Santa Barbara CMD 5 dispatch testing may 2

[code3cowboy]

Some interesting audio on SBC Command 5 today, cool harmonic pre-alerts and quick call testing.

Video to follow.

Let's hope this isn't the start of the road toward digital trunking and encryption.

 

[Kingscup]

I listened to the Broadcastify archives and it sounds like they may be testing the Locution automated fire dispatch system. It looks like the board of supervisors approved it early last year. County of Santa Barbara - File #: 24-00241

 

[officer_415]

The new statewide load shows 153.770 as SBC CENTRAL DSP with note "Used for SBC, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Montecito and Santa Barbara City May 2025"

Is this a new change? I'm not familiar with who dispatches who in SB. Also, the local commands and tacs have all been re-designated XSB CMD 7 thru 14 and XSB TAC 1 thru 8. I've updated the database with those changes.

 

[Kingscup]

I knew they were consolidating all county/city fire dispatch centers under county fire into one building but I just assumed each agency would continue to dispatch on their current frequencies. It sounds like county fire will dispatch all agencies on county fire frequencies?

 

[PrivatelyJeff]

I knew they were consolidating all county/city fire dispatch centers under county fire into one building but I just assumed each agency would continue to dispatch on their current frequencies. It sounds like county fire will dispatch all agencies on county fire frequencies?

Maybe alert on one frequency then everyone involved in the call moves to another frequency. Kern county does something like that.

 

[Eng74]

Maybe alert on one frequency then everyone involved in the call moves to another frequency. Kern county does something like that.

In Kern County our ECC is run by County Fire and Bakersfield City Fire. It also dispatches for California City Fire Department. KCFD and BFD have a JPA, but BFD has their own channels so if it is a call that just BFD units are responding to the call will not go out over Kern 1 the dispatch channel. California City contracts with KCFD for dispatch so they are on the county radio system except for the WAN and still gets tones over the air.

 

[officer_415]

Looks like they're consolidating dispatch into a Regional Fire Communications Center this month:

Regional Fire Comms Center | Santa Barbara County, CA - Official Website

www.countyofsb.org

New County Dispatch Center Opens Next Week for Fire, Medical 9-1-1 Calls | Local News | Noozhawk

Local fire and medical 9-1-1 calls will be routed to one dispatch center starting next week with the launch of Santa Barbara County’s new Regional Fire

www.noozhawk.com

 

[rsmith7799]

So, yes Santa Barbara County is opening a new Regional Fire Communications Center. IT should go online May 27th. They will be dispatching for all of the Fire Departments within SB CO. From Santa Maria to Carpenteria. The new name for them will be CENTRAL and no longer CONTROL. They are using the other Cities frequencies for Command Channels.
(This is CalFIRE'S Statewide Load for 2025. Please note the changes to Zone 37 SANTA BARBARA CO.)
They will also be dispatching for AMR. AMR must come over to the VHF side of things. They will still use their UHF side to contact the hospitals. And yes, they have been using Command 5 for testing the new system.

 

[f40ph]

Curious how they're funding this new center. Is it a joint powers authority? Is everyone contracting with county fire?

 

[KN6LHP]

I am hearing calls for the Carpinteria-Summerland FPD and the Montecito Fire Department come through on Command 5, using text-to-speech.

 

[LAflyer]

The database has been updated to reflect the new Regional Fire Communication Center set-up scheduled for transitioning tomorrow, May 27th.

Of note, Montecito, Guadaluple, Lompoc, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria are all left with a single VHF frequency not absorbed into the new setup which presumably could serve as local backup/command, however we don't have formal news of any frequency renaming/numbering for such.

 

[rsmith7799]

The database has been updated to reflect the new Regional Fire Communication Center set-up scheduled for transitioning tomorrow, May 27th.

Of note, Montecito, Guadaluple, Lompoc, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria are all left with a single VHF frequency not absorbed into the new setup which presumably could serve as local backup/command, however we don't have formal news of any frequency renaming/numbering for such.

Review the CalFIRE code plug in my initial post. It has the renaming assignments. Zone 37

 

[officer_415]

Review the CalFIRE code plug in my initial post. It has the renaming assignments. Zone 37

He's referring to the following:

151.490

WPUD994

RM

123.0 PL

MFPD Cmd 13

Fire Command 13

FMN

Fire-Tac

154.220

WNNI952

BM

127.3 PL

Guadalupe FD

Fire Tactical

FM

Fire-Tac

154.430

KNIF944

RM

127.3 PL

Lompoc FD1

Fire Dispatch

FM

Fire Dispatch

154.445

KMA216

RM

82.5 PL

SantaBarbaraFD1

Fire Dispatch

FM

Fire Dispatch

154.355

WPYS352

RM

127.3 PL

SMR DISP

Fire Dispatch

FMN

Fire Dispatch

 

[1942LA]

Curious how they're funding this new center. Is it a joint powers authority? Is everyone contracting with county fire?

Hmm, sounds like CONFIRE Part II?? =)

 

[f40ph]

Hmm, sounds like CONFIRE Part II?? =)

For their sake, I hope not.

 

[ko6jw_2]

The situation seems to change from day to day. At the present time SBC, Lompoc, Carpinteria and Montecito are being dispatched on Command 1. Santa Barbara City is not on the system yet. (I think) Nor is Santa Maria. The automated dispatch always assigns Command 2 as a response channel even if it is already is use. Another response channel is then manually assigned. Sometimes these channels are referred to as "Command" and sometimes as "Charlie". Tactical channels are being designated as "Tango". Dispatch sometimes calls itself "Central" and other times "Control". Montecito and Carpinteria apparently respond on their local channels and are not heard in the north county. So much for interagency coordination.

AMR ambulances were supposed to be on the new system, but not yet.

Pulse Point is also changing in ways that are not clear yet.

The computerized dispatching system sometimes repeats calls, as does Pulse Point.

Clearly still a work in progress.

 

[ko6jw_2]

Update: Santa Barbara City is now (as of this morning) now on the system.

 

[rsmith7799]

I didn't mention that each Department would come online as they felt comfortable with the added responses. Santa Maria is last to join the parade.

 

[code3cowboy]

Everyone's being dispatched on County CMD 1 now.

It's interesting, amusing, and frustrating to observe all the hiccups in the transition.

The fire responses seem to be a bit more seamless, but I've not been working in SB county lately.

 

[code3cowboy]

EMS (AMR) has transitioned and PulsePoint is better than ever.

There's now a squad in Goleta recurrently.