Pinal Co Fire Dispatch

[InlandAZ]

Anyone in the Maricopa (Pinal Co) area know who dispatches the Fire Department? Every now and then I hear AMR on the fire frequencies listed in the database, but as often I see the engines out on the road I can't help but thinking I'm missing out on the dispatches and talk arounds. It's so quiet out here I'm going buggy

 

[KB7MIB]

The City of Maricopa Fire Department is dispatched by the Phoenix Fire Department Regional Dispatch Center.

You want Simulcast C of the Regional Wireless Cooperative trunked system for the K-deck EMS talkgroups, and you will also want the VHF-High A-deck frequencies for fire and HazMat calls.

K-1 on the RWC and A-1 on VHF-High are multicasted dispatch channels. You won't be able to single out just dispatches for Maricopa FD units until you develop a practiced ear. You'll have to listen to every dispatch for the whole PFDRDC until then.

I believe K-8 is the usual EMS Tac talkgroup Maricopa units are assigned to, although there probably won't be much in the way of voice traffic on most calls, since much of it is a button press on the MCT in the rigs. Large incidents may be put on K-10 through K-12. I think A-8 is the usual fireground channel assigned in Maricopa.

The RWC:

Regional Wireless Cooperative (RWC) Trunking System, Phoenix, Arizona

Regional Wireless Cooperative (RWC) Trunking System Profile

www.radioreference.com

Scroll down to Phoenix for the VHF-High channels:

Maricopa County, Arizona (AZ) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference for Maricopa County, Arizona (AZ)

www.radioreference.com

John
Peoria

 

[InlandAZ]

Thanks John, I'll get it loaded into the scanner and give it a shot.

 

[cellphone]

When listening to Fire Ch 1, listen for dispatches for Engine/Ladder 571-575. These are the Maricopa (City) apparatus. Fire calls are assigned to Fire Channel A13 (154.430).

Another frequency to add if you are interested in EMS is 460.950. This is AMR Ch 14 and this is the Ops channel for Pinal County.

 

[InlandAZ]

Thanks cellphone, I check them out - apparently I'm too far out to get Simulcast C but I do hear the dispatches on 154.1900 loud and clear. There's not a lot to monitor out here.

 

[cellphone]

Thanks cellphone, I check them out - apparently I'm too far out to get Simulcast C but I do hear the dispatches on 154.1900 loud and clear. There's not a lot to monitor out here.

If you are in or around Maricopa, you should have not a problem receiving Simulcast C. There is a transmitter on the West side of Maricopa that has very good coverage for Maricopa:

FCC Callsign WQWW222 (PHOENIX, CITY OF)

FCC Callsign WQWW222 (PHOENIX, CITY OF)

www.radioreference.com

Check your Simulcast C programming if you are not receiving. This is the same tower location that transmits fire calls for Maricopa on VHF Ch 1, and a remote base station for VHF A13.

 

[KB7MIB]

Thanks cellphone, I check them out - apparently I'm too far out to get Simulcast C but I do hear the dispatches on 154.1900 loud and clear. There's not a lot to monitor out here.

What make & model of scanner are you using?

The Ak-Chin Indian Community is right next door. Their fire & police are monitorable. The Gila River Indian Community's fire department is monitorable. (GRIC PD is encrypted.)

Casa Grande isn't too far away, you should be able to hear them.

DPS district 6 should cover SR 238 and SR 347.

The UP Railroad goes through Maricopa. Amtrak uses that line.

John
Peoria

 

[InlandAZ]

It's my old 668 John -

 

[InlandAZ]

I an the RWC CC's with a wildcard for hours, never heard a thing - will try again. We're very close to the tower.

 

[KB7MIB]

I wonder if the PRO-668 has issues with simulcast reception like my PSR-500 has? Or if you're too close to the site, and it's being overloaded?

John
Peoria

 

[InlandAZ]

We're just a hair over 2 miles from the tower - I'll load the CC's up in my 106 and analyze the signal.

 

[n0doz]

I wonder if the PRO-668 has issues with simulcast reception like my PSR-500 has? Or if you're too close to the site, and it's being overloaded?/QUOTE]
Wouldn't that only occur if there is more than one site nearby or within range? Is there any fill for that system between Chandler and Maricopa?
Just curious about the tech involved in these simulcast systems....

 

[KB7MIB]

My 500 doesn't like simulcast systems at all. I can be within a mile or so of a Simulcast J site in the Festival Ranch/Sun City Festival development in north Buckeye, and it won't pass any audio. And within a half mile of a Simulcast G site at the Greenway water treatment plant in Peoria, reception of 700/800 MHz is completely wiped altogether. I can't even receive the RWC White Tanks IR High site.

Within about a quarter mile of certain cell sites (700 MHz LTE?) also wipe out 700/800 MHz reception.

John
Peoria

 

[InlandAZ]

I've attenuated the site, and I am receiving it quite well - even got a hit on Phoenix PD.

 

[KB7MIB]

At this time, L571 is assigned to a stove fire call in Maricopa. They're on A-12, not A-8 or A-13.

John
Peoria

 

[rpgaun]

When I'm going back and forth to Tucson I use Sacaton Mountain Site for the RWC. I can receive it as far south as Picacho Peak/Red Rocks area on the I-10. I'm using a BCD325P2 with a mag mount on the roof of the car.

 

[InlandAZ]

Crazy out here for a scanner head - Last night I was doing a service search and got hits like crazy on 854.36250, so I did a lookup and found it assigned to Gila River (South Mountain). This morning I loaded the sites into my scanner and not a single bit of trunking data was being received. So much for CC scanning in Maricopa

Also not a peep from the UP and I hear it daily running up the tracks. Ak-Chin is as dead as a doornail well, both the P25 and conventional frequencies.

Don't move to Maricopa if you enjoy scanning (been doing it since I was 7 years old). It'd be nice to hear the SO, but it's all encrypted. There are those of us that like to know what's going on around us.

 

[Astrak]

When I was working there I never had a problem monitoring Maricopa PD, I was using a uniden 436 then a Unication G5. I was working on the 347 overpass so I only really monitored around that area and didn't have a problem with simulcast using the 436. UPRR is on 160.32 I believe. DPS D6 is pretty busy.

 

[InlandAZ]

Maricopa PD has gone P25 Phase II (fully encrypted) - when I was in Chandler I had no issues receiving it either, it was on Simulcast C. 160.32 is in my list of RR frequencies, not a peep heard so far.

DPS D6 is quite active, but the traffic is mainly 20 miles or so south of us. Same deal with AMR 14, most of what I hear is dispatched in Coolidge, not Maricopa.

Quiet little town out here.

 

[cellphone]

Maricopa PD (talkgroup 2599) is still P25 Phase 1 in the clear. It is currently active on Simulcast C.

If you are not receiving Simulcast C, check your programming. You should also hear Chandler PD, PPD A4, Phoenix Fire K1, K8 and many other talkgroups on Simulcast C.

Make sure the RWC system is programmed as “P25 Trunk” and not something else like P25 X2-TDMA or Motorola.