I occasionally hear a unit mark up with the prefix "Scout" before the unit number. Just curious what sort of unit this is? Is this an unmarked unit or something else?
-David
-David
What are "scout" units in Fairfax County?
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Samuel
Member
Unless I am mistaking all of the patrol units are technically "Scout" units. A marked patrol car is a scout car. So for example "Scout 411C" is just another way of saying "411C". Supervisors designators however are "Cars" i.e. "Car 70C" would be a sergeant for West Springfield. They dont always say the scout part as you mentioned.
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Thanks for the explanation Sam.
Samuel
Member
No problem. I personally find fairfax's radio designators to be a bit confusing myself. I like they way we do it down in PWC. Each officer has their own designator.
Mick
Member
Scout
Hello. Looks like Samuel has it right. A friend of mine who works at that dept. just emailed me with the answer:
The prefix "scout" merely means a regular patrol officer working a beat.
Hello. Looks like Samuel has it right. A friend of mine who works at that dept. just emailed me with the answer:
The prefix "scout" merely means a regular patrol officer working a beat.
DavidNVA said:
Thank you all for asking and answering that question! I've been meaning to post this myself for months and now I have the answer and you're right, it could be a lot simpler. Probably a hold-over from a previous time/radio system. Thanks again.
KI4IHC
Member
The previous posts hit the nail right on the head - and it is a hold over from their previous radio system, where the system would sometimes cut off the first bit of a transmission, so all you'd hear is "...Hundred adam" instead of "Four Hundred adam", so they started using scout and car, because who cares if that gets cut off. Not as much of a problem with the newer system, but it just never got removed from the GOs - at least that's what a dispatcher told meatlong said:
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