Flight For Life

[WIscannerguy24]

It appears that Flight For Life Waukesha/Milwaukee are now using a talkgroup on the Waukesha Co. TRS to communicate back to the Communications Center at Crites Field in Waukesha (33328). I heard them referencing it as Ch.1. The talk group is in addition to the one they use to communicate with fire departments coordinating there Landing Zone Operations which is 13168. The Helicopter side is very clear while the communications side is kind of staticy.

 

[CrabbyMilton]

Thanks for the poop on this. I wonder if that could be a patch from 463.150 though.

 

[WIscannerguy24]

It very well could be, I will try monitoring the UHF frequency and the TRS talkgroup sometime to determine if its a patch.

 

[mkescan]

Friend in Brookfield said he heard nothing on 463.150 when they were testing on Waukesha County TRS

 

[k9rzz]

FWIW I just heard them on 129.475 as well, landing at Froedert.

 

[70cutlass442]

I myself have not heard FF on UHF in a few weeks or more.... Occasionally will hear them on 129.xxxx.... will add the new talkgroup in and see what happens!

 

[WIscannerguy24]

I am hearing FFL using the Flight Comm 800 talkgroup more often, I just hear trauma 1 and trauma 2 on it though not trauma 3. I don't think its a patch of the UHF Frequencies
Trauma 1= Waukesha/MKE Helicopter
Trauma 2= Mchenry Illinois Helicopter
Trauma 3= Fond du Lac Helicopter

 

[k9rzz]

I am hearing FFL using the Flight Comm 800 talkgroup more often, I just hear trauma 1 and trauma 2 on it though not trauma 3. I don't think its a patch of the UHF Frequencies
Trauma 1= Waukesha/MKE Helicopter
Trauma 2= Mchenry Illinois Helicopter
Trauma 3= Fond du Lac Helicopter

Talk group on who's system?

 

[OpSec]

WCTRS

FFL has two TG's now...one for their traffic and the original LZ coordination TG.

 

[k9rzz]

Just a quick note, heard both Milwaukee on Milwaukee's analog trunking EMS Ch. 10 and 129.475.

Also grabbed a photo tonight. You can see Milwaukee on the left, McHenry (barely) on the right sitting at Froedert.

As long as I'm posting that one, here's another from May 19, 2009 taken at Kenosha's Washington Park Velodrome. (gallery: 2009 Kenosha Track May 19 - Peloton-Pix)

 

[WPXN]

Good photo's... What kind of cam did you use to take those with...??

 

[OpSec]

I have heard FFL using the VHF-AM channel quite a bit in the last couple weeks during the afternoon. I have not seen the UHF channel pop up on the scanner, but it's entirely possible I am missing it too.

Gratuitous FFL Milwaukee shot from an exercise last month that I caught wind of:

 

[k9rzz]

Good photo's... What kind of cam did you use to take those with...??

The first night shot is with a Canon 1D MkII N with 300mm f2.8 lens pushed firmly against the side of a tree as a form of tripod. The track one was with a Canon 40D + 200mm f2.8 lens with monopod.

 

[mkescan]

I will never understand why FFL uses so many different freqs / talkgroups.
Never know if they will be on 129.475, 463.150 Flightcom. 463/468.150 EMS Com (Med 8) Milwaukee County EMS 32400 or Waukesha County Flightcom 33328

Last week Trauma 2 was having problem with UHF radio

 

[WIscannerguy24]

I think the reason why they have so many frequencies and talkgroups is the very fact of what you just said equipment can fail and there has to be back-up ways for them to communicate back to base and to the hospital. I have heard them on almost every band of the spectrum, 129,463,800Mhz. I know they used to carry nextel phone's and each helicopter has a satellite phone too.

 

[mkescan]

But the odd thing is when they might use Milwaukee County EMS talkgroup & 463.150 for the same incident. Like sometimes they will talk to the FD on County EMS, but give patient info on 463.150. Other times they will use county EMS for talking to FD & give patient info to EMS Com.

 

[CrabbyMilton]

They can pop on any of the freqs. that we listed so it's best to program all of them to hear them. Plus, they can communicate on any of the fire departments frequencies as well.

 

[mkescan]

They can pop on any of the freqs. that we listed so it's best to program all of them to hear them. Plus, they can communicate on any of the fire departments frequencies as well.

I don't think they have Milwaukee County & Waukesha County Fire Dept talkgroups in their radios, if they do somebody needs to tell the crew that.

They can't even talk on Milwaukee Fire freqs anymore and use MARC instead, and half the time there is problems with that too.

There have been a lot problems when they are going to Milwaukee County suburban incidents too.
Somebody should tell them it's always Milwaukee County EMS talkgroup on the Milwaukee County 800 radio.

 

[CrabbyMilton]

At least they can access MARC and IFERN. Yes indeed, they seem to have trouble figuring out what channel they need to be on and the dispatchers have to get on the phone to tell FFL to get on such and such and this and that.That only delays things. Amazing that we have such wonderful communications equipment both in our private and working lives and yet we seem to have such a terrible time communicating.

 

[mkescan]

One thing I can never figure out is, when I can hear flight & the FD, the FD can hear flight, but flight can't hear the FD. Sometimes I wonder if they have audio turned down or something.