168.200 aka LPF Tac 2 aka NIFC Tac 2 aka Region 5 Crew Net is used often on the east side of the forest -- particularly along I-5 when working with ANF.
Changes to USFS Los Padres NF
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The official listings of 168.2000, NIFC Tac 2, in Region 5 often label it as "R5 Crew Net." A little history here (as I recall and understand it) might help. I first became aware of this frequency in 1975 when the radio tech on my first National Forest told me to order a 168.2000 crystal for my scanner. He referred to it as "R5 Crew Net." Radio frequency information at the time was nearly non existent and it wasn't until sometime in the 1980's that I became aware of the NIFC system and I did not know how 168.2000 fit into it. I'm not sure if its use started in R5. In R3 we did not have tac frequencies in our radios, most radios had two channels only, with channel 1 being forest net direct and channel 2 being forest net repeat. Most forests in R3, at least those in most of Arizona did not have repeaters, but had one or more remote bases, linked via phone lines or UHF. This was common in the Forest Service. Channel 1 was used for everything, dispatch, tactical, logistics, etc. It could get pretty hectic. Some very active forests had a secondary simplex frequency, with the Tonto and Coconino NF's in Arizona being two of those I knew about. I don't think that any other tactical frequency was available at the time, keeping in mind the lack of information I had at the time. I have reason to believe this to be the case as "Air Net" used to be the guard, air dispatch, flight following and air to ground all in one. Only the district FMO's had air net radios and they were single frequency large portables in their own case and were not installed in the mobile or portable radios the FMO carried, Given that it would not surprise me if only one tactical frequency was available nationwide. It makes sense that R5 forests were the first to be able to use it, given the high workload of the region and thus the name "R5 Crew Net."
As far as 168.2000 carrying the name "crew net," as far as I know this is not in accordance with recent direction from the National Interagency Communications Division at NIFC. A document from Region 3 (Arizona and New Mexico) in 2014 addressed the use of stated that three new regional tacticals were being assigned and that the NIFC tacticals were not to be used as they were reserved for use on "national incidents," those managed by Type I and Type II incident management teams. The document stated that the term "crew net" was not to be used for Tac 2 anymore.
The BLM has been installing unique tactical frequencies for each state office for about 10 years and no longer uses NIFC tacs. Some BLM state offices have more than 3 and one has 9 or 10. Region 4 (Intermountain) has three tacticals of their own now. Region 8 (Southern) has a couple of region wide tacs of their own. Region 5 has its own three tacticals. I don't know if the other 5 Forest Service regions are having regional tactical frequencies assigned to them. However, the frequency plans of most of the National Forests, National Parks and BLM Districts in California have the NIFC tacs in them and not the regional tacs. Most label the frequency "R5 Crew Net." It appears that R5 has not started to change its channel plans to reflect the national (and interagency) direction that R3 cited in 2014. Three National Forests do not have NIFC tacs in their frequency plans, but have the R5 tacs.
In 2008 the NIFC Comm Division issued direction that four frequencies would be used for "crew net." Those frequencies were the new federal itinerant narrowband frequencies assigned for all federal agencies to use. This system is called the "National Intra-Crew Communications System" and the frequency assignments are not for exclusive use. The frequencies are assigned as follows: 163.7125 is designated "National Intra-Crew", 167.1375 designated as "Primary IA (Initial Attack) & Incident," 168.6125 as "Secondary IA & Incident" and 173.6250 as "Tertiary IA & Incident." "National" can be used at the home unit to mobilize crews and for travel to incidents. They can be used for both nationally (Type I and II) and locally (Type III, IV and V) managed incidents. "Intra-Crew" communications are defined as logistical in nature and never to include tactical communications. The frequencies are used within one crew and are not to be used to talk crew to crew. Crews are expected to change channels and use tone guard or NAC's to maintain privacy.
The listing for the Los Padres NF, on the documents accessible by the links a few posts back and in the official channel plan listing for the region, show all three simplex frequencies of the LP are labeled as "crew net." This is an obvious error.
In the future I believe we are going to see the NIFC tacs removed from each agency's primary group, with regional tacticals substituted.
As far as 168.2000 carrying the name "crew net," as far as I know this is not in accordance with recent direction from the National Interagency Communications Division at NIFC. A document from Region 3 (Arizona and New Mexico) in 2014 addressed the use of stated that three new regional tacticals were being assigned and that the NIFC tacticals were not to be used as they were reserved for use on "national incidents," those managed by Type I and Type II incident management teams. The document stated that the term "crew net" was not to be used for Tac 2 anymore.
The BLM has been installing unique tactical frequencies for each state office for about 10 years and no longer uses NIFC tacs. Some BLM state offices have more than 3 and one has 9 or 10. Region 4 (Intermountain) has three tacticals of their own now. Region 8 (Southern) has a couple of region wide tacs of their own. Region 5 has its own three tacticals. I don't know if the other 5 Forest Service regions are having regional tactical frequencies assigned to them. However, the frequency plans of most of the National Forests, National Parks and BLM Districts in California have the NIFC tacs in them and not the regional tacs. Most label the frequency "R5 Crew Net." It appears that R5 has not started to change its channel plans to reflect the national (and interagency) direction that R3 cited in 2014. Three National Forests do not have NIFC tacs in their frequency plans, but have the R5 tacs.
In 2008 the NIFC Comm Division issued direction that four frequencies would be used for "crew net." Those frequencies were the new federal itinerant narrowband frequencies assigned for all federal agencies to use. This system is called the "National Intra-Crew Communications System" and the frequency assignments are not for exclusive use. The frequencies are assigned as follows: 163.7125 is designated "National Intra-Crew", 167.1375 designated as "Primary IA (Initial Attack) & Incident," 168.6125 as "Secondary IA & Incident" and 173.6250 as "Tertiary IA & Incident." "National" can be used at the home unit to mobilize crews and for travel to incidents. They can be used for both nationally (Type I and II) and locally (Type III, IV and V) managed incidents. "Intra-Crew" communications are defined as logistical in nature and never to include tactical communications. The frequencies are used within one crew and are not to be used to talk crew to crew. Crews are expected to change channels and use tone guard or NAC's to maintain privacy.
The listing for the Los Padres NF, on the documents accessible by the links a few posts back and in the official channel plan listing for the region, show all three simplex frequencies of the LP are labeled as "crew net." This is an obvious error.
In the future I believe we are going to see the NIFC tacs removed from each agency's primary group, with regional tacticals substituted.
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