I used to live in NJ, but very happy to get out!!!! Grew up in Bergen County, got my 1st crystal controlled scanner around 1986 after the big Labor Day fire in Passaic. Moved to Sparta in 1989. Life member of Sparta EMS, still of member of Sparta Fire (since 1993), lived in Jersey City for a while. Dispatched for Sparta Police and Newton Police. Worked North Arlington EMS, Jersey City EMS (on the street and in HUDCEN or HUmmCEN), and former Jersey City Fire Radio Dispatcher "30". Got my ham ticket in 1991. Helped start Northwest Emergency Communications (NWECS), was a member of JCES formally ACTION Emergency Communications formally Tri-State Emergency Commmunications... Member of Metro Fire Radio and Citywide Radio. Used to buff alot in Essex and Hudson Counties. I now live on a mountain in Northern Virginia and still listen to Jersey regularly on numerous radios (even without troposheric enhancement). I am now a FF with Montgomery County Maryland Fire & Rescue assigned to Sta 19 on "B" shift. Member of Kentland Volunteer Fire Dept in PG County MD since 2004. Also a member of the Gainesville District VFD in Prince William County VA where I live. I am glad to be down here away from the politics and "HOME RULE" of NJ! Everything down here is done countywide/regional and City/County/State lines mean nothing! You get the closest appropriate fire/ems unit for the most part! Also, most places are combination career/volunteer and it works well most of the time. Enough NJ bashing. I also know Mondaro (hey Tony!), bigray246, Kevin 69-5, STPD67, res5cue, and N2SWD.
Mike Zingaro
