2 general questions...

[BoxAlarm187]

1. My records, and even the database here at RR, show that Appomattox Fire dispatch is (supposed to be) 460.525 [d263]. However, from my listening, this is actually the frequency and PL for Prince Edward County. Anyone know a correct freq/PL for Appomattox, or have any suspicions? :?

2. Over the past couple of days, I've noticed Charlottesville Fire being toned out and dispatched on Channel 2, 46.260 [CSQ]. Very little traffic on Channel 1. Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[CCHLLM]

2) Could it be that channel 2 has been assigned as the paging multicast channel for the new trunking system and will be the permanent paging freq? OR, in the locations with multichannel pagers that will decode on channel 2, we've moved paging/alerting temporarily over to that channel while the main channel is being upgraded and interconnected to the new system. That process leaves the old encoding equipment tied temporarily to the consoles in place to function on one channel while still giving voice access to the other channel, and the new encoding equipment going in is being integrated into the new consoles/computer system, especially if there are new or reworked tower sites also in progress. That could mean the main transmitter is being moved/replaced/antenna & feedline replaced/etc and will be back in service shortly.

 

[BoxAlarm187]

Good thought, I wish that it had occured to me that they might be doing that in anticipation of the new 800MHz system!

 

[eweiner]

Taylor,

I'm on squad duty tomorrow night with a Charlottesville firefighter. If you remind me about it late in the day, I'll ask him.

Evan

 

[brianm]

Charlottesville

ECC took over Albermarle County fire/Rescue dispatching (all depts but Charlottesville). They dispatch on 46.46 still. Charlottesville Fire Alarm dispatches CFD on 46.26. There are two more tacs now too so that there is a County Tac 1 and a County Tac 2 and a City Tac 1 and City Tac 2...I can't think of them off my head...46.20 and 46.36 maybe?

I haven't completelty figured out channel assignments yet, and it might be different in the county and the city. I think 46.36 is Ch5 for Charlottesville.

Brian

 

[fireradio]

460.525 is indeed Prince Edward County fire/rescue dispatch.

 

[precoislen]

CFD is supposed to be moving over to ECC this year, if they haven't already done it. Might have something to do with them calling out on channel 2.

And like it was mentioned, it could be testing for the new 800 mghz system. Field tests and system acceptance should have already begun. It would be the perfect oppurtunity for somebody to start tracking new TG ID's and submitting them to the database.

Does anybody know how dispatching will be done. Maintaining 155.835 and 46.46 respectively for RS and FD dispatches?

And also will CARS, WARS, SRS keep their VHF systems for mutual aid calls for Nelson, Buckingham, Orange, Greene counties, etc....?

 

[brianm]

ECC only took over for the Albemarle County Fire Departments in June 2004 from Charlottesville and Charlottesville continues to dispatch themselves but moved to 46.26 (Ch2). While I have no inside information, it was my impression that was the plan all along. Charlottesville started using the new Ch5 and Ch6 for Tacs at the same time.

The spring 04 Albemarle county f/r newsletter (available on the county website) indicated it was a stopgap measure until the 800mhz system went online.

 

[precoislen]

Yeah I have read the newsletters for this year. Unfortunately haven't been back home in a while, so I am not really in the loop with what is going on, but I was under the impression they were gonna consolidate all services into ECC, but then again maybe not. CFD has always done an good job handling it's dispatches.

That brings up another question. With the new 800 TRS, will UVa PD make the transistion over to the new system or will they stay UHF?

 

[BoxAlarm187]

Thanks for the good info, all. FireRadio, I'm still trying to figure out why I've heard Appomattox on 460.525, even though I'm hearing that they will maintain their old 46MHz VHF-Low freq.

Procoislen & BrianM, thanks very much for the updated CFD/CARS/etc, etc info. One of the posts indicated just what I was starting to wonder - a "stop-gap" measure for the 800MHz transition. I'm curious what this will mean as for as VHF monitoring after the TRS is fully operational.

The the Tac 5/Tac 6 actual low-band channels also, or part of the TRS?

 

[precoislen]

187,

What brianm meant with the stop-gap, was that CFD and the county FD's were esentially operating on 2 VHF-lo freqs, and an band-aid method to fix it until the TRS came on line was to add an couple more channels, hence the TAC channels.

Like you, I am curious to VHF monitoring, especially when alot of the outlying county's still rely on VHF, and CARS and Scottsville provide alot of ALS intercepts for those groups, and of course Medic5 at Uva MedComm.

It will come out for the good. Charlottesville and Alb Cty have made pretty good decisions when it comes to public safety in the past. Hadn't sat in on any of the meetings or had any real "inside" knowledge of what is going on, but I am sure all of this has been thought out thouroughly.

To answer the question channels 5/6, they are lo-band also. Somewhere in the 46.XX range.

 

[brianm]

The newsletter refers to it as a "800 MHz Analog/Digital Simulcast Trunked Radio System."

