Departments Still on 46.26 - Why?

[Guest 29-Indigo]

As I sit at my desk, listening to the scanner, I can't help but wonder something. There's still quite a few departments that use 46.26 for everything. I know a lot of departments have gone over to the trunking system or another alternative for communications, but there's still a lot that haven't.

Even if you aren't off of 46.26 for your communications, why not use a fireground channel more often? I'm listening to a call now in one department, and the chiefs are blabbing back and forth on 46.26 about pole numbers and wires, and blah blah blah.

I asked my friend, who is a Chief in one of these departments still on 46.26 why they haven't switched to something else. He replied that it's always worked, why change it.

Just some rainy day thoughts. Not a dig at anyone, just some questions. Thanks.

[Remember585 815]

I'm in one of those departments still operating on 46.26, and will answer for us. I don't know what other departments' reasons are, but here's ours.

1. The trunking coverage here isn't perfect. On our mobile radios, we periodically get the "Out of Range" messages. This is attributed to the terrain we are in, with low valleys along the Croton River and on Route 9. Our upper village (Grand Street area) is also a weak area, not only for the trunking system, but even our own repeater. We have submitted these concerns in the past, I don't know if anything has been changed or adjusted.

2. If we do go to Fire 10, a concern we have is how would our members responding to the firehouses know if and when the rigs are responding, how would they hear updates and other important transmissions. I know some places have patched or linked their trunking talkgroup to an alternate frequency so guys can hear it, and this is an option we have been exploring.

3. There are times when our 3 Chiefs are not available to respond to calls, and/or the vehicles themselves are not available. Our Deputy Chiefs may be covering us, but they lack trunking radios. When we plan on leaving town for any extended period of time, we give our car to a Deputy Chief (or another Officer). Some have suggested giving them portables, but people have to realize the trunking system is designed to work with mobile radios. And at nearly $3,000 apiece, we can't afford to issue a mobile radio to every DC.

4. We've also discussed using another low band frequency, such as 46.06, for rig/control communications. Again, the issue comes up of our members hearing rigs responding and other updates. Luckily, most of our pagers are two frequency, and we might be able to make it work. The sole downfall in my eyes is that there is no tower in this area currently on 46.06. And if we have a Mutual Aid job, we're still going to be moving our IC to Fire 10, so it's almost not worth it.

5. We spent quite a bit of money a few years back to create our own repeater system on 46.26 and a stand alone ops channel. If we do anything, we want to incorporate these existing systems into any change we make, so as not to waste that money.

I hope that answers some questions.

[PFDRes47cue 653]

I'm in one of those departments still operating on 46.26, and will answer for us. I don't know what other departments' reasons are, but here's ours.

1. The trunking coverage here isn't perfect. On our mobile radios, we periodically get the "Out of Range" messages. This is attributed to the terrain we are in, with low valleys along the Croton River and on Route 9. Our upper village (Grand Street area) is also a weak area, not only for the trunking system, but even our own repeater. We have submitted these concerns in the past, I don't know if anything has been changed or adjusted.

2. If we do go to Fire 10, a concern we have is how would our members responding to the firehouses know if and when the rigs are responding, how would they hear updates and other important transmissions. I know some places have patched or linked their trunking talkgroup to an alternate frequency so guys can hear it, and this is an option we have been exploring.

3. There are times when our 3 Chiefs are not available to respond to calls, and/or the vehicles themselves are not available. Our Deputy Chiefs may be covering us, but they lack trunking radios. When we plan on leaving town for any extended period of time, we give our car to a Deputy Chief (or another Officer). Some have suggested giving them portables, but people have to realize the trunking system is designed to work with mobile radios. And at nearly $3,000 apiece, we can't afford to issue a mobile radio to every DC.

4. We've also discussed using another low band frequency, such as 46.06, for rig/control communications. Again, the issue comes up of our members hearing rigs responding and other updates. Luckily, most of our pagers are two frequency, and we might be able to make it work. The sole downfall in my eyes is that there is no tower in this area currently on 46.06. And if we have a Mutual Aid job, we're still going to be moving our IC to Fire 10, so it's almost not worth it.

