CFD Happenings 2011

[Chicago2210]

Something els that should be mentioned is that CFD is getting a new fire boat. New fireboat named after fallen firefighter arriving Monday - Chicago Sun-Times I don't know what will happen to the current boat.

 

[JPSan]

CFD Fireboat The Christopher Wheatley

Here is some more info about this new boat. Looks really sharp.
Chicago Fire Boat The Christopher Wheatley « chicagoareafire.com

 

[werinshades]

Here is some more info about this new boat. Looks really sharp.
Chicago Fire Boat The Christopher Wheatley « chicagoareafire.com

Will be using Radio Call Sign: Engine 2...

 

[werinshades]

Something els that should be mentioned is that CFD is getting a new fire boat. New fireboat named after fallen firefighter arriving Monday - Chicago Sun-Times I don't know what will happen to the current boat.

Engine 58 is out of service. 6-8-8 is in service, as well as Engine 2.

 

[werinshades]

EMS Field Chiefs, District Chiefs and Asst. Chiefs are testing today with the OEMC...have heard them on City-Wide Fire EMS-North (Digital)...so far. Radio ID's coincide with the previously used ID's.

 

[FFPM571]

I heard a little here in Mid Lake Co.

 

[FFPM571]

Any news ?? havent heard any testing for a while..

 

[fullmoon]

I have looked thru the data base friends. What are the main EMS FD frequencies for Chicago?? Thank You...It is confusing...

 

[FireBuffChgo23]

Currently 460.600 is Main EMS-northside of city & 460.625 is Englewood Ems-southside of city.

 

[MtnBiker2005]

[News story:]

New radio system still in the air for Fire Department
The city has spent nearly $23 million on a new digital communications system that still doesn’t work after more than five years — a shortcoming back in the spotlight following a federal report that criticizes the Chicago Fire Department for not having enough radios during a December fire that killed two firefighters.

Yet as costs mount and test after test fails, there is still no firm timeline on when the system will be up and running. “Sometime in 2012,”

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...-for-fire-department-20110923,0,3614873.story

[Hope it was okay to post it here. If not someone can split it to another thread.]

 

[ilgrant]

For $20 mil and the current radio system couldn't every firefighter in Chicago have 2 analog radios and work?!

 

[KB9WUV]

Or put 20 mil in the current system and put EMS on vhf how hard is it to aquire three more repeater pairs for EMS North/South/ EMS command!.Then you add repeat mode to Fire command! Look at the LAFD system 18 channels of repeater traffic for fire and ems.

 

[werinshades]

[News story:]

New radio system still in the air for Fire Department
The city has spent nearly $23 million on a new digital communications system that still doesn’t work after more than five years — a shortcoming back in the spotlight following a federal report that criticizes the Chicago Fire Department for not having enough radios during a December fire that killed two firefighters.

Yet as costs mount and test after test fails, there is still no firm timeline on when the system will be up and running. “Sometime in 2012,”

New radio system still in the air for Fire Department - chicagotribune.com

[Hope it was okay to post it here. If not someone can split it to another thread.]

This is great news though. The last time (1995) when our antiquated communications system was exposed to the public, suddenly the fire Communications moved into the OEMC within months. The Commisionner came out and said "it's close", so watch how fast all the "bugs" get fixed. In Chicago...you don't embarass the Fire Commisioner, expose waste to a new Mayor and not expect the issue to be resolved. Don't forget the Jan 1st 2013 narrowbanding deadline. Bet the new Mayor knew nothing about this prior to a reporter question. It will get done much quicker now...come on digital!!!

 

[werinshades]

For $20 mil and the current radio system couldn't every firefighter in Chicago have 2 analog radios and work?!

The "new XTS 5000's" , which would allow every firefighter to have a radio, are in a secure storage area awaiting programming by the radio shops, who are awaiting the go ahead to program them from the communications supervisor, who is awaiting the go ahead from......well you get the idea.

 

[Monaco]

If the federal government hadn't offered the P25 incentive we just might be looking forward to something like that narrowband VHF repeater array. But Chicago couldn't pass up the free money. Digital audio upsets my stomach and makes my ears bleed. I'm hoping the switch takes place on New Years Eve 2012.

 

[werinshades]

Digital audio upsets my stomach and makes my ears bleed. I'm hoping the switch takes place on New Years Eve 2012.

