July 4th Comm Plan - San Antonio/Bexar County

[scrotumola]

A 205 comm plan has been enacted for the San Antonio FD/Bexar County Fire Alarm systems during the July 4th weekend.

SAFD talkgroups will be patched to SIG group 8 (all provoice)
BCFA talkgroups will be patched to SIG group 7 (non-provoice)

It was learned that you cannot patch a provoice TG to a non-provoice TG, or at least problems 'developed' in previous attempts.

Here is more precise info

FROM 1600 Hours July 4th to 0400 Hours July 5th and FROM 1600 Hours
July 5th to 0000 Hours July 6th

The Fire Alarm Console will be staffed as follows:
BCFA DSP - Will dispatch all calls and answer emergency
requests only
BCFA OPS - Monitored for VHF communications requesting
assistance or for patched communications for a larger incident use
(DISPATCHER DISCRETION)
BC EMS - Utilized by ALL DEPARTMENTS for all medical /
first responder calls. This will be the Medical Operations Channel /
Talk group


The 2nd Position (BCSO) will be staffed as follows:

BCFA FG1 - Utilized by SOMERSET, SOUTH BEXAR, ATA-BEXAR,
SANDY OAKS, and HARMONY as their Fire Operations Channel / Talk group

BCFA FG3 - Utilized by HOLLYWOOD PARK, BEXAR-BULVERDE, LEON
SPRINGS, GREY FOREST, and HELOTES as their Fire Operations Channel /
Talk group

The 3rd Position (SAFD) will be staffed as follows:
BCFA FG2 - Utilized by GERONIMO VILLAGE, DISTRIST 7, ESD 5,
LYTLE, and JARRET as their Fire Operations Channel / Talk group

BCFA FG4 - Utilized by LONE OAK, CHINA GROVE, ST. HEDWIG,
GARDENDALE, CAMELOT, and WINDCREST as their Fire Operations Channel /
Talk group


BCFA ACC - Special requests from operational users. All
other normal requests will be handled on the assigned Fire ground.

 

[texasemt13]

thanks for the info scrot

 

[precoislen]

BC EMS - Utilized by ALL DEPARTMENTS for all medical /
first responder calls. This will be the Medical Operations Channel /
Talk group

No patch to AMR's LTR system on this TG yet?

 

[TXEMT]

I know most if not all agencies have the 7 series interop talkgroups programmed, i know all city PD and FD units have the 8 series in there radios as well as BCSO but I don't think alot of the agenices dispatched by BCFA have the digital interop 8 series talkgroups, I know for a fact that agencies like Converse, Selma, Live Oak etc..only have the 7 series so might be a problem for any interop with SAFD. I remember a few years ago when they tried to patch VHF tac 3 to SAFD 1-D for a large grass fire north of 1604 and it was a huge mess with dispatchers talking over each other and sometimes only parts of the conversation coming through. so we will see.

 

[scrotumola]

I know most if not all agencies have the 7 series interop talkgroups programmed, i know all city PD and FD units have the 8 series in there radios as well as BCSO but I don't think alot of the agenices dispatched by BCFA have the digital interop 8 series talkgroups, I know for a fact that agencies like Converse, Selma, Live Oak etc..only have the 7 series so might be a problem for any interop with SAFD. I remember a few years ago when they tried to patch VHF tac 3 to SAFD 1-D for a large grass fire north of 1604 and it was a huge mess with dispatchers talking over each other and sometimes only parts of the conversation coming through. so we will see.

The county radios that I have seen have the SIG 8 in them. Most people do not know how to access them, though.

In regards to the patching fiasco with tac 3 and 1-D, the initiator of the patch was attempting to do so THRU the console, instead of AROUND the console. The mic audio from the dispatcher was automatically 'inserted' to any patch that was established that way regardless if the patch was not the 'selected' channel on the console.

Redefined software and hardware patches are now available. It is rumored that Bexar County firegrounds 5-8 will be established in the future exclusively for patch operations.

Happy 4th!

~S~

 

[TXEMT]

cool, i figured software updates would make patching alot eaiser now, also my work radio only has the seven series no 8 but have all the BCFA talkgroups, SAFD and FD's on the Live Oak site.