N. Texas Wild fires

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SCPD

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I'm sure everyone is aware of the Inferno that stretches between Parker Co. to Archer Co. Which has State resources tapped and calling for both manpower and equipment from across the state. I am hearing some TFS activity on the TFS Waco repeater and two of the TFS Air to Air out on West zone. I'm sure the Good stuff is on Simplex and can't be heard except for very close. I know Fannin Co. has sent resources to the Staging place in Decauter. If anyone has the incident up on a internet feed, please advise. FOX-4 has had good coverage of this.
 

nd5y

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In case anybody hasn't figured it out yet, the TFS frequencies are here:
Texas Forest Service Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

Last night I heard Parker County units at the Mineral Wells State Park fire using VTAC11 (one of the "new" nationwide interop channels Common/Shared Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference)
That was the first time I have ever heard anything on any of the VTAC channels around here.
Apparently Parker Co has them in their new digital radios but I don't think anybody else around here does.
 

Alliance01TX

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Texas InterOp - New Freq's ??

One of our local (North Tarrant County - Ft. Worth) reported hearing either a Texas LAW or Texas FIRE Channel 4 and 5 yesterday whilst scanning the wild-fires....

I have reviewed list and the November 2008 State of Texas Interop PLan but have not seen a reference to either above channel 4 or 5...?

Anyone have any intel on this possible new fred / ident ?

Thx

Bill
 

nd5y

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There is a new air-to-air frequency 127.700 in use at the Cement Mountain fire near Graham. I haven't seen this one listed anywhere.
 

SCPD

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Good Stuff Tom, I was half asleep when I posted the original Thread. Had I been more awake I might have remembered to add the links which you graciously added.

Someone said one of the Old anchors for KXAS-TV CH-5 (NBC) was found dead in their home after the fire line blazed over the property. I have not seen anything on this. I was mowed down on 121 today by a line of 20 to 30 Brush trucks from various agencies from Grayson, Fannin, Lamar & Hunt Co. returning home this afternoon.

Hopefully the rain on Sunday will put an end to these and Our Firefighters will be able to get some well deserved rest.
 

Armadillo5

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Palo Pinto and Stephens County Fires

Anyone have a channel line-up for what is being used in and around these fires? Looking for air, ground, etc for what they are doing. Seems like many different types of aircraft up flying as well. I also have heard DPS 101 on Mineral Wells as well as the DPS Lubbock aircraft.

Yes, I did see/read the other post about channels,etc but thought maybe someone might have a better idea of what to listen to for these particular fires.
 

nd5y

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Everything that was posted earlier and the local county frequencies is the best place to start.
Unless you are real close to the fire area you won't be able to hear much that isn't on the local repeaters or aircraft.

Palo Pinto County, Texas (TX) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference
Palo Pinto County SO, interop and BRA channels.
I haven't heard anything on the county fire or civil defense repeaters. They might not be on the air.

Look up the SO and Fire channels in the surrounding counties in the database.

Common/Shared Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference
VHF channels heavily used.
8TAC channels may be in use.

Texas Forest Service Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference
Granbury/Whitt repeater heavily used with lots of good info being passed. The same is probably true with the other TFS regional repeaters in other areas that are having fires.
All of the statwide plan freqs are probably in use.
Air to Air 122.925 and 125.375 heavily used.
Air to Ground Primary and Secondary heavily used.
I haven't heard them issue any new air-to-air frequencies except 120.85 in Abilene last week. I have been scanning all the old ones in case they come back to life http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Texas_Forest_Service_(TX)

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Common_Itinerant_and_Business
I heard somebody directing bulldozers on 151.625
A few years ago I heard the helicopter gound crews on the VHF itinerant channels

So far the only federal frequency I have heard was 168.625 (national air guard) but I am too far away to hear most ground units.
Some of the US Forest Service and agencies from other states might use some of their own frequencies.

There is supposed to be a federal task force of several hundred people coming.
They might use some of the NIFC and federal interop channels and set up some portable repeaters.
National Incident Radio Support Cache - The RadioReference Wiki
Federal/Non-Federal Interoperability - The RadioReference Wiki
http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Federal_Government_Itinerant

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Disaster_Relief
I don't know if any of these will be active

If you are close there is no telling what you might find searching 138-174 and 406-470.
Some of these volunteer fire departments and other groups use all kinds of frequencies that they are not licensed for or authorized to use.

I don't know why I bothered to type all this.
The database, wiki and Google are your friends.
Better enjoy it before I decide to delete it.
 
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nd5y

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I heard that FEMA has set up an incident command post in Mineral Wells.
I had to drive by and look at it. It is a big RV type truck with two 50' telescoping poles and about 75' trailer mounted crank-up tower. There was another enclosed trailer near it but I don't know who it belongs to.

They are running a repeater on 866.0125 patched to other stuff on VHF. It must be low power because I could only hear it a couple miles away and I can't hear it at home on the other side of town.

Also heard somebody on 163.100 (federal government itinerant) but it could have been one of the US Forest Service or other state fire vehicles in the area.
 

nd5y

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Heard what sounds like US Forest Service engines on
163.100
164.1375
168.200
no tone info

Also I heard some regular non-federal VHF channels that are not used in this area and both old and rebanded 800 MHz interop channels (there is nothing on 800 MHz nearby). Probably people from other states using channels they normally use at home.
 
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nd5y

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Tanker base at Mineral Wells Airport is using 134.075 and 163.100
I heard them mention that 134.075 was a temporary frequency that they moved everybody to. I don't know what they used at first but I found some documents that said 135.975 is the air tanker base frequency. Around here it is a DFW Regional Approach frequency. I assume that is what they were on and had to move off of it.
 

nd5y

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Never automatically believe everything you hear on the radio

I heard that FEMA has set up an incident command post in Mineral Wells.

I should clarify that I heard somebody on one of the fire interop channels say that this was a FEMA command post. What I heard was apparently wrong.

I could not get a good view of the side to read what was on the vehicle. News media reports said it is a multi-agency incident management team called "Red Team" and never mentioned anything about FEMA.

It is probably the Southern Area Red Type I Incident Management Team
IMT Center
Our Team Site
http://gacc.nifc.gov



Never automatically believe everything you hear on the radio is true, just like you should never automatically believe everything you read on the internet is true.
 
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garyva

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FEMA doesn't do incident response per se; they might be setting up field claim centers & so forth once & if a federal disaster declaration gets issued. If FEMA were to set up a command post, it'd be for their own recovery operations, not for managing the incident(s).
 
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