Paw Paw fire

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downsrep

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I'm picking up Paw Paw fire dispatch on 154.1900 on my scanner. CARMA and Radio Reference say the rural Lee County fire dispatch is on 159.3900 and that 154.1900 is an
old fire dispatch frequency. LaSalle County also supposedly has 154.1900 as their rural fire
dispatch, but Paw Paw is in Lee County. I'm in Aurora so I can barely pick up these areas as it is, if at all. Anybody know why the discrepancy?
 

downsrep

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Also, I pick up the Paw Paw dispatch better than LaSalle County, which makes no sense since LaSalle County is closer to where I am in Aurora.
 

N9JIG

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I think Paw Paw stays on 154.190 since they work Mutual Aid mostly with Earlville and Mendota, both in LaSalle County. I can't hear them from here, but they may use both, or page out on the old channel and operate on the new one as needed.
 

downsrep

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Thanks Rich. I have it on that frequency to hear LaSalle County but I hear Paw Paw more for whatever reason. Sometimes I pick up Sheridan FD but that's about it. Must be a bad location.
 

MikeyC

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There are only a handful of agencies in La Salle County that use 154.1900 on a regular basis anymore.

Naplate FD (dispatched by La Salle County SO)
Marseilles FD (for dispatch only by Marseilles PD)
Serena FD (dispatched by La Salle County SO)
Sheridan Ambulance (dispatched by La Salle County SO)
Earlville FD (dispatched by Mendota PD)
Lostant FD and Allen Township (Ransom) may be on here too, but they're too far south of I'm too low in this valley to hear them.

Everyone else is on their own channels. The antenna for Serena FD and Sheridan Ambulance is located in the north part of the county. And you're right - Lee County dispatching Paw Paw on 154.1900 booms into Ottawa too :)
 

evilbrad

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hi

i know some one with paw paw fpd,will find out more. i believe his mintor is on 154.190
 

downsrep

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Thanks for the help. So I guess, even though 154.1900 is an old frequency, Paw Paw still uses it as a simulcast, kind of like how North Aurora fire uses 154.0700 and the trunked Aurora frequency as well? I don't understand how I can't pick up LaSalle County well at all here in Aurora, yet I can pick up McHenry County clear as a bell sometimes. Weird how it works.
 

downsrep

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Also, can you advise the difference between fire page frequencies and dispatch frequencies? Does initial call for service (i.e. Morris FD to respond to 123 Main St) mean a page or dispatch? I thought the page was simply electronic, while the dispatch was actually being sent out via radio.
 

N9JIG

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Most agencies page out on the dispatch channel, you would hear the tones, then the dispatch message and then the rigs en route etc.

Other agencies will page out on one channel and use another for en route operations. This is less common but does occur occasionally.
 

bnsfds-15

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Both are used

As far as I know that Lee County dispatches some departments on 159.390 MHz and some still on 154.190 MHz. Mendota Fire is supposed to be on 155.310 MHz now and I'm sure last time I was out there I heard them being paged on that. Seneca Rural FPD is supposed to be on 155.100 MHz for dispatch I believe, can someone confirm that for Me?
 

downsrep

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I just think its amazing (and frustrating) how you can hear one town way far away but then can't hear the next one closer to you. The wonders of scanning!
 

MikeyC

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Mendota FD is on a repeater on 155.3100 (156.7). Seneca, from what I can tell because the signal doesn't always reach Ottawa, is dispatched on 155.1000 but uses 154.0100 (114.8) repeatered for opeations. The Seneca signals don't reach very far in my experience.
 
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