Welcome to Radio Reference!
In addition to the radio you are getting, you might want to consider buying a scanner because of its features. !
You don't need a scanner. If you have the space on your radio, for ajoining agencys / organizations, just program the receive freqs only. It will act just as good as a scanner. You will not be able to transmit - just listen ; AND you will not have to have a scanner radio.
Question for all of you folks out there.
Here in WV, and I know in Ohio also - State Police / State Patrol Units ; talk on county and local radio systems. How do they do this, if the state is not licensed for that radio system ? How did the State Law Enforcement Agencys get those freqs in their radios ? How come....Individual EMS agancys in WV do not have a license for the " Med Channels ", to talk to the hospitals. See my point.
Some of you people are making a mountain out of a mole hill, and taking this way to far. Common Sense folks..alright.
JSF = go to your agency , director , 9-1-1 guru, ask for the info, or have them program it. If you have enough space on your radio, go to the ajoining agency / mutual aid organization, that you will work with / alongside / assist, and ask the administrator / commo director, the same thing. I am almost pretty sure they will oblige and help you out. And I am pretty sure the Government FCC posse will not bang on the front door of your house, with a warrant to take you to jail. If the ajoining agency will not give you the radio program info in it's entireity, ask them for just the receive freq and PL codes, if they will not program all the info. Again, you will not be able to transmit, but you can at least hear / monitor.
If you are a responsible / mature adult, and if the ajoining agency knows someone you know / work with / work for , can vouch for your character, maturity, and know you will not misuse / abuse their host radio system..I see no problem in you getting mutal aid agencys radio frequency information / programming. You may even want to wait a liitle bit, get to know some people before you go asking for radio info.....you are more likely to get approved, than turned down, for the simple fact - they may not know you, when you show up a new EMS professional.
Two things most important in EMS. One - A good / dependable radio. Two - a good flashlight ( I prefer a good hand held LED, as LEDS flashlights last longer - Example = surefire / streamlight. ) I do not Remember ever working without a good flashlight or a good radio - Vertex . ( grin ) = Scene Safe - BSI. Remember your training = your personal safety comes first at all scenes - then your partners - then the patients. You should never take risk when it comes to a good dependable radio. If I can-------- I reccomend a Surefire flashlight - LED ( again they last a long time - car wrecks on tehinterstate at o - dark - thirty, Mam - Maw and Pap-paws house that is dimly lit, or if you back up Fire / Rescue on structure fires at o-dark-thirty, you will need one. You will not have to change out batterys every hour like you do a halogen light...and in the end, it will pay for itself, for what you save on batterys.
*** Sorry, I got a little off of topic, apologies - but I figure I could help out, whom I belive is a EMS Newbee - and I classify radios as personal safety equipment. **
And - Welcome to the EMS profession. Don't let these other guys scare you with regulation this and regulation that. Just read, or you can print out my post...and you will be alright.
FF-Medic !!!!