Montgomery County PSSM Program update

[LiftAssist]

Well if you look on RR for Monkey conventional you will see the different VHF frequencies. They still use that ol 154.160 for dispatch and for a while they were using 153.9500 for channel 1 but that changed. They use the VHF for backup in case system failure plus you can find a listing of the towers that everyone will switch to depending on where they are in the county.
Here is a link take a look at it and it will answer all your questions for MCFD Radio

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/frs-ql/Resources/Files/nsws/docs/Radio_One_Book.pdf

PS. Forgot to mention that I have an APX7500 single band unit in the 7/800 programmed with All of MD 1st system plus Monkey,MD, RINS,PMARS, PG,DC,Howard, Fredrick,AA county, Laurel , Sussex, Lewes, Rehoboth , and a Uniden BCD996P2 mounted in my van using a harris all band antenna. I use the Uniden for when I am in WVA, VA, Shenandoah Valley , well you get the idea plus I will have my Harris XG100P unit with me as well so I have things covered. I am looking for a Harris XG00M all band that will not break the bank ,brick only, since I have everything else that I need for it.
Needless to say I do my own programming of my radios and I am greatfull to a few people who helped me learn along the way as well.

That is extremely impressive, so is PMARS still active? I kind of assumed it had been replaced by something newer and shinier. Additionally do you ever see activity on the MoCo channels listed under the WPWB302 callsign? I wasn't sure if the A16 and G11-G14 channels were from the old system or not. One of the disadvantages of getting into this after they made the switch is not knowing what channels have been replaced.

 

[motorcoachdoug]

I would keep A16 programmed in since in case POTUS has to do the motorcade run from Camp David in Fredneck aka Fredrick County they need MSP plus local county pd to be on the same radio frequency and or when POTUS is at Walter Reed and he travels via motorcade plus TKPK PD still need to chat with PGPD in the Langley Park area and D3 Silver Spring need to chat where on one side on RT 193 might be in Montgomery and the other side in PG From Riggs Rd and Rt 193 all the way up Rt 650 to the county line where one side is MC and the other side is PG.

 

[LiftAssist]

This may be a dumb question, but does anyone know why MD NRP has 2 talkgroups plus WSSC? I don't see a distinction between them in the database.

 

[maus92]

NRP does have Area Tac tgs (on FIRST they are enc) perhaps that’s what one of them is used for. WSSC Police are their own individual agency.

 

[LiftAssist]

NRP does have Area Tac tgs (on FIRST they are enc) perhaps that’s what one of them is used for. WSSC Police are their own individual agency.

Yes WSSC are their own agency (I've even met an officer, also I believe they only hire retired law enforcement/laterals) but the MoCo database has NRP also using WSSC's tg. You're right that they have the three area 5 tgs on FIRST, so I wonder if the ones listed as just NRP are the tac channels and the one listed as WSSC is their dispatch channel which WSSC uses as well. but then I don't know how that would work with the encryption.

 

[maus92]

Yes WSSC are their own agency (I've even met an officer, also I believe they only hire retired law enforcement/laterals) but the MoCo database has NRP also using WSSC's tg. You're right that they have the three area 5 tgs on FIRST, so I wonder if the ones listed as just NRP are the tac channels and the one listed as WSSC is their dispatch channel which WSSC uses as well. but then I don't know how that would work with the encryption.

The only way to verify usage is to listen and use control channel software to log the RIDs and tgs. It might take some time depending on how busy those tgs are - or find an official resource.

 

[LiftAssist]

I just checked unitrunker and the RIDs are certainly interesting, the 6800 one definitely has a patch, its a 700203 that keys up and on openmhz comes through as both dispatcher and unit. The other two just seem to be units with a 213 prefix instead of MSP 212, MCP 251, MCFRS 250 or any of the other patterns I've seen with the other agencies both in terms of mutual aid or local. I can only remember hearing NRP come up once on county air and that was too long ago to find get the RID from. it is possible one of those units is also a patch because while there are other units on 6488 it is mostly one RID compared to 6487.

I only see those 7xxxxx units with stuff like corrections and public works. there are also some individual 253 units and the occasional fire rescue 250 monitoring, but I can't tell if it is NRP or WSSC being patched and who the individual units are.

