Ok, since this seems to be a big topic to some. How about I set the record straight once and for all. Nate hit the nail (for the most part) on the head, as I am sure that this will not sit well with the patrolman.
We here at MDE have several radios in our consoles. I will attempt to attach a photo to this post of one. The following is a list of what is there.
Each vehicle is equipped with this at a minimum:
1 Scanner
1 Citizens Band Radio
1 Low Band (30mhz. – 50mhz.)
1 High Band (150mhz range)
1 UHF (450mhz range)
1 Pack Rat onboard repeater system
2 8ooMhz portables (Digital and analog capable)
Field Portable Level A Suit communications system
Satellite phones
Cellular phones
Now that you know what we have lets talk about each one and there reason for being there.
Scanner: With us going to many facilities this gives us the ability to listen to what is going on in the facility during and incident. We do not use these to sit outside and listen to day-to-day operation. Sure wish we had that kind of time on our hands.
Citizens Band: This should be a no brainer here folks. However, on some occasions when we are working with the trucking industry, we will use it to talk to a truck driver of a vehicle that we are escorting from place to place.
Low Band: This system was originally purchased in the early 1990’s. When a very large portion of the states fire departments were using low band as a sole source of communications. It remains in the vehicles to this day mostly giving us the ability to listen to what is going on around us. Very little talking is done on this since the advent of the 800Mhz. radios. Some, but not all of the counties that are in this are as follows: Carroll, Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne, Baltimore County, any other FD that were operating in this range in the 90’s. In addition to Maryland FD we have many out of state jurisdictions that border MD. We run incidents out of state so the ability to communicate with them is needed from time to time. Lastly in this radio are the following. MSP, DNR, SHA, MEMA and a few others that shall remain nameless. These radios are hooked into the Pac Rat system.
High Band: For the most part this radio mirrors the story of the low band radios with only a few exceptions. These, in addition to the local (Howard, Baltimore City, Anne Arundel) and out of state fire departments, are equipped with the following, Fire mutual aid 1 & 2, CSX rail, marine channels, USCG channels and NWS channels.
UHF: this is a portable unit with a converta-com and is linked to the Pac Rat system. This unit has the old Harford County fire department in it, MD Transportation Authority Police (receive only), and some public access bands that we use to communicate with clean up contractors on site. When the VRS is activated they can channel steer the low band radio.
Which of these radios has the all knowing, all seeing, all powerful and super duper secret channel I could tell you….. but then I’d have to kill you. Not even the powers of Superman or Popeye after a full can of spinach could get it outa me. In fact there is an S.O.P. here that states I would have to ingest a cyanide tablet that I must keep with me at all times in the event I slip and do divulge these frequencies to anyone. We’re not even allowed to tell you whether or not they’re encrypted. These are in fact general sight communications channels used during incidents of all magnitudes. In addition they offer us the ability for vehicle to vehicle communications during travel to and from incidents as well as specific approach instructions from first in units. THESE ARE NOT A DISPATCH CHANNEL. Communication on these radios is not an every day thing. We do not wear these radios all day every day like a fire department or police department does with their radios.
Pac Rat Repeater: This unit links the Low band to the UHF. This was done years ago when cell phones and pagers were even spottier then they are now. MDE-ERD used to monitor MSP Channel one (39.10mhz.) and DNRP channel one (39.22) at all times in the event that units were operating in an area of bad cell coverage the local barrack or NRP field station would raise the unit on this channel and transmit whatever message the office wanted us to have. Since the UHF is portable this allowed us to do this in or out of the vehicles.
800Mhz. Portables: These radios are new tools for us. All members of the MDE-ERD are issued 2 portables. One is a digital, and one is digital and analog capable. The portable that is digital use only is programmed with Baltimore City, National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee (NPSPAC) Frequencies and Regional Interoperability Network System (RINS) Frequencies. The portable that is both digital and analog is programmed with SOME channels from the following county fire departments: Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Caroline, Dorchester, Queen Anne, Talbot, Wicomico, Calvert, Harford and Charles, as well as the NPSPAC and RINS Frequencies. We hope to in the very near future have the Baltimore City, Howard, Montgomery and Frederick counties in these as well. We have obtained written agreements with all of the above listed jurisdictions for use of these during incidents in the respective county.
Full Duplex / Half Duplex – Field Portable Repeater System. Level A Suit communications system. (Used for suit to suit comms and site Comms on search warrants and crime scenes. The entire system is intrinsically safe and rated for use in proximity to explosive ordnance -Low power and does not require license)
Satellite phones: this should be self-explanatory. Primary use is for communication during a fixed nuclear facility incident at one of the area nuclear power plants. This gives us satellite two-way communications with the facility involved in the incident and with the other agencies involved when standard systems are overwhelmed. These are not yet aboard every truck
Nextel phones we use the hell out of, with Cingular phones as back up.
I hope this clears up any and all questions about radios that we use. As was stated by someone else, we know that the frequencies are public in nature thus allowing them to be obtained. This does not mean though that we will just freely give them out. I have seen a few posts on here about this very topic in the past and figured that it was time that you folks got the real deal. No speculation just what is fact from a guy that actually drives a big blue truck.
Sorry the post was so long but there is a lot to explain. I tried to provide you with everything that I am able to.
