Boulder County, CO - Sometimes simple is better

[brey1234]

A Boulder County (Colo.) Sheriff’s Office official said its analog conventional VHF radio system allowed responders from local, state and federal agencies to interoperate without problems during the destructive Fourmile Canyon Fire last week.
http://mccmag.com/newsArticle.cfm?news_id=6146

 

[radioman2001]

I bet Motorola and Harris don't like seeing this kind of article. Cuts into their mojo, that their respective $7K portable works better than a $650.00 portable.

 

[KC2ZHY]

More articles like this, please!
Trunking is HORRIBLE for interop, and isn't that what we're preaching these days?

 

[MtnBiker2005]

Already talked about in the Colorado forum area.
http://forums.radioreference.com/co...tional-helped-save-boulder-co-brush-fire.html

 

[KB9LMJ]

I work for Denver Fire and we have an EDACS system, whereas most of the state is on a P25 system. Interop is doable, but usually a 2nd thought because of the linking that has to be done to get the systems to talk to each other. There are designated interop link channels that are always up, but lack of use and lack of enforced training on using them makes them almost non-existent. When I was a fireman back in Illinois, we almost exclusively used VHF for all the area depts and interop was as natural as anything.

I believe training and, of course, the expense and difficulty making different systems talk together make all these trunking systems more work than they are worth- IMHO.

On a side note, changing your talk group with fire gloves on SUCKS! It was so much nicer just reaching in your pocket and clicking a knob on the old VHF HT and not having to worry about buttons and knobs on the Jaguar.

 

[b7spectra]

Millions and Millions and Millions of dollars spent on a state of the art 700/800 DTRS system, and simple analog 2-way radio's show it up. Go figure!

 

[dracer777]

I think it's mostly dependent on training. We can have the whole reception debate, which VHF is better in the mountains, I agree. But DTRS general interop is basically as simple as switching to a MAC channel, and at that point you can communicate with most of the state.

 

[datainmotion]

When I was a fireman back in Illinois, we almost exclusively used VHF for all the area depts and interop was as natural as anything.

NIFERN, ESMARN and IREACH instantly come to mind...:wink:

 

[DPD1]

I just wish more agencies would be this innovative on their own, and not fall for the sales pitch from the manufacturers.

 

[poltergeisty]

Food for thought.

Being a Devil's advocate... During the Sep-11 attacks, I believe it was analog that wasn't interoperable in NY.

I agree though. In where these two words come in five by five: SIMPLE STUPID!

Only problem with analog is that it's kinda hard to monitor when you live near, but far from the action. :wink:

 

[SCPD]

Which channel is which?

One of the biggest obstacles in INterOP is that the first responders simply don't know what channels they share with other agencies. The below is a true story:
Years ago, when both Wayne and Oakland County here in Michigan were on analog VHF, two brothers were sheriff's deputies, one for each county. Whenever they were on the same shift, they had a heck of a time getting with each other to co-ordinate where and when to meet somewhere on Eight Mile Road, the divider between the two counties.(yes, Emimim's 8 Mile) When I heard about it, I told their brother who worked with me "Wayne Counties Channel 3 and Oakland Counties Channel 5 are the same frequency". The deputies had no idea that they shared a common freq with a county that shares the same border. After that, they were able to hook up around dinner time no problem.

 

[APX6000]

I would like to see more articles like this too. Where i live there is allot of Analog UHF& VHF. They seem to work. Not that Digital is bad but Analog works.