1949 radio info - 230 Park Ave - radio callsign WQWV - 35.58 Mhz - FM - 6 mobiles - per FM-TV Magazine from 1949 - 5/16/2021
----------
Worcester FD radio history - very approximate - 1949 - 35.58 - 1950s? - 33.86 - 1970s? - 460.525 and 460.575 - 1990s? - City 800 Mhz TRS analog - 2015 ish - digital State 800 mhz TRS - 5/16/2021
----------
Radio Usage - based on radio traffic heard via live scanner audio - Oct 2012 - home channel for all units is the ADMIN Channel - one beep is sent for a single unit response - 2 beeps are sent for '2 + 1' alarms (2 pumpers + 1 aerial unit) - "break it down" or "break down (Unit) " means "cancel the response" - First Responder calls (EMS) are handled on Ops C - box alarms and '2 + 1' alarms are handled on Ops A or Ops B - fire units talk to Worcester EMS units on Ops C when handling EMS calls - neither hydrants nor exact bld locations seem to be given on calls - maybe sometimes cross streets are given - Engine numbers are commonly given as single digit chains (ie Engine One Five / Engine 15 - Engine One Six / Engine 16) by the dispatchers when dispatching calls (probably because 15, 16, 13, all sound the very similar on the radio)
Aug 16, 2015 - for full boxes and "2 and 1", response and FG comms are on Ops A or Ops B - the dispatcher fully participates on Ops A and Ops B - for EMS calls, response and onscene comms are probably on Ops C - on ADMIN, units are heard "returning to quarters" and "back in quarters"
March 11, 2016 - after units respond to a call on Ops A or Ops B, if just 1 or 2 units are held at the scene, they are told to switch to Ops C
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Radio IDs - Car 4 - Car 400 (aide to Car 4) - Engine 2 Pump or Engine 2 Truck - Ladder 401 (maybe) - Oct 2012 - "Fire Alarm" is the dispatcher - "Engine 8" is the officer on Engine Company 8 - "Ladder 2" is the officer on Ladder Company 2
Aug 15, 2015 - 2 alarm fire - units heard included - Rescue 2 - Rescue Team 1 - Rescue 1 (the officer on Rescue 1 probably) - Engine 12 Pump, charge the line - Engine 12's Truck, charge the line again - Ladder 1 Roof
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Staffing
Car 4 seems to be a Captain usually - Car 3 is a Chief
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Radio Channels
ADMIN - Channel (? 1 ?) - home channel for all units / maybe aka "in service channel") - monitored 24/7 by dispatchers - channel is known as "Admin" - main channel
OPS A - response and onscene channel - monitored by dispatcher when in use for a emergency incident - (probably exclusively for still and box alarms - 3/11/2016)
OPS B - response and onscene channel - " "" - (probably exclusively for still and box alarms - 3/11/2016)
OPS C - response and scene channel for medical calls (and for single company fire responses) - (and used for 1 or 2 units held / remaining at the scene of a still or box alarm - 3/11/2016)
OPS D - maybe an overflow channel
FIRE DISPATCH - Channel 5 - per the Internet - calls announced
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Radio Procedures - seem to be
1. All radios are initially tuned to ADMIN channel
2. When responding to and operating at an incident, radios will be set to Ops A or B or C or D (or some other channel as directed by the dispatcher)
3. When clear of an incident and returning to the station, radios are set to the ADMIN channel
4. The DISPATCH channel is used to receive calls when in the station - there might be a dedicated radio (listening to the DISPATCH channel) in each station; and it might be tied to the public address system in the fire station
5. There might be a seperate talkgroup for dispatching each station or company - this could be useful at night when everyone is sleeping - everyone can set their portable radios to their specific talkgroup - everyone can sleep with their portables turned on, and only get woken up when needed
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Radio Traffic
Fire Alarm calling Car 4 - Car 4 - Car 4 you are responding to XXX for a central station alarm
Engine 2 to Fire Alarm - Engine 2 - blah blah blah
Car 4 on the air - Car 4 you are on the air, 1914
