Spotted a yellow motorola XTS series portable radio on a FDNY fireman.

[Danny37]

Is the color of the radio supposed to mean seniority or rank. I've never seen before a yellow colored motorola xts portable radio on members of the FDNY. I couldn't tell if it was a xts5000 or xts3000, as I was across the street from the firehouse.

 

[CaptDan]

It has nothing to do with rank - I know we had some "yellow" motorola hand held units - the color means something about the way they are made and if this old man remembers correctly the yellow case means that the radio is safe to use is a location where they may be hazardous - flammable fumes present.

 

[K2KOH]

Yellow is just a case color. There really isn't any significance that I know of. I have an XTS3000 in a yellow case. I think it was a FEMA thing.


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[CaptDan]

NO the Motorola XTS 3000 in a Yellow case means that the radio is " intrinsically-safe" which means that particular radio was which has been designed and tested to not become an ignition source in a flammable atmosphere.

We purchased thousands of the XTS3000's - most were normal black case - The Fire Service received the more expensive radio in the yellow case indicating that radios were intrinsically-safe which primarily means that when the push to talk button is pushed there is no chance of a spark. The Yellow XTS3000 were more expensive than the regular ones.

I wanted a yellow radio when we purchased the new radios because I liked the color and was high enough on the food chain to be given one. A few months later I was asked to give it up for the fire service and that is when they explained the intrinsically-safe features of the yellow radio to me.

I held off with this actual explanation in my first post because I was having difficulty spelling "intrinsically-safe" correctly. So I called the communications section to verify my facts and get the correct spelling.

 

[ResQguy]

The yellow housing is only available on ruggedized models (XTS3000R, XTS3500R & XTS5000R) and is intended to be more visible if you drop it on the fireground. It does not specify FM/IS approval. FM/IS is an extra cost above the housing and is indicated by additional GREEN dots & the comprehensive "FM APPROVED" label on the chassis. You can get an FM/IS radio in non-R configuration as well.

That said, I thought FDNY only used yellow for their DOITT radios so as to visibly differentiate them from their everyday fireground radios.

 

[FFPM571]

Yellow has nothing to do with being exclusively IS .The color It was an option.. All the Yellow are R models Ruggedized ie water resistant. R models were available in Yellow and or Black. IS radios have a green dot on the bottom of the radio label and have the IS rating label on the back of the radio. IS radios were available in both colors and need a IS rated battery to be compliant as an IS radio.

 

[cackis]

It may have been an APX6000. FDNY is in the process of field testing them at this time.

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[aaron315]

the front houseing kits on the XTS series of radios are available in black and yellow for the radios. The kit typically includes a front housing in the color ordered, labels, knobs, speaker and the ribbon cable assembly. The yellow color kits are available for order from your dealer. IIRC NNTN6473C is the XTS 5K III kit.

A currently black radio can be made yellow pretty easily.

 

[tbendick]

Ok ok. Yellow radio in FDNY is the fast truck radio. Its a xts3500 model 3 display radio. Used by the fast truck to see Id of person talking.

There are no apx radios in the field yet. Testing at the rock.

As far as IS radios its a green dot on the bottom of the radio and the battery also has to have the green dot.

 

[mule1075]

It is the FAST truck radio.
EDIT=Oops i did not see tbendick post he explained it much better than me.

 

[Danny37]

Ok ok. Yellow radio in FDNY is the fast truck radio. Its a xts3500 model 3 display radio. Used by the fast truck to see Id of person talking.

There are no apx radios in the field yet. Testing at the rock.

As far as IS radios its a green dot on the bottom of the radio and the battery also has to have the green dot.

Thank you for the clarification. Is there other distinctive markings either on truck or on the person. I don't even know what fast truck were but did a google search and got a general idea.

 

[GTR8000]

Is there other distinctive markings either on truck or on the person.

Distinctive markings for what, the FAST truck? No. Every ladder company throughout the city is capable of operating as a FAST truck.

 

[brndnstffrd]

Here are some pictures to show the differences. The FM Approved sticker with the green dot inside the battery compartment, and the green dot on the bottom of the radio and on the battery denote it being Intrinsically Safe. If the battery does not also have a green dot sticker, than it does not count towards the I/S rating. It MUST have the FM Approved dot label inside, the one one on the bottom, and on the battery.

 

[CaptDan]

Distinctive markings for what, the FAST truck? No. Every ladder company throughout the city is capable of operating as a FAST truck.

So then do all Ladder trucks have yellow radios ?

 

[CaptDan]

I just love forums on the internet – to recap today’s posts on Yellow Motorola XTS3000 radios

• The color means nothing – it was a FEMA thing

• The color means the radio is “intrinsically-safe”

• The yellow housing is only available on ruggedized models

• The color It was an option

• The yellow color kits are available for order from your dealer

• Yellow radio in FDNY is the fast truck radio

• Every ladder company throughout the city is capable of operating as a FAST truck

 

[KD2DXF]

So then do all Ladder trucks have yellow radios ?

I see this thread went absolutly no wheres fast.:lol:

 

[CaptDan]

I see this thread went absolutly no wheres fast.:lol:

I was just trying to avoid any leaps of logic and ask the question -

One post said Yellow radios are for the FAST trucks

Another post said all ladder companies are capable of operating as a FAST truck.

So following those statements - I was asking then if all ladder companies have the "yellow radios"

I am guessing here - and I hate to do that - I'm guessing that the radios and equipment come with the company when they leave the fire station - that no one is passing radio's out at the scene - but I do not know - so I was asking ?

 

[mule1075]

I was just trying to avoid any leaps of logic and ask the question -

One post said Yellow radios are for the FAST trucks

Another post said all ladder companies are capable of operating as a FAST truck.

So following those statements - I was asking then if all ladder companies have the "yellow radios"

I am guessing here - and I hate to do that - I'm guessing that the radios and equipment come with the company when they leave the fire station - that no one is passing radio's out at the scene - but I do not know - so I was asking ?

If i remember correctly the fast truck radio is carried in the battalion chiefs rig and the company assigned as the fast truck grabs it when they arrive at the job.tbendick should be able to clear all these questions up in short order.

 

[cackis]

Any truck company can operate as the fast truck. It's all based on alarm assignments as to who is assigned. Every battalion chief carries a yellow fast truck portable is their vehicle which is picked up by the fast truck when they arrive at the box.

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[CaptDan]

Thank you - learned something new today - and Googled FAST and learned about them also - a good day - learned quite a bit about modern day fire operations.

Thanks - stay safe out there !