Interesting comms on DelCOM Sector 2

[ctrabs74]

Tuesday afternoon at around 15:30, I heard what I think were a couple of Marple Twp police units communication on DelCOM Sector 2 primary/dispatch channel, which is unusual since Marple is self-dispatched. I heard a 75-41 identifier and a reference to 75-90 (Marple Twp PD station). I'm wondering if this was a mutual aid call to Radnor or Newtown Twp or if Marple is about to follow Radnor Twp PD and Ridley Twp/Eddystone over to DelCOM at some point in the near future.

 

[trafficdan]

Marple is switching over too my friend. I figured you would be on top of this already...LOL.

Does that leave any self dispatched departments in Delco anymore?

TD

 

[ctrabs74]

Marple is switching over too my friend. I figured you would be on top of this already...LOL.

It's hard to hear DelCom from where I am near the center of West Chester. But I do listen to DelCom regularly when I'm heading into Center City Phila. on West Chester Pike.

Does that leave any self dispatched departments in Delco anymore?

Exactly two - Haverford Township (74) and Media Borough (98). If I were a betting man, I'd say that Media migrates to DelCom before Haverford does, since Haverford strikes me as very stubborn about handing off dispatching much in the same way Lower Merion is about it's public safety system (see: their EDACS system compared to MontCo's Moto TRS).

Of course, I was a little surprised that Marple switched over as quietly as they did, compared to some of the chatter I heard prior to Radnor and Ridley migrating over to the county.

 

[Boomeranger]

Tuesday afternoon at around 15:30, I heard what I think were a couple of Marple Twp police units communication on DelCOM Sector 2 primary/dispatch channel, which is unusual since Marple is self-dispatched. I heard a 75-41 identifier and a reference to 75-90 (Marple Twp PD station). I'm wondering if this was a mutual aid call to Radnor or Newtown Twp or if Marple is about to follow Radnor Twp PD and Ridley Twp/Eddystone over to DelCOM at some point in the near future.

ctrabs74,

I caught that comm as well. I've not heard any 75 comms since on Sector 2.

I live in Media. I remember being dumbfounded when they shifted 99, Nether Providence from Sector 2 to Sector 1 and moved Springfield to Sector 2?!! 99, Nether Providence, 98, Media and 77, Upper Providence were the right match! Being adjacent townships and always assisting when needed. Putting 99 on Sector 1 was a huge blunder, imho.

If Media migrates, that'll be a sad day, indeed. I've been listening to Media comms for over 10 years and the dispatchers were great. They'll be missed! But the same goes for any privately dispatched PDs through the years.

At least Delcom didn't shift 75 to Sector 3! And I sure hope when Media migrates, it lands on Sector 2!

Somehow with Media PD policing Media and the County Seat, with the chaos of traffic during the day and keeping track of the steady amount of local riff-raff, I don't imagine they'll go without opposition. They don't need the noise from other PDs to run the tight ship they've run for years.

Imho,

Andy

 

[ctrabs74]

At least Delcom didn't shift 75 to Sector 3! And I sure hope when Media migrates, it lands on Sector 2!

Yeah, lumping Marple in with Chester City on Sector 3 would've been a real trip...

I had read in another forum/e-group that they're looking to add more frequencies to DelCom and Fire Board to accomodate the recent migrations to county dispatching (Radnor, Marple, and Ridley Twp/Eddystone). If/when that occurs, I wouldn't be shocked if there were more re-organizing of PD Sectors and Fire Channel assignments.

Somehow with Media PD policing Media and the County Seat, with the chaos of traffic during the day and keeping track of the steady amount of local riff-raff, I don't imagine they'll go without opposition. They don't need the noise from other PDs to run the tight ship they've run for years.

Assuming that DelCom does take over Media PD dispatch duties (and, again, given how the three above self-dispatched departments have migrated over within the past year, it looks not to be a matter of if, but when), there's always the option that Media could have a separate dispatch console at Lima and have DelCom dispatch over Media's freqs, much in the same way Upper Darby PD/FD are dispatched by the county over township licensed frequencies...

Or, Media could end up on a new freq licensed to Delaware County, but have a separate dispatch channel, much in the way DelCom dispatches Chester City PD (notice how on Sector 3 you only hear 2-digit IDs as opposed to the 4-digit IDs on other sectors), or in a worse case, share a channel with 77 and 99 (remember that Middletown, despite it's relatively large size in population and area, is still patrolled by PSP Media).

Speaking of PSP Media, if it hasn't happened already, Bethel Twp (81) is expected to become a full-time department; at least that was what they were leaning towards as of the winter. They still had PSP Media running calls for a few hours each day, as I recall.

Gee, isn't speculating about the future of scanning in DelCo fun?

 

[Boomeranger]

I had read in another forum/e-group that they're looking to add more frequencies to DelCom and Fire Board to accomodate the recent migrations to county dispatching (Radnor, Marple, and Ridley Twp/Eddystone). If/when that occurs, I wouldn't be shocked if there were more re-organizing of PD Sectors and Fire Channel assignments.

ctrabs74,

About 1 year or so ago, Delcom did add the frequencies occupying 509.0 - 512. (3mhz spacing from 506-509.0) If that's what you mean?

They should revisit and correct the Sectors to realign the adjacent townships, within reason.

Assuming that DelCom does take over Media PD dispatch duties (and, again, given how the three above self-dispatched departments have migrated over within the past year, it looks not to be a matter of if, but when), there's always the option that Media could have a separate dispatch console at Lima and have DelCom dispatch over Media's freqs, much in the same way Upper Darby PD/FD are dispatched by the county over township licensed frequencies...

Or, Media could end up on a new freq licensed to Delaware County, but have a separate dispatch channel, much in the way DelCom dispatches Chester City PD (notice how on Sector 3 you only hear 2-digit IDs as opposed to the 4-digit IDs on other sectors), or in a worse case, share a channel with 77 and 99 (remember that Middletown, despite it's relatively large size in population and area, is still patrolled by PSP Media).

Speaking of PSP Media, if it hasn't happened already, Bethel Twp (81) is expected to become a full-time department; at least that was what they were leaning towards as of the winter. They still had PSP Media running calls for a few hours each day, as I recall.

Gee, isn't speculating about the future of scanning in DelCo fun?

NO!!!! Not really. It's getting quieter and quieter as Nextel IDEN is used for all the sensitive comms.

When the highlight of daily comms is "The speed sign is on block ___", it's time to find another hobby. I did ask an officer in Media, why the speed sign didn't have three digits and that I was certain my car could go faster than 99mph. He laughed and replied in a 25mph zone, that would be the end of days for me. We both laughed.

All the best,

Andy
Scannist (approaching retirement)
Professional boomerang thrower (retired)