Washington County Fire/Rescue/EMS

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Gilligan

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Here's a few questions I'd like to find out about regarding how fire and EMS work in Washington County. I know it's alot but maybe it will help others' understanding of how it works and maybe prevent unnecessary forum posts later on. Any new information will be put into the database accordingly.

Is Community Rescue Service the primary EMS provider for the county?

Does Wash Co Fire respond to priority-1 medical calls?

Is Community Rescue Service dispatched over Med-10 (462.975) or over Fire Dispatch (33.86)? If not, do they use the VHF low fire channels at all? I seem to remember medical units using low-band fire channels, like "Medic 75" or something.

How is EMS Call-2 (462.950) used for EMS in the county?

33.08 is listed as a fire tactical channel. Has anyone ever actually heard anything on it and is the channel designation known (maybe tac 5)?

33.16 used to be listed as a fire or ems channel before. Is it actually used for anything or was it in times past?

Do the engines and trucks have access to VHF high mutual aid (154.28) or just the base stations? I'm curious what happens when multiple counties help each other and how they communicate on the fireground.

Years ago, I seem to remember the EMS comms being full-duplex. Are they full-duplex or are they on repeaters (EMS dispatch & EMS-to-hospital)?

Last question. The fire police use 155.745 and 155.790. Does anyone know the channel assignments in their radios, like the channel numbers and other channels available?
 

spanner

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Gilligan said:
Here's a few questions I'd like to find out about regarding how fire and EMS work in Washington County. I know it's alot but maybe it will help others' understanding of how it works and maybe prevent unnecessary forum posts later on. Any new information will be put into the database accordingly.

Is Community Rescue Service the primary EMS provider for the county?



No. CRS is mostly the city. They do have some outlying areas, but not as much as in the past. Halfway (CO 26) has some of the south side of the city.




Does Wash Co Fire respond to priority-1 medical calls?



If EMD calls for an engine or assist, or if the medic unit calls for it, then fire will respond.



Is Community Rescue Service dispatched over Med-10 (462.975) or over Fire Dispatch (33.86)? If not, do they use the VHF low fire channels at all? I seem to remember medical units using low-band fire channels, like "Medic 75" or something.



No dispatching over med 10 is done. It is in Franklin County PA, but not in Washington County.




How is EMS Call-2 (462.950) used for EMS in the county?



This may change with the trunked system, but Call-2 is used by the medic units to contact dispatch, who then patches to the hospital.





33.08 is listed as a fire tactical channel. Has anyone ever actually heard anything on it and is the channel designation known (maybe tac 5)?


When I was still living there, yes.





33.16 used to be listed as a fire or ems channel before. Is it actually used for anything or was it in times past?


Not sure at this point.




Do the engines and trucks have access to VHF high mutual aid (154.28) or just the base stations? I'm curious what happens when multiple counties help each other and how they communicate on the fireground.



Frederick county will patch Tac 3 to their trunked system. Berkerly county will patch to their trunked system. Franklin county, Washington COunty has the freqs programed in.



Years ago, I seem to remember the EMS comms being full-duplex. Are they full-duplex or are they on repeaters (EMS dispatch & EMS-to-hospital)?


Its over the repeaters.


Last question. The fire police use 155.745 and 155.790. Does anyone know the channel assignments in their radios, like the channel numbers and other channels available?


I believe that 155.79 is #1.


Hope that helps.....

Not sure how this will all play out after the trunked system is online, and there may be some other changes since I left about a year ago.

Carl
 

JESSERABBIT

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I cannot speak to the issue of 154.28 being on all of the apparatus however, when Washington County responds into Jefferson County WV and vice versa if they communicate on that frequency. It would be interesting to know if the same occurs with Frederick County, Md as well as with the adjoining Pennsylvania counties.

<edit>
 
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Gilligan

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I'm pretty sure that the EMS info in the database is incorrect. I just changed "Call-2" because I realized it was the wrong description for that freq. I'd love to have these fields confirmed for the county; not even sure if they are all used:

462.950 ____ PL repeater? used? description?
462.975 ____ PL repeater? used? description?
463.000 ____ PL repeater? used? description?
463.025 ____ PL repeater? used? description?
 

SHAKEY

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For the EMS units to Hospital consults in all counties of Maryland please look at the following links,

http://www.miemss.org/home/default.aspx?tabid=137

http://www.miemss.org/home/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=+HE3zIeHMlE=&tabid=137&mid=562

http://www.miemss.org/home/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=KDsd9etki+U=&tabid=137&mid=562

Frederick County was just changed to "Call 2 D" and "Med 1, 2, 5" (all tone "D") that is ch numbers 40, 31, 32, 35.


