Emergency Management VHF-Lo

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Robbyboy

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Mar 28, 2004
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354
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Richlands, NC
Greetings Everyone

While scouring the FCC Records, I tend to notice alot of emergency management lo-band VHF Frequencies licenced for use. Does anyone still use it, or have they migrated to Trunking, Nextel, Cellular?

Thanks
 

jeffmulter

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Apr 29, 2001
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Location
Fort Mill, S.C. (just south of Charlotte, N.C.)
There are 10 low band channels set aside for use in N.C., but the primary communications seems to take place on 47.46, 47.50, 47.54, 47.58 and 47.62 MHz.

Each county is licensed for a primary frequency, and - I believe - most have a secondary frequency.

My region uses 47.50 / 173.8 as their primary, and the channel is quite active ... scheduled radio checks, drills, search and rescue operations, Amber alerts.

Power plants and some utilities also have schedule radio checks with State E-M on these channels. Duke Power's nuclear plants in Huntersville, N.C. ("McGuire") and Lake Wylie, S.C. ("Catawba") are among them. I presume Catawba is included in the checks because its disaster plan includes populated areas of N.C.

47.42 is licensed to the American Red Cross in N.C. for disaster services. 47.66 is also used by the ARC in some parts of N.C. for non-emergency services, such as transportation to medical appointments. I presume the latter frequency could easily be put to use for non-emergency transports from a triage area during a disaster.

45.92, 45.96, 46.00 and 46.04 MHz are each licensed to a few specific local emergency management agencies and school systems in N.C., which may interest you if a local agency is on one of those frequencies.

There are a few EMS and rescue squads that continue to use the frequencies for tac purposes. In your area, Pender Co EMS was still using 45.96 / cs (their "channel 2"). I believe Newport Fire (Carteret Co) maintained low band radios with the 45 MHz E-M channels in a couple of their trucks for tac use.

In my area, Stanley Fire (Gaston County) and Burke County EMS reportedly still use the low band E-M channels.

BTW - the state E-M channel (45.48 MHz) in S.C. is still in use, atleast for radio checks.


Jeff Multer
 
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