Uniformity of Database

[w9xxx]

I'm going to catch a lot of flak for this but, There's no uniformity of Service types in the Database. Sometimes state DOTs are listed as Public service, sometimes as transportation. Prisons and jails are sometimes 1 of 3 different law types instead of corrections. City buses are a variety of things, as well as dog catchers.There are utility companies listed as public service, business and law. I don't mean confusing multi use talkgroups, but ones that have in the description that say they are one thing but the service type is not correct. I looks like every state admin has grouped things differently. Also,by whatever magic the home patrol weekly update is compiled there's no uniformity on what goes in state and county wide systems. Some states have what is in the nationwide list listed again under county systems and again as statewide systems in effect "triplicating" the channels scanned. Someone is about to post "Submit corrections" thinking I'm just talking about a few listings in a small area. I usually drive 500 miles a day. It's everywhere. The state admins or whoever need to decide on a format of how to group things and I'll be happy to submit my share. I'm just trying to make things better. I don't think this stuff is noticeable unless you travel a lot.
Theres other issues too, like "Freeway service patrols". Where should they be? I'll whine about that stuff later.

 

[ecps92]

(IMHO) Some of the differences are regional
ie:
In my State the Sheriff is a Jail, they do not Patrol
a Neighboring State the Sheriff does Civil Process and Court House Security Only
another Neighboring State the Sheriff does, the Jail, Patrol (small towns) and handles Dispatch duties.

With something so large, it would be hard to get everything standardized.
ie: What some call Tactical are actually considered Fireground

just my $0.005

I'm going to catch a lot of flak for this but, There's no uniformity of Service types in the Database. Sometimes state DOTs are listed as Public service, sometimes as transportation. Prisons and jails are sometimes 1 of 3 different law types instead of corrections. City buses are a variety of things, as well as dog catchers.There are utility companies listed as public service, business and law. I don't mean confusing multi use talkgroups, but ones that have in the description that say they are one thing but the service type is not correct. I looks like every state admin has grouped things differently. Also,by whatever magic the home patrol weekly update is compiled there's no uniformity on what goes in state and county wide systems. Some states have what is in the nationwide list listed again under county systems and again as statewide systems in effect "triplicating" the channels scanned. Someone is about to post "Submit corrections" thinking I'm just talking about a few listings in a small area. I usually drive 500 miles a day. It's everywhere. The state admins or whoever need to decide on a format of how to group things and I'll be happy to submit my share. I'm just trying to make things better. I don't think this stuff is noticeable unless you travel a lot.
Theres other issues too, like "Freeway service patrols". Where should they be? I'll whine about that stuff later.

 

[hfxChris]

I'm going to catch a lot of flak for this but, There's no uniformity of Service types in the Database. Sometimes state DOTs are listed as Public service, sometimes as transportation. Prisons and jails are sometimes 1 of 3 different law types instead of corrections. City buses are a variety of things, as well as dog catchers.There are utility companies listed as public service, business and law. I don't mean confusing multi use talkgroups, but ones that have in the description that say they are one thing but the service type is not correct. I looks like every state admin has grouped things differently. Also,by whatever magic the home patrol weekly update is compiled there's no uniformity on what goes in state and county wide systems. Some states have what is in the nationwide list listed again under county systems and again as statewide systems in effect "triplicating" the channels scanned. Someone is about to post "Submit corrections" thinking I'm just talking about a few listings in a small area. I usually drive 500 miles a day. It's everywhere. The state admins or whoever need to decide on a format of how to group things and I'll be happy to submit my share. I'm just trying to make things better. I don't think this stuff is noticeable unless you travel a lot.
Theres other issues too, like "Freeway service patrols". Where should they be? I'll whine about that stuff later.

Take a quick look at the latest version of the DB admin handbook:
Database Administrator Handbook - The RadioReference Wiki
That's how it's supposed to be. Section 6.5 on page 23 has the descriptions of the function/service tags we're supposed to follow.
I would suggest if you notice any specific ones, submit the corrections. Yeah I know, you knew that already

 

[INDY72]

"What some call Tactical are actually considered Fireground"
Our set up labels FG's as Fire Tacs. Whether its called Operations, Tactical, Scene, it falls under the Fire Tac heading.
Same for LEA's, Scene, Tactical, Ops etc... Law Tac.
Administrative, Car to Car, Talk, Talk Around, usually is Talk....

There are a few that fall into an greyish area, and might get Other, or Public Works....

