mikeh
Member
it looks like all heck has broken in Oklahoma so i am looking the freqs used in the fire fighting operations
thank you
thank you
looking for forest fire freqs
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State Freq
Phil,
No one that I heard was using a "state" freq around here - we had 7 or 8 fires going at once (maybe more) that could all be heard in Tulsa proper with a good antenna. Since (1) we have a (theoretically) state-wide 800 system and (2) we had multiple discreet fires that were all at least in "hearing" distance of each other (ruling out V/UHF mutual aid channels unless multple were used) what generally happened was the "first due" department on each fire used their freq(s), and if any neighboring departments came mutual aid they used the first due's freq.
Since multiple fires had multiple departments tied up, most were not available for mutual aid (they had their own to worry about) but most of the rural departments have at least their immediate neighbors programmed. In a few cases, rural departments went to a common VHF mutual aid channel, but several fires had to move back to their "main" freqs because of interference from neighboring fires.
For those of you not familiar with the area, this was NOT a typical "out west" wildland fire burning 10,000 acres. It was 10 (or more) separate "interface" fires each burning a hundred to a couple of thousand acres. I was listening to one in Sand Springs (10 miles west) on the Tulsa 800 trunked system and 1 in Sperry (15 miles north on a VHF m/a freq with Skiatook) and a third NE of Owasso (15 miles NE) on Limestone's VHF (Owasso was m/a, and they have their own 800 system, but still have VHF radios in the trucks since they run with Limestone a lot). Mazie and Chouteau were out of range for me to hear (40 miles east). Beggs is also out of range from my house (30 miles south) but both are on VHF, so likely used their own freqs or VHF m/a - they're far enough apart they wouldn't have interfered with each other.
This was a case where "the best laid plans" pretty much went out the window. Generally, there was NOT a need for all units to talk to each other, as the fires were widely separated. What there was a need for was about 20 "common" channels so that each fire could have their own. Sometimes that worked (two "next door" rurals with each other's freqs on VHF) and sometimes that didn't (Sand Springs and Berryhill share the Tulsa 800 system and can use each other's freqs, but the BIA forestry guys and the rural departments to their west that came m/a are all VHF only).
phil_smith said:
Phil,
No one that I heard was using a "state" freq around here - we had 7 or 8 fires going at once (maybe more) that could all be heard in Tulsa proper with a good antenna. Since (1) we have a (theoretically) state-wide 800 system and (2) we had multiple discreet fires that were all at least in "hearing" distance of each other (ruling out V/UHF mutual aid channels unless multple were used) what generally happened was the "first due" department on each fire used their freq(s), and if any neighboring departments came mutual aid they used the first due's freq.
Since multiple fires had multiple departments tied up, most were not available for mutual aid (they had their own to worry about) but most of the rural departments have at least their immediate neighbors programmed. In a few cases, rural departments went to a common VHF mutual aid channel, but several fires had to move back to their "main" freqs because of interference from neighboring fires.
For those of you not familiar with the area, this was NOT a typical "out west" wildland fire burning 10,000 acres. It was 10 (or more) separate "interface" fires each burning a hundred to a couple of thousand acres. I was listening to one in Sand Springs (10 miles west) on the Tulsa 800 trunked system and 1 in Sperry (15 miles north on a VHF m/a freq with Skiatook) and a third NE of Owasso (15 miles NE) on Limestone's VHF (Owasso was m/a, and they have their own 800 system, but still have VHF radios in the trucks since they run with Limestone a lot). Mazie and Chouteau were out of range for me to hear (40 miles east). Beggs is also out of range from my house (30 miles south) but both are on VHF, so likely used their own freqs or VHF m/a - they're far enough apart they wouldn't have interfered with each other.
This was a case where "the best laid plans" pretty much went out the window. Generally, there was NOT a need for all units to talk to each other, as the fires were widely separated. What there was a need for was about 20 "common" channels so that each fire could have their own. Sometimes that worked (two "next door" rurals with each other's freqs on VHF) and sometimes that didn't (Sand Springs and Berryhill share the Tulsa 800 system and can use each other's freqs, but the BIA forestry guys and the rural departments to their west that came m/a are all VHF only).
CommShrek
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Excellent post Jay. You are correct in that Beggs stayed on thier freq for the fires in the Beggs area. Liberty Fire Dept did the same, as did Bixby, as did Twin Hills, as did Mounds Fire, and as did Kiefer Fire. That's about the only ones I listened too. I think Glenpool did too but I usually take them out of the scan group. My ummm Dr. said in order to reduce stress I should do that. 
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