IFSTA CH 2 + CFD Radio Communications Flashcards
radio systems exist in order to
ensure public safety
coordinate an appropriate emergency response
provide a central answering point
basic components
receiving information
interpreting information
relaying information
mobile radio
radio located inside the fire apparatus and attached to the console
portable radio
hand-held radio caried by a FF
DVRS repeaters
a repeater integrated with a mobile radio control head that merges the primary tactical channel with the backup simplex channel
zones
CFD has six zones
ABCDEF
Channels
16 channels per zone
base station
fixed mobile radio located in a fire station
tower sites
emit frequencies and aid in the sending and receiving of duplex radio communications
CFD has 8
Where are the tower sites located
bankers hall
spy hill
forest lawn
trans alta
fish creek park
airport
south calgary hospital
conventry north
Radio systems consist of
mobile radios (vehicle)
hand-held portable radios
Digital vehicle repeater systems (DVRS)
Radio systems can operate in either
duplex or simplex
duplex mode (trunking)
radio communications are transmitted on one frequency and received on another
must reach a radio tower
The following channels are duplex
tactical
utility
training
airport
zone (dispatch) channel
technical rescue
mutual aid
simplex mode (conventional)
radio to radio
sent and received on the same frequency
are “line of sight” and have limited transmission range, local to the area around the incident
by itself simplex does not reach
radio towers
duplex/tactical channels
dispatch
talk group
an addressing system where a zone is paired with a channel
duplex channel voice
female
simplex channel voice
male
dispatch channels
located within zone b and c
use channels b13-14 and c13-14
used primarily for communication between dispatch and apparatus officers
tactical channels
located within zone B and C
use channels B1-9 and C-19
utility channels
located within zone A
use channels A1-5
are used for non-emergency use like inspections, hydrant testing, in stations training and community events
training channels
Located in zone A
uses channel A7-11
- are used at training and are DVRS compatible (paired with D7-9 simplex)
simplex channels
located within zone E and F
use the same channels in correlation with tactical channels 1-12
EAB activation on simplex
will only reach other simplex users in close proximity
dispatch or duplex users will not receive a notification
radio channels at a glance
portable radio accountability
have a unique encoded 6-digit identifier
range from 760001 to 762000
Dispatch registered radio database (DRRD)
DC will manage all portable radio issues including replacements, missing radios, conflicting data, etc.
only DC have replacement radios and the authorization to contact dispatch with portable radio updates or changes
Active status
means radio is operational and assigned to a “seat position”
Inactive Status
means radio is non-operational and assigned as “spare”
Staffing limits
there are now staffing limits on apparatus to coincide with the number of assigned portable radios
5 assigned per engine and 3 per secondary
exceptions to staffing limits
2 high rise has 4
10/11 rescue has 4
4 air light, tenders and boat tows have 2
testing radio signal procedure
- call dispatch or another unit
- identify yourself
- advise dispatch/other unit that you want to complete a radio check
- confirm that dispatch/other unit is able to perform the radio check
- say “radio check 1 2 3 4 5 how do you read?”
Response is Clear x loud (5x5)
Portable radio in water
submersible to 2 meters for 2 hours
extreme temperature RSM cable
will withstand heat exposure of 500 degrees fahrenheit
RSM best practices
wear radio mic on shoulder
position radio mic 1-2” away from mouth
do not cover the radio
loud, clear and controlled voice
shield RSM from background noise
ensure antenna is not covered when transmitting
EAB
Emergency activation button
will activate the emergency alert tone, the LED light one the RSM which will flash “SOS” in morse code and the top/front LED screens will flash orange
EAB on tactical/duplex
all other transmissions taking place on the tactical channel are interrupted
an emergency alert tone will be generated and heard by everyone on that channel and dispatch
6-digit identifier will be displayed on all radios and dispatch console
the user will have a hot mic (10 secs)
- EAB user should press PTT to avoid being interrupted after 10secs, PTT times out after 60secs
Cancelling the Emergency call
push and hold the EAB until a single long beep can be heard
- to cancel an EAB, the user will no longer be able to turn off the radio to reset
three types of critical messages
Mayday
Emergency traffic
Urgent message
alert tone steps
- wait for a break in radio traffic
- press and hold PTT
- maintain PTT and press EAB
- release PTT after length to garner attention (3-6secs)
- press PTT again and proceed with critical message
DVRS
Digital vehicle repeater system
self-contained radio base station integrated with Motorola APX 6500 mobile radio control head
only function is to bridge or connect tactical channel with the corresponding backup simplex channel
emergency service specific telecommunication center
separate telecommunications or dispatch centers that the fire department, EMS or law enforcement agency operates
Public safety answering point (PSAP)
central location that takes all emergency calls and routes the call to the fire, EMS or law enforcement dispatcher
E-911
system combines telephone and computer equipment to provide the dispatcher with information such as the callers location and phone number, directions to the location and other information about the address
alternative alerting systems
radio
wired telegraph circuit box
telephone fire alarm box
radio fire alarm box
processing emergency calls - collecting information
the type of emergency
location of emergency
number and location of people involved
name and location of the caller
callers callback number
Basic information to be broadcast
units assigned
type of emergency
address or location
dispatch time
current conditions (wind, road closures, etc.)
units substituted into the normal assignmentc
clear text
plain english rather than agency specific codes
direct communication refers
to the straight-line travel of radio signals between the transmitting radio and the receiving radio
fireground channel
when units arrive at the incident, a command channel is assigned to the IC while a second tactical channel is assigned for fireground operations
radio limitations
distance
physical barriers
dead zones
interference
ambient noise
Ways to overcome ambient noise
turn off the apparatus audible warning devices when they are no longer needed
move away from equipment
follow radio procedures at all times
move to location that blocks wind
use your body PPE to create a wind barrier
sender
person who initiates the message
receiver
individual to whom the sender is attempting to communicate
message
the content that the sender is trying to communicate
feedback to sender
reaction of the receiver and its tone
interference
anything that prevents the receiver from fully understanding the message
two communication rules
must identify themselves in every transmission
receiver should acknowledge the message
ABCs of good communication
accurate
brief
concise
speak into radio at a proper distance
1-2 inches
