Deerpark Police

[sc800]

Does anyone know why Central must use Polling to talk to Deerpark? Is it because no other channel has the range?

 

[SCANdal]

Correct. The closest VHF-High band repeater is on the Graham tower and is the Polling channel.

DPD is not capable of 800 MHz.

 

[sc800]

Isn't MRD also on the Graham Tower? Why can't they use that?

 

[APX8000]

Isn't MRD also on the Graham Tower? Why can't they use that?

Although MRD IS licensed for the Graham tower, it is NOT currently up and running.

Here's a little history for you...
Prior to the SO going over to 800 many years ago, 339 was up in the Mt. Hope area where Graham is located (I believe it was actually Finchville back then, maybe SCANdal can clarify). When they switched and Central took over the frequency, the only towers that remained were Goshen (which was on the old SO/Jail) and Beacon. The other repeaters were moved to Beacon and Graham to create the new 911 polling channel.

MRD is currently up on Beacon, Goshen, Schunnemunk and Mt. Peter. Schunnemunk is the main site most PD's use, except Town and Village of Goshen which use the Goshen Tower. Chester switches to Mt. Peter every so often depending on their location. For the most part, the dispatcher stays on Schunnemunk regardless of what tower the unit is on. This is due to a couple of reasons. 1-Schunnemunk provides great coverage in the areas in which Central dispatches and 2-the system is set up wrong in that the dispatcher listens on the repeater output (155.850 PL 107.2) instead of the repeater input with the various PL's. This is why 718 answers units on the wrong tower constantly...it's set up the same way...but that's another story.

Before Schunnemunk went in service, Washingtonville used Beacon and Chester used Mt. Peter. Blooming Grove used Goshen. Before Mt. Peter, Chester used the Goshen tower with in-vehicle repeaters due to crappy portable coverage.

The 911 Polling channel is currently up on Beacon, Arden and Graham...although they are also licensed for other sites like Mt. Peter, Schunnemunk, West Point, etc.

Another FYI...according to 911's protocols, routine traffic is not to take place on the polling channel. Needless to say since they constantly use it for non-priority calls with Deerpark, they are violating their own protocols. What they should be doing is unless it's a 911 in progress call, they should transfer the call to SP Middletown which dispatches Deerpark on the NYSP Troop F frequency.

 

[sc800]

Thank you very much. The fact that Central doesn't shift off of Schennumunk is probably why you have situations in which the units can't here Central. eg. Town of Goshen PD

By the Way, what really gets me is the traffic stops and calling in service over polling, even more so than the EMS calls.

 

[APX8000]

what really gets me is...calling in service over polling...

The two things that really bother me is one you just mentioned...calling in service over polling. The biggest violator of that is the State Police. They have all the MRD channels available AND they have the 800 talkgroups like POLICE. Get off polling. It's not just that though...they send a teletype via NYSPIN to Central with all the unit assignments, posts, etc. at the beginning of each shift AND the SP dispatcher actually updates all the units in the Printrak CAD. So why call in and out of service if it's already done for you ?

The other thing that bothers me is the fact that as a taxpayer, I'm paying a monthly fee for every State Police vehicle to have a 800 radio when they are already equipped with a State VHF radio with all the Orange County VHF frequencies. Why do they need 800 Polling when they can answer on VHF Polling? Central multicastes it over both 800 and VHF. Same three towers too. And 800 POLICE...why not just use MRD, which has 4 towers available. The agencies that primarly use 800 for the most part don't participate in polling (Town and City of Newburgh, New Windsor, Woodbury, etc. and all Villages like Montgomery, Maybrook and Harriman) and the majority of departments dispatched by Central use MRD.

