Champion EMS/Flight for Life (East Texas)

[riverradio68]

So for a while now I have been digging into East Texas EMS communications. ETMC EMS was absorbed into UT Tyler Health and apparently no longer provides EMS services in East Texas. It seems Champion EMS has taken what was once ETMC EMS. For the most part they are operating on leased Conventional Analog UHF. The LTR system they used to used seems to have been abolished. I have submitted some updates to these fellers but it seems the database guys often forget to add something so I am going to paste in the information I have and ask you fellers how you suggest I submit this so we can get it right.

First I'll copy the Text file with their frequencies, tones and corresponding towers. Then I'll add their coverage map. Because this is a large comprehensive service area with a lot of radio towers I'd like to suggest the system be put in the Medevac area under the State of Texas labeled as "East Texas" This way the good folks updating the database don't have to put this info in each and every county individually.

Champion EMS Dispatch Channels

461.5125 DCS: 205 Hawkins Tower
451.8500 DCS: 732 Purley Tower (FFL-1)
451.9750 DCS: 114 Daingerfield Tower
452.0125 DCS: 464 Wills Point Tower (FFL-4)
461.4500 DCS: 412 Kilgore Tower (FFL-3)
463.3750 DCS: 464 Longview Tower
462.0625 Henderson Tower
461.1750 Mt. Selma Tower
451.9000 Lindale Tower (Possibly LTR)
461.4375 DCS: 662 Tyler #2 Tower
452.7000 Athens Tower (Possibly DMR)

Flight For Life Bases

FFL-1 Palestine
FFL-2 Winnsboro
FFL-3 Lake Cherokee
FFL-4 Wills Point

Notes: FFL-1 is based at Palestine but I cannot find a frequency for them. I suspect they are on Anderson County EMS but I can't hear that far south. FFL-3 I believe dispatches off Champion Kilgore. Champion/FFL can also be heard on the old ETMC-EMS North VHF channel 155.2350 DCS: 331 Talking to UT Tyler. I also don't think Athens is accurate as they have no service in the area and all I hear is DMR on the frequency. Mt. Selma I think is PL: 103.5 which is an older known tone for Champion. However, that is also a stretch to hear so I haven't confirmed it.

So, What would be the best way to submit this?

Thanks!

 

[hiegtx]

So for a while now I have been digging into East Texas EMS communications. ETMC EMS was absorbed into UT Tyler Health and apparently no longer provides EMS services in East Texas. It seems Champion EMS has taken what was once ETMC EMS. For the most part they are operating on leased Conventional Analog UHF. The LTR system they used to used seems to have been abolished. I have submitted some updates to these fellers but it seems the database guys often forget to add something so I am going to paste in the information I have and ask you fellers how you suggest I submit this so we can get it right.

First I'll copy the Text file with their frequencies, tones and corresponding towers. Then I'll add their coverage map. Because this is a large comprehensive service area with a lot of radio towers I'd like to suggest the system be put in the Medevac area under the State of Texas labeled as "East Texas" This way the good folks updating the database don't have to put this info in each and every county individually.

Champion EMS Dispatch Channels

461.5125 DCS: 205 Hawkins Tower
451.8500 DCS: 732 Purley Tower (FFL-1)
451.9750 DCS: 114 Daingerfield Tower
452.0125 DCS: 464 Wills Point Tower (FFL-4)
461.4500 DCS: 412 Kilgore Tower (FFL-3)
463.3750 DCS: 464 Longview Tower
462.0625 Henderson Tower
461.1750 Mt. Selma Tower
451.9000 Lindale Tower (Possibly LTR)
461.4375 DCS: 662 Tyler #2 Tower
452.7000 Athens Tower (Possibly DMR)

Flight For Life Bases

FFL-1 Palestine
FFL-2 Winnsboro
FFL-3 Lake Cherokee
FFL-4 Wills Point

Notes: FFL-1 is based at Palestine but I cannot find a frequency for them. I suspect they are on Anderson County EMS but I can't hear that far south. FFL-3 I believe dispatches off Champion Kilgore. Champion/FFL can also be heard on the old ETMC-EMS North VHF channel 155.2350 DCS: 331 Talking to UT Tyler. I also don't think Athens is accurate as they have no service in the area and all I hear is DMR on the frequency. Mt. Selma I think is PL: 103.5 which is an older known tone for Champion. However, that is also a stretch to hear so I haven't confirmed it.

So, What would be the best way to submit this?

Thanks!

With transmit sites in multiple areas, plus a map, that's not something that would work well if added to the Medevac database page. However, the individual frequencies might be submitted for their specific city. The Wiki would be the more logical place to add all the details, including the map. There already is a Texas Medevac page, with sections covering each of the major providers. Adding a Flight for Life section, would be one way to approach this. I am by no means a 'wiki expert', but there are others with much more familiarity of the process.

 

[Wes]

Champion has NOT taken over ETMC's service area. UT Health East EMS is still operating. They replaced ETMC EMS.

