- Joined
- Nov 10, 2017
- Messages
- 223
Same as title. I've never heard fire departments saying they struck out. What does this mean?
@PGHSCANNERWACKER1 you may know?
@PGHSCANNERWACKER1 you may know?
Pittsburgh fire dispatchers keep saying "Attention all companies Engine # struck out" meaning?
- Thread starter Mogley
- Start date
struck out is like command terminates only said when its a fire 2 or fire alarm usually
They swung and missed thrice 
Theyswungsquirted and missed thrice
Fixed that for you.
The_B_Chief
Member
Kind of...
"Struck out" is a throwback to when Pittsburgh used street boxes and box areas that corresponded at one time to a Gamewell Box in the center of that response area. Usually a square block area or so. This was prior to the "Zones" or "4000" series radio signatures. This was in many aspects prior even to radio use.
Before radio all fire department information was transmitted over the Gamewell telegraph and intercom system. When a street box alarm station was activated it would transmit its number which corresponded to its location, over the telegraph wire to one of two fire alarm offices in the city. One was located on the 9th floor of the city/county building. The second was located on the North Side in the area of Sandusky and East Ohio. The North Side office was home to the old Allegheny City Fire Department circuits, any box over 600 or 6000. The latter would eventually be merged into the FAO downtown. These alarms would also be transmitted first to whatever firehouse was first due to that street box and then repeated over the telegraph by the FAO. Four rounds for each alarm. Later on there would be an announcement over the fire department intercom that "box 1234 is now working". When the incident was cleared the chief or first due company officer, he would rewind or reset the street box and tap back on the "bug" inside that the box is now "struck out".
If a call came in via telephone alarm or if a citizen reported directly to the firehouse an alarm of fire, then it was considered a "Still" or "Still Alarm" because no action took place over the Gamewell system. Meaning "the bells stayed still".
When (one -way) radio entered the picture for the fire department in the late 40's, early 50's the terminology remained the same. Only now the announcer would announce “Attention all companies, box 1234 is now working. All companies box 1234 is now working, KGA519" over the radio. The companies that were due were not announced. As a fireman you were responsible for knowing where and how your company was due. The watch-offices in each firehouse had run-cards for the entire city to verify a response. Most if not all houses had their first alarm area boxes posted on the wall near the Joker or ticker tape reel.
Later in history and as two-way radios were added to fire department vehicles, Fire Alarm would add information to the cadence such as cross streets and even what type of an alarm (still, master, candela, automatic...). When the Gamewell system was eventually removed companies depended on the radio for almost all information. Up until probably 10 years ago or so, run numbers and times were given out over the air. Remember, way back then they were using just a single VHF frequency. And when portable radios (for the chiefs, and captains) came to be in the late 60's, it was still just one frequency with the addition of a repeater. Eventually there was a F2 added with the addition of the HT-200’s and GE bricks, but it was just a talk-around for F1. That’s why there was never a private-line tone on the old bricks. Anyway, eventually more information would be given over the radio at the time of dispatch. Information such as "wires down, dumpsters going good, odor of food (pot-o-meat), house on fire, fire in the bedroom, apartment on fire, check for a fire and so on. They were more descript than today's vague "structure fire" but not as windy as some of what it is heard today. At this time, be advised, show me..
Even after the big reorganization in the 80's that saw many companies history and traditions virtually erased with a pen stroke and a map reprint, those throw backs still survive. "Struck Out" has remained as a means of not just clearing an incident but as a way to let the man standing watch know what companies are in service. And this information was always relayed to "All Companies".
It annoys some but many that know the history and where we came from still appreciate hearing it. Every city has its own traditions and history. Like Boston tapping the box numbers over the air or FDNY using the letter K (dah-dit-dah) to signify the end of a message, this is Pittsburgh’s own little piece of tradition.
If Kipling was still alive he'd be so proud!
"KGA519, Pittsburgh Fire Department time is 11 pm"
Last edited:
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2017
- Messages
- 223
I gotta say that's a damn good explanation. Thank you very much bud. Greatly appreciate it.
The_B_Chief
Member
Thanks. I did the best I could from my phone
But I Still Miss
Channel 5
Channel 6
Channel 9
The
Fire 1
Fire 2
EMS 1
Just Don't Do It For Me.
Love The Olde School.
Channel 5
Channel 6
Channel 9
The
Fire 1
Fire 2
EMS 1
Just Don't Do It For Me.
Love The Olde School.
Yep miss those days
Other PBF Terminology
In = Responding
Back = In Service
Go Team = RIT
MAC=Mobile Air Compressor
The_B_Chief
Member
The old channels were streamlined like that around the time the system Saber radios came along in the 80's. The idea was that any portable radio could be issued to any agency at anytime. All the radios were the same. There were a few more repeated channels added around that time as well. Ch.7 and 8 and the EMS. Remember, Pittsburgh EMS was dispatched on the police channels up until he late 80's, early 90's.
Channel 12 (simplex) was the juicy one to listen to but you pretty much had to be on the same block or up on a hill to hear the portables. You heard everyone's business and sometimes Eddie Brown and his boys kicking in doors.
All radios had the standard programming eventually and even the GE mobiles were programmed to match the new portables. The first zone was the repeated zone. The second zone was talk-around for the first zone. The third zone were the low power tertiary splits (more juicy action) and the fourth zone was the UHF MED channel system.
Who remembers the Pittsburgh Anti Sniper Squad with their Motorola MX330's with MODAT? Yup, just like LAPD...the good old days for sure.
I grew up here in Boston and live in Metro West area and most of the depts still Tap Out the box Numbers. I can still tell the location of the box by counting out the taps.
I must be getting old!
I must be getting old!
ecps92
Member
Yup we are old
- but some still do Strike / Tap the box over the airQuincy is set-yup by Voting Ward and Precinct for the first two numbers of the Box
I don’t get to the western part of the state as often as I used to but when I do my programming for the scanners will display the names as Channel 5 and Channel 6 until they’re depreciated. I’m a dinosaur like that.
The_B_Chief
Member
I kept my radio displays the same too after they changed everything. Fight me!! lol
- Joined
- May 19, 2017
- Messages
- 605
What channel is Response 1? Is it a talkaround of Fire 1?
Response 1 is basically a code to tell all units responding to slow down no need to go emergency mode.
Response 1 Is Slow Down Basically Nonemergency Response.
