they cannot be monitored unless you are in the vicinity of the fire, etc.

Rural Metro runs on few vhf channels here in the valley, Maricopa and Pinal counties. Down in Tucson they are on the PCWINS system. In Yuma they may be on AZWINS as most of the agencies down there are. Rural Metro at least in East Maricopa County has the ability to communicate on the Mesa Topaz system for Mutual Aid calls, but they aren't dispatched there. I don't know if they are ever on the Phx RWC in similar situations. The Phx and Mesa VHF channels (fires and other hazard calls) can be heard in various areas throughout the valley with a decent handheld antenna, you will be able to hear dispatch but not the portables or mobiles unless you are near them. I have heard the Mesa channels as far out as Sun City and Buckeye and I can often hear some of the Phx channels in Pinal County.

 

[MEDIC135]

For the Phoenix FD Regional Dispatch Center, the largest in the region, dispatches are sent out on both A-1 (VHF-High) and K-1 (RWC trunked system) simultaneously.

The nature and location of the call determine whether they are assigned to a K-deck talkgroup or an A-deck analog conventional VHF-High simplex channel.

Fire and HazMat incidents will generally be assigned to a VHF-High channel. EMS incidents will generally be assigned to a K-deck talkgroup.

Incidents in Tonopah or Harquahala Valley, which are well West of Phoenix along I-10, do not yet have sufficient coverage by the RWC, so all calls are (normally) assigned to A-13 at this time. When the new RWC site in Tonopah goes online, that may change.

Additonally, calls in Black Canyon City and the Sunset Point rest area along I-17 North of Phoenix will usually be assigned to A-10. Again, because the RWC doesn't have coverage that far north.

I heard another exception this past week. An injury acident involving a towed RV. Squad 44 was assigned to HazMat sector to check on a possible propane leak in the RV, and although you could hear that they were wearing SCBA, they were still on the assigned K-11 talkgroup.

Mesa FD Regional Dispatch also dispatches on both VHF-High (B-deck) and the TOPAZ RWC (C-deck) simultaneously, but seems to prefer to keep things, including small fires, on the C-deck talkgroups. Larger working fires will be assigned to a B-deck analog conventional VHF-High simplex channel.

The vast majority of calls are EMS in nature, so the vast majority of calls will be assigned to either K-deck or C-deck respectively.

Rural-Metro Fire Inc, a private for profit EMS provider and fire protection company, only uses VHF-High channels in the Phoenix metro area, Maricopa and Pinal counties. (I think they're on the PCWIN trunked system in Pima County, but I could be wrong. I'm not sure about their operations in Yuma County.)

There are a few other FD's in the region. There are 3 Indian reservations in the Metro area, and all 3 have their own fire department. All 3 are on a trunked system. (Ft. McDowell on the TOPAZ RWC, the Salt River and Gila River FD's on their own systems.) Luke AFB fire is on Luke's trunked system. Tonto Hills is a very small volunteer district in an HOA on the north end of Cave Creek on a VHF-High repeater. Circle City-Morristown, northwest of Phoenix between Surprise and Wickenburg at the juncture of US 60 and SR 74, is on another VHF-High repeater. Wickenburg, farther up US 60 at the juncture with SR 93, is also on a VHF-High repeater.

John
Peoria

Now when programming PHX from the RWC into a radio, do I program in just the Simulcast B site? Or do I program in all sites?

 

[KB7MIB]

Simulcast B covers the City of Phoenix, and at least a few miles around it.
Simulcast C covers the City of Chandler, the City of Maricopa, and a few miles around them.
Simulcast D covers the Anthem, Desert Hills, and New River areas.
Simulcast F covers their City of Tempe, and a few miles around it.
Simulcast G covers the West Valley. (Glendale, Peoria, Sun City, Youngtown, El Mirage, Surprise, Sun City West, Maryvale-Phoenix, Laveen, Tolleson, Avondale, Goodyear) and a few miles around them.
Simulcast H covers the City of Scottsdale, the Town of Paradise Valley, and a few miles around them.
Simulcast J covers the City of Buckeye, the City of Goodyear, and a few miles around them.

