Forest Service Radios

[kd7cra]

Anyone with specific knowledge or experience with forest service radios know if they are normally programmed with NALEMARS? I had a multiagency incident with forest service the other day and their dispatch acted like they had never even heard of NALEMARS before.

 

[signal500]

Anyone with specific knowledge or experience with forest service radios know if they are normally programmed with NALEMARS? I had a multiagency incident with forest service the other day and their dispatch acted like they had never even heard of NALEMARS before.

A few years ago they did have 155.475 programmed in there radios along with 154.280 for Fire Mutual Aid. I am not sure of there current channel lineup since they went to P25 in many areas.

 

[rfburns]

Anyone with specific knowledge or experience with forest service radios know if they are normally programmed with NALEMARS?

I don't know about NALEMARS, but if you are talking about 155.475 that would be called VLAW31 or VLAW31W. I'm not surprised that a dispatcher would not know either name as in most cases the dispatch center would not use it and it would not be labeled on their console. They would have to look at their MOU/Annual Operating Plan with the locals to see if it was authorized and then cross reference that to a programming list. Most fire radios would not have it. Unless the dispatch center does both law enforcement (including NCIC) and fire dispatch they most likely would not know what frequencies are in a LEO's radio. FS LEO's should have VLAW31 or more likely 31W in their radios.

 

[b7spectra]

If you just mentioned "National Law Enforcement Channel" they might have understood. With most agencies going 700/800 P25, they may not have a clue what you are talking about.

 

[mmtstc]

it seems like every state has their own name for it too...
In MN is MinSEF, in WI is is WISPERN, IA is Law Aid, etc...and they are all NLEEC 155.47500... hence another reason for national standards and plain engrish radio traffic

 

[W9NES]

In the State of Indiana 155.475 is called ILEEN (Indiana Law Enforcement Emergency Network).

 

[rfburns]

it seems like every state has their own name for it too...
hence another reason for national standards and plain engrish radio traffic

The national standard is VLAW31 (for narrowband) and VLAW31W (for wideband which most users still are). It's been the national standard for roughly three years. It sounds like some states are slow to adopt the national standard.

 

[mikepdx]

In Oregon, 155.475 is called O.P.E.N.
(Oregon Police Emergency Net)

No base station use here. All mobile to mobile.

 

[code3cowboy]

155.475 has been NELMARS for decades. With the recent plethora of interoperability channels, the frequency has been renamed V Law 31 (W).

The problem (as always) rests in each agency having their own name for the channel and/or using it in their state plan with a name assigned from the state acronym. This leads to everyone having a frequency and nobody having the same channel. Take the time to make the change in your next program, and send out a memo as to where "home state cool name" went and where "V Law 31" came from.

 

[INDY72]

US DHS sent forms to every State, and Federal agency with the official nomclemature for ALL the interoperability chans, UHF, VHF, 700 and 800. The communications people at State levels should notify all first responder agencies of the changes. The whole idea of reaching interoperability is to get everyone on the same page in the same book. It would be nice if everyone would do so, but that seems to be the main problem now... Everyone has the right freqs, but won't use one language to name it. Offical freqs, tones and names are there... just have to be utilized correctly.:twisted:

 

[SCPD]

USFS Radios

Most of if not all US National Forest radio comms are Bendix King Radios. There are 3 models they use
1) BK DPD news model because All National Forest have gone to narrow band
2) BK GPH may take the narrow band
3) BK EPH old radios and will not support the Narrow Band unless sent to BX and updates the software. I don't know of any US National Forest that use the P25 the frequency range that the US National Forrest radios take will be from 150 - 174
There have been some units that have tried the Thales 25-Racal Radios. These radios we found out are not worth the money. Very low volume and can not be programmed easy in the field like the BX radios can be. We have had problems with the narrow band. At times we can not pick a person up that is 50 feet in front of us. Narrow band does not work well in mountain areas. TOM

 

[ecps92]

It takes not just agreeing to the naming conventions, but alas $$$ as someone needs to TOUCH each and every radio and re-name them. Thats a lot of work and not a priority when keeping systems up-n-running takes priority. A Good COM-L should know the various naming differences and handle the situation on an Event-by-Event basis.

US DHS sent forms to every State, and Federal agency with the official nomclemature for ALL the interoperability chans, UHF, VHF, 700 and 800. The communications people at State levels should notify all first responder agencies of the changes. The whole idea of reaching interoperability is to get everyone on the same page in the same book. It would be nice if everyone would do so, but that seems to be the main problem now... Everyone has the right freqs, but won't use one language to name it. Offical freqs, tones and names are there... just have to be utilized correctly.:twisted:

 

[SCPD]

Most of if not all US National Forest radio comms are Bendix King Radios. TOM

The JUNK of the JUNK - BK Radio (Or Relm in disguise) I think just about all Forest agencies, State & Federal use these for a lot of reasons other than CHEAP JUNK! BK makes a decent Link kit for two portables to act as a repeater like the Old GM300's would do. And if you Burn up a BK your not out much.

Texas Law-3 here (155.4750) And I have heard one agency from outside the state of Texas calling a State agency on it and using the outside agency name for it and got a Huh?? reply from the State agency due to the name they called theirs. So being Old School like the original poster was, ya might learn the new name V-LAW-31 so the next time your on a Mutual Aid incident you get help or some kind of a response quicker ...

 

[code3cowboy]

US DHS sent forms to every State, and Federal agency with the official nomclemature for ALL the interoperability chans, UHF, VHF, 700 and 800. The communications people at State levels should notify all first responder agencies of the changes. [ /QUOTE]


LOL I found the updated NIFOG (1.3) on google or here or something like that, and forwarded it to a friend who is higher than I (GS-14 or so) who proceeded to pass it to her subordinates.