Portable Radio Placement in the IDLH

[x635 4,066]

Interesting study. Does any department around here have a portable radio placement policy?

The issue regarding the placement of the portable radio while in IDLH firefighting operations has been long debated in the fire service. Most arguments center on the preference of the user or nebulous conjecture derived from documents or studies irrelevant to the placement of the portable radio in the IDLH. Some departments have gone so far as to develop policy dictating where firefighters will carry their radios when operating on the fire-ground. Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department released a General Order in 2009 mandating the turnout coat radio pocket as the only way to carry the radio. Montgomery County (MD) Fire & Rescue have a similar policy.

The Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department Communications Section set out to thoroughly research the issue and determine the safest location and best practice for carrying the portable radio during firefighting operations.

Read the study at: http://www.vententersearch.com/supplemental/fairfaxradioreport.pdf

[SageVigiles 1,194]

My previous department "strongly suggested" we didn't use radio straps because the placement of the radio could interfere with the pak-tracker transmitter. Personally I'd rather have my radio, works way more often...

I was more than a little excited to forward this study to the bosses a few months back.

Edited February 24, 2014 by SageVigiles

[dwcfireman 656]

As a former officer/occasional acting officer, it's nice to have the radio pocket for the trunk radio while my fireground radio is in the radio strap. I honestly have no preference to which radio goes where. However, when I'm only carrying the fireground portable, I prefer it to be in a radio strap. For the majority of calls, it put the radio off to the side and out of the way, while keeping the lapel mic/speaker close to my face. It seems to me to be effective. The major downside I have found is that it's an ectra obstacle on your person to get stuck on random things while in a low visibility environment. I counter this by keeping the radio strap underneath the SCBA straps. As far as blocking Pack-Trackers, my department has practiced with the trackers and have found no difference or interference with the radios, including if you're carrying multiple radios.

[thebreeze 194]

If wearing a radio strap, it and the radio should be worn under your turnout coat, the remote mic can then be clipped to your lapel or collar so it can be accessed. This avoids the problem of the strap or radio becoming hung up or interfered with.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

If wearing a radio strap, it and the radio should be worn under your turnout coat, the remote mic can then be clipped to your lapel or collar so it can be accessed. This avoids the problem of the strap or radio becoming hung up or interfered with.

And protects the majority of the comms wire

[antiquefirelt 994]

Our department for years preached under the coat, but with no actual policy many still wore them over. After reading the MoCo. study the Chief made it policy that all radios were to be worn on straps, under the coat. This doesn't cover officers who have to wear a second radio in their chest radio pocket for the dispatch freq., but the fireground tac channel is worn under the coat. We bought a strap/holder for every radio and ensure presonnel wore them properly.

[everybodygoes 331]

Why would it matter if it interfered with your PAK tracker? If you can talk, using a PAK tracker will be of no importance. You can tell who is coming to rescue you, where you ARE! If your dept is utilizing the PAK tracker as a rescue tool and you can communicate your position you are going to be FUBAR aka DEAD!

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Why would it matter if it interfered with your PAK tracker? If you can talk, using a PAK tracker will be of no importance. You can tell who is coming to rescue you, where you ARE! If your dept is utilizing the PAK tracker as a rescue tool and you can communicate your position you are going to be FUBAR aka DEAD!

Thank you, that's exactly the point that I made... and why I chose to continue what I was doing despite their strong suggestion.

When the study came out I let my crew read it and make their own decisions...

[everybodygoes 331]

Ive used that pak tracker a few times. I am sure it will be somewhat of a help. But if you are not aware of where your crew is, or that they are lost to begin with, plus you have a few other PASS activations its going to be a complete nightmare.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Its a tool that certainly has its uses, if you understand its limitations. But its also really easy to get tunnel vision with it as well, depending on how you train with it.

Anyway, since my current department doesn't have radio straps on the rig, I typically recommend new guys get a radio strap and wear it inside the coat, and pass them the link to the study if they want to read up for themselves. I also tell them to practice gearing up WITH the radio rig so they place it correctly every time. That seems to be the missing link a lot of times.

Edited February 25, 2014 by SageVigiles

[firemoose827 324]

Wow. I found that wearing the radio on the strap under the coat takes away some of the strength of the signal. But then again I am in cow country with a lot of comms problems. Some times I am hoding my portable up in the air while talking, with one leg extended, and a halligan in the other hand...only works some times.

We wear them in the radio pocket all the time with the mic clipped to the collar tab.

[antiquefirelt 994]

Wow. I found that wearing the radio on the strap under the coat takes away some of the strength of the signal.

Moose: if you look in the Montgomery Co. study, they found when it came to interior operations the radio strap under the coat (with radio outside) had greater signal strength. This doesn't account for standing upright and outside, but worn properly, the radio and it's antenna should be outside the coat at the waist line and its hard to imagine that when an antenna is oriented vertically the 12-24" between the waist and chest would have a significant impact on signal strength. The difference on the interior personnel is that the radio strap allows the radio to self-orient the antenna vertical, whereas the radio pocket places the antenna in a horizontal and reportedly less desirable position for signal strength. This is why members must fully understand anything before implementing the idea. Proper adjustment is necessary to ensure the benefits are realized.

[16fire5 693]

I think a lot of people have jumped to conclusion on a report done by Fairfax County Communications Section. The report was sent to their command staff for as a recommendation. Somewhere during this it got released to general public and people are treating it as a scientific study for the whole country. Were all bands and radio types tested? NO. There is a lot to learn and an honest discussion can be had but this report was in no way intended to recommend a nation best policy on where to place your portable radio.

What I'm surprised is that no one has mentioned is NFPA 1802 in the works.

NFPA 1802: Standard on Two-Way, Portable (Hand-held) Land Mobile Radios for Use by Emergency Services Personnel

Current Edition: Proposed Standard Next Edition: TBD

[antiquefirelt 994]

I think a lot of people have jumped to conclusion on a report done by Fairfax County Communications Section. The report was sent to their command staff for as a recommendation. Somewhere during this it got released to general public and people are treating it as a scientific study for the whole country. Were all bands and radio types tested? NO. There is a lot to learn and an honest discussion can be had but this report was in no way intended to recommend a nation best policy on where to place your portable radio.

What I'm surprised is that no one has mentioned is NFPA 1802 in the works.

NFPA 1802: Standard on Two-Way, Portable (Hand-held) Land Mobile Radios for Use by Emergency Services Personnel

Current Edition: Proposed Standard Next Edition: TBD

Good points. I'd note that the radio signal benefits are just one part of their study that indicated the radio strap as the recommended way to carry a portable radio. Other benefits are not limited to: protecting the mike strap, reducing the paddle-ball speaker mike issue, and radio ejection.