Dispatching
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Not a real easy answer to this question, due to many variables.
If the department has it's own dispatch set up, then more than likely the dispatch consoles would also be upgraded, and everything would be digital.
Seeing more and more places consolidating dispatch operation (e.g. consolidating a city with its county, regional dispatch operations, etc.).
But in any case, the dispatcher and the units in the field would have to be digital OR analog, or it just isn't going to work.
That said, some places transition from analog to digital in phases, licensing their (existing) frequencies for both during the change over. Check the RR database to see if the FD happens to be licensed for both analog and digital (the frequencies would still be the same, you'd see the same frequency listed twice, with one being P25, etc.).
There is also equipment that will do both analog and digital, and they just reprogram the equipment as need until they finally get to where the need to be.
Another possibility might be if anyone in the mix is using an Inter Ops system, in which radios from any band or technology (e.g. analog, digital) can be placed in this system and create a common channel that works with ALL radios across the board (pretty neat technology/system!)
Is this dispatch center dispatching only the city FD involved, or other jurisdictions as well? Arte there other departments already on this dispatch system already using digital?
Unless the frequencies themselves change, any transition from analog to digital would be pretty transparent to the listener, other than having to reprogram your scanner to receive digital (instead of analog).
BUT, this will work only if your scanner can do digital, AND if they're going to a P25 digital system. If they go to Mototrbo, Open Sky or another digital system, I don't know of any scanner presently on the market that will do these systems (if anyone know more about this, please chime in!!) As you can see, the term 'digital' covers numerous technologies available.
Hope this helps answer your question (at least some). Things can get pretty complicated and confusing with all of the changes that are going on these days.
Good luck!
If the department has it's own dispatch set up, then more than likely the dispatch consoles would also be upgraded, and everything would be digital.
Seeing more and more places consolidating dispatch operation (e.g. consolidating a city with its county, regional dispatch operations, etc.).
But in any case, the dispatcher and the units in the field would have to be digital OR analog, or it just isn't going to work.
That said, some places transition from analog to digital in phases, licensing their (existing) frequencies for both during the change over. Check the RR database to see if the FD happens to be licensed for both analog and digital (the frequencies would still be the same, you'd see the same frequency listed twice, with one being P25, etc.).
There is also equipment that will do both analog and digital, and they just reprogram the equipment as need until they finally get to where the need to be.
Another possibility might be if anyone in the mix is using an Inter Ops system, in which radios from any band or technology (e.g. analog, digital) can be placed in this system and create a common channel that works with ALL radios across the board (pretty neat technology/system!)
Is this dispatch center dispatching only the city FD involved, or other jurisdictions as well? Arte there other departments already on this dispatch system already using digital?
Unless the frequencies themselves change, any transition from analog to digital would be pretty transparent to the listener, other than having to reprogram your scanner to receive digital (instead of analog).
BUT, this will work only if your scanner can do digital, AND if they're going to a P25 digital system. If they go to Mototrbo, Open Sky or another digital system, I don't know of any scanner presently on the market that will do these systems (if anyone know more about this, please chime in!!) As you can see, the term 'digital' covers numerous technologies available.
Hope this helps answer your question (at least some). Things can get pretty complicated and confusing with all of the changes that are going on these days.
Good luck!
cdknapp : Thanks for the reply on this. The City FD is Dispatched by the City PD, both are Analog for now.
When both Departments go to P25 which is in the making, does that mean that the City PD will possibly
still be the Dispatcher ? or will they both go separate Dispatching ? I know that the City of Tongie Ks is Dispatched through the Co Fire Dispatch. I thought may be that the LV City FD would go to the LV Co Dispatch, this is just a theory. Thanks for the time
When both Departments go to P25 which is in the making, does that mean that the City PD will possibly
still be the Dispatcher ? or will they both go separate Dispatching ? I know that the City of Tongie Ks is Dispatched through the Co Fire Dispatch. I thought may be that the LV City FD would go to the LV Co Dispatch, this is just a theory. Thanks for the time
Unfortunately, this is all so true. But for the OP, if dispatching is carried out from more than one jurisdiction (say FD and PD in this case) in the same dispatch center, yes there can be multiple bands and/or technologies utilized by each individual department. It all depends on the radio consoles, each having to be compatible and programmed to the system in use. OR, with advanced enough console ability and design, be able to switch each console.
Here where I am, police use a UHF P25 system, while fire and EMS use VHF high analog. Everything sits in the same big room, but there are 2 'sides', the police side and fire/EMS side. Same room, different sides, different bands and technology's. And our system is big and busy enough to have separate PD and FD dispatcher, only a few of which are trained to do either side. The rest it's one side or the other.
Here and all over the USA, new systems are bought by the local government, and placed into service with little to NO input from the people using them; not during the initial looking at phase, design, etc. These systems are put put in place, and the turned over to the responders that use/depend on them.
And many times, there are problems once these new systems go hot. Now with millions of dollars invested in these system, they are strapped with them. Sometimes they just need a little 'tweaking', maybe need additional repeater sites put in, or, worst case scenario - have to scrape the new system all together and go to something different, or back to their old system.
The RR database is the best place for system information. Media coverage on the new systems going in sometimes very short on information; sometimes it is never covered at all.
So, it is pretty much a wait and see situation. If you know any police or firefighters in the area involved, ask them. But even with this, they often have little to no information about what is going on, until they actually have it handed over to them.
WOW ! I guess I never realized all this takes place. Thanks for all the responds to this. Now it's a game of WHAIT & see what happens. Have asked some FD Employee's about this & they know nothing xcept there is a change coming. So with all that has been said, Thanks
nd5y
Member
Only in places where there are people that know what they are doing that submit accurate information to keep the database current.
Check out your local government web sites. In many places the city council and county commissioners court (or whatever they call the county administration in your state) post meeting agendas, meeting minutes, bid proposals, reports from outside consultants and other interesting stuff about expensive projects on their web sites. You might be surprised what you can find.
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