NWCD Fire interesting read on encryption

[ChicagoRadio736]

Are Arlington Heights Police and Fire Chiefs, Other Nearby Chiefs Hiding a Secret Move to Encrypt Fire Radio Communications?

While some officials in cities and villages provide official fire communication feeds online in real time for the safety and awareness of their citizens, and out of respect for the citizens they serve, CARDINAL NEWS has learned that at least two police chiefs and possibly one or two fire chiefs are

www.arlingtoncardinal.com

 

[werinshades]

This wouldn't be the first municipality or dispatch center nationwide to encrypt fire communications. Joliet has been encrypted a while now, don't hear of much push back, at least not here. The question I always have is what event lead them to consider this? Was someone with a scanner or cell phone with an app interfering with a scene? Board-up companies, towing companies hearing a "10-50 with air bag deployment" know that's an almost guaranteed tow which is money in their pocket. So yes, I can see it but don't agree with it.

 

[ILjim]

In their switchover to StarCom21, WestCom in the west suburbs, encrypted ALL police and fire channels, although Fire Dispatch is still simulcast to VHF analog (at least for now). Maybe I'm missing something, but the idea that you can "track" police activity by just listening to Fire is laughable. All the PD's in my area are ENC, so the only thing I'm left with is basically ISP, and area Fire Depts. There's been many times where I could not find out why multiple PD squad cars responded to a traffic stop by only listening to Fire.