Engine 16 to Fire Alarm we are back in quarters - OK Engine 16 1915
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Typical radio traffic for a first responder (ambulance) call
Dispatcher - 1 beep - Engine 5 first responder - Engine 5 65 Main St first responder (call) - Engine 5 65 Main St first responder - time out 912
Engine 5 - Engine 5 responding / on
Dispatcher - Engine 5 (you are responding to) 65 Main St for a person having a heart attack
Engine 5 - Engine 5 OK (65 Main St)(heart attack)
Engine 5 - Engine 5 at scene / arriving / on arrival (address not repeated)
Dispatcher - Engine 5 you are at scene / on arrival, (time)
Engine 5 - Engine 5 is back in service (Eng 5's back Fire Alarm)
Dispatcher - OK Engine 5 you are back in service
Engine 5 - Engine 5 in quarters
Dispatcher - OK Engine 5 you are in quarters
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Typical radio traffic for a fire call
Dispatcher - 2 beeps - Engine 1 Engine 2 Ladder 1 Car 3 - 65 Main St - alarms sounding - Ops B - Engine 1 Engine 2 Ladder 1 Car 3 - 65 Main St - alarms sounding - Ops B - (timeout 915)
Car 3 - Car 3 has 65 Main St alarms sounding
Dispatcher - OK Car 3 you are responding
Engine 1 - Engine 1 is at scene / arriving , 65 Main St, nothing showing
Dispatcher - OK Engine 1 you are at scene with nothing showing
Car 3 - Car 3 is at 65 Main St
Dispatcher - OK Car 3 you are at 65 Main St
Engine 1 - Engine 1 to Car 3, food on the stove, we can handle
Car 3 - OK Engine 1 you have food on the stove - car 3 to Fire Alarm, break it down to Engine 1 only
Dispatcher - OK Car 3, breaking it down to Engine 1 only, all other units can return
Engine 2 - Engine 2 in quarters
Dispatcher - OK Engine 2 you are in quarters
Ladder 1 - Ladder 1 to Fire Alarm, we are in quarters
Dispatcher - OK Ladder 1
Car 3 - Car 3 to Fire Alarm Car 3 is clear
Dispatcher - OK Car 3
Engine 1 - Engine 1 is returning in service
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Typical radio traffic for a structure fire
Dispatcher - 2 beeps - Attention all companies, standby for a reported structure fire, 36 Vinton St, box to follow - 20 second pause - Striking box 8 dash 26, New at Harbor, for 36 Vinston Street, companies to respond, Engine 8, Engine 16, Engine 3, Engine 6, Ladder 2, Ladder 1, Ladder 3 as RIT, Rescue and Car 3, Ops Channel (?shall be) (?will be)A Alpha - repeated - companies out at 1659
Car 3 - Car 3 on
Dispatcher - Car 3 responding, female reports her kitchen is on fire, you have Ladder 3 as RIT
Engine 8 - Engine 8 at scene, 2 and half wood frame (house), lite smoke showing, at end of street, room in front for Ladder
Dispatcher - Engine 8 at scene, 2 and half wood frame, lite smoke showing
(EMS to Fire - Medic 5 is responding to Vinton St) (on tie freq)
Engine 8 - Engine 8 to Command
Car 3 - Command
Engine 8 - fire is out, pile of rags on kitchen stove and cabinet
Car 3 - Car 3 to Fire Alarm, Code Yellow for all companies still responding
Dispatcher - Fire Alarm to all companies still responding to Vinton St, Code Yellow
Engine 8 - Engine 8 to Command, we can handle
Car 3 - Car 3 / Command to Fire Alarm, holding Engine 8 Ladder 2 only, return all other companies
Dispatcher - all companies responding to 36 Vinton St can return to quarters
Ladder 1 - Ladder 1 back in quarters
Dispatcher - Ladder 1 back in quarters
Engine 16 - Engine 16 back in quarters - etc
(I didnt get everything word for word after they reported the fire was out)
Car 3 - Command to Fire Alarm, we are clearing Ladder 2 from the scene
14 October 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------
Dec 13 2016 - Ops C heard via Rangecast
typical medical call
Eng 5 - Eng 5 on
Dispatcher - Eng 5 you are responding to 555 Main St for a seizure with Medic 5
Eng 5 - Engine 5 OK
Eng 5 - Eng 5 at scene
Dispatcher - Engine 5 on arrival / arriving 555 PM
Eng 5 - Engine 5 to Fire Alarm
Dispatcher - Engine 5
Eng 5 - Engine 5 clear and returning to quarters, switching back to ADMIN
(fire units give patient updates to medics sometimes on this channel - but not in every case)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://scan-ne.net/wiki/index.php?title=Worcester_TRS_Information - misc info here