Mercer County Dispatch/Hamilton Twp

[PhillyPhoto]

Is it just me, or does Mercer County only dispatch Hamilton township on their frequency? It's all I ever hear. Is there another channel besides 154.4300?

 

[robbinsj2]

The following towns' fire companies are also paged on F-1: Lawrence (21-23), Ewing (31-33), Washington (40), Hightstown (41), and East Windsor (42 & 46).

The following towns have separate channels for fire paging: West Windsor (43-45; 155.1975), Princeton (60; 158.8050), and Hopewell/Pennington (51-53; 154.1300). West Windsor has a separate ops channel, Princeton uses 158.805 for ops. I believe Hopewell uses 154.13 for ops and Pennington uses Tac-2. All these channels are in the database, with PLs.

Jim

 

[PhillyPhoto]

OK, I wasn't real clear on who got dispatched, looks like I gotta add some more channels. Thanks.

On a side note, as far as the new trunked system is concerned, will they be going to a single dispatch channel, or keeping them sperate? Also, I don't know if you've heard anything as far as the progress of the system. I know the database says the second site has to be up by Feb '08. Hopefully I'll be able to pick them up at work in Bucks county, PA.

 

[robbinsj2]

Are you asking about fire dispatch channels being consolidated? I have heard no rumors, let alone anything more substantive, of any fire departments moving to the trunked system. I think the existing channels are reasonably loaded (an exception might be Tac-3), and everything is pretty well centralized with good fire service interop, so I do not expect any significant changes to fire dispatch in the next couple years.

Having said that, it would not surprise me if there was talk of fire/EMS switching over as a phase 2 implementation of the trunked system a few years down the road.

The second trunked site is or will be in Hightstown; from Bucks you would probably be getting the first site better anyway. However well you receive the system now likely will not change unless they have coverage problems and must add a third site closer to the Delaware River.

 

[PhillyPhoto]

So who's going to be the main user of the new system? PD, and municipal services? I figured one of the reasons would be to get FDs on board for "interopobility".

Has there been any talk of Trenton hoping on board, or are they gung-ho about there radio system still?

 

[robbinsj2]

So who's going to be the main user of the new system? PD, and municipal services?

County, from what I've heard. Sheriff, prosecutor, OEM, rangers, roads department, etc. Also, as we've heard, all in-county dispatch centers for OEM coordination.

I figured one of the reasons would be to get FDs on board for "interopobility".

They have pretty good interoperability right now, as far as communicating with other FDs and with EMS. Police with each other too, though fire/EMS to police not so much.

Has there been any talk of Trenton hoping on board, or are they gung-ho about there radio system still?

I've heard no talk of Trenton switching to it, other than scanner enthusiasts asking.

The county's system has only six voice channels. That certainly couldn't handle all of Trenton, and putting all municipal police/fire/EMS (excluding Trenton and Ewing, assuming their systems would be tied in for mutual aid / interop) might be pushing it too. I rather expect roll-out to be completed with few or no non-county users routinely operating on it.

 

[pwrhockey]

The County fire Depts will be switching to this system as there has already been talk within fire houses as to the fact that they will need to start putting money away to shell out the 2k+ for each radio additional to what the county is giving them. EMS as far as lifecom and such units, I honestly cannot say.