Toronto Fire Dispatch

[pokey]

Does anyone have any knowledge of the type of radio system that the Toronto Fire Department uses for dispatch and the radios? Reason I ask is that if you were to listen on the Toronto Public Safety system, there are 16 different dispatch talkgroups. I was hoping to find out the radios they use in the halls and the dispatch system and hopefully program a radio so as to be able to monitor a given firehall as opposed to the random 16 talkgroups.

Thanks.

 

[exkalibur]

There's no way to have your scanner monitor dispatches for a specific firehall. In the station, their radios sit on Dispatch channel 16, but only as a talkback/station talkgroup - there isn't much chatter on that.

Stations are alerted via a 900MHz MOSCAD system, so unless you want to embark on a program to decode that alerting data, you'd have to listen to the dispatch talkgroups. Fortunatly, they don't use all 16 - the highest I've ever seen (in 3 years of Trunk88/Trunker) is Dispatch 6.

 

[pokey]

There's no way to have your scanner monitor dispatches for a specific firehall. In the station, their radios sit on Dispatch channel 16, but only as a talkback/station talkgroup - there isn't much chatter on that.

Stations are alerted via a 900MHz MOSCAD system, so unless you want to embark on a program to decode that alerting data, you'd have to listen to the dispatch talkgroups. Fortunatly, they don't use all 16 - the highest I've ever seen (in 3 years of Trunk88/Trunker) is Dispatch 6.

Thanks for the reply. I understand that but am wondering what radio's they would use in the halls and the signalling format in the hopes of doing up a Motorola radio the same way for receiving only.

 

[exkalibur]

Well, in the stations they use a Motorola MCS2000 Model I. The MOSCAD system directs the radio to the proper talkgroup for the dispatch.

By "do up a radio in the same way", do you mean attatched to MOSCAD gear so you can get dispatches for a specific fire hall? If that's the case, you're going to embark into a project that isn't going to be easy and that is in all likelyhood, illegal and impossible.

If you mean you want a Motorola radio just to monitor the dispatch talkgroups, that's certainly possible. It just has to be Type II capable. Keep in mind, there's annoying things such as System Keys, RSS and all that you have to worry about...not to mention such things (System Key and RSS) aren't obtainable.

 

[pokey]

Well, in the stations they use a Motorola MCS2000 Model I. The MOSCAD system directs the radio to the proper talkgroup for the dispatch.

By "do up a radio in the same way", do you mean attatched to MOSCAD gear so you can get dispatches for a specific fire hall? If that's the case, you're going to embark into a project that isn't going to be easy and that is in all likelyhood, illegal and impossible.

If you mean you want a Motorola radio just to monitor the dispatch talkgroups, that's certainly possible. It just has to be Type II capable. Keep in mind, there's annoying things such as System Keys, RSS and all that you have to worry about...not to mention such things (System Key and RSS) aren't obtainable.

Yes I was hoping to monitor individual firehalls which I guess would mean this MOSCAD thing you speak about. Not familiar with it. Any good readings on how this type of system works? I take it this project will be a no-go then.

 

[exkalibur]

Well, it's not totally no-go. MOSCAD isn't encrypted...but it would be a project that isn't going to be easy. There's no off-the-shelf applications you can just plug in a station number and it'll decode. You'd probably need to get your hands on an RTU (Remote Terminal Unit) with the proper alerting module and have it setup properly (incidentally, these RTU's have an upside-down mounted MTS2000 "SP" radio setup as an RF Data Modem).

 

[pokey]

Well, it's not totally no-go. MOSCAD isn't encrypted...but it would be a project that isn't going to be easy. There's no off-the-shelf applications you can just plug in a station number and it'll decode. You'd probably need to get your hands on an RTU (Remote Terminal Unit) with the proper alerting module and have it setup properly (incidentally, these RTU's have an upside-down mounted MTS2000 "SP" radio setup as an RF Data Modem).

Thanks for the reply. Do you know who could assist me in such a project? I know nothing about this alerting type.

 

[nec208]

''Stations are alerted via a 900MHz MOSCAD system''

I thought the MOSCAD system trasmits the code on what dispatch talk group to hear and open or close station intercom.

Well the 900MHz MOSCAD system is data there is no talking on the 900MHz MOSCAD system??

 

[mikewazowski]

MOSCAD is a data system only. No voice.