Radio Patches/Tugboat Fire

[FIRE321FIGHTER1985]

On Tuesday, August 31, there was a large fire in the Harvey canal on a tugboat. Several fire depts. beginning with Harvey #2 were toned out. At some point in time the fire boat was called to assist. Communications were unable to be established through patches. Recently, the systems in metro N.O. were configured to establish patches. As far as I know they have not worked well or at all. Some public safety agencies have the I-call channels and some do not. Does anybody know why ???


PS. The Jefferson Parish analog system will be going digital in 2006. Not sure if it will stay motorola or not. I will post updates as i get them.

 

[loumaag]

Some public safety agencies have the I-call channels and some do not. Does anybody know why ???

Well for those that truly don't have them and are on 800MHz I can't answer to; however, I do know that sometimes it isn't that they don't have them, it is they don't know they have them. It usually comes down to a lack of understanding, interestingly enough scanner hobbiest often know more about this than the PS agencies. The reason is that they may have those channels installed, but they call them something else. So when one agency askes the other, "Can you have your units on the scene go to I-Tac 1?"; they often hear, "We don't have that channel, can you go to Mutual Aid 1?" or something like that not realizing they are talking about the same thing. :roll:

 

[FIRE321FIGHTER1985]

I forgot to mention that the analog system uses 600-06 EOC Tac 3 for "Mutual aid" with other agencies including New Orleans.

 

[WooBuff]

I suspect all of the Jefferson Parish radios will have the I-call and I-tac channels in them once the Type II upgrade is finished later this year. Many of the existing radios do not have them.

I have also heard that all of the new radios (to replace those that do not support Type II) have been purchased and that the upgrade will begin soon.