The IR sites don't carry much, if at all. Thompson Peak and the White Tanks carry K2 regularly. Towers Mtn carries K1 and K6 much of the time, if not full time. (It helps with coverage in the Wittmann area, and possibly in the northern areas of Peoria.) The Quintero site is only active if a subscriber radio is in the small community off Carefree Highway west of Lake Pleasant in far northwest Peoria.

I have all of them programmed in, and I select the appropriate simulcast(s) for where I am or will be. I avoid the rest. If you have a GPS-capable scanner, attaching a GPS to your scanner, and programming it to do so, will enable your scanner to automatically turn the sites on and off as you travel.

John
Peoria

 

[MEDIC135]

Simulcast B covers the City of Phoenix, and at least a few miles around it.
Simulcast C covers the City of Chandler, the City of Maricopa, and a few miles around them.
Simulcast D covers the Anthem, Desert Hills, and New River areas.
Simulcast F covers their City of Tempe, and a few miles around it.
Simulcast G covers the West Valley. (Glendale, Peoria, Sun City, Youngtown, El Mirage, Surprise, Sun City West, Maryvale-Phoenix, Laveen, Tolleson, Avondale, Goodyear) and a few miles around them.
Simulcast H covers the City of Scottsdale, the Town of Paradise Valley, and a few miles around them.
Simulcast J covers the City of Buckeye, the City of Goodyear, and a few miles around them.

The IR sites don't carry much, if at all. Thompson Peak and the White Tanks carry K2 regularly. Towers Mtn carries K1 and K6 much of the time, if not full time. (It helps with coverage in the Wittmann area, and possibly in the northern areas of Peoria.) The Quintero site is only active if a subscriber radio is in the small community off Carefree Highway west of Lake Pleasant in far northwest Peoria.

I have all of them programmed in, and I select the appropriate simulcast(s) for where I am or will be. I avoid the rest. If you have a GPS-capable scanner, attaching a GPS to your scanner, and programming it to do so, will enable your scanner to automatically turn the sites on and off as you travel.

John
Peoria

Awesome! Thank you for all the super helpful info. You’re making the transition a lot more easy!!

 

[scannerizer]

Simulcast B covers the City of Phoenix, and at least a few miles around it.
Simulcast C covers the City of Chandler, the City of Maricopa, and a few miles around them.
Simulcast D covers the Anthem, Desert Hills, and New River areas.
Simulcast F covers their City of Tempe, and a few miles around it.
Simulcast G covers the West Valley. (Glendale, Peoria, Sun City, Youngtown, El Mirage, Surprise, Sun City West, Maryvale-Phoenix, Laveen, Tolleson, Avondale, Goodyear) and a few miles around them.
Simulcast H covers the City of Scottsdale, the Town of Paradise Valley, and a few miles around them.
Simulcast J covers the City of Buckeye, the City of Goodyear, and a few miles around them.

The IR sites don't carry much, if at all. Thompson Peak and the White Tanks carry K2 regularly. Towers Mtn carries K1 and K6 much of the time, if not full time. (It helps with coverage in the Wittmann area, and possibly in the northern areas of Peoria.) The Quintero site is only active if a subscriber radio is in the small community off Carefree Highway west of Lake Pleasant in far northwest Peoria.

I have all of them programmed in, and I select the appropriate simulcast(s) for where I am or will be. I avoid the rest. If you have a GPS-capable scanner, attaching a GPS to your scanner, and programming it to do so, will enable your scanner to automatically turn the sites on and off as you travel.

John
Peoria

I believe Simulcast A is used as a fallback for Phoenix.

 

[KB7MIB]

Simulcast A is the main simulcast for Phoenix PD.
Simulcast B is the main simulcast for Phoenix FD (within the City of Phoenix).

Both simulcasts are fallbacks for both departments, I believe.

John
Peoria

 

[WX4JCW]

I am in Phoenix listening on my SDS200 and G4, I'm noticing the fire A channels are encrypted, I'm guessing for those we have to monitor the VHF side and hope we are close?

