Following Fire Comms

[MountainMoose]

Good Friday to all. I was hoping to get some info on this. In listening to El Paso county fire "red' dispatch or on COS FD dispatch,( or many FD's in Colorado) I will hear an initial dispatch or call out. I'm finding it difficult to follow any call all the way through. Do they not have radio comms with dispatch all the way through the call? I know on other systems etc you can hear the dispatch, then whatever responding unit once on scene with an on scene update and then usually depending on the nature of the call details during and then a clearing of the call of whatever unit #s. Is this due to CAD or more use of in field tablets or computers etc or something else? I've tried 'holding" on a channel, system, dept etc and find it very difficult to get a "full" play by play of calls. maybe this is just the "new" way of calls?
Thanks!

 

[Cole449]

Good Friday to all. I was hoping to get some info on this. In listening to El Paso county fire "red' dispatch or on COS FD dispatch,( or many FD's in Colorado) I will hear an initial dispatch or call out. I'm finding it difficult to follow any call all the way through. Do they not have radio comms with dispatch all the way through the call? I know on other systems etc you can hear the dispatch, then whatever responding unit once on scene with an on scene update and then usually depending on the nature of the call details during and then a clearing of the call of whatever unit #s. Is this due to CAD or more use of in field tablets or computers etc or something else? I've tried 'holding" on a channel, system, dept etc and find it very difficult to get a "full" play by play of calls. maybe this is just the "new" way of calls?
Thanks!

They use RED but when with this fire they are using C Channels that is monitored by dispatch

 

[MountainMoose]

They use RED but when with this fire they are using C Channels that is monitored by dispatch

I was referring to ANY fire comms. I posted this prior to this fire. I've been monitoring the #birdseyeviewfire and i have been receiving all the comms normally. I was referring to everyday dispatches, and incidents.

 

[Spitfire8520]

Your take on the situation is pretty accurate for a lot of the day-to-day calls. CAD and computers in the rigs have pretty much eliminated all the simple status updates, and being able to access CAD notes directly on a computer have eliminated another link in game of telephone. Before computers were widespread, the dispatcher on the radio would just read the notes that they get from their call taker out loud.

Colorado Springs certainly operates mostly through their computers, but El Paso County (Red) is more traditional with most units airing all status updates. You should be able to follow most calls on Red from beginning to end. It might be that their call signs being all numbers is confusing to follow, as well as El Paso County agencies not obsessively setup incident command for most day-to-day calls like Douglas County does. This means that you would have to memorize which units are on what call instead of being able to listen for a command name.

 

[radio]

El Paso Red is very busy. Dispatches go out and units respond and are acknowledged by dispatch and any further information on that call goes out on Red. Sometimes the units use a C channel and others are more prone to use their department Tac channel so I suggest you scan all C channels and the Tacs. Red dispatchers do not normally monitor the C channels. Units go back to Red for further updates, status reports and need for added units.

Note that if you hear Red dispatching for an incident on Pikes Peak, you need to switch to Pikes Peak 1, TG 4540. Units go direct to the Pikes Peak Rangers, Summit House and Toll Gate.

Further note, El Paso Search and Rescue units do use Red and the C channels but a lot of their traffic is done on their TG 4732 or their VHF 151.2950 CTCSSS 167.9

 

[MountainMoose]

El Paso Red is very busy. Dispatches go out and units respond and are acknowledged by dispatch and any further information on that call goes out on Red. Sometimes the units use a C channel and others are more prone to use their department Tac channel so I suggest you scan all C channels and the Tacs. Red dispatchers do not normally monitor the C channels. Units go back to Red for further updates, status reports and need for added units.

Note that if you hear Red dispatching for an incident on Pikes Peak, you need to switch to Pikes Peak 1, TG 4540. Units go direct to the Pikes Peak Rangers, Summit House and Toll Gate.

Further note, El Paso Search and Rescue units do use Red and the C channels but a lot of their traffic is done on their TG 4732 or their VHF 151.2950 CTCSSS 167.9

Awesome. Thanks. I have heard calls on TG 4540. Comes up as DOT Pikes Peak Hwy 1 They are a great wealth of info and seem to always be busy.
Thank you for the info on RED EPCFD TG. I now know I hear everything. I do scann all those TG's so I'm dialed in there.

 

[MountainMoose]

Your take on the situation is pretty accurate for a lot of the day-to-day calls. CAD and computers in the rigs have pretty much eliminated all the simple status updates, and being able to access CAD notes directly on a computer have eliminated another link in game of telephone. Before computers were widespread, the dispatcher on the radio would just read the notes that they get from their call taker out loud.

Colorado Springs certainly operates mostly through their computers, but El Paso County (Red) is more traditional with most units airing all status updates. You should be able to follow most calls on Red from beginning to end. It might be that their call signs being all numbers is confusing to follow, as well as El Paso County agencies not obsessively setup incident command for most day-to-day calls like Douglas County does. This means that you would have to memorize which units are on what call instead of being able to listen for a command name.

Thank you, I thought so. I am dialed in on everything then. I just wanted some confirmation that what I heard I wasn't missing something. Seem to have it all good to go. COS for an area of its size and Population is somewhat rather quiet on all fronts compared to other places I've lived and scanned. Although I'm sure COSPD is rather busy if we could hear them!