Waterbury Hatzolah frequency?

[millrad]

Now that Hatzolah is operating ambulances in sections of the city, does anyone know what frequency they are dispatching on? They hold a license for 464.175, but the only traffic I pick up on the channel is the Ronkonkoma, NY fire department, with a PL of 77. Thanks.

 

[n1chu]

This is only a guess mind you, but if they are augmenting Waterbury, they probably use the same system as Waterbury. They would either join the Waterbury ambulance service already in place on their system or carry their portable radios. A example of this is Farmington, there is no town ambulance service so AMR is contracted for two ambulances to cover the entire town 24/7. (Since the 911 dispatch phone number goes directly to the PD/FD dispatch center, dispatch doesn’t have to call AMR to dispatch an ambulance. Instead they simply dispatch using their own radio system.) The ambulances carry the local FD’s portables and remain on the FD’s dispatch channel. While AMR provides services to surrounding towns such as Avon on a mutual aid basis, they may get a call on their own AMR radio system to roll into Avon when whoever provides Avon ambulance service are busy, in which case, the AMR unit dispatched to Avon will notify Farmington via the FD portable that they have a mutual aid call in Avon. Farmington dispatch will await the AMR unit’s return. The AMR unit will simply notify via FD radio they are back in town. If Farmington needs another ambulance they call AMR, either by telephone or they may have an AMR radio at dispatch. But those portables eliminate the need for Farmington to forward calls to AMR, instead, make one radio call directly to the ambulance in town. (What I write here is what I surmise listening to the calls on the FD dispatch frequency… there are most likely additional conditions that are transparent to me, so if anyone makes additions/corrections to what bi write here, I welcome them.)

 

[Firebuff66]

They are using WiFi/IP/LTE "Radios" with no way to listen on a scanner

 

[n1chu]

Well, Firebuff66 answered your question of why you can’t hear them.! But how does Waterbury dispatch them? Do they make a phone call each time they need an ambulance or do they have a radio capable of WiFi/IP/LTE from the ambulance company at dispatch?

 

[nhfdcadet]

This is only a guess mind you, but if they are augmenting Waterbury, they probably use the same system as Waterbury. They would either join the Waterbury ambulance service already in place on their system or carry their portable radios. A example of this is Farmington, there is no town ambulance service so AMR is contracted for two ambulances to cover the entire town 24/7. (Since the 911 dispatch phone number goes directly to the PD/FD dispatch center, dispatch doesn’t have to call AMR to dispatch an ambulance. Instead they simply dispatch using their own radio system.) The ambulances carry the local FD’s portables and remain on the FD’s dispatch channel. While AMR provides services to surrounding towns such as Avon on a mutual aid basis, they may get a call on their own AMR radio system to roll into Avon when whoever provides Avon ambulance service are busy, in which case, the AMR unit dispatched to Avon will notify Farmington via the FD portable that they have a mutual aid call in Avon. Farmington dispatch will await the AMR unit’s return. The AMR unit will simply notify via FD radio they are back in town. If Farmington needs another ambulance they call AMR, either by telephone or they may have an AMR radio at dispatch. But those portables eliminate the need for Farmington to forward calls to AMR, instead, make one radio call directly to the ambulance in town. (What I write here is what I surmise listening to the calls on the FD dispatch frequency… there are most likely additional conditions that are transparent to me, so if anyone makes additions/corrections to what bi write here, I welcome them.)

FPD still sends the calls to amr dispatch, as well as calling them on the phone to provide the call information.

No ambulance company operates on the City of Waterbury system

 

[PD47JD]

Now that Hatzolah is operating ambulances in sections of the city, does anyone know what frequency they are dispatching on? They hold a license for 464.175, but the only traffic I pick up on the channel is the Ronkonkoma, NY fire department, with a PL of 77. Thanks.

Hatzolah in Waterbury?

 

[n1chu]

FPD still sends the calls to AMR dispatch, as well as calling them on the phone to provide the call information.

No ambulance company operates on the City of Waterbury system

Understood. Thanks for the input. And the following verifies how you described it. Talking to an AMR unit in Farmington today… we set up a scenario whereby a 911 call goes into Farmington Dispatch for a medical call… Farmington gets the call and dispatches the ambulance via the town FD dispatch frequency. Farmington also notifies AMR in New Haven. The dispatched ambulance gets a radio call on their radio system from their New Haven dispatch center. Then the ambulance calls CMED and tells them where and why they are responding. Interesting to note what happens in the background!