 

[riverradio68]

ETMC EMS's web url redirects to UTT and Champions service area (based on the map) really resembles the old ETMC EMS service area. So it was a guess. I am no way connected with anyone or any business, I just listen to the scanner MOSTLY in search. I'm no politician, internet tough guy or the like. I scan the old fashioned way and log with pen and paper. The listening logic of deduction based on hours of listening, Champion tower locations, maps and the lack of any ETMC web presence made it appear someone other than ETMC EMS was covering the area.

So My question was simply how to submit a LARGE listing and maybe by-passing the individual county submission to catalog the data. Jeez, if you burp around here the wrong direction peeps get mad and schools ya? And I thought FB was bad ....

I'll withdraw the original post. Steve above gave me some good feedback, I'll try the wiki for Champion and submit the FFL data to the Medevac page. Maybe an admin can close the thread so we don't have a Texas shootout over guesswork and old school scanning!

 

[nd5y]

The way the db is organized EMS providers are on individual county pages and air medical services are on the state Medevac page.
If they use trunked systems then it gets more complicated.

It looks like you have multiple things here.
Who actually operates Flight for Life and Champion EMS?
Are they both the same company?
Who dispatches both of them?
You have a bunch of towers listed but no FCC licenses for them. That's almost useless.

Then you have two that say possibly LTR or DMR. What does that mean? There is a huge difference. Have you actually received anything on those two?

 

[Wes]

ETMC is no longer, including their EMS. UT Health East took over ETMC, including their EMS. Champion EMS is at least partially operated by Trinity Mother Frances. I believe Flight For Life is a separate operation, but is operated by Trinity Mother Frances.

 

[hiegtx]

Apparently, there was a settlement in a lawsuit between UT Health East Texas & Champion over ground ambulance service in Tyler & Smith County.

UT Health East Texas EMS and Champion EMS settle lawsuit

UT Health East Texas announced Tuesday that a lawsuit between them and Champion EMS regarding ambulance services has been settled.

www.kltv.com

Notes in the article indicate Champion now operating under the name Christus EMS, linked to Flight for Life as well.

Flight For Life

 

[rattlerbb01]

I’ll get to work on some of this in the coming days. Going to need to rename the ETMC and Champion stuff wherever it appears on conventional and trunk pages.

 

[busted_knuckle]

Wow, you all have really bad information. You should get better sources and know what you are business you are talking about before posting stuff online.

Champion was a joint venture by Trinity Mother Frances and Good Sheppard now both owned by CHRISTUS hence Champion is now converting to CHRISTUS EMS

UT Health East Texas bought most of the legacy ETMC assets hence UT Health EMS

 

[riverradio68]

This is exactly why I posted the topic. To start the discussion and get the correct information. Again, I simply scan, I am not political, I don't know the corporate stuff and these forums are for bringing discoveries to the group and figuring out what, how and who. I have the call signs but this stuff was on a quick short list. All the licenses, well most come back to DFW Communications. Champion was previously on theirs and a few other LTR systems but it seems the LTR was dumped for whatever reasons.

All the critics who shame me had the opportunity to come and post the changes to their systems or submitted updates to the database as freely as anyone.

 

[rattlerbb01]

Wow, you all have really bad information. You should get better sources and know what you are business you are talking about before posting stuff online.

Champion was a joint venture by Trinity Mother Frances and Good Sheppard now both owned by CHRISTUS hence Champion is now converting to CHRISTUS EMS

UT Health East Texas bought most of the legacy ETMC assets hence UT Health EMS

Thanks for contributing the bottom two paragraphs, but the first was not necessary. People on this site need to remember that not everyone is an expert and questions should be met with polite answers, and incorrect information should be politely corrected. It can be hard to locate solid up to date information on many things local government related; I know, because I always try and google verify things when they are submitted showing major changes to public safety providers. This is why the local membership on radioreference is important to figure out the details.

 

[Boulder]

Flight for Life was defiantly started by Trinity Mother Frances in Tyler and Champion EMS between TMF and Good Shepard in Longview. Both have been taken over by CHRISTUS Health System. Champion has re-branded to CHRISTUS EMS. The EMS still provides dispatching and communications for Flight For Life. As far as i know there is 4 bases:
FFL1 Palestine
FFL2 Mt. Pleasant (moved out of Winnsboro)
FFL3 Longview
FFL 4 Wills Point

Was talk of a 5th base in Tyler, but don't think it ever materialized to my knowledge. Flight for Life had an partnership with PHI a couple of years ago that provided additional helicopters and and i think some mechanical work.

UT Health has taken over all of ETMC's old system and the EMS has re-branded to UT Health East Texas EMS and Air 1 program. Only change of that I know of is that the old ETMC Air 1 North that was based in Mt. Pleasant was moved a couple years ago to the new Pittsburg hospital in Camp County. The old dispatch channel for Air 1 North in the Medevac (WPBQ960) hasn't been used in a while as the dispatching was done on the trunked system.

haven't been around the scanner much for a while, will have to dust it off and make sure a lot of the old Champion EMS towers are still the same.