Question for Parma Hts - OLD TIMERS (analog days)

[SirScottyM]

Back before police departments went digital (on the radio), Parma Hts, Brooklyn and Lyndale shared the same frequency. 39.020 Mhz. When Parma Hts officers would call the station, instead of saying "radio" or "base" the way most of them would do, they call "704". IE, "Car 15 to 704". Do not remember what the other two said, but I was a huge fan of Parma Hts back then. Where on EARTH did "704" come from and what did it mean? Zip codes were 44129 and 44130, so that wasnt it, but that has bugged the HELL out me for a very long time.

 

[KB8VJU]

Back before police departments went digital (on the radio), Parma Hts, Brooklyn and Lyndale shared the same frequency. 39.020 Mhz. When Parma Hts officers would call the station, instead of saying "radio" or "base" the way most of them would do, they call "704". IE, "Car 15 to 704". Do not remember what the other two said, but I was a huge fan of Parma Hts back then. Where on EARTH did "704" come from and what did it mean? Zip codes were 44129 and 44130, so that wasnt it, but that has bugged the HELL out me for a very long time.

That’s from their call sign… KQE704

Strongsville (494), N. Royalton (864), and Broadview Heights (361) among others used to use the digits of their callsigns to identify their dispatchers during their analog days. Some, on occasion, still do so now…

Hope that helps!

 

[wmlovell]

The "704" was the last three digits of the Base Station License. Most of Cuyahoga Co FDs and PDs used this back when the majority were on Low Band.

 

[JethrowJohnson]

I have no way of knowing for sure, but it was probably the digits in the radio license. My PD (Marietta) refers to the dispatcher as 389 because their radio license is KQB389, IE: "P63 - 389, I'm 23 (at scene)." And my sheriff's office calls Washington County Dispatch 450, because one of their radio licenses is KQH450.

 

[SirScottyM]

The "704" was the last three digits of the Base Station License. Most of Cuyahoga Co FDs and PDs used this back when the majority were on Low Band.

Thank you so much!!!!

 

[W8HDU]

Probably part of the call sign. A department I worked in had 8 unique townships, so the county was 100, while each of the townships were 200 to 900. And then, cars were numbered according to townships. Our base was 800, and our car was 812. The "hundred" numbering made it quick to know where everyone was at. This was mid-70s, and I suppose there are dozens of numbering schemes.

 

[RT48]

North Ridgeville still calls dispatch 562.

 

[W8UU]

Back before police departments went digital (on the radio), Parma Hts, Brooklyn and Lyndale shared the same frequency. 39.020 Mhz. When Parma Hts officers would call the station, instead of saying "radio" or "base" the way most of them would do, they call "704". IE, "Car 15 to 704". Do not remember what the other two said, but I was a huge fan of Parma Hts back then. Where on EARTH did "704" come from and what did it mean? Zip codes were 44129 and 44130, so that wasnt it, but that has bugged the HELL out me for a very long time.

Each department used the numbers from their FCC call sign to identify the base station.
This was a HUGE "Ohio thing" back in the day for law enforcement at the city, township, and county levels.
I'm wondering if the BSSA had a hand in this like they did the statewide Sheriff car numbers.