County Fire to dispatch La Habra Hts Fire

[PaulNDaOC]

La Habra Hts is expected to switch dispatch services from the city of Downey to County Fire once final approval is given by the county Board of Sups.

Sounds like Heights will switch to county fire freqs. The switch is promoted as less expensive, improves auto-aid response times, and mutual aid coordination.

Downey has dispatched Hts Fire since 2013 after LHH ended dispatch by volunteers as had been the practice since the department was founded some 80 yrs ago.

Look for a switch early in the new year.

 

[LBH]

The BoS vote is slated for the 12/6/16 meeting. Here is the link to the agreement:

http://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/bos/supdocs/109548.pdf

The County will be roughly half the cost of Downey.

 

[LBH]

Today is the day that LA County Fire took over dispatch services. Units are, so far, Medic Engine 771 and Engine 772. It appears Squad 71, aka Squad 741 in the Downey numbering scheme, is no more.

In March 2016, LHH ran 51 calls (http://la-habra-heights.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=375&meta_id=29436). As of 6:30 tonight, they already have six, including two different times when two calls were within half an hour of each other. It appears they may be a bit busier now.

 

[disp10]

Does this change mean they move from Fire Mutual Aid Area E to Area B?

 

[Eng74]

Today is the day that LA County Fire took over dispatch services. Units are, so far, Medic Engine 771 and Engine 772. It appears Squad 71, aka Squad 741 in the Downey numbering scheme, is no more.

In March 2016, LHH ran 51 calls (http://la-habra-heights.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=375&meta_id=29436). As of 6:30 tonight, they already have six, including two different times when two calls were within half an hour of each other. It appears they may be a bit busier now.

Was Engine 771 a medic engine before the change over?

 

[PaulNDaOC]

Does this change mean they move from Fire Mutual Aid Area E to Area B?

They should still be Area E,,,this is just a contract for dispatch services which was mostly done to improve their response times in runs that we auto aid.

There was no complaint with Downey and no discussion at the LHH city council about leaving Area E

 

[allend]

Yes Downey area E dispatch has always been good. Back in the day Lynwood fire use to be dispatched at Downey and then they left to goto LACOFD. Then Montebello Fire was being dispatched back and forth and then they finally left to goto Verdugo.

Downey, Santa Fe Springs, Compton have held in there thru thick and thin.

 

[PaulNDaOC]

Yes Downey area E dispatch has always been good. Back in the day Lynwood fire use to be dispatched at Downey and then they left to goto LACOFD. Then Montebello Fire was being dispatched back and forth and then they finally left to goto Verdugo.

Downey, Santa Fe Springs, Compton have held in there thru thick and thin.

Back in the 70's all the Area E cities with the exception of Vernon shared 154.25 featuring different dispatchers for each agency except SFS. This included Whittier (70's units) and South Gate.

I'm not sure when LHH joined Area E as the fire dept remained an independent volunteers organization well after the city incorporated, eventually being absorbed into a city entity.

Those were good times for scanner enthusiasts.

Nobody knows what Area E will look like in the future as each city has requested a proposal for service by County Fire at some time in recent years.

 

[Aero125]

Don't be surprised if some of the smaller city departments go with Verdugo Dispatch. Vernon is the latest example. When Montebello ICI goes P25 soon the coverage area for this expands.

 

[PaulNDaOC]

Are there any agencies left in the region other than large ones that still operate their own dispatch for just their own agency?

I think Santa Monica has their own fire dispatchers but now operate under same roof as PD.

Any others still operating independently?

 

[Aero125]

I think La Verne, West Covina, Culver City, Beverly Hills, and Torrance are still on their own.

 

[LAflyer]

Culver City is being dispatched by South Bay RCC effective March 1st.

Only few years ago the Area-A cities - Beverly Hills, Culver City, Santa Monica explored unified dispatch but dropped idea when it became clear a new facility would be needed as none of the cities could absorb each other in their existing locations.

Also might remember Santa Monica in 2007 contracted with LAFD, but reactivated its own dispatch facility in 2009 again.

 

[PaulNDaOC]

I think La Verne, West Covina, Culver City, Beverly Hills, and Torrance are still on their own.

La Verne and West Covina and Torrance are dispatched by the PD, Culver City is now dispatched by South Bay in Hawthorne,,,not sure about Beverly Hills though.

The days of smaller cities (under 100,000 or so) have a fire dispatcher for just that one city seems to be almost history, as opposed to being the rule several decades ago..

 

[motobot213]

La Verne and West Covina and Torrance are dispatched by the PD, Culver City is now dispatched by South Bay in Hawthorne,,,not sure about Beverly Hills though.

The days of smaller cities (under 100,000 or so) have a fire dispatcher for just that one city seems to be almost history, as opposed to being the rule several decades ago..

Beverly Hills Dispatches out of the Police station and it covers PD, Fire, and Parking

 

[jand2562]

Which Freqs?

Does anyone know which frequency LHH fire is being dispatched on? Also La Habra, the Blue 13 they used to be on has gone silent. Perhaps a new frequency with LHH too?

Thanks

 

[PaulNDaOC]

LHH calls will be dispatched voice on Blue 8 (470.5375) as is the practice countywide,, and their home frequency is Blue 1, and that is where all calls inside the Heights would be handled. If LHHFD runs into La Habra or Whittier.(470.5625). If they happen to gone north into Hacienda or Rowland Hrs it would be Blue 5 (470.6625)

Former Eng 71 is now Medic Engine 771 (ME771) in CAD, but not sure how its voiced.)

Things sure have changed up their in my lifetime of scanning. They used to run as a volunteer dept with Rio Hondo students in service weekdays 5 Engines, two patrols, water tender, and the chief's wife rolling in the rescue from home 24/7, and grannies dispatching from their kitchens.

Some of the old apparatus sheds are still in place around town if you know where to look.

 

[jand2562]

Thanks for that info. I guess blue 13 isn't being used for response anymore. Appreciate it.

 

[PaulNDaOC]

I have also observed that Blue 13 is not being used for La Habra area radio traffic, and that is too bad because Blue 1 sucks in a lot of La Mirada too right now, where I am.

It continues to baffle me why such big fluctuations in the signal quality on Blue 1 and 8 at the same spot week-to-week.

If LASD can have acceptable phasing done on their countywide channels what is Fire's excuse?

Might be that years ago when I worked at LASD SCC that each time ISD performed radio site work for them a charge was levied against LASD's budget.

Maybe that is why Fire allows this, the Chief needs a new desk?

 

[tkenny53]

Blue 13 repeated Blue 1. Blue 1 is pretty loud and clear in La Habra, Blue 8 still is a stinker.

 

[Eng74]

I have also observed that Blue 13 is not being used for La Habra area radio traffic, and that is too bad because Blue 1 sucks in a lot of La Mirada too right now, where I am.

It continues to baffle me why such big fluctuations in the signal quality on Blue 1 and 8 at the same spot week-to-week.

If LASD can have acceptable phasing done on their countywide channels what is Fire's excuse?

Might be that years ago when I worked at LASD SCC that each time ISD performed radio site work for them a charge was levied against LASD's budget.

Maybe that is why Fire allows this, the Chief needs a new desk?

Maybe in the past a city in that area already had the freq so LACoFD could not over power it. My local PD was on a VHF that is the same as what the County Fire uses now on the other side of the mountains. Since the switch the could use it on this side but it has not been done.