MED 1 463/468.000 MED 5 463/468.100
MED 2 463/468.025 MED 6 463/468.125
MED 3 463/468.050 MED 7 463/468.150
MED 4 463/468.075 MED 8 463/468.175
CALL 1 462/467.950 CALL 2 462/467.975

A=127.3 Hz
B=146.2 Hz
C=167.9 Hz
D=192.8 Hz

Washington County is using "Call 2 C" and "Med 1C" thats ch 30 & 21.

although these are the Freqs and tones the State has in place, many Counties have patch talkgroups on their respective 800mHz TRS's that are not repeated on the 460mHz. (Washington Cnty. does not yet)

now that it is clear as mud, let me know of any questions
 

Gilligan

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Thanks for this reference. I know it's as clear as mud but I would like to know if these are all repeater channels or full-duplex. In other words, if I want to hear the mobiles, do I have to listen to the 468 side or can I just monitor the base freq (repeater output)?
 

Gilligan

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MED 1 463/468.000 MED 5 463/468.100
MED 2 463/468.025 MED 6 463/468.125
MED 3 463/468.050 MED 7 463/468.150
MED 4 463/468.075 MED 8 463/468.175
CALL 1 462/467.950 CALL 2 462/467.975

A=127.3 Hz
B=146.2 Hz
C=167.9 Hz
D=192.8 Hz

Washington County is using "Call 2 C" and "Med 1C" thats ch 30 & 21.
What is Call 2C used for? They use it for Ambulance-to-Dispatch, but not for dispatching, right?
 

Gilligan

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I heard EMS ops on 463.125 & 468.125 w/ PL tone of 127.3 Hz around intersection of Eastern Blvd & Dual Highway. I couldn't hear what was being said except that it was a local ambulance (754?). I don't know what hospital he was talking to. Although Washington County typically uses tone C, is there a chance they are using Med 6 Tone A?
 

spanner

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754 is out of Community Rescue Service, Eastern Blvd and Dual Highway.

As with any county, they could use any of the med channels, and with the new trunk system, they very well could have been on any med channel and tone......Just a guess.

Carl
 

Gilligan

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I wouldn't really care except that I'm trying to get all of my radio info together for the county and I've been working on unit lists today. Does anyone know where Utility 3 is stationed?
 

Gilligan

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Well Washington County is officially using 127.3 PL on both Call-9 and Med-3, as well as potentially any of the other Med channels. Looks like the old 167.9 PL tone has gone by the wayside with the new TRS.
 

spanner

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Made an un-planned trip to Hagerstown today, and only had MSP plugged in.

While listening to MSP O Barrack on VHF-lo, it appeared that the sheriff was also being dispatched on the simplex freq.

I also noticed that the LE units on that freq other than the MSP "O" units were id'd as 21XX. Looks like some of the county LE are going with the county number 21 prior to their unit number.

Wish I knew I was going up ahead of time, would have put in the new system.

Oh, and to keep it close to the other topic, I drove by Truck 1's house and saw Utility 3 there along with the Deputy Chief. I do know that the Bat Chief should still be on the back side of City Market.

Carl
 

Gilligan

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Would there be anyone in Washington County with access to a fire or EMS radio who would be able to verify some talkgroups? I'm trying to nail down a few, specifically the fire police talkgroups. It appears that the "FP#" talkgroups are actually "Tac #-FP" (like Tac 1-FP). Also there were a few I saw like "FIRE EMERG" or something that I would like to have in the database.
 

N3WSP

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155.790 is FP3
155.745 is FP4
These are mainly car to car with some patching. They are now HPD Auxiliary.
 

MdListener

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155.745

Just curious about how 155.745 is being used here. You say it's now in HPD Aux Police radios as channel FP-4, used for car to car and some patching. But as far as I know, this freq is still officially by FCC the NLEEC (Nat'l Law Enforcement Emergency Channel), to be used for interop between different agencies and even states when needed.

If this is still true, should it be used as just another operating channel for the Aux Police? Anyone who knows, feel free to educate me if I'm wrong. Thanks.

From the Maryland statewide database:

155.47500 KA2097 M CSQ MSP Nat LE Nationwide Mutual Aid for Law Enforcement FM Interop
 
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