 

[nhfdcadet]

Understood. Thanks for the input. And the following verifies how you described it. Talking to an AMR unit in Farmington today… we set up a scenario whereby a 911 call goes into Farmington Dispatch for a medical call… Farmington gets the call and dispatches the ambulance via the town FD dispatch frequency. Farmington also notifies AMR in New Haven. The dispatched ambulance gets a radio call on their radio system from their New Haven dispatch center. Then the ambulance calls CMED and tells them where and why they are responding. Interesting to note what happens in the background!

there is also a cad link that populates the call for AMR before farmington actually calls them, but it doesnt always populate correctly because both farmington's and amr's cad are garbage

 

[n1chu]

there is also a cad link that populates the call for AMR before farmington actually calls them, but it doesnt always populate correctly because both farmington's and amr's cad are garbage

Yes, the AMR guy I talked to told me there was a button that FPD hit that did the CAD thing… kind of like a quick call button. I thought it might have been a link that would allow both the FPD dispatch and AMR to be on the line with the caller, a party line. But the AMR guy wasn’t all that familiar with it.

 

[nhfdcadet]

Yes, the AMR guy I talked to told me there was a button that FPD hit that did the CAD thing… kind of like a quick call button. I thought it might have been a link that would allow both the FPD dispatch and AMR to be on the line with the caller, a party line. But the AMR guy wasn’t all that familiar with it.

That can be done just by transferring the call, when a 911 gets transferred it doesnt disconnect the sending agency, so they *could* send a call to amr if they wanted to, like avon does, but usually just the call pops up on the cad as a generic sick or whatever, and farmington calls up shortly after with the info.

 

[n1chu]

That can be done just by transferring the call, when a 911 gets transferred it doesnt disconnect the sending agency, so they *could* send a call to amr if they wanted to, like avon does, but usually just the call pops up on the cad as a generic sick or whatever, and farmington calls up shortly after with the info.

👍

 

[55engine]

Ware is CMED dispatch form just wondering?

 

[Firebuff66]

Not the best pic, they look to have 3 Ambulances and 2 fly-cars right now.

 

[Priority-One]

It's crazy to think the Jewish population has grown that much to warrant the use of Hatzolah.
Here in NYC, they are 159-160mhz. Also, they operate around the same frequencies in NJ.
I am glad to see that they are being put in service in Connecticut. They are a good outfit.

 

[millrad]

Ware is CMED dispatch form just wondering?

Northwest Public Safety, housed at 95 Union Street, Waterbury on the grounds of St. Mary's Hospital.

 

[n1chu]

They are using WiFi/IP/LTE "Radios" with no way to listen on a scanner

It’s my understanding ambulances also report to CMED when responding to a call. Which makes sense when you consider CMED’s need to allocate resources. Keeping track of the ambulances amount of activity helps determine when any particular hospital may become maxed out, redirecting an ambulances intentions to use a particular hospital. Ambulances prefer to deliver to the closest qualified hospital both out of a concern for patient care and quicker turn-arounds. Commercial services are in the business of making money-more calls equal more billings… it doesn’t enter into any CMED decisions on what hospital to use [as patient care takes priority] but it helps logistically, both the ambulance services and the need for the oversight CMED provides. That being said, in most cases, each call an ambulance is dispatched to is relayed to CMED. Anyone interested in monitoring ambulance dispatches should be able to monitor CMED and learn of each call. They may or may not give the address of the call, maybe they just report they are responding to a medical call and what type of medical call in a particular town or city, but since I don’t monitor CMED I can’t speak to exactly what info is given to CMED. These CMED notifications are at the very least, a work-around when the ability to monitor the ambulance company’s calls are blocked due to encryption or the use of proprietary properties on a particular radio system they may employ. A caution about monitoring CMED is that patient medical history may be divulged, either in their initial report to CMED or the patch channel CMED assigns to the ambulance to communicate with a hospital directly. Patient history is protected by law. It should not be divulged to any unauthorized entity. So, if proprietary medical history is overheard on any CMED channel, it’s imperative it not be repeated by those of us who monitor ambulance services. My take on this is if I monitor CMED anything I hear goes no further, I won’t even mention an ambulance request had been issued.