 

[maus92]

I just checked unitrunker and the RIDs are certainly interesting, the 6800 one definitely has a patch, its a 700203 that keys up and on openmhz comes through as both dispatcher and unit. The other two just seem to be units with a 213 prefix instead of MSP 212, MCP 251, MCFRS 250 or any of the other patterns I've seen with the other agencies both in terms of mutual aid or local. I can only remember hearing NRP come up once on county air and that was too long ago to find get the RID from. it is possible one of those units is also a patch because while there are other units on 6488 it is mostly one RID compared to 6487.

I only see those 7xxxxx units with stuff like corrections and public works. there are also some individual 253 units and the occasional fire rescue 250 monitoring, but I can't tell if it is NRP or WSSC being patched and who the individual units are.

The 213xxxx are likely DNR radios;

 

[Dispatcher308]

Yes WSSC are their own agency (I've even met an officer, also I believe they only hire retired law enforcement/laterals) but the MoCo database has NRP also using WSSC's tg. You're right that they have the three area 5 tgs on FIRST, so I wonder if the ones listed as just NRP are the tac channels and the one listed as WSSC is their dispatch channel which WSSC uses as well. but then I don't know how that would work with the encryption.

I only have 2 talkgroups on the Montgomery system. (Thank You Montgomery County)

One is for NRP Area 5 Disp and the second is for Seneca Creek State Park Ops.

I do not even have access to a WSSC talkgroup in my radios

Nate

 

[maus92]

The RRDB has two tgs listed for the NRP - one of those could be the tg assigned Seneca State Park. Perhaps the WSSC Police has the DNR tgs in their radios (as well as the relevant MCP and HCPD tgs). /speculation.

 

[Dispatcher308]

The RRDB has two tgs listed for the NRP - one of those could be the tg assigned Seneca State Park. Perhaps the WSSC Police has the DNR tgs in their radios (as well as the relevant MCP and HCPD tgs). /speculation.

Possibly, I know I gave permission for Montgomery County PD to have it in their radios, not sure about WSSC.

 

[motorcoachdoug]

Dispatcher 308 is there anyway to get a COMPLETE listing of ALL the county TG's ? . Also I live here in Aspen Hill are of silver spring as well

 

[Dispatcher308]

Dispatcher 308 is there anyway to get a COMPLETE listing of ALL the county TG's ? . Also I live here in Aspen Hill are of silver spring as well

Plain and simple I don't have it, I don't work for Montgomery County, you can contact them and see if they can give it to you if they so choose to.

 

[motorcoachdoug]

Ok and thank you for your reply..

 

[tvengr]

you can contact them and see if they can give it to you if they so choose to.

Not a good idea! It just makes an agency consider encrypting everything when they receive questions from outsiders about the radio system.

 

[Dispatcher308]

Not a good idea! It just makes an agency consider encrypting everything when they receive questions from outsiders about the radio system.

What makes us want to encrypt is when we are quoted on here word for word or the recordings, that is what really frustrates us! When I worked for another state agency as soon as I was quoted on here we made the switch to encryption within a week and I would do it again without hesitation, but the radio shop talkgroups we have are already encrypted.

Nate

 

[motorcoachdoug]

ah a Radio Tech and believe me I can see both sides of the coin and I do understand where you are coming from also.

 

[LiftAssist]

So I noticed early on that during consolidated dispatch, the 1D-4D patch is different from the others. It is the only one that doesn't show up as XP on unitrunker, and both talkgroups still show up on OpenMHZ just playing the same messages. Today however, it seems that instead it is the 2D-3D patch that is the odd one out.

Does anyone know why they normally do 1D-4D like that or why they switched to doing it with the 2D-3D patch? I originally assumed it had to do with 1D and 4D being the only patched districts that aren't next to each other, but today makes me think it is something else.

 

[motorcoachdoug]

I am noticing a lot of use by 7A13 on the system which is the Mutual Aid Secure for Mont County Fire. Anyone have any idea what is going on? or is that the EMS officer to coordinate what PT goes to what Hosp?

 

[maus92]

Baltimore County brush fire?