[Scan-DC] Montgomery Fire Communications - What's Going On?

Wed Oct 14 00:34:55 EDT 2009

 To: All Fire Rescue PersonnelFrom: Assistant Chief Michael McAdamsDuty Operations ChiefSubject: Radio coverage issuesThe MCFRS 800 MHz radio system has been compromised as a result of a flooding condition at one of our equipment sites in Silver Spring. The local area net work impact is the first and fourth Battalions. MCFRS personnel are engaged with all partner agencies in developing a solution set.In the interim all personnel must take the following actions:* Maintain a station watch monitoring radio and phone lines at stations in the first and fourth battalion.* Maintain situational awareness of all radio communication at all times.* Additional resources will be dispatched at the discretion of the ECC Supervisor to assure that no single resource is dispatched to an incident involving a high rise or building where radio penetration may be compromised.* Vehicle drivers (engine, ladder, rescue squad) are to remain with the vehicles and monitor radio channels.This problem currently is projected to last more than 24 hours. A situational update and additional information will be provided via the chain of command as details become available.Coordinate any communication with the on duty Battalion Chief.

-----Original Message-----
From: Doug Kitchener <oldsdoug at hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:45:57 
To: <scan-dc at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: [Scan-DC] Montgomery Fire Communications - What's Going On?

All,

Does anyone know what might be going on with Montgomery County's fire communications this evening?  Since 4:30 this afternoon (it's now 11:30 p.m.) I have noticed an open carrier on their 154.16 VHF frequency - I didn't notice it this morning when driving to work, so it started sometime during the day.  I've been picking up this open carrier all over the county - Rockville, Silver Spring (Calverton area), and Gaithersburg, on different radios - a friend in Wheaton is also getting it.  They are still transmitting (simulcasting) on that frequency, however, and the repeater system appears to be working properly.

In addition, beginning around 8 this evening I have heard references to units with the call sign "VRS-7##" (specifically VRS-718 and VRS-712) - VRS-712 was just dispatched on a run with one of the EMS units from Station 12 (Hillandale).  (No idea when this began, either, but I didn't hear it between 4:30 and 5:30, and wasn't listening from 5:30 to 7:30).  To me, "VRS" means "Vehicle Repeater System", and I do know that there is a VRS system available in Montgomery County.  It appears as if they may be having communication problems and are handling them by dispatching additional units (but as far as I know they don't have any "dedicated" VRS units... I had the impression that the command vehicles [and possibly others] were so equipped.)  But while listening to the 800-MHz system, it seems normal - no indication of any problems - am not hearing the periodic "boops" that indicate that the 800-system is in fail-soft mode, and they are (apparently) not under "Condition Red" or any of the other usual hysteria that occurs when they have radio trouble.

As far as I know, the VHF simulcast transmissions are mainly for volunteers who may not have migrated to the 800-MHz system - in other words, the apparatus no longer uses the VHF system... I usually scan the VHF side because it sounds better (and works better!) and only listen to the 800-system if they're operating on the fireground talkgroups.

As I write this, it dawns on me that I hadn't thought to take a listen to the police comms and see if anything weird is going on there... but they abandoned their UHF frequencies and simulcasts long ago, and they haven't been on VHF for many years...

So - any ideas or info?

2345, KGC-334 (!)

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