HavasuScanner
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- Apr 17, 2019
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I am in Payson, can anyone tell me the Forest Fire frequencies used for Payson? I didn't see it on Radio Reference Database.
Forest Fire Frequencies?
- Thread starter HavasuScanner
- Start date
MiCon
Mike
It looks like Payson is at the north end of Tonto NF, and just south of Coconino NF. Go to the RR database for AZ. Click on AZ FEDERAL and scroll down to USFS.
Click on database, click the browse button. A map will come up and then click on Arizona. To the right of the Arizona map on top, click on Arizona Federal. Scroll about half way down the page and you will find the Forest Service. Scroll down to the Tonto National Forest. I suggest you program the admin net and both fire nets. Scroll down to Common Use and program all three Forest Service Region 3 (AZ & NM) tactical frequencies. Next scroll down and program both Air Ambulance frequencies. These are used for air to ground comms if a firefighter has to be medevaced.
Then scroll down through the zone dispatch centers to Zone 6 - Phoenix Dispatch Center. Also, program 168.625, National Air Guard. This is an emergency channel for all fires. Ground crews can call aircraft with emergencies. Aircraft must have radios tuned into this frequencies at all times. If an aircraft can't be reached on any other frequency they can be called on this one. Same goes for the aircraft, if they can't reach dispatch or "air attack" they can use this frequency. They then arrange to communicate on another frequency. I'm almost certain they have a base station on Mt. Ord, which booms into Payson. This frequency is often just called "the guard."
Next, program in 168.650. This is "national" flight following. Pilots and dispatch will usually refer to it as just "national." Aircraft use this frequency to call dispatch when they arrive in the airspace of the various dispatch centers listed on the AZ Federal Page. They will then receive information on what frequency to switch to and contact the "Air Attack" who supervises and controls all air traffic over a fire. It would be done on one of the AM frequencies listed for each dispatch center, or an air to air AM frequency assigned specifically for a single incident (fires and other emergencies). If an aircraft is flying recon over a dispatch area they might stick to using "national" for flight flying or, more likely, they will switch to one of the Forest, Admin or Fire Nets.
Finally, click the back arrow until you get the national map of the database. Underneath the map is a highlighted text of "Nationwide Frequencies." Click on it and then scroll down to the Federal category. Scroll down to "National Interagency Fire Center" (NIFC). I suggest you set up a bank in your scanner you call "Federal Large Fire," which will contain all of the frequencies on this page. The UHF frequencies are used as links to and between repeaters and/or remote bases, which is what the aircraft links are used for. A fire does not always use these frequencies. I won't discuss all the ins and outs of how frequencies are assigned to incidents as that would take a while. Sometimes they use the frequencies listed for the NIFC system and sometimes they use frequencies assigned to other federal agencies in the area that are not currently used. A separate scanner that is set up to search the federal VHF band (162-173.9875) is needed to figure them out. Also a search of the AM band from 118-136 is needed to find the air to air frequencies in use. Those are actually assigned by the FAA after being contacted by NIFC.
Listening to daily traffic on local nets will be where the initial attack of a fire will occur. If the fire gets big enough to have a national Incident Management Team assigned is when the NIFC system will be employed. Sometimes frequencies will be announced over the air, especially on National Flight Following. That doesn't happen all that often as frequency changes are done the first shift after a management team takes the fire over and is done at the beginning of the next day shift and listed in the Incident Action Plan (IAP) (shift plan) that is printed and given to all resource supervisors (engine captains, crew superintendents, division supervisors, etc.). If frequency changes occur days or weeks later, they make them effective as of the start of a day shift and inform everyone via the IAP.
Most large fires result in having a thread started here in the Arizona forum. Sometimes other people have sources where they find out what frequencies are being used, or they have done a search and figured out some frequency uses. Make sure you click on those threads. If you find something share it!
If you have questions about the above or questions later, just ask.
Then scroll down through the zone dispatch centers to Zone 6 - Phoenix Dispatch Center. Also, program 168.625, National Air Guard. This is an emergency channel for all fires. Ground crews can call aircraft with emergencies. Aircraft must have radios tuned into this frequencies at all times. If an aircraft can't be reached on any other frequency they can be called on this one. Same goes for the aircraft, if they can't reach dispatch or "air attack" they can use this frequency. They then arrange to communicate on another frequency. I'm almost certain they have a base station on Mt. Ord, which booms into Payson. This frequency is often just called "the guard."
