Pocsag freq
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KG7PBS
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Pocsag can you please explain this. I have never seen anything with that name and radio frequencies
Post Office Code Standardisation Advisory Group - a paging format. It replaced Golay paging. It was eventually replaced by FLEX & Re-flex in large paging systems. For Public Safety systems, POCSAG was very popular for display paging of Fire/EMS calls & LE personnel. My favorite decoder was PDW PDW Paging Decoder (discriminator.nl) . Usually they were on VHF-High & UHF frequencies. Commercial carriers used VHF-High, UHF and 900 MHz paging channels.
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POCSAG is still in use today (Virginia) often with FLEX being also transmitted on the same frequency by the same station at different times.
Also, I think it is a stretch to say POCSAG replaced Golay. At one point both were in used by different entities at the same time. It is more like the frequencies used by the Golay stations and the companies that used Golay disappeared but I suspect there may even still be some Golay out there.
Yes i used to use that software in europe, but now i live in us and would like to get the same information..
It’s agency dependent. There’s always a call out on the radio, but the agency COULD also use alpha numeric pagers, text messages, apps or just CAD based computer screens in the ambulance in addition. They actually use all those in my area concurrently.
d119
Member
The better way to ask the question would be "Are any LA or surrounding county agencies still using alphanumeric paging?"
The answer is yes.
155.9400 - County of San Diego
929.2375 - County of Orange
929.1625 - County of San Bernardino
There are also several Common Carrier (CF) and Private Carrier (GS) systems on the air in both VHF and 900MHz. I have yet to hear any remaining activity in UHF. VHF activity for CF systems are usually on 152 and 158MHz, and 900MHz on 929MHz and 931MHz. Other frequencies can be used by private systems (for example San Diego County, as mentioned above).
Most of the transmissions are POCSAG 1200/2400 baud or FLEX 3600. I have not heard a GOLAY transmission in YEARS.
I have a couple GOLAY pagers on my system, but they aren't used because they cannot be part of group pages with our configuration (terminal limitation).
There is some legality involved in decoding these transmissions, so do so at your own risk and know the relevant laws. I know of the types of paging in use only by listening to them and the fact I operate a private paging network.
As far as how the information is sent to the pager - there are a few methods. They are generally all automatic. The CAD system can send a truncated copy of the dispatch suitable for display on a pager via WCTP or TNPP (or TAP I suppose). It's essentially like sending an e-mail.
The paging gateway receives that information and relays it on via TNPP or TAP (or something else) to the paging terminal, which then keys the base station transmitter(s) or simulcast controller, and transmits the data to the pagers, which then receive it and display the information.
A large amount of hospital and medical paging has gone encrypted due to HIPAA BS, so encryption has found its way into digital paging as well (and rightfully so in some cases).
All you ever wanted to know about paging - www.braddye.com
The answer is yes.
155.9400 - County of San Diego
929.2375 - County of Orange
929.1625 - County of San Bernardino
There are also several Common Carrier (CF) and Private Carrier (GS) systems on the air in both VHF and 900MHz. I have yet to hear any remaining activity in UHF. VHF activity for CF systems are usually on 152 and 158MHz, and 900MHz on 929MHz and 931MHz. Other frequencies can be used by private systems (for example San Diego County, as mentioned above).
Most of the transmissions are POCSAG 1200/2400 baud or FLEX 3600. I have not heard a GOLAY transmission in YEARS.
I have a couple GOLAY pagers on my system, but they aren't used because they cannot be part of group pages with our configuration (terminal limitation).
There is some legality involved in decoding these transmissions, so do so at your own risk and know the relevant laws. I know of the types of paging in use only by listening to them and the fact I operate a private paging network.
As far as how the information is sent to the pager - there are a few methods. They are generally all automatic. The CAD system can send a truncated copy of the dispatch suitable for display on a pager via WCTP or TNPP (or TAP I suppose). It's essentially like sending an e-mail.
The paging gateway receives that information and relays it on via TNPP or TAP (or something else) to the paging terminal, which then keys the base station transmitter(s) or simulcast controller, and transmits the data to the pagers, which then receive it and display the information.
A large amount of hospital and medical paging has gone encrypted due to HIPAA BS, so encryption has found its way into digital paging as well (and rightfully so in some cases).
All you ever wanted to know about paging - www.braddye.com
It’s not HIPAA protected info. If the radio info is encrypted, that’s just because they chose to and everything else is encrypted by design. In most of the state, 911 calls are broadcast free and clear.
d119
Member
HIPAA isn't the law prohibiting interception, but a large amount of traffic on hospital systems is encrypted.
