DOJ Interop Baltimore?

[doctordave]

Might be worth plugging in 171.4375 to see if there is any activity/testing in the Balt-DC corridor....per the wiki, this appears to be used in some other cities for DOJ interop purposes (at least getting some testing in this regard).

Has anyone stumbled across any such freqs in use by Federal agencies around our area? There was a prior thread regarding a Federal mutual aid freq in NYC (similar concept to our Balt Metro PD intersystem freq): http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59419

 

[ka3jjz]

I'd be surprised if anything shows up there, Dave. The word 'Interop' around here is a dirty word, to say the least, at least at the state level. The Eastern Shore seems to have a far and away better handle on it; I understand the ITAC channels see fairly regular use when there's a major incident. Around here; like they say in the Sopranos, fuggedaboutit (forget about it). Too much politics, not enough training in when/how to use the interop freqs and turf wars. Heck they even set up repeaters, tested them roughly 2 years ago, and evidently promptly forgot about them.

At the federal level - it would be interesting to see if they don't have the same problems here....73s Mike

 

[nightwatch]

interop

yep interop here is in boxes.the only people that use interop well are the fd's on f-mars 154.28

I'd be surprised if anything shows up there, Dave. The word 'Interop' around here is a dirty word, to say the least, at least at the state level. The Eastern Shore seems to have a far and away better handle on it; I understand the ITAC channels see fairly regular use when there's a major incident. Around here; like they say in the Sopranos, fuggedaboutit (forget about it). Too much politics, not enough training in when/how to use the interop freqs and turf wars. Heck they even set up repeaters, tested them roughly 2 years ago, and evidently promptly forgot about them.

At the federal level - it would be interesting to see if they don't have the same problems here....73s Mike

 

[Dispatcher308]

First Off

They have not forgotten those repeaters that you so called say are forgotten. They are still in the stages of building the system for Central Maryland however it is Operable and alot of agencies use them, the Eastern Shore has a system as well from Cecil to OC and it has been completed. Also UTAC & VTAC are being worked on as well from the State to get all of the spectrum covered for MD. I can name several instances where these systems have been used for coordination & interop purposes.

Nathan

 

[ka3jjz]

How about here in Central Maryland, Nathan? There have been several instances where those ITac freqs should have been used - such as the Water Taxi tragedy, or the fuel spill that shut down I295 for a time a year or so ago? In the latter case, they brought in units from BWI and Howard county, and it was reported in the paper that folks had to get handhelds to talk on the Baltimore county system. Evidently they didn't have ITac equipped radios. The system may well be under construction but operational, but evidently not many departments are using them or perhaps even know how and when to use them. I know for a fact from a now-deceased ham who worked for Baltimore county that a large stumbling block seems to involve the old 'turf war' (not on my system...) and a general lack of knowledge about them. They may well have all the frequencies and channel plans installed, but actually using them? I have serious doubts.

It would have been interesting if Larry and company had done more research on Maryland when they wrote that interop article for MT (appears in the July issue)
73s Mike

 

[Dispatcher308]

Mike,

During the Water Taxi Incident this system was not built or even close to built out. The I-295 Incident I cannot recall.

In recent times Cecil County uses it on a day to day basis to speak with Harford, Chester PA and New Castle DE for Interop. The night of the I-95 Ethanol Tanker Fire it was used as units from BWI & Harford County made use of it on scene to speak with command, I cannot recall which Tac channel they used but it was used and worked very very well. It was also used during the Train Derailment at the Howard County - Carroll County line. MDE made extensive use of the 8tac channels to interoperate with command and units on scene. It was just recently used for the Howard County Police Officer's Funeral Detail.

I can tell you it may not get used every waking hour of the day, but it does get used and for the correct reasons.

 

[ka3jjz]

Things you don't hear about in the lay press, Nathan. Thanx for setting the record straight.

Is there any public information on the web about the interop projects in Maryland? I want to send that to both Larry Van Horn and Bob Grove, and see if we can at least get them straightened out, too. In the MT article, it was written that they had no indication of a statewide system, not even mentioning the 8Call/UTAC or VTAC frequencies.

