Alias, mobile vs portable

[RadioGeek505]

I'd like to pick everyone's brain and would appreciate some feedback.

We currently have our Astro P25 system set up to display the call sign of the officer when they transmit. For example, the dispatch console will show "132" for a portable and "132 M" for the mobile radio in their vehicle. The delema we are having is that we don't always receive accurate information from fleet as to who is in what vehicle. Our department frequently swaps out assigned vehicles for various reasons and dispatch is constantly complaining that the alias's for the mobile radios are incorrect.

Their solution is "What's the problem? Just change it.". But, there's more to it than that for logistical reasons.

We've had several discussions with command staff and the decision was made to change the alias for mobile radios from the call sign, "132 M" to the unit number assigned to the vehicle, ie "R4357".

The memo was distributed to dispatch and they are all loosing their minds over it, calling it a horrible decision citing it's an officer safety issue. At this point there are so many inaccuracies and too many variables coming in making it extremely difficult to maintain.

Now, fleet isn't the best at keeping accurate records. I feel this is an opportunity for them to clean up their side of things and in the end everything should work itself out.

I guess my question is, what do you all do for your departments? What works, what doesn't? What do your dispatchers do to identify who is transmitting from a mobile radio with nothing more than a unit ID number?

Dispatch has been granted access to the vehicle list from fleet and the suggestion was made that every officer needs to provide the unit number they're in at the start of each shift. We utilize Motorola P1 CAD, is there anything that can tie an officer to the car they're in?

 

[KE4ZNR]

Our city police department uses:
1) For portables the PD officers Employee ID is used ("123456"). This is done because the portable radios are issued to a specific officer full time and for emergency button reasons.
2) For mobiles the vehicle city fleet ID is used ("52547"). This is done to make tracking of which mobile radios are in which vehicle easier. On the CAD screen the dispatcher sees the fleet number (52547).
We use MCM CommSHOP as our work order/database program along with a backup copy in excel to track all of the above.
Sounds like your fleet department needs to come up with an accurate database of all PD vehicles, assign them fleet numbers, then you could use that in cad to ID vehicles.
Hope this helps!

 

[mmckenna]

Portables use the officers badge number. Same number used for their ID on the radio, and for tracking in CAD.
Vehicles use the 4 digit fleet number that is marked on the outside of the car, and used for checking in milage at start/end of shift.

Radio calls go to the officers by badge number. The vehicle/mobile ID just gets logged in CAD.

There's spare portables, but they are programmed with an ID that is outside the badge number range, so it's obvious it's a spare.

Sounds like you, fleet and the PSAP manager need to talk things through. Dispatch refusing to adapt is making this more difficult than it needs to be.

 

[MTS2000des]

On our system we assign:
Portables is officer badge number plus dept identifier: for example: UCP 1202p, Union City Police, badge 1202 p for Portable
Mobiles are the vehicle number as provided by agnecy: UCP 05041 v
Fire: engine radio would be agency identifier followed by number with v designation indicating it's a vehicle: UCF E41v
Fire portables are aliased with agency identifier and position along with p for portable: UCF T41A p
Everyone else it's an agency name plus unit number and p for portable, m for mobile