Ehhh... I was close. I retired in 2022 and even then I didn't work directly in a role where I listened to all of that regularly. Honestly, the S.O. changed stuff around so much that mostly gave up trying to remember it. I was there way back when the deputies were all MO-<number> and dispatch was Station 52.
Not to sidetrack the thread, but MorganAL, you bring up an interesting point. I date back to when Colbert SO was “Station 20” and “CO“ units were deputies and small PDs.
The interesting point here is that all this numbering and lettering was statewide and meant for, are you ready for this? Interoperability! Before interoperability was gee whiz, big bang radio systems and specialized equipment, it was a matter of units/stations being able to instantly and readily identify each other. In the early days of VHF-Hi, most sheriffs departments and smaller police agencies were on one frequency. That frequency, 155.010 MHz, would later become the Alabama Net and is now Alabama’s VHF equivalent to VLAW-31. After agencies began to gravitate to their own frequency(ies), many being on repeaters, the retention of the call signs and numbers continued until leaders in their infinite wisdom but lack of understanding began to change things.
True interoperability with that numbering and lettering system has all but vanished. In my opinion, this only adds to confusion when interoperability is important. Saying a county/city name, when units even think to do so, followed by a seemingly random number just means longer transmissions. We have forgotten that seconds count on the radio as well.
I’ll save the 1980s era Alabama Forestry Commission’s statewide UHF simplex frequency of 453.750 MHz and the establishment of VFD repeaters statewide uniformed numbering system (that has now also all but gone away) for another time.
KTZ-392, WAC-370, KIB-511 & KIV-333 alumni. I'm from the "get it said and get off the radio" generation. Note my signature.
