Montgomery County PSSM Program update

Bjc123

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This is just complete curiosity…

I noticed that the tones are no longer on 7V2. I understand that station alerting is done through CAD and their is a phone app for alerting personnel. So I’m curious is VHF tones a thing of the past from now on?
 

maus92

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They have to alert volunteer personnel somehow, so unless they have completely converted to the smartphone based system, it's probably temporary. In our county, when various comm systems go down, they make a verbal announcement over the air stating a color condition code that translates to the specific issue and work around procedure. But perhaps this is related to the cryptic "May 1" post a few days ago. A smartphone based alert is fast compared to FTO, but I'm not sure my iPhone would wake me up, lol.
 

maus92

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OK, found an answer for you:

"MCFRS has used analog tones and pagers for decades to alert Fire/Rescue personnel when an incident is dispatched. Currently, these analog tones are activated on every incident dispatched. The more units dispatched on an incident, the more analog tones are activated. A full assignment can have up to 15 sets of tones. As our service has evolved, so has the technology of notifying personnel of dispatches. P1 CAD, station alerting, MDCs, radios assigned to most riding positions, third party notification services, i.e. Everbridge, Active 911 etc., have all played a part in decreasing the need for analog tones. Beginning, May 1, 2021, ECC will decrease the number of analog tone activations. In addition, ECC will add a ‘Working Incident Notification’ and ‘Critical Information Notification’ to our notification process. These changes are described in more detail below. Analog Tones: In general, analog tones will only be used to dispatch personnel that do not have station alerting, or to provide relevant notifications to MCFRS leadership. The only analog tones that will be used during dispatch will be: CWFULL, CWEMS, LFRD duty tones, FEI, SOPS and Canteens. There will be no tones for each station involved in the dispatch or other specialized units. However, the text or email notification you received through Everbridge or Active911 will not change. If station alerting goes down for an extended period, analog tones can be turned back on at the station level. Working Incident Notification: Any significant incident where MCFRS leadership should be aware or may attract the media attention, will get an analog tone and the notification CWWIN. As soon as practical, the ECC Supervisor will also send out a notification through Everbridge with a short description of the incident. Examples of significant incidents include, working fires, extrications, atypical traumatic injuries that are fatal or life threatening and active water rescues. Working Incident Notifications will not be done while under Condition Red."
 

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riveter

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I'm just confused how the system allows the dispatcher to talk over the tones on 7V2. If a tone gets blocked by a someone talking over it, it's not going to alert the pagers configured for that tone pair, correct? Isn't that a problem?

Generally stuff will alert to 2-tone paging so long as those tones are present and recognizable when decoded, even if there's additional frequencies (e.g. speech) included. As long as they don't get swamped to the point of unrecognizability, tone pagers won't care if there's voice as well.
 

motorcoachdoug

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Montgomery just dispatched station 40 to Ann Arundel Fire Dept Station 5 which is in Gambrills,MD which is off Rt 3 and Rt 32. That is one heck of a temp move. I wonder what is going on ????? Mabe something on the eastern shore or in AA County?? Also wonder what channel they will use as well and i would guess using portable radios or the 8Call channels
 

Bjc123

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lol I didn’t think that through. Looks like there was a fire in Deale, MD. And Tanker TF requested so that would explain why the tanker was needed to be replaced.
 

maus92

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Big tanker / shuttle operation in progress. You can listen on OpenMHz. TG Kilo and TG Mike.

Commercial Fire, 441 E Bayfront Dr, Deale.
 

maus92

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Also on TG Delta (Command.). Note about the quality of the OpenMHz AACo fire side feed: AACo Fire is analog, but the feed is exhibiting scratchy distortion in voice (almost like it's being overdriven slightly,) and occasionally loses sync. The feed provider needs to adjust his equipment.
 
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maus92

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just re listened to it and it was Tanker 704 to AA County Station 5….. that’s 40 minutes on Google maps…. Wouldn’t there be tankers closer?
That's not the record: a tanker from Hollywood VFD in St. Mary's County responded, and is still on scene. 47.9 miles, lol.
 

motorcoachdoug

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well heck remember a while back I believe their was a major fire in Cambridge and they requested a specialized Ann Arundle Hazmat Unit? that is over 50 miles to respond on that mutual aid request or should I say mutual raid?? haha
 

atlong

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My MoCo Fire 7V2 feed died this afternoon after the mini PC I'm using crashed and burned. I just got it restored and am hearing a transmitter keying up on 154.1600 but no audio. Also, I've been hearing a woodpecker sound on the frequency over the past several weeks. Since I receive it up here in Jefferson County, WV, can anyone actually in Montgomery County confirm the same? I don't think it's my gear, but wanted to be sure.

Thanks.
 
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