alas KSC711 will pass into history on that day
Chicago Fire Dept. 2012
- Thread starter werinshades
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House Captains were told to "find a locker" in the firehouse to store the "new Digital radios" prior to them being used. They had to write a form back to the Deputy advising him/her of the locker number and it's location. That actually makes sense...get the radios BEFORE the implementation date...brilliant!!! (Ok, had to have a little fun with this..lol!)
firepost
Member
Werinshades for today's heat wave emergency (7/17/2012) Ambulance 68 was put in service on the south side. It looks like at Engine 88 house.At least that's what the dispatcher was inquiring about.
The new CFD digital UHF signals have improved in reception down here in Joliet, not sure if more towers were turned on or its the atmosphere helping....
"Heat ambulances" will be up for 24 hours. All rehired paramedics reported to SLD @ 31st Sacramento and were assigned an ambulance and a firehouse to go to. Yes they changed it up a little as you heard.
Will the new UHF fire portables have the latest bells and whistles (vocoders - background noise blanking software - or whatever)? Maybe a better question is - are the new fire UHF portables "new" new or "old" new? (IOW - were they purchased 5 or 6 years ago - have they been upgraded since?)
Purchased a few years ago, don't know about the rest.
The city-wide training has begun. The last leg of the race...
EMS Command
I spoke to a very reliable source yesterday and was told the EMS Command Channel will become a "repeaterd channel" soon. EMS is not happy thay took that away and made it a Simplex channel. I don't know if it's going to be changed all together and use a current repeatered channel, whether it will be an analog or digital channel or a current "new" licensed frequency etc. When I find out, i'll add it to the database and post it here.
I spoke to a very reliable source yesterday and was told the EMS Command Channel will become a "repeaterd channel" soon. EMS is not happy thay took that away and made it a Simplex channel. I don't know if it's going to be changed all together and use a current repeatered channel, whether it will be an analog or digital channel or a current "new" licensed frequency etc. When I find out, i'll add it to the database and post it here.
Just an update...
Had a chance to sit in on the "new Digital Radio Training" primarly aimed at the firefighters. Their was an updated codeplug I was told, so my curiousity got the best of me and borrowed a radio and my trusty old 396XT's Close Call feature.
Two changes were evident. "Lakefront" channel and EMS-OPS channel were in there. These channels were previously called Media and OPS-11. Fire Companies will also be using OPS Channels 8,9,10 for close proximity fires. The OEMC will make the announcememnt if a different channel other than Fireground will be used, similar to the MABAS dispatching "use fireground red". I submitted the changes in the RR database, and cubn quickly added them. Look under the Chicago Fire Future Digital/Analog to update if you'd like.
Sept. 16th at 0800 hrs. is still the target date for the changeover. Per the training instructors, on that morning all CFD FS&R apparatus radios will be shut off and only portable digital radios will be used. The Mobile Radio Upgrades are "supposed" to be a quick changeover. All mobile radios in FS&R companies will be the XTL 5000 series radio. All Chiefs, and Squad officers will be issued APEX 7000 portable radios which have both UHF Digital/Analog and VHF Digital/Analog capapbilities in the event a MABAS response is needed to be coordinated. As it get's closer, i'll update the board here or if any other channel changes are made, i'll submit it for the Database.
Had a chance to sit in on the "new Digital Radio Training" primarly aimed at the firefighters. Their was an updated codeplug I was told, so my curiousity got the best of me and borrowed a radio and my trusty old 396XT's Close Call feature.
Two changes were evident. "Lakefront" channel and EMS-OPS channel were in there. These channels were previously called Media and OPS-11. Fire Companies will also be using OPS Channels 8,9,10 for close proximity fires. The OEMC will make the announcememnt if a different channel other than Fireground will be used, similar to the MABAS dispatching "use fireground red". I submitted the changes in the RR database, and cubn quickly added them. Look under the Chicago Fire Future Digital/Analog to update if you'd like.
Sept. 16th at 0800 hrs. is still the target date for the changeover. Per the training instructors, on that morning all CFD FS&R apparatus radios will be shut off and only portable digital radios will be used. The Mobile Radio Upgrades are "supposed" to be a quick changeover. All mobile radios in FS&R companies will be the XTL 5000 series radio. All Chiefs, and Squad officers will be issued APEX 7000 portable radios which have both UHF Digital/Analog and VHF Digital/Analog capapbilities in the event a MABAS response is needed to be coordinated. As it get's closer, i'll update the board here or if any other channel changes are made, i'll submit it for the Database.
How are the XTS's set up? Do the EMS radios have different layouts as opposed to FS/R radio's? I would think that Fire would have Fire main and Englewood as position 1 and 2 and EMS to have EMS Main and Englewood as 1 and 2 on the portables, from there the layout should be the same?
We have 20+ Zones in our radios. Each Zone has a different channel lay out. Their are some similarities in some Zones, while others are completely different. I don't forsee alot of "Zone changing" on a daily basis. Common Channels :1 & 2 (Main and Englewood), 3 Administrative, 4 Fireground...the other 12 channels vary.
Sounds like the Starcom radios we have. 20 + zones of all shapes and sizes. They told us 95% you wont change the way you do things now. Of the other 5% of the time you have to change zones or Talkgroups 95% of the people using the radios will be lost.
That's pretty much the way it's explained to our people too. I believe the transition will be smooth, and once the apparatus radios are all upgraded, it will be like nothing changed.
Still on for the switch over tomorrow?
Have not seen any memo's or directives in the past week. Their trying to get everyone in a class, and was told they ran short on time. Unless something came out today, it'll be postponed for a little bit. It's not the radio system that's not ready...
How has the new EMS system been working? As good as the old analog or ?.
Very few issues...more "user" issues then system issues. Some of the hospitals have repeaters in the e/r which comes in helpful, especially when you're waiting for a bed and have a clock ticking. Once we're all over on the same system/radios, it'll run even smoother.
RADIOGUY2002
Member
Cfd
Have they made the migration completely?
Have they made the migration completely?
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