Sac Metro Fire using Dispatch C

[kenstr]

Hello, I am new to RR. I have been scanning since 1974, and reading RR for 3-4 years. After 10 or so years, of being "being out of the loop," I have purchased a Trunking System capable scanner (GRE PSR 310). I am in Fair Oaks, CA. (Sacramento, CA.)
This is my first post and I believe this is the place to start.

My question is that in the last few days, Sac Metro Fire seems to have changed their main Dispatch A, to Dispatch C. I have searched the forums and found this happened back in June, 2012. Is this common, or does anyone know whats up?

 

[gmclam]

Hello Neighbor

Hello Neighbor and welcome to RadioReference!

I'll double check my '310 to make sure I have the C TGs programmed, but I am certain I am picking up dispatch on A1 as well as the VHF simulcast frequency.

If you do a search here on RR, you'll find another thread on this topic. As I recall there was discussion of some fire agencies in the extreme south county moving to C1 for their dispatch. But you should still receive a majority of calls on A1, even if that happened.

 

[gmclam]

Fire dispatch on C1 & VHF

In checking my '310's programming, I only had C6 in there of the fire C TGs. I've now got them all. Last night I was mostly monitoring A6, A7 & A8 because of the major wreck on I5 and pay more attention to the VHF freq than I do the trunked stuff anyway.

Well tonight I am also picking up Fire Dispatch on C1. The call they just dispatched was on map page 131, which is NOT the extreme south county.

I am also running UniTrunker and will have a good picture of what is going on in a few hours. I am getting hits on C1, A2, A3, etc and not A1. AND C1 is clearly simulcast with VHF. This is a change from yesterday.

As I look at patches .. I see A1 is patched to C1 and B1 is patched to D1. A2 is patched to A3 as well, but that's common.

 

[kenstr]

Thanks for the response and the welcome gmclam. I had read in previous forums that A1 and C1 were patched. When I lock on A1, Dispatch traffic is still broadcast, but now it seems my PSR 310 now stops on C1. In the 30 days I have had this unit, this is the first hits I have had on C tgids. Perhaps they have changed Tones for some reason. I'm sure this is just temporary. Thanks again.

 

[kenstr]

Back on A1

Just a wrap-up here. It's been 24 hr. now, (11-7/12) and Sac Metro Fire has all dispatch back on A1.

Don't know what was going on, but all's back to normal.

 

[gmclam]

During this change, they had A1 & C1 patched together; and B1 & D1 patched together. UniTrunker reports that they now have A1 patched to A1 and C1 to C1, but B1 & D1 are still patched (at least in one direction).

Since this started (when I fired up UniTrunker) I see just over 1000 hits on A1 and just under 900 hits on C1. Last hit on A1 was moments ago, last hit on C1 was 11-7.

I'm only monitoring the county site, so no meaningful data from B1 and D1, just the patch info. I have noticed a long list of patches these days; it could be lack of staff to man each channel.