WHY WOULD THAT BE? Why spend the money on more costly devices?
HIPAA compliance.
https://americanmessaging.net/applications/secure-connect/
https://www.spok.com/
SPOK even mentions HIPAA compliance right there on the home page.
Carry on, keyboard warriors. I've made my contribution to this thread. Clearly you know more than I do, the hospitals do, and the carriers do.
Addresses and medical complaints are not protected info. In most of California EMS dispatch and hospital call-ins are not encrypted on the radio. If encryption is used, it’s not due to HIPAA, only just because the system wishes to use it.
Not exactly true. What you are now hearing on unencrypted medic-hospital frequencies is not the content those facilities would like to transmit. The content that is being encrypted has name and birthdate first, which then allows the hospital to access the entire medical record of the patient. Without those records the hospital is flying blind. How do they know of such things as medicine allergies, underlying conditions that might be affecting the symptoms that are being observed and other very important information that would affect how a patient is treated in the field? Everyone on this website seems to think what they are hearing now is what is going to be encrypted and that is not true, the encryption allows a greater level of care. The increased content of the encrypted traffic would obviously violate HIPPA along with other privacy concerns.
outside of name and date of birth, they can give all the information to the hospital and get orders if necessary. If they need to give the name and date of birth and more medical information then that would be transmitted via the EPCR system to the hospital, but that is very new technology and it’s not done via the radio via a dedicated data connection
People are not putting themselves into the shoes of the medical providers. They are also not taking any experience they have when they go to go to or call a medical provider. Even it you want to make an appointment over the phone because you have the flu and need to see someone because you've had it for over 2 weeks, what is the first question you are asked? "First and last name, and birthdate please." What are you asked when you are then sent to radiology to check if you have pneumonia? "First and last name, and birthdate please." If you go into the preparation area for surgery, what does every nurse, M.D. (including anesthesiologists) ask you? Well it's "First and last name, and birthdate please." That is the key to everything in health care, it opens doors to all sorts of information that needs to be considered. Part of the Affordable Care Act (Obama Care) established a nationwide, uniform system medical records with accessibility possible no matter who the medical provider is.
I would like to hear from a medical professional; nurse, physician, office staff, about this to make sure I'm filling in the gaps correctly here.
I am one and so has my dad for the past 40+ years. I frequently receive continuous education through EMS providers, and area hospitals. Medical records are not available at any hospital outside of a single system, meaning that if you go to a different hospital across town that’s not part of the other medical systems in the area they will not have a medical records unless they are sent over. The data format may be the same or at least should be, but they still need to be transferred from one provider to the next.
The field crews almost never give anything more than pertinent emergent medical information to the hospital prior to arrival because that is all that is absolutely necessary at the moment, the hospitals will figure out the rest once you get there. Knowing everything before hand is just a waste of time because it may be a while, between the time they get the information and the time you are seen by a provider.
Sounds like the EPCR system might work in large cities, but is it available in every nook and cranny of the terrain in rural areas? 80%+ of everyone lives in urban areas, but those of us who are part of the other 20% don't take such things for granted. Standard land mobile radios often work in places where there is no cell phone coverage and in some cases no satellite coverage as well. Those of us in rural areas also don't take for granted that our rural health districts can afford technologies available in big cities. Rural districts find it challenging just to keep the front doors open.
"they can give all the information to the hospital and get orders if necessary" I've never heard a medic unit give out a name and a birthdate to a emergency medical provider, so how would the orders a physician or MICN (mobile intensive care nurse) base those orders on information in a patient's file? Right now, without that, many of their orders are shots in the dark. In a city the ER might be 10-20 minutes away, but in a rural area times greater than 1 hour are common. Well then, launch a helicopter or fixed wing. What if the wind is blowing 50 mph with gusts to 75 and aircraft can't even leave the ground?
I live in a rural area and it’s becoming the standard of care. In most places you can’t even do a paper PCR anymore because they don’t make the forms plus since the data must be eventually put in a system, it eliminates a step. As for orders, they don’t give name or date of birth because they don’t need too. They have standing orders anyway and also expanded orders of there is no radio or cell coverage along with hundreds if not thousands of hours of training and experience. The crews carry a limited amount of equipment and meds to treat all emergent issues. Their job is to keep you alive enough to get to the hospital, not cure or fix your issue permanently. If you’re allergic to one of the meds, they may have alternatives they can give or you go without.
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