5. We spent quite a bit of money a few years back to create our own repeater system on 46.26 and a stand alone ops channel. If we do anything, we want to incorporate these existing systems into any change we make, so as not to waste that money.

I hope that answers some questions.

Very good points Chief. You guys do not pick up fire 10 on your pagers?

[Remember585 815]

Very good points Chief. You guys do not pick up fire 10 on your pagers?

Not yet. Our pagers are low band VHF, with 46.26 for alerting.

[Guest MRK303]

I'm in one of those departments still operating on 46.26, and will answer for us. I don't know what other departments' reasons are, but here's ours.

1. The trunking coverage here isn't perfect. On our mobile radios, we periodically get the "Out of Range" messages. This is attributed to the terrain we are in, with low valleys along the Croton River and on Route 9. Our upper village (Grand Street area) is also a weak area, not only for the trunking system, but even our own repeater. We have submitted these concerns in the past, I don't know if anything has been changed or adjusted.

2. If we do go to Fire 10, a concern we have is how would our members responding to the firehouses know if and when the rigs are responding, how would they hear updates and other important transmissions. I know some places have patched or linked their trunking talkgroup to an alternate frequency so guys can hear it, and this is an option we have been exploring.

3. There are times when our 3 Chiefs are not available to respond to calls, and/or the vehicles themselves are not available. Our Deputy Chiefs may be covering us, but they lack trunking radios. When we plan on leaving town for any extended period of time, we give our car to a Deputy Chief (or another Officer). Some have suggested giving them portables, but people have to realize the trunking system is designed to work with mobile radios. And at nearly $3,000 apiece, we can't afford to issue a mobile radio to every DC.

4. We've also discussed using another low band frequency, such as 46.06, for rig/control communications. Again, the issue comes up of our members hearing rigs responding and other updates. Luckily, most of our pagers are two frequency, and we might be able to make it work. The sole downfall in my eyes is that there is no tower in this area currently on 46.06. And if we have a Mutual Aid job, we're still going to be moving our IC to Fire 10, so it's almost not worth it.

5. We spent quite a bit of money a few years back to create our own repeater system on 46.26 and a stand alone ops channel. If we do anything, we want to incorporate these existing systems into any change we make, so as not to waste that money.

I hope that answers some questions.

Couldn't have said it any better Chief. Our department went to Trunked and I don't think it was the best for the department. Perhaps in a few years when the system is complete and all of the kinks are worked out. A major problem I have with not using 46.26 is not having the availability on our pagers to listen to units responding and/or other instructions while responding in our POVs. Being able to follow radio communication from the original dispatch to the time you get on a rig as a driver or firefighter is imperative not only for firefighters but for the safety of the community. Critical information could have been missed such as: "respond with caution" or "hazards in the roadway."

Edited September 27, 2010 by MRK303

[wraftery 1,275]

No matter how this argument on radio frequencies ends up, I have a little advice. Do not give up any of your old frequencies or let them lie dormant. Make some use of them, even if you call it something as dumb as Spacecraft Mitigation Command Net. Test the frequency at least weekly so it shows use.

If you don't, there is a good chance that the FCC will wind up selling that frequency.

And that's all I have to say about that.

[bmfd231 3]

In Briarcliff, we only dispatch on 46.26. We have our own uhf frequency (Channel 10) as well as a uhf crossband repeater into 46.26. All our apparatus are on Channel 10 and we have been supplying dual band uhf pagers for some time that has 46.26 thru our CB repeater for paging and the secondary frequency has our channel 10 so members can hear communications. It works very well, especially during storms when everyone is fighting for 46.26.

[LTNRFD 266]

Make some use of them, even if you call it something as dumb as Spacecraft Mitigation Command Net.

And that's all I have to say about that.

That explains the aluminized turn out gear!!!!!

[wraftery 1,275]

That explains the aluminized turn out gear!!!!!

You're OLD!