Next, program in 168.650. This is "national" flight following. Pilots and dispatch will usually refer to it as just "national." Aircraft use this frequency to call dispatch when they arrive in the airspace of the various dispatch centers listed on the AZ Federal Page. They will then receive information on what frequency to switch to and contact the "Air Attack" who supervises and controls all air traffic over a fire. It would be done on one of the AM frequencies listed for each dispatch center, or an air to air AM frequency assigned specifically for a single incident (fires and other emergencies). If an aircraft is flying recon over a dispatch area they might stick to using "national" for flight flying or, more likely, they will switch to one of the Forest, Admin or Fire Nets.
Finally, click the back arrow until you get the national map of the database. Underneath the map is a highlighted text of "Nationwide Frequencies." Click on it and then scroll down to the Federal category. Scroll down to "National Interagency Fire Center" (NIFC). I suggest you set up a bank in your scanner you call "Federal Large Fire," which will contain all of the frequencies on this page. The UHF frequencies are used as links to and between repeaters and/or remote bases, which is what the aircraft links are used for. A fire does not always use these frequencies. I won't discuss all the ins and outs of how frequencies are assigned to incidents as that would take a while. Sometimes they use the frequencies listed for the NIFC system and sometimes they use frequencies assigned to other federal agencies in the area that are not currently used. A separate scanner that is set up to search the federal VHF band (162-173.9875) is needed to figure them out. Also a search of the AM band from 118-136 is needed to find the air to air frequencies in use. Those are actually assigned by the FAA after being contacted by NIFC.
Listening to daily traffic on local nets will be where the initial attack of a fire will occur. If the fire gets big enough to have a national Incident Management Team assigned is when the NIFC system will be employed. Sometimes frequencies will be announced over the air, especially on National Flight Following. That doesn't happen all that often as frequency changes are done the first shift after a management team takes the fire over and is done at the beginning of the next day shift and listed in the Incident Action Plan (IAP) (shift plan) that is printed and given to all resource supervisors (engine captains, crew superintendents, division supervisors, etc.). If frequency changes occur days or weeks later, they make them effective as of the start of a day shift and inform everyone via the IAP.
Most large fires result in having a thread started here in the Arizona forum. Sometimes other people have sources where they find out what frequencies are being used, or they have done a search and figured out some frequency uses. Make sure you click on those threads. If you find something share it!
If you have questions about the above or questions later, just ask.
Last edited:
I should say that the most important frequencies to find are the command, air to air (AM) and air to ground (FM) frequencies. If you are close enough to the fire you can hear the tactical frequencies. However, the real pulse of an incident occurs on command.
Does my long post about frequency use on federal incidents help? You haven't posted any feedback here.
HavasuScanner
Member
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- Apr 17, 2019
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- 10
I'm so sorry for the extended delay in my response. I've been traveling and just got home tonight, saw your message, grabbed my scanner and started plugging away at it. Thank you so much for taking the time to help me. I have them all programmed in - let's hope I never have to use them.
Thank you also @MiCon
Should I also program Repeater 8 and TAC Channels from: (Arizona Natural Resource Agencies (Arizona) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference)
Thank you also @MiCon
Should I also program Repeater 8 and TAC Channels from: (Arizona Natural Resource Agencies (Arizona) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference)
Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management
First, a matter of website protocol, when you reply to someone's post, hit the reply button on the lower right hand side of the post you are replying to. That way, nobody has to read and assume what post you are replying to. Just like I did with this post.
Second, program in Repeater 8, it is located on Mt. Ord. So it will boom into Payson. You might also try, but I don't think you will get anything due to topography, Repeater 2 (Greens Peak - near Springerville, may not come below the Rim), Repeater 1 (Towers - south of Prescott in the Crown King area, likely blocked by the Mazatzals) and Repeater 3 (Signal Peak - might be blocked by Mt. Ord).
Left one answer out. Program all the tacs.
HavasuScanner
Member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2019
- Messages
- 10
Thank you for this guidance.
