Toronto Public Safety Emergency Button Activations

[dbs911]

Hi,

Is there a way to set the scanner (BC396T for example) to only receive a talkgroup on the system that has activated the Emerg Button on the users radio? I THINK the talkgroup id changes or something which can be put into a seperate "bank" no?

 

[mikewazowski]

You need to get your scanner to look for the normal talkgroup id +2.

If tg 16 is the normal talkgroup, then set your scanner to look for 18.

You must make sure you have your status bit feature set correctly on the scanner in order for this to work.

This also assumes that the emergency status bit is set on the talkgroup when somebody pushes their emergency button.

 

[dbs911]

Thanks! Makes sense, but can you expand on the "set your status bits correctly part". I have the bc396t as STATUS BITS ON, is that what you meant?

 

[mciupa]

Leave the status bit ON , you will hear all comm's . You only turn it off when working with Motorola type I and Fleet Maps.

 

[Chrome69]

Nice Tip Mike, would that work as well on Peel Police?

 

[slicerwizard]

You need to get your scanner to look for the normal talkgroup id +2.

If tg 16 is the normal talkgroup, then set your scanner to look for 18.

You must make sure you have your status bit feature set correctly on the scanner in order for this to work.

This also assumes that the emergency status bit is set on the talkgroup when somebody pushes their emergency button.

Since many TPS talkgroups are patched full time, it would be supergroup ID + 4, so one would have to use (for example) 4880+4 and 4896+4 for 54 and 55 Division comms since they're usually patched together. 42 Division would be 4656+2, since 42 Division is rarely patched with any other talkgroup (like maybe on Christmas...)

Non-divisional talkgroups (e.g. TAC channels, PDS, ETF, etc.) are generally never patched.

On rare occasions, during some comm centre maintenance, none of the talkgoups are patched.

Mind you, like the OPP, it appears that TPS no longer puts groups into emergency mode when an emergency button is pressed, so Dan is SOL (and we never get to hear those neat beeps from our scanners any more).

 

[rdale]

You would have to turn the status bit OFF to use that trick.

 

[Chrome69]

So peel police would be for 11 division 16+4 and 12 division 48+4, 21 division would be 80+4 and 22 division would be 112+4 would that be correct or is it +2? Bit confused and how often would they use this?

 

[mciupa]

So peel police would be for 11 division 16+4 and 12 division 48+4, 21 division would be 80+4 and 22 division would be 112+4 would that be correct or is it +2? Bit confused and how often would they use this?

Keep this guide handy for programming your talk groups with status bit off .


ID+0 Normal Talkgroup
ID+1 All Talkgroup
ID+2 Emergency
ID+3 talkgroup patch to another
ID+4 Emergency Patch

 

[Chrome69]

Mike said Status Bit On?

 

[dbs911]

Over the last 48 hours there were 2 emergency button activations on TPS, thankfully both due to error (one human and one technical). What is confirmed however is that TPS does indeed set the status bit to +2, (eg Talkgroup ID 4122 would become Talkgroup ID 4124 upon activation of the radios emergency button), so thankfully they have NOT gone the way of OPP as of yet. Here's another interesting thing to note, one of the activations was of a 55 Divisional officers' radio, and as we know 55 is patched usually with 53, well the usual patch "vanished" at the push of his emergency button and 55 was on its own (no longer patched) therefore it was talkgroup +2 status bit, not the patch +2 etc... So if we DO program our radios to monitor the system with +2 on the status bits it DOES seem to work for ALL talkgroups (at the moment).

Off of the technical part of this discussion for a moment and a personal reflection; I am noticing the "tone" of the dispatchers voice as of late switch from concern to displeasure at the activation of an emergency alarm, I think they are getting more than their fair share of activations and the dispatchers are starting to get annoyed; which may cause a policy change as to what happens when the button is hit in the future. Perhaps it won't "lock up" the channel or something... anyway, just a thought...

 

[SCPD]

Over the last 48 hours there were 2 emergency button activations on TPS, thankfully both due to error (one human and one technical). What is confirmed however is that TPS does indeed set the status bit to +2, (eg Talkgroup ID 4122 would become Talkgroup ID 4124 upon activation of the radios emergency button), so thankfully they have NOT gone the way of OPP as of yet. Here's another interesting thing to note, one of the activations was of a 55 Divisional officers' radio, and as we know 55 is patched usually with 53, well the usual patch "vanished" at the push of his emergency button and 55 was on its own (no longer patched) therefore it was talkgroup +2 status bit, not the patch +2 etc... So if we DO program our radios to monitor the system with +2 on the status bits it DOES seem to work for ALL talkgroups (at the moment).

Off of the technical part of this discussion for a moment and a personal reflection; I am noticing the "tone" of the dispatchers voice as of late switch from concern to displeasure at the activation of an emergency alarm, I think they are getting more than their fair share of activations and the dispatchers are starting to get annoyed; which may cause a policy change as to what happens when the button is hit in the future. Perhaps it won't "lock up" the channel or something... anyway, just a thought...

Great information.

When the OPP were working some of the growing pains out of their fleetnet setup there were a whole load of emergency button problems too which may very well have led to the way they're doing it now. I think I've only ever heard 2 activations that were "real". both were last winter and both were on the same day. One in Orangeville when an OPP cruiser got hit head on while enroute to an accident and all that came through before his radio died was his location and a request for immediate assistance from fire and ambulance. The second was in York when a truck lost control and hit the cruiser head on. Through a very static filled transmission the officer reported being hit head on and being trapped losing consciousness. They had to find him with his GPS locator.

I guess my point is they may very well be a pain in the ass when they go off because you bumped the button but when you're life's on the line you really want the dispatcher's concern for your safety on your side.