CARES Alarm???

[ko4yd]

I am hearing the Columbus GA PD running tests on a ....'CARES' alarm. Am I hearing that right? I 'think' they are saying "cares", but my hearing isn't what it used to be. Does anyone know what this alarm is and why they are running so many tests on it in Columbus?

 

[joejo95]

What Talk Group or freqs. are you hearing it on.

 

[ko4yd]

Muscogee Regional
Heard on all three sectors.

 

[k4sgt]

The CARES alarms are portable boxes with HT's (on the 800 system as you noted) and motion detectors in them that transmit a message to dispatch when they are tripped. They can be used to catch criminals in places that they are anticipated to hit. An example could be a radio tower site. If there had been a lot of recent copper theft activity (as there is) at radio sites, the police may set several of these things out at other towers and when they trip the police respond to try to catch the thief. I don't know if they have ever caught anyone with one of these, but it seems like a good tool to have. The PD has had them for years. I don't know how often they actually deploy them.

 

[ko4yd]

Thank you so much for responding. This one has been perplexing me for weeks now. I haven't heard them run anymore tests in the last week or so.

I appreciate you taking time to explain....

 

[k4sgt]

You are welcome. I am planning to give a presentation on scanning in our local area (date still to be determined) and this sort of question could be addressed in person. The presentation will include a slideshow and general overview of some of the equipment involved in a trunking system as well as a question and answer session. This will be done at one of the future Columbus Amateur Radio Club monthly meetings and I will post an announcement here on the forum. I was going to do this last year, but I had unforseen circumstances that forced me into committing my spare time to work. Things are normalized now and I just need to get the presentation scheduled. Happy scanning!

 

[ko4yd]

Thanks... I will look forward to it.
I haven't been to a CARC meeting in years. Do yall still meet over on Buena Vista Rd., up and across from the old Chef Lee's?

de KO4YD

 

[k4sgt]

We meet at the main branch of the Columbus library on Macon Road. I think it is the second Thursday of each month at 1830. Below is the link to the club's website. I don't know how many current members you would know. Many people have come and gone over the years. I just moved here in 2005 and know a few of the folks that left, but not many.

CARC - Columbus Amateur Radio Club, Columbus, GA