Gatlinburg - Unication
- Thread starter bamx2
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Not Really. Every LE agency in Knox and Seiver counties use fulltime encryption.
TACN has THP and Anderson and Blount counties which are mostly clear. Not sure about Jefferson county other than the fact they're using Land Air's NXDN system now. Not sure if you have a VHF G5, but if you did I would highly recommend putting in the GSMNP P25 Phase I repeaters. There are about conventional 10 sites all linked for parkwide coverage on the TN and NC sides. Even during the park closure, the system has been very active, with very minimal usage of secure. The NPS Rangers also perform a lot of traffic enforcement outside the park in the area there.
zachgallop
Member
Pigeon Forge PD in Sevier County is on TACN, their Dispatch channel is unencrypted. They mainly use the greentop and Newport (English MTN) sites. Their old p25 system Is not used any longer. It was still active last time I was there though. All Jefferson county channels are strapped with encryption on Land Air, same as Sevier. Jeff county fire analog is still used for paging. You can monitor EMS being paged on 462.950. Fire is paged on 451.400. Think GFD is also paged out on 453.850. You can also monitor the Interagency channel for the dispatch center on 460.500. Central answers all county 911 channels and dispatches Fire & ems. Then calls get transferred to the following law enforcement agencies: (100) Sevier County Sheriff Dispatch, (200) Sevierville Police Dispatch, (500) Gatlinburg Police Dispatch, and (700) Pigeon Forge Police Dispatch. You can also monitor Seymour VFD on 154.310. They are dispatched by Sevier Central, Knox Fire (AMR/Rural Metro Dispatch, and Blount Comm Center. As other mentioned NPS, THP, and Blount are also good ones to listen to on TACN. In Blount, the field units can use encryption at their discretion. Comm Center is not supposed to use it the majority of the time per their policy, however they inadvertently leave it in that position sometimes. Sevier is in THP District 1 but you can also monitor district 5. THP Dispatch 1 channels are phase I FDMA currently, the database says Phase II. They are both dispatched from Knoxville at TDOT HELP Dispatch center. You could listen to TDOT help region 4, if you would like. Lifestar also uses TACN now, they come across Greentop a lot. Cocke county can also be monitored from Gatlinburg. The trolleys in Pigeon Forge also use TACN now.
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I heard that the Blount County Sheriff’s Office has made changes recently (Jun-Aug 2020) that makes monitoring voice communication more difficult. Can anyone describe the changes?
I'm not aware of any changes.
tpredmore
Member
I'm hearing full-time encryption on all channels for the online scanner. (I'm out of state, so have to listen online.)
Nope. I have been listening to BCSO all week. Both the Communications Center and the units are mostly clear. Blount County has been using partial/selectable encryption for years so it may seem like full enc at times but it's not.
tpredmore
Member
I'm definitely hoping that's the case. I've been listening off and on over the past few days and every time its been encryption garble.
zachgallop
Member
As far as I know the following encryption policy is still in place at the comm center:
Encoding Communications
The Communication Center has the ability to encrypt sensitive communications. Dispatchers will utilize the encryption feature on the radio system whenever requested to do so by a field unit. Dispatchers will also use encryption of sensitive communications whenever the safety and success of responding field units can be enhanced by reducing the opportunity for persons listening on scanners to take advantage of emergency transmissions.
From my understanding the policy for field units is that it is completely their choice on when they would like to use it still. I have noticed Night shift at the Comm Center likes to run encryption way more than day shift (0600-1800). The dispatcher working BCSO 1 has it off right now. It is usually always off on BCSO 2.
MikeSmith0096
Member
Is Gatlinburg Police in full encryption on NXDN? Last time I was there last spring I couldn’t pick up their channel and I did purchase the key for NXDN. Is there something in the settings that I need to change to be able to hear or they just fully encrypted? I can see them keying up but can’t hear anything.
Thank you
Thank you
MikeSmith0096
Member
I am using a sds100 scanner
zachgallop
Member
Their conventional repeater on Ski Mountain and their channel on the Land Air Trunking System are fully encrypted.The encryption symbol shows up on both GPD channels in Jefferson County radios. Same thing for SPD conventional and their trunking channel. At least one of the sheriffs office conventional repeaters are encrypted as well.
MikeSmith0096
Member
Thanks for clearing that up and it sounds like Pigeon Forge and some fire departments are good to listen to there.
"You can also monitor Seymour VFD on 154.310. They are dispatched by Sevier Central, Knox Fire (AMR/Rural Metro Dispatch, and Blount Comm Center "
How does that work? Does the officer of the day acknowledge all pages - and decide which units go to which calls?
How does that work? Does the officer of the day acknowledge all pages - and decide which units go to which calls?
zachgallop
Member
They tone them out and usually station 1 acknowledges the page. The staff decides what is appropriate to send. If they need additional they tone for manpower. Sometimes a Battalion Chief gets on the radio and directs them if needed. It works well.
The Sevier county Fire Dispatch channels on nexedge are encrypted as well. I have not been hearing the Fire paging channel lately, I have no idea why. I have been hearing when EMS gets paged with fire on the EMS Analog channel. Pigeon Forge Police is the only LE channel you can really listen to. NPS LE monitors Land Air and sometimes they repeat what the other agencies say, if you are interested in monitoring them. The county interagency frequency for dispatch centers is a really good one to monitor as well.
BMedcom
Member
As a former member of Seymour, this is correct. Dispatch sends out the tones, then announces fire, or EMS response. It is then up to the crews to decide who goes, from trucks to stations. And dispatch has no call, or say, and because of that (no offense) it was a very well run dept. when it came to the initial response. No interference form dispatchers.
Also, keep in mind, Seymour VFD actually has territory in three separate counties, thus the three separate dispatch centers.
We go to the Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg area a few times a year. I always take my Unication G5 with me, at least. I will scan TACN while traveling to there and while in Pigeon Forge. You can hear the State Police as well as Pigeon Forge PD fine, as well as a few other things. Isn't Pigeon Forge Fire switching to TACN sometime soon?
I also have a VHF scan list for the national park when we go up there I'll scan and usually hear the rangers fine.
I have had a scanner or UHF analog radio with me before and picked up fire/EMS dispatches on those frequencies fine.
While you can't hear everything going on down there, you can hear some stuff.
I also have a VHF scan list for the national park when we go up there I'll scan and usually hear the rangers fine.
I have had a scanner or UHF analog radio with me before and picked up fire/EMS dispatches on those frequencies fine.
While you can't hear everything going on down there, you can hear some stuff.
surfacemount
Member
Um, we don't have a state police here. Perhaps you meant what they call the department of safety and homeland security (used to be highway patrol), or the bureau of investigation?
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