West Haven FD Tone out

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vs1988

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Does WHFD tone out for their calls? I've been monitoring their ops frequency (453.800) and haven't heard any tones for dispatch, just the actual announcement.
 

nozzlenut83

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Its been a while since I've been in West Haven. But I believe that tones for the volunteers are sent out over 46.5000. Also on this freq you will hear data clicks which is ERS sending the dispatch info to the fire stations.

West Haven was a little strange to listen to since most of the routine comms are transmitted with the status buttons in the rigs. (responding, on scene, in service, enroute to hospital, etc.). At least most of the time ERS repeats the messages.

Hope this helps.
nozzlenut83
 

vs1988

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Thanks Nozzlenut83. I've tried monitoring the low band freq. and haven't really heard anything. Do they actually do voice transmissions on this freq? I usually listen to 453.800 and hear ERS do the voice dispatch, then the data bursts as units sign on.
 

vs1988

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I retract my above post. I put in the lowband freq tonight and heard them tone out a radio check. I'm not sure what kind of tones they are, but they're not QCII. They're very long, single, high-pitched tones, one for each dept., I'm assuming.

Do the stations have some kind of in-house alerting system like FDNY?
 

nozzlenut83

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vs1988,

I did my internship for UNH in the Center and Allingtown. From what I can remember there is an in house alert and an alarm printer in the stations (at least Elm St). That is what the data noise on 46.5000 did as far as what I can remember from my visits to ERS.

The tones used to alert the volunteers are plectron tones I believe.
Check this link for general info on plectron tones. Keep in mind the timing of the tones as mentioned on the page are just a guide. The timing can be whatever they want. It is common for group tones (one long tone) to be 8 - 10 seconds long.
http://www.genave.com/plectron_paging.htm

I believe there is one for each district. You will also notice that they only tone out the volunteers for first alarm fire calls, not EMS or other minor type calls.

The only voice on this freq is the tone alerting for the volunteers. I believe a looong time ago, pre-UHF days, all ops were on this freq. Then they moved to simulcasting 453.8 and 46.5. Now just tone alerting. Don't quote me on the history though.

Hope this helps,
Nozzlenut83
 

vs1988

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Thanks Nozzlenut83.

Just now, I heard a few data bursts on the low band freq, followed by an ERS dispatcher announcing that it was a radio check on the UHF freq. For medicals, I hear the data bursts on the low band freq, then the voice announcement over the UHF, then more data bursts as the units sign on the air.
 
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