See my post #9 above. Interoperable frequencies which can use selectable tone will be listed as CSQ in the database, in part for the very reasons noted by
@es93546. If the day comes when the NIFC can make up their mind on a specific tone plan, we can revisit this decision.
As a communications planner and administrator for over 30 years, I personally think that user-selectable tone is a pretty questionable practice; there's entirely too much chance of user error, which can lead to injury and/or death (especially in a rapidly evolving situation like a wildfire).
By the way, your submission was one of only 49 new submissions; the 226 number you noted includes submissions already owned by administrators who are in the process of working them (they may be waiting for additional information from the submitter or what have you).
NIFC has adopted a standard 16 tone list. It is the same as developed in California by FIRESCOPE, CDF, USFS, BLM, NPS and some counties. They are not only using this standard list for the NIFC cache radios, but all U.S. Forest Service radio systems are directed to do so also. National parks and BLM districts have slowly been converting to this list in the last 10-15 years. Some units in the Northern Rockies GACC used all the standard tones, but decided to change the labels, making the lowest frequency tone (100.0) as Tone 1, 103.5 as Tone 2 and so forth. Some have resisted the standardization stating, "we don't want it cause it comes from California" and "we've always done it this way and it works for us just fine." The same was heard when the adoption of ICS was directed to be in place in the USFS by 1986. Every Forest Service region accomplished this sooner, except for Region 1 (northern Idaho, Montana and North Dakota). They made a choice not to adopt ICS until they were required to and not by choice. Eventually everyone, including state natural resource agencies will adopt the national standard tones. Some are waiting until they replace their systems.
The only time I've seen tones mentioned in a wildland fire serious injury and fatality incident it was for the Yarnell Hill Fire. The state of Arizona had jurisdiction and someone from the state forestry agency was IC. It was mentioned that differing tones were an issue. Arizona's state forestry agency was using some tones that weren't on the standard list at the time. Some of the tones had different number labels. I think some local resources were not standardized either. This incident happened June 30, 2013. I don't think anything was mentioned in the investigative report about any action proposed in response. However NIFC is now directing units to adopt the standard.
I never found selectable tones to be an issue during my USFS career. I worked my last 18 years in California where the standardized tone list was developed in the early 80's following the upgrades from burst tone repeater selection. Volunteers, new seasonals and some management employees who rarely went out in the field sometimes got tones mixed up, but most had been well trained on radio procedure. Many forests had radio use guides, in fact nearly every one of them. The guides explained what tones were in non techy type terms. People who responded to fires, went on details to other forests and traveled often for other reasons, all carried the R5 Smokejumpers frequency guide, which has been put together since around 1988 or 1989. It is only 3 1/2" by 5," so it's easy to carry/store in a vehicle or line pack.
I don't see the use of tones to be an issue or questionable as you opined. Fire personnel in wildland fire agencies are pretty radio savvy. Many engine captains, IHC superintendents and helitack crew members clone their radios themselves. When I had a single group of 16 channels in my handheld I would program the home unit group back in it as soon as I got home, sometimes as I left an assignment. In general it has been my observation that people in the fire service are knowledgeable about radios. I can't say that for law enforcement, but they don't work mutual aid as often. Most of the non-admin types in all natural resource agencies were very geographically literate. They could figure out the locations of repeaters without too much trouble. The USFS visitor map for each NF is a great place to start. You just look at the names of repeaters then scan the map, reading all the significant peaks shown on it and then ink in the tone number next to it.
When units frequently responded to CDF fires, they just carried the unit's repeater map with them as well. When you respond frequently enough, you have the tones/repeaters memorized anyway.
The only way to select repeaters without having to keep track of tone is to have a channel for each repeater and lock out the selectable tone function. That eats up memory. Think of the Los Padres NF with 20 repeaters using all 16 tones. They would use up a whole group, just for the forest net, then would need another for the admin net. This is not workable. When I traveled out of region and did not have that region's frequency guide, I would just try each tone from 1-16 and find the best kerchunk I could get. The R5 guide did not list individual repeaters for each CDF unit or the commands. Kerchunking was an easy thing to do and you made sure you were ready with the info gained before getting right on the line.
If you are on a fire, you carry at least two pages of the IAP with you, the assignment sheet for your division and the comm plan. You memorized the comm plan and had it in a shirt pocket if you couldn't. It was my experience when rolling up on an immediate need assignment that when you checked in at the ICP, they would make sure you had the comm plan first, or if not developed yet, would give you the air to ground, command and tactical frequencies to write down before you headed out to your assignment. This info is announced by dispatch several times and if you are arriving from another forest they make sure you have those frequencies and the tones for command. This is all part of the LCES (Lookouts, Communications, Escape routes, and Safety zones (LCES) procedure and checklist that every firefighter must have in place at all times.
