Question about County Police Hotline

[thinktactics 0]

Does anyone have information as to what exactly the Westchester County Police Hotline (a.k.a. "F-3") is used for? I've searched for the purpose, but most  sources are vague, just saying it's used for some sort of police communications.

[x635 4,066]

It's used to transmit information such as BOLO's (Be on the lookout), missing persons, pursuits that are traveling through different jurisdictions, and other information that needs to be rapidly disseminated and shared throughout Westchester County's numerous PD agencies. 

[thinktactics 0]

10 hours ago, x635 said:

It's used to transmit information such as BOLO's (Be on the lookout), missing persons, pursuits that are traveling through different jurisdictions, and other information that needs to be rapidly disseminated and shared throughout Westchester County's numerous PD agencies. 

 

Is this limited to just the PD dispatch centers, or are the patrol cars commonly equipped with the channel as well too?

[dnovick 3]

"f3" is not the hotline. "f3" is the county channel 3 radio frequency or the "MARS" radio. The Hotline is a telephone based way of instant communication between all of the departments and some Ct departments that border Westchester. It is used the way described above.

[thinktactics 0]

2 minutes ago, dnovick said:

"f3" is not the hotline. "f3" is the county channel 3 radio frequency or the "MARS" radio. The Hotline is a telephone based way of instant communication between all of the departments and some Ct departments that border Westchester. It is used the way described above.

 

Thanks! 

For F3 - what exactly is the "MARS" radio? I looked up the acronym but only got a reference to a type of military radio.

For the Hotline - it's like a regular telephone but you can talk to every department at once? Also, do the Westchester PDs' assigned station numbers (ex. Ardsley is Station 25) play into it somehow?

[dnovick 3]

Mutual aid radio system. Each PD is assigned a station number and that's how they identify themselves on the hotline. It's like one big intercom. the f3 is relatively new within the last 7-8 years. Designed to have a interoperability. at a scene all jobs can switch to it and communicate with each other