AFRRCS - Alberta First Responders' Radio Communication System - INFO HERE

[Jay911]

You mentioned "Okotoks Municipal Enforcement" and "carried only on the tower they're affiliated to" ...
Since there is NO listing for Okotoks ... would they be carried on any of the Foothills listings?
(Eden Valley 1st nations, Millarville, High River, Longview) ?

If your asking which tower I would say Aldersyde.

Omrail has it correct - to an extent. The way a trunked system works (simplified; there's a lot more behind the scenes than this, but this is the general rule), a talkgroup's activity is only carried on a tower where a radio using that talkgroup has logged on, or affiliated. Using Okotoks Municipal Enforcement as an example, if a peace officer from Okotoks is in Okotoks, his radio will usually affiliate to the Aldersyde tower. If, for whatever reason, he has to go into the south end of Calgary and takes his radio with him, it will affiliate to one of the towers there - probably Southland Plaza. The trunk system is intelligent enough to know to bring talkgroup audio for that talkgroup to that tower now in addition to the other peace officers still working in Okotoks.

In addition, there's the dispatch for these officers. My best guess is that they're dispatched by Foothills Regional 911 in Black Diamond, as other peace officers in Foothills and area are. The most likely means for dispatch comms to get out of the dispatch center is for them to use antennas on the dispatch center or at their nearby "Hartell" site to reach the nearest AFRRCS site, which will be Turner Valley. (Actually, Turner Valley is close by, but topography and vegetation (trees) might mean that the communications will more often hit off Longview.) So if the dispatch is done that way, comms will be on Turner Valley and/or Longview as well.

 

[kayn1n32008]

The most likely means for dispatch comms to get out of the dispatch center is for them to use antennas on the dispatch center or at their nearby "Hartell" site to reach the nearest AFRRCS site, which will be Turner Valley. (Actually, Turner Valley is close by, but topography and vegetation (trees) might mean that the communications will more often hit off Longview.)

I have read that AFRRCS requires dispatch centres to be connected but either a copper or fibre network connection to the system.

Using a subscriber radio connected to a console is allowed if there is a low likely hood of the users leaving the footprint of the site the dispatcher is affiliated to. Backup cell network/wisp connections are allowed though. This is to keep system resources available to mobile/portable users, rather than potentially tying up site resources where the dispatch centre could be the only affiliated radio on a site if they were to use radios.

Edit:
AFRRCS has also made it policy that users are not allowed to listen on the province wide interop talkgroups unless directly involved in operations that are using them. This is due to the limited talk paths on low channel count sites, to prevent what happened on the ARMER network during the bridge collapse years ago. People were affiliating interop talkgroups, on low channel count sites, causing sites to busy out.

 

[Jay911]

I have read that AFRRCS requires dispatch centres to be connected but either a copper or fibre network connection to the system.

Using a subscriber radio connected to a console is allowed if there is a low likely hood of the users leaving the footprint of the site the dispatcher is affiliated to. Backup cell network/wisp connections are allowed though. This is to keep system resources available to mobile/portable users, rather than potentially tying up site resources where the dispatch centre could be the only affiliated radio on a site if they were to use radios.

That makes sense. I was going to talk about a cabled connection but I thought that would confuse things further.

I know there are some centers using non-cabled solutions today but it's likely a temporary solution until consoles are purchased and installed. Some centers, I've been told, are just entering their RFPs right now.

 

[kayn1n32008]

That makes sense. I was going to talk about a cabled connection but I thought that would confuse things further.



I know there are some centers using non-cabled solutions today but it's likely a temporary solution until consoles are purchased and installed. Some centers, I've been told, are just entering their RFPs right now.

Makes sense.

Due to the 4 channel sites, I can see why that have required copper, or fibre connections to the network for dispatch centres.

I edited my post, you may want to refresh.

 

[Jay911]

Yup, I'm aware of the 'no listening' policy and the I-35 collapse was the situation referenced in my discussion as well.

PPSTN has a policy regarding preventing "talkgroup drag" where a user going across the province brings their home talkgroup "with them" as they travel, as well.

 

[willwilliams]

I have read that AFRRCS requires dispatch centres to be connected but either a copper or fibre network connection to the system.

Using a subscriber radio connected to a console is allowed if there is a low likely hood of the users leaving the footprint of the site the dispatcher is affiliated to. Backup cell network/wisp connections are allowed though. This is to keep system resources available to mobile/portable users, rather than potentially tying up site resources where the dispatch centre could be the only affiliated radio on a site if they were to use radios.

