Enjoy it while it lasts Bismarck

[BisManRadio]

Well I have received word from a reliable source that all Bismarck public safety agencies
will be going encrypted very soon. Bismarck Police and Burleigh County Sheriffs Depts have
already made the move, up next is Bismarck fire and the ambulance service.

An update on Mandan, Mandan PD is encrypted and now the Fire Dept and Morton County Sheriffs are
now all encrypted. The only thing that isnt encrypted so far is fire & rescue dispatch which will probably be going that route as well. Kinda funny now, you can hear the fire dispatch calls but all the fire trucks are
encrypted when talking back to dispatch.

 

[radiomanNJ1]

Well I have received word from a reliable source that all Bismarck public safety agencies
will be going encrypted very soon. Bismarck Police and Burleigh County Sheriffs Depts have
already made the move, up next is Bismarck fire and the ambulance service.

An update on Mandan, Mandan PD is encrypted and now the Fire Dept and Morton County Sheriffs are
now all encrypted. The only thing that isnt encrypted so far is fire & rescue dispatch which will probably be going that route as well. Kinda funny now, you can hear the fire dispatch calls but all the fire trucks are
encrypted when talking back to dispatch.

Hey it's homeland security secret squirrel stuff.

 

[sc800]

While I can sort of understand police being encrypted; at least for certain things, ie. Surveillance, SWAT, Social Security Numbers being given. I CAN NOT understand Fire/Rescue being encrypted, especially full time. Even if their justification is HIPPA (which is not a very good one, according to people who actually understand the law), it still doesn't seem to justify full time encryption.

The only thing I can think of is if the PD's got it and it had extra frequencies and they asked Fire to jump on it with them.

 

[poltergeisty]

Tisk, tisk Bismark! You bunch of idiots! You are not like South Central L.A. FFS!

 

[SCPD]

Encryption (Killing) Killed the Scanning Hobby

Encryption Killed the Scanning Hobby a commentary and retrospect.
During the era of WWII, The Cold War and until now, various and mostly totalitarian nation states would have their army, secret police or similar agency or group go door to door of their citizens and remove (by force if necessary) those radio receivers not sanctioned or approved by the “state”. If the “state” was somewhat benevolent they would replace the confiscated radios with “state” approved model or allow the citizen to purchase an inexpensive “approved” radio at a “state” store. However after a specific time period if a citizen was caught with an unauthorized radio. The citizen (and his entire family) would often face charges of sedition or treason usually punishable by a long term in prison and or death.
Now what does this have to do with Encryption Killed the Scanning Hobby?
Well, It is a means to an end. With the advent of 911 and Homeland Security striving to protect internal national security, and along with major push by radio communications corporations, special interest groups a concerted effort to “protect” radio communications especially in the Public Safety field. While, I can understand the need to protect “certain and sensitive” communications on all levels Federal, state, county and local, this is common sense.
However the pressure is on for all public safety agencies to encrypt all their communications 24/7. In their minds,” the public does not need to know what we are doing. It’s a matter of national internal security. Terrorists may be listening!”
As one example, going are the days where the local citizen by monitoring their local agency via scanner could assist officials by being another set of eyes during an incident and assisting when they can.
Therefore, there will be no Gestapo storm troopers coming to your door to confiscate your precarious scanner or receiver in the near future. Slowly but surely as agencies go encrypted full time, your scanner / receiver will just become technologically obsolete.
Those of you who are electronic wizards, who do manage to build, create or obtain an “unauthorized” radio to decrypts transmissions. You and your family my find yourselves in great danger, because if you are discovered by “the state” (the laws are in the books, Patriot Act, Executive orders etc.) You and your family could face the death sentence for treason and sedition. Here in this country you may ask. Yes here, do the research…
I myself have enjoyed this hobby for forty plus years and to see this trend is somewhat frightening. I fear we are becoming that “police state” where the government by the people for the people is perishing of the face of the earth.
Thusly, encryption killed (is killing) the scanning hobby.

 

[texasemt13]

Even if their justification is HIPPA (which is not a very good one, according to people who actually understand the law), it still doesn't seem to justify full time encryption.

You're right- that HIPPA excuse is lame- even they know it doesn't technically cause problems broadcasting that info. It would ultimately be the problem of the person mis-using the information. For all intents and purposes they are safe and just use that excuse so the laymen sheepishly accept it.