73s Mike

 

[Dispatcher308]

Mike let me dig some stuff up here at send it out to ya. it may take me until tomorrow to get it, but ill get it out to ya.

 

[ka3jjz]

That's fine, no sweat. I don't want any sensitive stuff since it's likely to appear in MT at some point. Only public information, please. That way no one gets into trouble when it appears in print 73s Mike

 

[fd2119]

yep interop here is in boxes.the only people that use interop well are the fd's on f-mars 154.28

Howard County (at least on the fire side, anyway) seems to interop well with others. Or at least intercommunicate (personally, I believe interoperations is more than just communications.) well with others. When a Howard County unit is dispatched to a surrounding area on a MA call, they seem to just switch to the correct zone and talkgroup (except, of course, with PG - then it's turn on the portable in the MTVA, select the right channel) and viola, they're up and communicating with the MA jurisdiction just fine.

As for the 8Tac / 8Call system, I can only say that I know they're programmed into our 800mhz MA portables (Laurel VFD in PG County). I'm not sure how they'd be used, nor do I have any clear idea of how we could get the system activated, were we to need them. Granted, we could use the direct / talk around version, which is fine for closer quarters communications, but not longer range communications.

 

[Dispatcher308]

FD 2119, if you need those channels activated in the Howard (Baltimore Metro Area) you would contact the Maryland Emergency Management Agency by phone or by using the 8 Call Frequency and requesting an 8 Tac channel to be turned on. We can then patch you from there with other agenices thru the Motobridge System and then onto there system at their console.

I also want folks to realize that the Washington Metro Area does not have there own 8-Call Inter-Op System like the Baltimore Metro and Eastern Shore does because of the fact that they have their Inter-op frequencies that they have, and I dont know if there is any plan to build this system out anytime soon.

Nathan

 

[MDEguy]

Just wanted to jump in and add my 2 cents.

All we do at work is run MA. As many of you know we run from county to county assiting on oil and chemical incidents.

We have recently added 800mhz portables to cache of other radios. Rather then list all of the counties we for the most part have every county that is Motorola 800mhz. This project was completed last week. We have had these radios for sometime but due to paperwork it has taken sometime to get them online. The entire time we have had these they have been programmed with the 8tac as well as the RINS system. I have been working with MEMA since receiving them on understanding the range and use area. The need for this system was pointed out to us during Isabel.

We were called to assist Balt Co. in the flood areas, mostly Middle River, Essex, Bowleys Quarters, Edgemere, and of course Last but not least Millers Island. While working this incident for 4 weeks everyday we were without any reliable coms with our office. Any one that is from any of these areas can tell you that you are better off with 2 tin cans and a string then a cell device. Not long after Isabel we received the portables, and have since been doing testing in all of the above listed areas as well as others around the state so that we are better prepared for the next incident.

Lastly, I have to agree with Nathan. I was the lead MDE responder on the train derailment on the Howard - Carroll line. We realized within 5 minutes of arrival that the incident was in a coms black hole. The use of the 8tac channels made the job run much easier. On this incident 1 simple call to MEMA and things were up and running, I think but am not sure that MEMA contacted the 2 jurisdictions and ironed things out. As well I think the 8tac was used by MEMA personell that were at the scene giving them the ability to stay in touch with the office. This is a vital system. I only wish that it had been there long before it was.

Gotta go to a gasoline spill in BC (Cherry Hill) fun, fun at 0245 on a Sunday morning!

Sorry, I tend to be long winded. But "admitting you have a problem is the first step at recovery".

NATE ... Look forward to seeing you Tuesday!!

 

[nightwatch]

doj interop

the start of this was doj-fed interop.i dont know of any in the baltimore area that use any fed to fed or fed to state interop.baltimore city's are still in boxes locked up in there bunker.

 

[James04TJ]

http://www.gov.state.md.us/gohs/SIEC/docs/IPT Rpt v8.pdf