What does "Night" mean.

[pcole]

A lot of the fire department talk groups are labeled "station" and "night" some times one for each station.
Can someone explain? Been a fire fighter for 36 years and have never run across this.

Thanks...

 

[WGONE968]

I have no idea what the station talkgroups are. Never heard anything on them
The Night Talkgroups are usaully for the base units in the stations. North Charleston Fire Dept will switch their station base radios over somewhere around 8pm each night per their dispatcher. The rolling stock radios will remain on their regular Ops Channel. That way when a call is dispatched at "night" the base radios in the station will get the call, but won't have to listen to the rest of the chatter of units going in service on their truck radios. Then sometime around 7am in the morning at the dispatchers request, all stations will switch their radios back to their Ops talkgroup.
The North Charleston FD uses the Night Talkgroup and I believe so does Chas County Rescue Squad. I am not sure of anybody else.
Hope this helps
Wally

 

[WGONE968]

As a quick p.s. to my previous post, that when say the N.C.F.D. gets a call at night, the call is simulcast on the Night, and their regular Ops channel. So if you program the Ops Channel you will get all calls no matter what time of day, or night.
Thanks
Wally

 

[pcole]

Thanks. I thought it was something along those lines. Coming from Pittsburgh we have no where near as many 800 Mhz systems due to the terrain. Pittsburgh installed an 800 system about 20 years ago and moved the fire dept. to it. It covered so poorly they moved all public safety to UHF. The 800 system is now used for public works and small systems like Heinz Field.
Pa. is currently installing a state wide "open sky" system but time will tell how it works. Way over budget already!

N3RNX