Edit:
AFRRCS has also made it policy that users are not allowed to listen on the province wide interop talkgroups unless directly involved in operations that are using them. This is due to the limited talk paths on low channel count sites, to prevent what happened on the ARMER network during the bridge collapse years ago. People were affiliating interop talkgroups, on low channel count sites, causing sites to busy out.

Dispatch centers can use a radio if they like, as long as its in the area for the agency they are dispatching for. so black diamond would be in okotoks coverage. And from what i remember the prov cet talk groups are not active unless they are requested by an agency and then they will be set up for only the area they need. So if incident command asked to have 2 prov talk groups set up in say the foothills you wouldn't be able to switch to the talk group in lethbridge and hear anything.

 

[kayn1n32008]

Dispatch centers can use a radio if they like, as long as its in the area for the agency they are dispatching for. so black diamond would be in okotoks coverage.

It needs to be on the same site, not the same area. If the Okotoks ME never leaves the Aldersyde site, and the dispatch is not affiliated to the Aldersyde site, but to the Turner Valley site, it is a waste of site resources. It could potentially cause the Turner Valley site to busy out if there were an event with in its foot print due to being a 4 channel site.

 

[willwilliams]

It needs to be on the same site, not the same area. If the Okotoks ME never leaves the Aldersyde site, and the dispatch is not affiliated to the Aldersyde site, but to the Turner Valley site, it is a waste of site resources. It could potentially cause the Turner Valley site to busy out if there were an event with in its foot print due to being a 4 channel site.

alright

 

[omrail]

Why is Coalhurst Talkgroup location info for the provinces?

 

[thundermedic]

Why is Coalhurst Talkgroup location info for the provinces?

It's not been entered on Coalhurst, and given a 60 mile radius (I don't know their exact response area)

I have also fixed the MD of Wood Buffalo so it covers the MD only.

Good catch

 

[willwilliams]

Thundermedic may I send you a pm?


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[thundermedic]

Thundermedic may I send you a pm?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Anytime!

 

[SCPD]

It's not been entered on Coalhurst, and given a 60 mile radius (I don't know their exact response area)

I have also fixed the MD of Wood Buffalo so it covers the MD only.

Good catch

Very likely the town of Coalhurst, no where near 60 miles. I don't see any mention of response outside the town on their website.

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[thundermedic]

Very likely the town of Coalhurst, no where near 60 miles.

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From what I have been told they have a MA agreement with Blood, Lethbridge, and respond to other areas as well,

There will always be overlap with fire services, but that's not a bad thing as long as they respond there.

Besides if they are not using a tower in that area it won't come through anyways.

 

[Jay911]

I was going to make mention of this yesterday afternoon, but then I recalled the whole argument about RCMP detachments and decided I don't need that kind of stress and frustration in my life.

60 miles is perfectly fine for a fire service, especially one with a large county/regional response area. Might even stand to be larger than that.

And, to quote Mr. Gump: "That's all I got to say about that".

 

[SCPD]

Agreed, if their primary response area is that large. AFRRCS changes things when it comes to radius considering the network footprint. The largest coverage I have for a single site conventional fire repeater is 45 miles.

 

[SCPD]

Why is Coalhurst Talkgroup location info for the provinces?

Did anyone catch the radio ID first 3 digits for coalhurst Fire
and Okotoks Enforcement

 

[Jay911]

Okotoks is using 10000 series IDs - I presume they were some of the first adopters.

 

[SCPD]

Okotoks is using 10000 series IDs - I presume they were some of the first adopters.

Thank you

 

[Intellgence2008]

Heard Okotoks dispatcher TGID 101, today Aug 16th around 15:20 ,sound like a dispatcher complaining about constant beeps on radio all day, I could hear the dispatcher very clear, but I could not hear who she was speaking at all, is this because she is in the office in NE of Calgary and the unit is in Okotoks area ?Also, should I be able to hear Coalhurst radio traffic from the SW of Calgary,my antenna is a Magnetic mobile 800 MHZ antenna mounted on a L- shape hard plastic plate,elevated on my deck facing West direction.Can hear AHS Mutual Aid channel 11 okay,both sides of the conversation,but I guess that is more Province wide , and Okotoks is more localize. Also, having the same problem with hearing just one way conversation with the new setup of Calgary Transit , I can hear the dispatchers at TGID 9616 but not the bus operators,I don't know if it is my PSR-500 setting or if it is outside my realm. "Be safe out there..."