I have confirmed that priority does not work on scan with Lima FD. It will be brought up next week when all the LFD radios are reprogrammed. They came programmed so that when their emergency button is pressed, the radio switches to Lima PD talkgroup. :roll:
As far as toning out, while I can't speak for the other FDs in Allen County, Lima FD knew that the dispatches where going to be simulcast on VHF and MARCS. However in Lima, the techs didn't set up simulcasting on the temporary dispatch location and had to return to do so. It was not a case of the agencies not knowing.
As for basement deadspots, it was know from the inception of the initiative in Allen County that vehicular repeaters would be needed and they were part of the initial equipment purchases. This wasn't a surprise that happened after the conversion. If departments didn't get repeaters, it is probably their own fault for not ordering them. Also, at least all the LFD and I believe all the fire department radios in Allen County, have five simplex fireground channels programmed. I don't have those frequencies yet.
Right now there are learning curves being gone through in Allen County. Agencies that have always used simplex are learning about how repeaters work, all agencies are learning how trunking works, and all agencies are learning the quirks of digital (just like when everybody got digital cellphones and needed to get use to the new sound). Lima PD and FD are just the newest group to learn about some of these things.
Mike
