In case anyone is interested, around 1978-79 KCEAA (Kanawha County Ambulance Authority) deployed it's first radio system a VHF system with 155.265 as the dispatch frequency and 155.340 as the medical command frequency. Prior to this, KCEAA was using the Sherriffs department VHF low band radio system as a stopgap since the agency's founding in 1977. The system used Motorola base stations and Micor mobile radios with Dialers. Ambulance crews were required to monitor the radio 24/7 as there were no pagers or HT radios for the crew. Most crews scrounged up a crystal controlled scanner for the station so they didn't have to set in the truck 24/7. When the truck was "In Quarters", the dispatcher would alert for a call by pushing the alert tone button on the Centracom console then transmit the call details along with calling the landline phone for the station at the same time. The shift supervisor had a HT-220. Dispatch was from the office on Ruffner Street with a 4 or 6 line PBX phone with a 7 digit access number. No 9-1-1, no address lookup, call lock, back-up generator, etc. Normally one dispatcher on duty and the bathroom was on the first floor down the hall which made things challenging at times.
The system for the county fire departments with the exception of the cities of Charleston, South Charleston, Dunbar, St Albans and Nitro was deployed around the same time. But it used E.F. Johnson components installed by Electronic Communications. Sirens were activated by Plectron monitors.
The original station and equipment numbering plan was to number each fire department (except for Charleston) and designate the apparatus by type and a number added to the department number. For example Cedar Grove VFD would be Station 6 and could have Engine 61, Engine 62, Tanker 61, Medic 61 (or Ambulance 61 if not staffed with a Paramedic). Department numbering started with Clendennin VFD as Department 1 and ended with Nitro FD as 32. This numbering system was never implemented as written as KCEAA numbered (with notable exceptions) ambulances with the ending number 9, giving you the familiar radio call signs of Medic 309, Medic 239 and so forth that exists to the present day. The VFD strayed from the standard too, mostly by incrementing the 2nd or 3rd digit for every apparatus. For example, Engine 61, Engine 62 and Tanker 63 instead of Tanker 61. The county fire dispatch was done by KCEAA at the Ruffner street office by the same overworked dispatcher.
A interesting fact is the original KCEAA numbering was based on the last 3 digits of the vehicle's license plate number 511 (the supervisors car) to 519. Normally the same vehicle was assigned to the same area, for example 519 was in St. Albans, but if the truck was in the shop, another vehicle and call sign took over the area, something that caused great confusion with the dispatchers.
Hope you found this interesting.
Charles
KCEAA EMT, Dispatcher and Paramedic
1977 to 1988
The system for the county fire departments with the exception of the cities of Charleston, South Charleston, Dunbar, St Albans and Nitro was deployed around the same time. But it used E.F. Johnson components installed by Electronic Communications. Sirens were activated by Plectron monitors.
The original station and equipment numbering plan was to number each fire department (except for Charleston) and designate the apparatus by type and a number added to the department number. For example Cedar Grove VFD would be Station 6 and could have Engine 61, Engine 62, Tanker 61, Medic 61 (or Ambulance 61 if not staffed with a Paramedic). Department numbering started with Clendennin VFD as Department 1 and ended with Nitro FD as 32. This numbering system was never implemented as written as KCEAA numbered (with notable exceptions) ambulances with the ending number 9, giving you the familiar radio call signs of Medic 309, Medic 239 and so forth that exists to the present day. The VFD strayed from the standard too, mostly by incrementing the 2nd or 3rd digit for every apparatus. For example, Engine 61, Engine 62 and Tanker 63 instead of Tanker 61. The county fire dispatch was done by KCEAA at the Ruffner street office by the same overworked dispatcher.
A interesting fact is the original KCEAA numbering was based on the last 3 digits of the vehicle's license plate number 511 (the supervisors car) to 519. Normally the same vehicle was assigned to the same area, for example 519 was in St. Albans, but if the truck was in the shop, another vehicle and call sign took over the area, something that caused great confusion with the dispatchers.
Hope you found this interesting.
Charles
KCEAA EMT, Dispatcher and Paramedic
1977 to 1988
