UHF Fire Ground Frequency Issues Rockland/Orange Counties

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trauma74

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Why do some agencies find it necessary to program UHF fire ground frequencies into their mobile radios, on the highest wattage setting? These frequencies are licensed for low power (usually 5 watts or slightly higher) and there are numerous agencies that have them programmed into their mobile radios anywhere between 25 & 100 watts.

While some might not think there is a problem with this, it can cause a serious problem. When there is a crew of FFs performing an interior fire attack and conducting a search for victims in a fire, their radio transmissions are obviously important and when some FDs tanker, who has nothing to due with the interior fire attack, gets on the high powered mobile radio asking about a water fill site and "steps on" the interior crew, who is in the middle of trying to relay important information to the IC or someone is calling for help, this becomes a serious problem, especially if that crew or individual FF is unable to repeat their important transmission for some reason.
This issue has been going on for a very long time, but after listening to several recent incidents over the past several months, I personally feel that it needs to be addressed.

If the frequencies are licensed to the County, then maybe it should be addressed by the person in charge of the county communications center, to the County Fire Coordinator, who can disseminate this information to the deputy/assistant coordinators, who can then talk to the Chiefs of the departments and have them address the issue. I know that every department does not use the same communications vendor, but all the vendors involved should be aware of what wattage the fire ground frequencies are licensed for and program them accordingly into the mobile radios. I am well aware that some agencies have members, who have the ability to program their radios, but if this is the case, then the Chiefs should make sure that the FG frequencies are programmed at the correct power output.
 

ThePagerGeek

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Are you sure a scanner forum is the right place to advocate for department safety concerns? I would think the County or Fire Coordinator would be the better path...
 

trauma74

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Are you sure a scanner forum is the right place to advocate for department safety concerns? I would think the County or Fire Coordinator would be the better path...
I do not see a reason why it cannot be discussed here, especially since there are enough of the right people here in the forums. It is not my place to directly contact a County Fire Coordinator about this issue. I doubt that any of them are going to take a call from me.
 

GTR8000

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If they're not going to take a call from you, then they're certainly not going to take a post on a hobby forum seriously either. Sorry, not trying to be a dick, just stating a fact. High powered mobiles on low powered channels is not exactly a secret, everyone is fully aware of it having been a thing for decades.
 

ff026

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Why not complain years ago when almost everyone in Rockland/Orange and the Hudson Valley had 46.30 in their low band radios running 100 watts?
 

GTR8000

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The horse left the barn decades ago, and since no one ever bothered to hold agencies to the letter of the law per the FCC licensing, it's not likely to change anytime soon. Who is going to pay to have all of those radios reprogrammed if someone decided to all of a sudden enforce it?

Besides, there are plenty of other factors that are as much, if not more, of a safety issue on the fireground. How about agencies still using out-of-tune 25 year old radios caked in sheetrock with bent antennas and batteries that last maybe an hour on a good day because they have thousands of charge cycles on them? What about poor radio discipline on the fireground in general, with guys stepping all over each other regardless of the type of radio or power it's putting out? What about bonehead departments using repeaters, or even worse, trunking, for interior ops? That might not be an issue in Orange/Rockland, thankfully, but it certainly is elsewhere. 🤦‍♂️

I'm not suggesting that having a MAYDAY or urgent message stepped on by a 50 watt mobile isn't a concern, but it's just as easy to get stepped on by any other radio on the fireground, in addition to myriad of other factors that can negatively impact communications.
 

SMFD34

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IF, and that is a big IF, there was proper training (and uniform enforcement) of the appropriate use of each channel the power of any radio should not matter. Knowing when to talk and, more importantly, when not to talk are the things missing in most cases. This could apply to most places in the state if not the country or world. How many departments could seamlessly change all operations off of a mayday channel once one was declared? All that seems to happen is everyone on the mayday channel assuming they need to stay or asking what channel to move to.
 
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