It brings up an interesting point however. In my town. I CAN hear the initial ambulance dispatch. That tells me where they are going. If it’s in my neighborhood I can usually put a name to the address. And after the hospital patch has been established on CMED, I will hear the patient report the ambulance gives the hospital and any directions the hospital gives the ambulance. All of which is “patient medical history”. Since all of CMED’s activity is “in-the-clear”, why hasn’t there been a push to encrypt CMED?

 

[nhfdcadet]

It’s my understanding ambulances also report to CMED when responding to a call. Which makes sense when you consider CMED’s need to allocate resources. Keeping track of the ambulances amount of activity helps determine when any particular hospital may become maxed out, redirecting an ambulances intentions to use a particular hospital. Ambulances prefer to deliver to the closest qualified hospital both out of a concern for patient care and quicker turn-arounds. Commercial services are in the business of making money-more calls equal more billings… it doesn’t enter into any CMED decisions on what hospital to use [as patient care takes priority] but it helps logistically, both the ambulance services and the need for the oversight CMED provides. That being said, in most cases, each call an ambulance is dispatched to is relayed to CMED. Anyone interested in monitoring ambulance dispatches should be able to monitor CMED and learn of each call. They may or may not give the address of the call, maybe they just report they are responding to a medical call and what type of medical call in a particular town or city, but since I don’t monitor CMED I can’t speak to exactly what info is given to CMED. These CMED notifications are at the very least, a work-around when the ability to monitor the ambulance company’s calls are blocked due to encryption or the use of proprietary properties on a particular radio system they may employ. A caution about monitoring CMED is that patient medical history may be divulged, either in their initial report to CMED or the patch channel CMED assigns to the ambulance to communicate with a hospital directly. Patient history is protected by law. It should not be divulged to any unauthorized entity. So, if proprietary medical history is overheard on any CMED channel, it’s imperative it not be repeated by those of us who monitor ambulance services. My take on this is if I monitor CMED anything I hear goes no further, I won’t even mention an ambulance request had been issued.

It brings up an interesting point however. In my town. I CAN hear the initial ambulance dispatch. That tells me where they are going. If it’s in my neighborhood I can usually put a name to the address. And after the hospital patch has been established on CMED, I will hear the patient report the ambulance gives the hospital and any directions the hospital gives the ambulance. All of which is “patient medical history”. Since all of CMED’s activity is “in-the-clear”, why hasn’t there been a push to encrypt CMED?

any HIPAA protected information shouldn't be shared over a med channel, I think most providers are aware and abide by this. There are other methods for sharing Protected Health Information, which are not carried over the med channels.

 

[ecps92]

There are exemptions for EMS providers and at most many here are just hobbyists (many opinions)

HIPAA Didn’t Kill the Radio Star

The dawn of the age of HIPAA did not mark the demise of emergency medical dispatch (EMD) as we knew it. Nonetheless, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) did create some confusion regarding our traditional practices of communicating patient information over the radio...

psc.apcointl.org

Leave the interpretation of HIPAA to the lawyers

 

[n1chu]

any HIPAA protected information shouldn't be shared over a med channel, I think most providers are aware and abide by this. There are other methods for sharing Protected Health Information, which are not carried over the med channels.

I guess what’s needed is the definition of protected information by HIPAA standards. No name is associated with things such as age, gender, vital signs, level of consciousness, but all are given freely including mechanics of injury, the injury itself, any knowledge of the history of the patient if pertinent, along with known meds over the patch channel. I’ve heard this information on those occasions when I did monitor CMED. Now, I haven’t looked up the HIPAA definition but I don’t think I need to because it sure looks to me like what I mention qualifies as a medical history. We hear about fully loaded derailed train boxcars that have broken open, the ground around them strewn with patient files on their way to the incinerator and other accidental leakages but it happens every day on CMED. I doubt Ct. is the only state where this use of the CMED channels are used in this manner. It is surprising to me there hasn’t been a ground swell over this and my only clue as to why not seems to be no name is ever associated with the patient’s health info. If that qualifies as acceptable then the HIPAA statute doesn’t stand for much at all. I guess I can chalk it up to HIPAA being a federal law… if our President’s can squirrel away classified top secret documents outside of secured areas, I suppose personal medical histories don’t really count much.

 

[n1chu]

I just googled the HIPAA rules regarding ambulance/hospital comms and learned it IS permitted even after fully acknowledging the comms can be intercepted with the use of a scanner. Apparently in 2014 the question was raised, studied and answered. I won’t bore the forum more by listing the reason(s) these comms are allowed.