They are still programmed in user radios - it allows a user to get ahold of dispatch in another jurisdiction if they are out of their area.
They are also used in some cities for non public safety users to be able to contact 911 dispatch - 2 agencies I am aware of this is MSP airport maintenance units contact dispatch to request police or fire using the 911 talkgroup, and I have heard U of M dispatch get called by non PD units on the 911 talkgroup
This is correct..... Every Yellow MAC (Metropolitan Airports Commission) pickup truck, runway snow plow, runway sander, front end loader, Runway broom, runway deicer, dump truck, sweeper, blower, gate tactor, grader, skid loader, etc, etc..... EVERY piece of MAC equipment has a Minnesota ARMER radio AND and air traffic control ground radio inside the cab. I never could figure out why all that equipment, that NEVER leaves the airport, needed ARMER radios to talk to each other. Most of the time when this equipment is running everything is within eyesight of each other. Worst case scenario two pieces of equipment might be roughly 2 miles apart from each other.... but they all have radios capable of talking statewide. lol. And yes, all these radios are capale of talking directly to Airport PD dispatch, and presumably to any airport PD squad car. And if I'm not mistaken, there was also a talk group that maintenance vehicles could switch to in the event of a major crash so all responding units could hear and talk to each other. (Police, Fire, MAC Maintenance, etc) Along with everyone being on the same ground control ATC frequency, too.
