FDNY EMS coming over NYPD Frequencies?

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auxscan

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Well today there was a short veichle pursuit in the 69 pct. One PD unit crashed but apparently the call came in through 911. Units on feild didn't know since the unit that crashed was on his way to join the pursuit. EMS came over the air and said "EMS, EMS, EMS central!!!, WE GOT AN RMP CRASH WITH INJURIES AT.....". I was suprised that EMS was first of scene.

Anybody else heard Ems over NYPD frequencies?
I heard them over the 46 pct in the bronx also.
 

C138NC

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Thats something i dont get unless it was an agency mutual agreement for EMS to flip over to NYPD Freqs... I wonder how they were able to even flip over that fast... but you sure it wasn't another RMP rolling up and the officer yelling EMS 3 times for the need of EMS?? that could be another thing
 
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When I worked EMS we had most PD frequencies in our portables. We were told to stay off the air unless it was urgent or helpful to PD. Most of the time I went over division radio was to guide a unit into a scene that we managed to find first or to ask highway patrol to pull a lane or shut traffic down so we could come in counter-flow. Nowadays I hear only lieutenants and bosses have PD frequencies in their radios.
 

C138NC

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When I worked EMS we had most PD frequencies in our portables. We were told to stay off the air unless it was urgent or helpful to PD. Most of the time I went over division radio was to guide a unit into a scene that we managed to find first or to ask highway patrol to pull a lane or shut traffic down so we could come in counter-flow. Nowadays I hear only lieutenants and bosses have PD frequencies in their radios.

So only if its an agency mutual agreement, only time they can get on the air is if its life and death?

Down here I sometimes hear another agency pop on another department dispatch channel but these agencies were on the same Trunking network just different sites I guess, I guess its mutual agreement between them all.

Sometimes I listen to them patch two dispatch frequencies and one tac channel to get everything across "ones who arent on 800mhz and all that"
 

auxscan

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Im 100% sure that its EMS, EMS was yelling over the radio. Apperenly a EMS LT was asking for more units for crowd control. But the original unit was a EMS unit. I'll try and ask a very close friend of mines, who's an EMT in the Bronx.

About two weeks ago EMS came over a bronx PD frequency, I can't seem to remember if it was the 43/45 or the 46/48. Anyway they cam over with a prioty about an EDP with a knife coming towards them, however the call came in as a dif-breather. So PD was there less then 30 seconds. ESU was there to bag him up.

Anyway I'll try to get ahold of my friend.
 

SKYNET156

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i have heard EMS units come over CW1 and SOD time to time, there was a time i remember hearing them come over the air to ask for units to break up a on scene fight, there are times you will hear them doing I/O over tac channels during special events, if you look in the DB, you'll see the HT layout and how they have it set up for shared Tac channels with NYPD....
 

auxscan

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got it!

okay I've contacted my friend (EMT).

Appentally this is how its set up in his bus. The driver monitures the local NYPD frequency. And the other EMT is on his own ems frequency (radio man). He told me that they are authorized now to transmit over NYPD frequencies. However they are told to stay off the air unless urgent or if they want PD to guide them to the correct location. Mostly LT will come over the air when they request PD for crowd control, Fights, Armed EDP's, fights, or with a prioity.

Heard them today over the 90/94 pct when PD was guiding them on the BQE since the roadway was closed and they had a hard time finding the right location. Turns out they had to come the wrong way on the BQE.
 

NYCRADIO

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there allowed to come over pd freq. for help or to request more info on a job when pd 84 first etc this has been going on since the 90's
 

hvscan

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I remember it back to the 80's this way. Was helpful when a bus was needed, as well. There were times when central could not get an available EMS unit for the sector car, or foot post. EMS would hear the job and come on the PD radio to announce they are responding.
 

radioman2001

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I remember in the late 70's and through the 80's our EMS unit would go to the local precient and pick up a division portable. We did not have an ID on the frequency, but the division dispatcher knew we were on the air. There was many a time when the division dispatcher would call us by saying "EMS unit responding to ... )for our status or ETA to a call, and many a time when we would call for a 10-85 forthwith. BTW there was a time when there was a shortage of portables, and the precient commander gave us permission to use our own portable, a HT-220. We would come in for batteries at shift change.
Now from what I have heard from a FDNY-EMS supervisor, NO ONE is allowed to have ANY radio on non FDNY channels in their bus, under penalty of having your shield number removed from the system. Meaning you don't work. Don't know if true, but makes no sense to me since we all work to the same end to serve the public and protect each other.
 
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When I volunteered with an ambulance corps. in Brooklyn we used to go to the precinct at the beginning of the tour and sign out a radio. For a little while when I worked EMS they took the PD frequencies out of our radios and we did the same thing. EMS and PD get along very well in NYC and watch each other's backs.
 

NYCRADIO

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this why ems always gets a head start on 10-13's rmp accidents etc they have have division they work in on there radio and all ems radios have pd cw1 in case they ever have to call a 10-13 and can not get threw to there ems dispatcher
 

subwaysurfer

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When I worked for NYC EMS in the early 80's we would sign out a pct radio at the begining of each tour, then in the later 80's they were incorporated into EMS issued radios I can only speak for myself and others I worked with but we would mostly monitor PD freq and respond only when requested to by PD dispatcher or sector car. It sounds much different now.
 

USNCPO1893

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Figured I'd clear some of this up. I've been with NYCEMS and FDNY EMS (EMS Merged into Fire in 1996) for 27 years. I'm currently a Lieutenant. When I started the job, the practice was we would go to the Precinct and sign out an NYPD Portable, as portable radios were scarce in some stations. The NYCEMS portable ALWAYS had NYPD on them. When I started they had just completed the transition to Motorola MX300 radios. 8 to 10 channels with a zone A and B switch if I remember. We had all the NYCEMS freqs, plus NYPD according to the Borough you worked in. In 1986 for the Statue of Liberty Centennial/Operation Sail we received MX360 radios, with multiple zones. After that, no matter where you worked, you could come up on any Precinct freq.

After the MX360's were phased out, we got Sabre, and then Astro Sabre radios. Life was great until NYCEMS was merged into FDNY. Then for some reason FDNY decided we did not need NYPD on the radios. We got the NYPD freqs back in the mid to late 2000's after much debate about the failure of comm during 9/11. Ya think?

Now we have all NYPD freqs on the radios, including Citywide, and in some cases the Special Operations freq. The problem we have is during the time we did not have the freqs, we had a huge turnover of people both in EMS and NYPD. The result being that we know have a whole generation that needs to be schooled on the radio etiquette involved.

NYCEMS was actually dispatched over NYPD radio for many years, up to the early 1970's, so the relationship has always been there. It's a matter of public safety. Given the advent of 9/11, it's the smart thing to keep in play. Now if they just give me my old MX360 back, I'd be happy. They were old, but the ALWAYS worked. Be safe.

Ed
 
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