2-03 Radio Operations Manual Flashcards
What is the radio system BFES uses?
800 MHz P25 Digital radio system
When did the Region of Peel, Town of Caledon, and CIities of Brampton and Mississauga begin to transition to the P25 digital trunked system?
summer of 2014
What organizations share the P25 digital radio system? (8)
- PRP
- ROP Public Works
- Canadian Border Services
- Mississauga Transit
- City of Mississauga
- Brampton Hydro
- MFES
- BFES
What does the system consist of?
10-site repeater, simulcast, and trunking network
What do all 10 sites do?
transmit and receive
What does “simulcast” mean?
all transmit sites operate at the same time and that comms. staff do not have to decide which transmit towers to use.
What does “trunking” mean?
refers to the automatic process of sharing frequencies bewtween user groups
Who licenses the Peel system and for how many frequencies? (2)
- Industry Canada licenses
2. 21 frequencies (14 of which are in use)
How is trunking controlled?
- automatically controlled by central computer and is transparent to user.
How many repeaters and control equipment is each transmitter site equipped with?
14 (one for each trunked frequency on system)
What does the Rubidium atomic clock do?
along with GPS satellites, it synchronizes the transmitters sites to reduce multisite interference
How does the signal from a portable or mobile radio communicate with each other?
their signals must reach the repeaters, then signals are repeat back to other radios.
What mode is used if these radio signals cannot reach these repeater sites?
talk-around/ simplex mode is selected to provide direct radio-radio comms.
Who and where is the system managed and controlled?
System Manager at PRP HQ
What is a “talk group”?
a group of radios taht are defined in the system computer as being allowed to talk to one another
What happens when the radio dial is turned?
the radio changes the talk group not the radio frequency
Who authorizes all radio talk group programming?
System Manager
How many talk groups can one radio be a member of?
as many as decided by System Manager.
How does trunked radio conversation work?
- every radio on system is scanning and being scanned by control computer
- on pressing of PTT button, internal ID of radio transmitted across control channel
- the current “talk group” setting on radio is determined by trunking control computer
- every radio in same “talk group” as radio initiating PTT is instructed by control channel to switch internally to particulalrly frequency for duration of transmission
- when PTT button released, or after 60secs, the frequency is released back into pool of 14 available frequencies
What is the the control channel?
only channel on system on the system with a fixed frequency
What must radios be programmed as to talk to eachother?
must be programmed as members of same “talk group”
Which of BFES radios can allow for conversations with Police or Works staff?
Administration radios
What do Administration radios look like who assigned to? (2)
- numeric keypads
2. DCs and Senior staff
MFES Radio Channel Display (5)
- Ch.1 MFES Dispatch / On Air
- Ch.2 MFES fire incidents
- Ch.3 MFES non-fire incidents
- Ch. 4 MFES Airport Incidents/ Overflow
- Ch. 10 MFES Overflow
BFES/ Caledon Radio Channel Display (4)
- Ch. 5 BFES/ Caledon Dispatch/ On Air
- Ch. 6 BFES Fire Incidents
- Ch. 7 BFES non-fire incidents
- Ch. 8 BFES/ Caledon Overflow
Caledon Incidents
Ch. 9
Training- MFES/ BFES/ Caledon
Ch. 11
MFES Fire Prevention Radio Display Channel
Ch. 12
What is the ADMIN Radio Display?
Senior Officers Channel
What is Maj2 Radio Display?
Fire/ Police/ Works Group
What is Channel 4 used for? (2)
- Overflow, or
2. default channel for calls to the airport via the crash alarm.
What is Channel 10 used for?(2)
- may be assigned as needed if Ch. 2,3,4 are busy
2. used by non-suppression staff (training, inspections)
What Channels are used by the South Desk Dispatch?
Channels 1, 2, 3, 4, 10
What does Communications have the authority to do during peak period usage on Channel 10?
terminate non-emergency usage
What is the short range distance limitations of talk around?
1/2 - 2miles depending on conditions
What position should the toggle switch on the portable be set to?
position A
What does the “A B C” switch allow the portable to do?
scan the talkaround frequency associated with the talk group
When is scan turned on or off? (2)
- Scan is on in position A and B
2. off in position C
What does the transmit indicator light indicate while flashing during transmission?
low battery
Where is the transmit indicator light located?
next to antenna base
What happens to the portable radio that initiates the orange emergency button in regards to communication? (5)
- emergency alert will sound in Comm.
- unit ID of radio will be highlighted in a flashing talk group window on all dispatch consoles
- radio will take priority w/i talk group
- there will be 10sec. open mike
- talk group that radio is selected to will have system wide priority for 90secs.
What will Comms do if no voice is heard from emergency initiated portable?
notify IC about situation
What does the “zone 0 switch” do and where located? (2)
- it used to toggle between system repeater channels and associated talk around frequency
- located below group selector
Characteristics of capabilities of Talk Around?(4)
- Emergency Button does not work
- no communications with Fire Control
- transmissions are not recorded
- PTT tone not produced
What 2 sounds will be heard when pressing PPT button? (2)
- Talk Permit Tone
2. Bonk
What are the 3 possible conditions if a BONK is heard when pressing PTT button? (3)
- System busy
- out of range
- System down
What does it mean when it shows FAILSOFT on the display pf the portable radio?
trunking no longer works and pre-programmed fequencies are assigned to each radios and ops should continue as normal
What happens to MFES adn BEFES channels during a FAILSOFT?
all MFES radios on Ch.1-4 & 10 + admin will operate on frequency and all GFES radios on CH. 5-9 + admin. will operate on another
Who needs to be notified when a portable is lost or stolen?
officer notifies MFES Comms Coordinator/ BFES Div. Chief
How is a lost/ stolen portable disabled?
remove the identification code so it cannot receive or transmit
What is to be done with portable batteries at each shift change prior to radio checks?
portable batteries will be alternated
What is different between how portable and mobile radios are configured? (3)
- Emergency button on mobile is not activated
- mobile use 2 position ZOne Button instead of 2 position Zone DIal
- Scan button instead of toggle switch
What buttons are NOT programmed on mobile radios? (6)
- Zone
- Page
- Page
- Monitor
- Emerg.
- External Alarm
When is Emergency Buttons tested?
The 1st Saturday of month on a station rotation basis.
Who has greatest radio priority and what priority level is it?
- Instant Transmit Button on Dispather’s console
2. Priority 4