 

[poltergeisty]

During the era of WWII, The Cold War and until now, various and mostly totalitarian nation states would have their army, secret police or similar agency or group go door to door of their citizens and remove (by force if necessary) those radio receivers not sanctioned or approved by the “state”.

Just like East Berlin.

Why don't the bureau-rats understand the simple fact that when it's the people that are able to be informed of pubic safety/emergency coms. it can save their life? In many cases, scanner listeners have assisted with public safety. To encrypt fire is BEYOND stupid on the part of "public safety".

This country is turning into Europe...

 

[nunyax]

Just to show how ridiculous my county is they encrypt all the public safety traffic including Fire/EMS dispatch on the digital TRS but simulcast the Fire/EMS dispatch in the clear on VHF!

 

[kc0net]

I will be in Bismarck this Friday(Mar 27). What can I listen to? What freqs are not encrpyted?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Frank

 

[BisManRadio]

As this time you can still listen to Bismarck fire and Metro Ambulance. Mandan fire & ems ( just dispatch and ems only all fire trucks are encrypted for mandan) State radio (HP, game wardens)

Then of course your usual, railroad, air, business, look in the database here its accurate.

amatuer repeaters here are 146.94 and 146.85 pl 107.2 (input tone)

 

[kc0kp]

I cannot believe that the IAFF local has not objected to this. To quote IAFF and the National Fire Administration, digital audio communications on the fire ground do not meet NFPA requirements and are therefore not acceptable.
This is basic firefighter safety. I would not enter a hazardous situation with a radio that is not going to give reliable service in high ambient noise.
Hope they have good training in workarounds when their low air alarm blocks their radio transmissions.

 

[NDRADIONUT]

The Fargo Fire Dept Is Using Digital After Testing A Digital Repeater Vs An Analog Nfm Rptr. The Digital Worked A Little Better Deep Inside Buildings...I Don't Think They Considered The Audio Quality In Actual Fire Situations. Encryption Also Lowers The Audio Quality A Bit Further.

 

[ASTRO2001]

Ambulance radio

I don't think that Metro Ems will use Encryption because I am on a Ems service. that would mean all ambulance service aross North Dakota would have to upgrade there radio to support Encryption Becuase metro Ambulance has to talk to these other ambulance unit when they intercept with them. The cost is lot's of money and the homeland security grants are drying up FAST. Like in the homeland security said we all need to talk to each other Police, Fire, Ems and it is hard to because Agency across North Dakota are locking out other Agencys to talk to one another because lets use Encryption so other Agency can't hear that is Dumb. Like Mandan FD they dispatch them on analog Clear but the fire truck talk to them on Digital Encryption Now that is stupid. The Reson why thay have to dispatch them on analog is the they don't make a Digital Pager and I don't see one in the near future. and mandan FD can't talk to metro ambulance on there channel becuase they don't have there Encryption key in there radio. The NFPA say Fire Dept are not Required to switch to digital just look at news headline there was 2 FF killed because there digital radio failed in a fire I just pray the Mandan Does not have a Big fire and if a FF is calling a Mayday out and the digital signal is getting out because the FDNY they this and FF where giving a Mayday on Digital channel and the batt. chief outside didn't hear them but a engine company about mile away hear the mayday

 

[BisManRadio]

Actually Metro Ambulance does indeed run a digital encrypted radio channel already. They use it for inter company comms, like non emergency transport services, etc This freq is not the Dispatch freq, it is different, sometimes you can catch a unit in the "clear" and it is indeed metro.

Now as far as state EMS mutual aid freqs, those are and probably will stay in the clear until the state requires everyone to move to digital, but that may be happening already. I do know, state radio does indeed want to go encrypted, it was in a RFP I saw that the state issued a while back. Any new radio equipment agencies add Im sure will be required to able to do digital and analog. Its just a matter of time before all EMS, Fire and Law Agencys will be running digital and encrypted. State Game and Fish wardens are now also using digital encrypted radios around the Bismarck area too. Most of the time they are analog, but have been known to go to digital.

I do know some Volunteer Fire Depts have purchased digital radios, but are currently using them in the analog mode.
The organization Im with has too purchased digital radios and will be going online with them sometime this year, unfortunetly encryption will be enabled.