 

[cfsimmont]

I am in Phoenix listening on my SDS200 and G4, I'm noticing the fire A channels are encrypted, I'm guessing for those we have to monitor the VHF side and hope we are close?
[/QUOTE

Yes the vhf patch talk groups are encrypted however the actual vhf frequencies are not. This has been the case for quite a while. The K-Deck channels are not encrypted except for K4 & K5. No idea why the patch talk groups are encrypted but the vhf frequencies that feed the talk groups are not. The Mesa Topaz system has a similar setup with simulcasting the VHF frequencies to the trunked system, but their VHF patches are in the clear.

 

[KB7MIB]

By the way, K5 is not encrypted. It isn't active that often, but it is not encrypted.

John
Peoria

 

[cfsimmont]

By the way, K5 is not encrypted. It isn't active that often, but it is not encrypted.

John
Peoria

I just assumed K5 was encrypted being as it shows DE on the DB and I haven't heard any activity. If you've heard activity then we probably need to update the DB to De at least.

 

[KB7MIB]

It should just be D, as I've heard both sides of a conversation when it is active.
I just haven't submitted it to the DB.

John
Peoria

 

[WX4JCW]

thank you

 

[GlobalNorth]

I am in Phoenix listening on my SDS200 and G4, I'm noticing the fire A channels are encrypted, I'm guessing for those we have to monitor the VHF side and hope we are close?

Actually, the VHF frequencies are not. Since you were listening to the patched channels, only they are. The Phoenix FD VHF frequencies are not. PFD uses two sets of frequencies: the primary set of frequencies are the 'K-Deck' frequencies that are 700 MHz simulcasted frequencies for non-hazardous assignments such as EMS calls, auto accidents, etc.. The second set of frequencies are the VHF frequencies that Phoenix and the local FDs have had for decades. These channels are primarily used for hazardous calls such as fires, chemical and fuel spills, mountain and technical rescues, etc.

K deck channel 4 is the only dedicated encrypted channel.

These VHF freqs. are listed under the Maricopa bank of frequencies on the RR database/Sentinel.


154.19000 KOA519 BM 173.8 PL Phx FD A1 Fire - A1/Dispatch FMN Fire Dispatch
154.25000 KOA519 BM 173.8 PL Phx FD A2 Fire - A2/East Phoenix FMN Fire-Tac
154.07000 KOA519 BM 516 DPL Phx FD A3 Fire - A3/West Phoenix FMN Fire-Tac
154.28000 KOA519 BM CSQ Phx FD A4 Fire - A4/Mutual Aid FMN Fire-Talk
153.83000 KOA519 BM 546 DPL Phx FD A5 Fire - A5/Northeast Phoenix FMN Fire-Tac
154.31000 KOA519 BM 565 DPL Phx FD A6 Fire - A6/Northwest Phoenix FMN Fire-Tac
154.14500 KOA519 BM 606 DPL Phx FD A7 Fire - A7/Tempe FMN Fire-Tac
153.77000 KOA519 BM 612 DPL Phx FD A8 Fire - A8/South Phoenix FMN Fire-Tac
155.67000 KOA519 BM 624 DPL Phx FD A9 Fire - A9/West Phoenix FMN Fire-Tac
151.37000 KOA519 BM 173.8 PL Phx FD A10 Fire - A10/Far North Phoenix FMN Fire-Tac
154.02500 KOA519 BM 173.8 PL Phx FD A11 Fire - A11/Scottsdale FMN Fire-Tac
154.13000 KOA519 BM 662 DPL Phx FD A12 Fire - A12/Southeast FMN Fire-Tac
154.43000 KOA519 BM 654 DPL Phx FD A13 Fire - A13/Southwest FMN Fire-Tac
155.77500 KOA519 M 632 DPL Phx FD A14 Fire - A14/Hazmat FMN Fire-Tac
155.71500 KOA519 M 664 DPL Phx FD A15 Fire - A15/Event FMN Fire-Tac