I take that to mean they will not be dishing out money for new pagers and will continue to use one or more of the current frequencies for at the very minimum initial dispatch. I don't know about around here, but that is a common practice when changing radio systems at the municipal level in the northeast. Pagers are expensive, and if it is volunteer/call department you need one for every member. So you dispatch on the old freq and the new system and all two-way communications occur on the new system. In this case the 800 mhz system.

The VHF-High radios are already in at least all the ambulances/rescues, I have no inside information, but I would suspect they will stay in all the trucks.

1) They are already purchased
2) UVA/MJH use 155.34 for ambulance-hospital operations
3) As mentioned all the surounding counties are on VHF

An educated guess would be that all police ops including UVA would move completely onto talk groups with no simulcast. They probably don't have any pagers and would have no need to simulcast.

What I will find interesting is if they change they communicate with the hospitals? Will they assign a talkgroup to the hospitals and have the radios installed there, will they create cross-band repeaters where the ambulances communicate on a 800mhz talkgroup, but it comes out of a tower on 155.34 or perhaps the UHF med channels where they can then be assigned a med channel to use like other jurisdictions do. *shrug*

A lot of 800 systems have cross-band repeaters for Med channels (I am not sure the real name for them)

Again, my whole post is entirely speculation based on experience and my intpretation of the situation from afar..

brian

 

[BoxAlarm187]

I'd say you're pretty much on-line with your speculations. Hope so at least, I enjoy listening to CFD, but too far away to trunk!

As a note, the state Office of EMS requires a VHF mobile radio in all EMS-licensed vehicles, giving them the capability to talk on Statewide EMS (155.205 CSQ).

 

[precoislen]

Good reminder on that BoxAlarm. I remember reading thru some literature on Va OEMS website on the requirements for Class A,B,C & D emergency vehicles and there was an requirement for VHF- Hi capable radios on "Statewide".

Brianm also good points on the simulcast portion of the system, and I also agree on what you speculate on dispatch. Keeping the existing paging portion.

UVa MedComm might have an radio installed also on the TRS, whether they cross patch or not, but Pegasus and Pegasus Ground will have an need for communications on this system also.

Shame I am missing on an new learning experience there with the migration of the system. Missed out on the Richmond change-over also.


You guys enjoy, and continue keeping us who are missing out right now updated.

 

[eweiner]

I believe that you can substitute Med9 for the VHF High freqs.

 

[tglendye]

I believe that you can substitute Med9 for the VHF High freqs.

I'd like to see that in writing. We don't (and I'm not aware of anyone else in the County that does) have vhf-hi radios. I thought vhf-hi was a requirement- maybe not.

 

[precoislen]

There is an clause in Virginia OEMS regulations that states, all BLS/ ALS transports units must have VHF 155.205 or Med 9/10 capabilities.

They must be able to communicate with bordering jurisdictions and anyone they have mutual aid agreements with.

They must also be able to communicate with the recieving hospitals.

It falls under EMS regulation 12 VAC 5-31-761 titled EMS Vehicle Communications.

It is on the Virginia Department of Health website for OEMS and is an pdf file that is 139 pages long.

Hope this helps.

 

[eweiner]

From the state OEMS web site...

All Class B EMS vehicles shall be required to have communications equipment which shall provide the following capabilities:

Voice communications between the EMS vehicle and the base of operations;

Voice communications between the EMS vehicle and other vehicles of the same agency for which this requirement applies;

Voice communications between the EMS vehicle and the medical facility receiving the patient or a central medical control.

Such communications equipment shall be operational and compatible with the EMS communications system as set forth in the EMS Communications Plan.

A means of communication shall be provided between the patient compartment and the operator compartment.

A means of communication with other Emergency Medical Service agencies shall be provided through incorporation of two-way radio equipment capable of operating on any one of the three EMS Mutual Aid Frequencies. Those frequencies are 155.205 MHz, 462.950/467.950 MHz (MED 9) and 462.975/467.975 MHz (MED 10) as outlined in the Virginia EMS Communication Plan. [/b]

 

[brianm]

CFD/ ACFR Channel Plan

I figured out the low-band channel plan for Charlottesville and Albemarle County that they implemented around May/June. I already submitted it, but since we were talking about it here I thought I would update here as well.

CH1 46.46 Albemarle County F/R Dispatch/Primary
CH2 46.08 Albemarle County F/R TAC-1 Fireground
CH3 46.02 Albemarle County F/R TAC-2 Fireground
CH4 46.26 Charlottesville FD Dispatch/Primary
CH5 46.36 Charlottesville FD TAC-1 Fireground
CH6 46.20 Charlottesville FD TAC-2 Fireground

Charlottesville-Albemarle-UVA ECC dispatches county fire departments and Charlottesville FD self-dispatches.

As I said previously, according to the county newsletter, these were just made as short-term improvements until the 800mhz system goes online.

Brian

 

[BoxAlarm187]

Good deal! Thanks for the update.