Interoperability channels for EMS agency

[treyboothe]

I'm updating our EMS agency's codeplug for portable and mobile radios. I'm adding additions for national interoperability, according to the National Interoperability Field Operations Guide. Since we're currently on UHF, I believe I only need the below channels/zones. I'm looking for any advice or options on the matter.

UHF Incident Response (IR) Federal Interoperability Channels
Non-Federal UHF Interoperability Repeater Channels
UHF MED (Medical, EMS) Channels

The guide also mentions adding LE channels, does anyone do this in practice at their agency? I feel indifferent about adding LE to our channel options.
UHF Law Enforcement (LE) Federal Interoperability Channels

Thanks in advance!

 

[mrsvensven]

Above all else, you should check with your Statewide Interoperaility Coordinator (SWIC).

The MED channels will need to follow whatever local plan is in place. In my state, there are a number of different PL tones for different areas of the state and there are state requirements on which frequencies and PL tones must be programmed. The non-Federal channels absolutely need to be included in your codeplug. Unless you operate with the feds a lot, I doubt you would ever use the federal IR or LE channels, but it couldn't hurt to add them.

 

[ecps92]

I'm updating our EMS agency's codeplug for portable and mobile radios. I'm adding additions for national interoperability, according to the National Interoperability Field Operations Guide. Since we're currently on UHF, I believe I only need the below channels/zones. I'm looking for any advice or options on the matter.

UHF Incident Response (IR) Federal Interoperability Channels
Non-Federal UHF Interoperability Repeater Channels
UHF MED (Medical, EMS) Channels

The guide also mentions adding LE channels, does anyone do this in practice at their agency? I feel indifferent about adding LE to our channel options.
UHF Law Enforcement (LE) Federal Interoperability Channels

Thanks in advance!

I know many an EMS agency who also added the LE, since they maybe deployed to work with the PD on a major event [SWAT Medics etc)
but as SvenSven advises you should do this on conjunction/coordination with your state SWIC as they may want signed MOUs etc etc YMMV

 

[GTR8000]

Non-Federal UHF Interoperability Repeater Channels

For the UCALL/UTAC channels, make sure that you either add them as simplex/direct in addition to repeated, or you have the capability to enable "talkaround" on the radios. It's probably easier to just add them as 8 separate channels, both repeated and simplex, rather than expect members to remember how to put the radio into talkaround mode.

UCALL40
UCALL40D
UTAC41
UTAC41D
....

The "D" representing Direct. You'll find that more often than not, there is not going to be a UCALL/UTAC repeater when you need on-scene interops, so if everyone can use simplex, it makes it much less complicated.

The standard PL for those analog interop channels is 156.7, however you may want to program the RX for CSQ so that you'll hear everything. Definitely program 156.7 for the TX PL on all channels, however.

 

[treyboothe]

Thanks for mentioning contacting the SWIC. I reached out to ours to get further clarification.

 

[KevinC]

For the UCALL/UTAC channels, make sure that you either add them as simplex/direct in addition to repeated, or you have the capability to enable "talkaround" on the radios. It's probably easier to just add them as 8 separate channels, both repeated and simplex, rather than expect members to remember how to put the radio into talkaround mode.

UCALL40
UCALL40D
UTAC41
UTAC41D
....

The "D" representing Direct. You'll find that more often than not, there is not going to be a UCALL/UTAC repeater when you need on-scene interops, so if everyone can use simplex, it makes it much less complicated.

The standard PL for those analog interop channels is 156.7, however you may want to program the RX for CSQ so that you'll hear everything. Definitely program 156.7 for the TX PL on all channels, however.

+1 on adding direct as a separate channel. Avoids the “I can’t talk more than a mile anymore” after they accidentally push the direct button/switch/whatever.

 

[speedway_navigator]

I don't know why RX is still CSQ, that must be a hold over from the xtal radio days when you only had one tone.
We had scratchy RFI from Mexico on a UHF freq when I was working a covid response in El (hell) Centro because of CSQ.

 

[GTR8000]

I don't know why RX is still CSQ, that must be a hold over from the xtal radio days when you only had one tone.

It's because there are still agencies out there that a) never programmed a TX PL or b) programmed something other than 156.7, such as their "usual/local" PL. CSQ RX, while clearly not ideal in some areas, is the lowest common denominator, which is sometimes needed on channels intended for interoperability.

 

[ecps92]

It's because there are still agencies out there that a) never programmed a TX PL or b) programmed something other than 156.7, such as their "usual/local" PL. CSQ RX, while clearly not ideal in some areas, is the lowest common denominator, which is sometimes needed on channels intended for interoperability.

Plus there are still - 2ndary users on some of these frequencies,
and as you said many have their own PL/DPL since it is not part of the Interop Plans - this would still allow them to talk, as long as they both had CSQ/No PL for RX