Awww come on now, take some pepto bismol and everything will be alright.From a user point of view, I think it sounds very good. All thee testing I heard, and we used it for 30 days, was flawless. Calls were getting dispatched, plans were being run, and EMS is alot more active than than the fire side is. The new system will have 5 Digital "dispatch channels" and all of our fireground operations will be UHF analog simplex. I have seen the new channel line-up, frequency assignments and it will make our communications lives much easier. Won't need two radios on fireground scenes, and everyone will be able to talk to each other including CPD. The current analog system has frequent failures, and is need of some expensive repairs. I've attended seminars in New York, and the common demoninator for digitial failure is "repeatered Digital fireground operations", which Chicago won't have. When we started CAD system dispatching, their were alot of people on CFD who didn't think it would work. After many major incidents and years later, it obviously has. I look foward to modernizing our antiquated communications system finally....

 

[Monaco]

The EMS test did sound better than the other digital systems I've monitored and granted I have to use a consumer grade radio to hear it. But as you'll recall the dispatcher modulation level was too low and then all over the place so I wouldn't exactly call it a flawless test. I believe they resolved those issues by the end of that month and obviously that's what a test is for. My sadness though is that nothing else will ever sound as good as the current 25 khz wide richness of Main and Englewood. Granted, portable use in some areas of Englewood is a problem, but for the most part those two repeaters have been a model for high quality big city communications. And when they go dark I think we are going to lose that familiar, classic, easy on the ears, "CFD sound".

 

[werinshades]

The EMS test did sound better than the other digital systems I've monitored and granted I have to use a consumer grade radio to hear it. But as you'll recall the dispatcher modulation level was too low and then all over the place so I wouldn't exactly call it a flawless test. I believe they resolved those issues by the end of that month and obviously that's what a test is for. My sadness though is that nothing else will ever sound as good as the current 25 khz wide richness of Main and Englewood. Granted, portable use in some areas of Englewood is a problem, but for the most part those two repeaters have been a model for high quality big city communications. And when they go dark I think we are going to lose that familiar, classic, easy on the ears, "CFD sound".

Yes the dispatchers were low initially, but I and many other end users told them, and Motorola was in the building and took care of it. It was flawless in the sense that coverage exceeded the current coverage on the VHF analog system due to few receiver sites. As you acknowledged, many portables on the VHF system are not going through or very scratchy. This has been isolated to the southside Roseland area receiver site which is unable to repair due to outdated equipment. That is a very "hot" area for fires and many Battalion Chiefs have expressed concern over this as they are the initial Incident Commander and scene size up is imparative. I've heard a few "new" updates on switchover dates, but I won't keep updating the thread as many of these have not occured in the past. EMS portables are programmed to operate on the new system, and will be brought in for "final" programming once the green light is given. The "new" Fireground, EMS-Command and many other interoperability channels will be added to available Zones in the radios. As new apparatus is purchased, the mobile XTL 5000's inside the apparatus, will be programmed the same. I've heard three dates for the "official" switchover to occur for EMS, 2 this year and one early next year. Only time will tell of course, but have been hearing the radio shops test alot of EMS portables on the current analog channels as of late. It won't be as painful as some want you to believe or you feel. The clarity and reception was much better than our current, and a few mentioned after our 30 day test trial, they missed how good it sounds. EMS is out on the street pretty much 24 hours in a shift, and were able to work with it, so i'm sure everyone will too. Motorola has included a 1 year "no-cost warranty" for any issues that occur. They will have technicians at the OEMC round the clock I was told too once the system goes live. The dates i've heard would push the end of the "1 year warranty period to expire" close to the end of 2012, so it would make sense, since they have to be narrowbanded by Jan 1st, 2013. Now that the light has been shined brightly on "wasteful spending", watch how this moves along a little quicker. It will all be fine...

 

[werinshades]

"Another" Digital Update..

I hate to even post yet another "update", but this sounds pretty good compared to the past. Ambulances have been getting their portable radios collected, and being issued a "spare" portable while the assigned portable radiois in for "re-programming". This would go along with the time line I was given a while back...EMS 30 day evaluation, back to analog, "final" reprogramming (Add all new Zones, including fire new channels etc.), then switch, then Fire Side changeover.

I have been given a Dec. 1st, 2011 target date for permanent changeover. This would make sense for November training sessions to be scheduled. Their are currently 4 ALS ambulances that have the XTL 5000 mobiles installed, as well as EMS Field Chiefs, Asst. Dept. Chief Paramedics and those will be brought to the radio shops or Field Divisions for their mobile reprogramming. Once the "live" day is started, Motorola has given CFD a 1 year "we'll fix anything" warranty which means zero repair costs to the city, which coincides with the Jan. 1st 2013 narrowband deadline.

When I get a confirmation of the channel line-up that I have, I will submit it in the radioreference database and try and delete all the extra and non-essential information on this system from years past. I don't know since I didn't submit the original information, if I could delete the "old" information so we can clean this up a bit, especially for those that are "database dependent" to program their scanners.