East Lyme Fire on Waterford System ... again ...

[sefrischling]

Anyone happen to know why the East Lyme Fire Dispatch channel is increasingly popping up in use on the Waterford P25 trunked system? The EL units do not have access to the Wtfd system, but it seems that when dispatch is talking they are showing up on that system more and more.

Is this testing , or are the dispatchers just patching it?

 

[firerick100]

East lyme is on that system I looked at the data base,unless I am missing something.

 

[sefrischling]

Firerick,

Waterford has East Lyme talk groups, for future use. East Lyme units do not have Waterford radios. They operate on VHF. When the dispatch goes out, ELFD picks it up on VHF, not 800, when they talk back it is VHF not 800. The 800 is inconsistent, it can be 10 calls in a row simulcast on Wtfd 800 or a no calls for a day on that system.

So I am just curious what the rhyme or reasoning is behind the inconsistent use of the system when calls are dispatched.

I have also heard some chatter on the East Lyme Police talk group, sounds like radio techs, as ELPD has no access to it. East Lyme Police operate on the CSP system and a VHF frequency only, never on the Waterford system.

 

[cg]

May be one dispatcher that sets up a console patch. Any chance it is done when a Waterford unit (EMS) goes mutual aid? Not sure if they cover calls there at all.

chris

 

[sefrischling]

Chris,

The medics come from the hospital and cover a number of town. I was listening to see if a "W" ambulance was being dispatched, but nope, these calls are all for "B" (East Lyme/Niantic/Flanders) units. Maybe just how one dispatcher is using the system when they are on.

 

[PJH]

Not sure why this is always a difficult concept.

When radio systems such as these are put in place, and are regional in nature, provisions are typicall put into place to talk to neighbors.

Be it as it may, there are a number of ways to do this...from Waterford TRS users patched to a radio to talk to other agencies, or vice versa.

Unless someone has first hand knowledge, there may very well be a few radios floating around that these other agencies have - or have been given - to talk to those other agencies.

That's the best speculation based on usual facts and best practices that occur.

 

[sefrischling]

PJH,

Waterford is the system used by Waterford and New London. They added East Lyme in for future use. I believe the chiefs and Marshals have portables, but no one else. East Lyme fire is dispatched by East Lyme, police by the State Police and these calls are not talk-around conversations, they are dispatch calls for medical, MVA, report of smoke, nothing mutual aid.

I completely understand how regional systems work, but East Lyme and Waterford are both clear that the talk groups are for future use only. East Lyme, Waterford and New London are considering combining dispatch centers, but that is a long way off. These calls are dispatched often in clusters, there no mutual aid component and L&M Medics are dispatched on their own VHF frequency, although they also pop up at times on the Waterford 800 system under their own talk-group. If it happened regularly that would be one thing, but they are not, which is why i am curious if anyone has first hand knowledge of the rhyme or reason, if one exists, why these transmissions exist on that system.

 

[w1haf]

They are just cross patched by the dispatcher. East Lyme and the L&M medics have there own Vhf frequencies. The talkgroup numbers are assigned to patch to each frequency.

 

[PJH]

That's exactly why its happening...someone has access and radios for that system.

They don't add talkgroups for "future use" for the hell of it.

It only takes a couple of minutes in the system manager software to create talkgroups and their parameters. If someone wanted to come onto the system, I find a spot, create the talkgroup and update the database and codeplugs that needs it.

There is a purpose and use for them.

Patching conventional to trunked also just requires a consolette radio, a cord, and some backend programming and boom....its in and workable, as needed, when needed and can be a forced full time patch or console selectable when needed. Audio can be two way or one way, as needed. Also configurable.

There is a ton of stuff you can do these days with little effort - versus how CEB's were done in the past that required a bunch of I/O cards, wires and the like.

There is a bigger, simpler picture at play here.

PJH,

Waterford is the system used by Waterford and New London. They added East Lyme in for future use. I believe the chiefs and Marshals have portables, but no one else. East Lyme fire is dispatched by East Lyme, police by the State Police and these calls are not talk-around conversations, they are dispatch calls for medical, MVA, report of smoke, nothing mutual aid.

I completely understand how regional systems work, but East Lyme and Waterford are both clear that the talk groups are for future use only. East Lyme, Waterford and New London are considering combining dispatch centers, but that is a long way off. These calls are dispatched often in clusters, there no mutual aid component and L&M Medics are dispatched on their own VHF frequency, although they also pop up at times on the Waterford 800 system under their own talk-group. If it happened regularly that would be one thing, but they are not, which is why i am curious if anyone has first hand knowledge of the rhyme or reason, if one exists, why these transmissions exist on that system.

 

[kmacinct]

Just one article of MANY . . . . . . . .

The Day - New London, Waterford, East Lyme push for legislation to allow regionalizing dispatch | News from southeastern Connecticut

New London, Waterford, East Lyme push for legislation to allow regionalizing dispatch

 

[sefrischling]

kmacinc

As I had already stated, I am aware of the three towns exploring a combined dispatch, but no one in East Lyme's system is listening to Waterford 800 for their dispatches.They listen to their pagers or VHF radios. The only thing over the East Lyme Fire talk group on 800 is dispatch for the Niantic and Flanders fire departments.

The towns are not in a combined dispatch center at this time. Waterford and New London are self dispatching, East Lyme self dispatches fire and the police are dispatched from the State Police. Others have pointed out a dispatcher may just be flipping the switch and doing so on an inconsistent basis, which makes the most sense as it is not with every call.

 

[kmacinct]

I have a strong 'hunch' , there are 'key people' (in the EL area) who are testing the reliability and coverage of the system.

The Combined Center is going to make some new jobs for some people, and some people may loose their positions. Those involved want to have 100% of their questions answered, especially in regards to coverage - and later service (manpower).

They are selling the combined system as one great big interoperable system . . . .
(yes, and no... but that's a different thread)
.
.

 

[sefrischling]

OK, I got an answer. It is not East Lyme flipping on the 800mhz simulcast for ELFD, They do not have that capability in their dispatch center at this time. Additionally, I was informed they don't monitor the East Lyme talk groups on the Waterford system.

The simulcast is turned on at times when an L&M Medic is dispatched with the Fire Department or by Waterford radio techs.