[Scan-DC] DC FEMS UNENCRYPTS 7 a.m. Sunday!

[Alan Henney]

The latest info from our friends is that D.C. Fire will switch to the unencrypted “Zero” zone as of 7 a.m. Sunday.  Since the Zero zone has only two EMS talkgroups, it is unclear to me on which zone EMS units will operate (they use all four now in the 0A zone).  From what I understand, the 0A, 0B and 0C zones will remain encrypted.

Reading the messages on Scan-DC today, there might be some confusion.  The old Motorola system (control channel currently on 854.8625) is probably destined to be dismantled.  This is not a Phase 1 system, just a digital Motorola “Project 16” trunked system.  Apparently it is left partially operational for those few agencies (PGFD) which have not yet updated radios with the new D.C. P25 system.  

The D.C. P25 system (control channel currently 855.4625) supports both Phase 1 (older FDMA) and the newer Phase 2 (TDMA) talkgroups.

Unlike MPD, I think the FEMS talkgroups are dynamic (TDMA with fallback to FDMA for older radios like the XTS5000).  Can anybody confirm?  So you’d need a new scanner and might be able to receive the FDMA (typically on MAIN and DISP and on the others when they are affiliating with a Phase 1 radio).

As far as I can determine, this is what will be available to us starting Sunday morning.

Zero Zone 101    0-1 DISP (main)
102    0-2 MAIN
700    0-3 INC10
851.8625r [NAC 293]    0-4 VRS10 
701    0-5 INC11 
702    0-6 INC12 
703    0-7 INC20
851.8375r [NAC 293]    0-8 VRS20
704    0-9 INC21
705    0-10 INC22
728    0-11 EMS5
729    0-12 EMS6
716    0-13 SPEV1
717    0-14 SPEV2
851.8375s [NAC 293]    0-15 DIR2
851.8625s [NAC 293]    0-16 DIR1

Zero Hotel Zone (Hospitals)
142    H1 UMC
143    H2 CNMC
144    H3 NOTIFY
145    H4 MEDSTAR
146    H5 HUH
147    H6 PIW (this is a change from the previous radio; Psychiatric Institute of Washington)
148    H7 GTOWN
149    H8 GWUH
150    H9 UMCPED (Children’s Hosp ward unit at UMC)
151    H10 PROV
152    H11 POISON
153    H12 SIBLEY
154    H13 WHC
155    H14 SPARE
156    H15 VA
157    H16 PGHC

RIZ/DC Zone (Common in all D.C. radios)
166    RIZ DC UCC 1
167    RIZ DC UCC 2
2341    RIZ DC UCC 3
2343    RIZ DC UCC 4
3747    RIZ DC MA 1
3748    RIZ DC MA 2
621    RIZ DC MAF 1
623    RIZ DC MAF 2
2221    RIZ DC EMA 1
2223    RIZ DC EMA 2
    RIZ-BLANK (EXEC-1 in selected D.C. radios)
    RIZ-BLANK (EXEC-2 in selected D.C. radios)
    RIZ-BLANK (PMARS in selected D.C. radios)
2353    RIZ DC SPARE 1
2355    RIZ DC SPARE 2
1039    RIZ DC CW 1