You can still listen to the fire department, they are digital, but unencrypted.
The fire companies are dispatched by Ocean County dispatch on the county dispatch frequency, 508.1875 PL 79.9. (Stations 54 - Jackson Mills, 55 - Jackson #1, 56 - Cassville, & 57 Whitesville) After dispatch, they use the analog Fire Tac and Fireground frequencies shown in the database here. Jackson Fire Tac 1 is used for response and initial fire ground operations. Tac 2 is rarely used. Once on scene, they sometimes switch over to one of the Fire Ground frequencies, A, B, or C, but A is used most of the time. You should be able to receive the two Tac repeater frequencies okay, but Fireground A, B, and C are simplex and you have to be pretty close to the incident in order to receive them. As for the them using the digital trunk system, yes they have talk groups assigned to them but I don't monitor it so I don't know the extent of their use of the system. Maybe someone who monitors it could elaborate.
And, just a note about EMS.....they are dispatched by the Jackson dispatchers on the EMS frequency shown in the database, but after dispatch all communications are done over the trunk system. Because of a lack of available EMS Squad members during the weekday daytime hours, Quality Medical Transport, a private EMS service, responds to all calls. They use the Jackson EMS frequency for comms with Jackson dispatch. Also, fire units 5417, 5505/5511 and 5701 are EMS first responders during the weekday daytime hours and use Fire Tac 1 for response and comms with Jackson dispatch.
