FDNY Issues

[railtrailbiker]

Heard a news story on WINS this morning indicating that: "issues associated with the cutover of a new FDNY radio communications system" contributed to rescue delays at a fatal 3 alarm fire in Brooklyn overnight.

Can anyone provide more details as to what the "issue" was?

 

[coolrich55]

Heard a news story on WINS this morning indicating that: "issues associated with the cutover of a new FDNY radio communications system" contributed to rescue delays at a fatal 3 alarm fire in Brooklyn overnight.

Can anyone provide more details as to what the "issue" was?

I know queens was having problems with the radios yesterday at a fire. Apparently there was something wrong with the simulcast. Units with the newer uhf radios were unable to transmit. The older rigs with the old vhf radios were the only ones working. Queens kept trying to raise units on the scene for a few minutes with no response. Finally an engine company answered them and Queens asked them to relay a message to a battalion chief or division. Few minutes later a battalion chief came over vhf with an urgent message asking for a second alarm. I think they got the problem fixed not long after that. I'm not sure but it sounds like there may have been a delay in getting the second alarm transmitted because of the radio problems.

 

[N2SCV]

On the FDNY Special Events #6 on the UHF Trunk system that's used as a fireground I'm only hearing every other word, like the carrier is dropping out every second.

 

[coolrich55]

Does the uhf trunked system get used often as a simulcast for fireground? I was in the city all weekend and I didn't hear anything on it. Unless I have it programmed wrong.

 

[ipfd320]

They should have left everything well enough alone on the 154.xxx freqs...once they start getting into this multi coupled cross banding repeated crap things go very very wrong..its happening all over the place in many states / counties...we switched from low band (46.xxx) to hi band (460.xxx) repeated and let me tell you what a dam mess

 

[emcomm]

There is no simulcast for Tac-1 fireground, the main channel (simplex).

I have an Astro Saber and was listening last night to tac-1, the FDNY radios kept cutting out, I was only 2 blocks from a three-alarm job.

Ref: http://forums.radioreference.com/ne...s/230757-fdny-10-men-hurt-3-alarm-queens.html

 

[tbendick]

The simulcast for tac1 is either event 6 or 5
Fieldcomm has it on all the time. So.if they respond you will hear audio

Also division 3 has a setup
As far as transmission s cutting out. We only use 2 watts so you and the fieldcomm need to be near the building.

 

[emcomm]

Why is it that they only use 2 watts anyway?

thank you

 

[tbendick]

One reason is battery life and I am sure it has some to do with the fact we use the same channel citywide.

 

[4-crime]

I see on radio reference DB that fd's tac 1 is set for CSQ and not a PL on receive audio? Why is that?

 

[radioman2001]

As it was explained to me by a BC and later confirmed by FDNY radio shop the reason for CSQ is to know if something is interfering with that particular frequency. With all the electronics in home and offices nowadays, a lot of interference has gotten into their portables at times. The word was that it was better to know about it than not know about it and not be able to hear a Mayday or other message.

 

[4-crime]

Hmmm, ok that's interesting. I guess that makes sense.

 

[coolrich55]

If anyone could help me out here. Like I said earlier, I was in the NYC area last weekend and wasn't hearing anything on the uhf trunk system during a couple working fires. I have a psr500 and it's programmed as mot vhf/uhf system. I have programmed only the control channels. Under narrow fm says no. DIG AGC is on, which I don't think needs to be. And multi site is off. The reception is fine because it's decoding at 99%.