The DB Admin HB and our team does a pretty good job 90% of the time on getting it right. After all, 95% of us Admins are volunteers, and 99& of the data we get is from volunteers also known as you guys, the users, or if you want to sound professional, our clientele.

 

[w9xxx]

Milf, I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about one state labeling a State DOT freq as Public service and another labeling it Transportation, etc. As far as Fire Tactical and Fireground go according to the DB admin there's 2 choices:

• Fire-Tac – For fireground, tactical and on-scene communications including combined fire/EMS operations.
• Fire-Talk – For fire talk-around and car-to-car operations, chiefs, supervisors, etc., including combined fire/EMS operations.

Either one is pretty close. That's fine tuning that may need to be changed on a
dept basis.
Putting a service tag of Corrections on a Fire freq is what I'm talking about.
I looked at the Indy area and you guys seem really good. The only thing I saw, and it's really nitpicky, is a library and library security listed as other. That's not even worth arguing as to where it should be.

I'm sitting in SLC right now and listening to what should be only the 3 Law groups. I'm hearing a Jailer count something (prisoners I guess) and some campus security guards discussing a pizza and I think a train conductor talking about a bike on the train. This is on a statewide system. I normally have that jail locked out completely but I unavoided the whole database earlier just to see what was not right up here.

hfxChris , That Manuel is wonderful. thanks for pointing it out. It just needs to be followed.

(Washington, Idaho and Montana, you are perfectly by the book and scan wonderfully.)
(Oregon, While you seem good looking on the Internet database, what's in the full database in the update for the 536 wasn't working right. My 15x that hasn't been updated in a year was picking up lots of traffic. My 536 was quite except for some techs testing a new system. I don't know why.)

 

[Voyager]

Firegound and tactical would seen to have only one clear choice:

Fire-Tac – For fireground, tactical and on-scene communications...

When the use is specifically listed, what is there to decide?

But, back to the original topic...

 

[hfxChris]

I'm sitting in SLC right now and listening to what should be only the 3 Law groups. I'm hearing a Jailer count something (prisoners I guess) and some campus security guards discussing a pizza and I think a train conductor talking about a bike on the train. This is on a statewide system. I normally have that jail locked out completely but I unavoided the whole database earlier just to see what was not right up here.

That definitely sounds like corrections, security and transportation to me.. time for a submission

 

[PJH]

I went in and did a bunch of updating in ID and MT awhile back, and need to revisit a few.

Part of the issue is how its submitted to the database, and best fit at the time. As suggested, send in a submission on what is wrong and what should be right. State the reasons.

Talkgroup DOT-54 might have been a DOT sponsored shuttle van for commuters and at that time, a transportation tag would have been fitting, even though its the state DOT (not plow trucks, pavers, etc). That talkgroup might have been reassigned over the years and gone a different direction. Opposite is true.

Sometimes things get missed or lost in translation.

I've been more of a stickler in the last year if I get generic submissions to find out where it should really go, and its use. Sometimes I make an educated guess. Especially now, if you don't reply to a question on a submission in a timely manner, it get rejected with a reason and asked to resubmit with more info.

Sometimes its information that was carried over from the TRS days and no one really listens or cares about certain information and it gets stale.

Best I can say, if you are hearing something from the database that isn't right, make a detailed submission so it gets fixed.

 

[RonnieUSA]

(IMHO) Some of the differences are regional
ie:
In my State the Sheriff is a Jail, they do not Patrol
a Neighboring State the Sheriff does Civil Process and Court House Security Only
another Neighboring State the Sheriff does, the Jail, Patrol (small towns) and handles Dispatch duties.

With something so large, it would be hard to get everything standardized.
ie: What some call Tactical are actually considered Fireground

just my $0.005

In my home state the Sheriff is the top Law Enforcement Officer in the County, they also provided, Court House Security, and serve Civil Process, and Criminal Warrants.

 

[DaveNF2G]

Standardizing a nationwide database is risky and difficult because there is no standardization between states, or even within some states.

 

[w9xxx]

How is putting the correct service tags on frequencies "risky"? I think you don't understand what's going on. Please read all of the manual. The link is in the 2nd or 3rd post in this thread. The whole thing is about mislabeled frequencies, not states or agency differences.

 

[DaveNF2G]

I understand exactly what is going on. No matter how precise the instructions in the manual, someone somewhere will always disagree with the tagging convention because it does not quite cover the local situation.