I could go on and on. Like Middlehope, Fort Montgomery and Highland Falls having their own 800 talkgroup in the console to talk to 36 Control. Every other department has to build a link to low-band, but these departments are special? I called and asked one of the Admins if we could put our own EMS frequency in the console so we didn't have to use 718 to call the county. I even told them we would pay for it. The response was a big NO ! I then asked why the other three are allowed. I was told it was a special arrangement. So I asked if we could have a special arrangement. Again I was told NO. I asked why they are giving special treatment to some departments. I was told they have 36 Control on 800 due to coverage issues with lowband. I then reminded them that I could hit Beacon tower on a portable with 1 watt and a wet noodle from Middlehope. We never really wanted to put our channel in the console...just wanted to make the couny aware of why things are so messed up there.

Ok. I need to go take my medication now.

 

[sc800]

In most "normal" PD's and 911 Centers, there are two channels, a Main channel for dispatching calls, and an Administrative/Records channel for traffic stops/NCIC/calling 10-7/8. I wonder why they do not implement something like that?

As far as the 800 MHZ thing, I agree, but don't SP still take calls in those areas, or at patrol those areas, if they have just VHF how would they find out about any activity in NBG, or any others? I guess they could just leave it in certain cars that cover those areas.
By the way, does anyone know if Central has headsets now, or is it still just the microphones attached to the consoles?

 

[SCANdal]

The obvious solution is to pick one band and have EVERYBODY switch to it...

In most "normal" PD's and 911 Centers, there are two channels, a Main channel for dispatching calls, and an Administrative/Records channel for traffic stops/NCIC/calling 10-7/8. I wonder why they do not implement something like that?

You and me both.

As far as the 800 MHZ thing, I agree, but don't SP still take calls in those areas, or at patrol those areas, if they have just VHF how would they find out about any activity in NBG, or any others? I guess they could just leave it in certain cars that cover those areas.

8, you are correct, sir. DSP units can come up directly on the Woodbury talkgroup, for example. Thus, as much as e911 would like to see it done, tearing the 800 MHz radios out of the troop cars wouldn't be a good idea in terms of them maintaining interoperability with the agencies that are primarily on 800 MHz

By the way, does anyone know if Central has headsets now, or is it still just the microphones attached to the consoles?

Mics are on the consoles.

PS to e911: Graham Mountain is in the Finchville section of the Town of Mount Hope. Arden House is in the Central Valley section of Woodbury. Schunnemunk Mountain is in the Highland Mills section of Woodbury. Mount Peter is in the Bellvale (?) section of Warwick. Mount Beacon is in Beacon, Dutchess Co. I don't know where exactly West Point is and you've already mentioned Goshen's site.

 

[APX8000]

DSP units can come up directly on the Woodbury talkgroup, for example. Thus, as much as e911 would like to see it done, tearing the 800 MHz radios out of the troop cars wouldn't be a good idea in terms of them maintaining interoperability with the agencies that are primarily on 800 MHz.

Ok...I could see 800 radios in the SP Newburgh Cars due the posts they cover...T/V Montgomery, Maybrook, V/Walden (uses as a tac), T/C Newburgh, T/New Windsor, T/V Cornwall, V/Highland Falls (uses as a tac) all use the 800 Beacon system. But SP Middletown...the only PD (not counting the SO) on 800 Graham is Mt. Hope PD. Same with 800 Sam's Point...V/Chester is the only PD that uses it and only really as a B/S channel. SP and the SO don't even have the Sam's Point tower in their radios. And Woodbury and Harriman (which both do not get polled anyway) are the only agencies on 800 Arden.

Woodbury (and Harriman) could get off 800 and switch to VHF considering most departments on that side of the county (Monroe, Tuxedo, Blooming Grove, etc.) use VHF. What gets me is Woodbury and Monroe have some sort of combined SRT Team for school shootings, hostage situations, etc. Yet when they get out of the vehicle, they can't talk to each other without some sort of unreliable console patch.

Graham Mountain is in the Finchville section of the Town of Mount Hope

I thought Graham was in the Otisville section. I believe Finchville is just southwest of that. I don't get out to that side of the county much.

I don't know where exactly West Point is...

It's up on the tower at the ski slope off 218. At least thats where 718 is.