PPRCN PIKES PEAK REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK 800 MHz Trunked Radio System User Training

1. PPRCNPIKES PEAK REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK800 MHz Trunked Radio System User Training

2. Purpose: To ensure efficient and effective use of the Pikes Peak Regional Communications Network 800 MHz radio system, as well as statewide talkgroups and channels.

3. Training Outline • Radio Network • Talkgroup Descriptions / Use • Radio Congestion • Simplex • Scanning • Zone Navigation • Emergency Button Activations • General Radio Maintenance & Usage • Radio Diagrams

4. The Pikes Peak Communications Network is overseen by a board of directors and a system manager. The radio system is funded by local government agencies and users on the network.

5. There are 13 towers supporting our system, technically defined as SITES: Calhan – Northeast El Paso County Truckton – Southeast El Paso County Mt. Pittsburg – South, Hwy 115 Ski Summit - Above the Broadmoor Cedar Heights – Rampart Range Rd Stanley Canyon – West of the USAFA Black Forest - North County Line area Austin Bluffs – Near UCCS Templeton Gap – Near Powers & Stetson Hills Colorado Springs Airport Fountain Valley - Ray Nixon Power Plant area Badger Mountain – West of Teller County Woodland Park – Above Woodland Park The PPRCN Radio System

6. The following communications centers utilize the 800 MHz radio system: El Paso County City of Colorado Springs – Eight CC’s City of Fountain City of Manitou Springs City of Woodland Park Colorado Springs Utilities – Three CC’s El Paso / Teller E-911

7. There are two types of radios available to users: Mobiles: Mounted in vehicles Portables: Handhelds, also known as HT’s. Each agency or group has configured their radios to meet their specific needs. Depending on the model of the radio, buttons and talkgroups on each mobile or portable radio are programmed differently to meet the needs of the individual agency or group.

8. Most radios are programmed to have easy access to three “zones”; from the top of a portable (a toggle switch in most cases) or a button on the front of a mobile: A, B, and C. Most radios have access to 16 talkgroups in each zone.

9. As a result, it’s rare that any two groups or agencies have the same talkgroups in the same place or the same button functionality on their radios. The C-Zone is the exception --

10. C-ZoneThe “C-Zone” refers to the talk groups programmed into the radio’s memory for the sole purpose of allowing all the different agencies to communicate with each other during any incident that requires two or more agencies that do not normally talk to each other in their day to day operations. Zone Switch

11. C-Zone Universally the same in all radios on the PPRCN system: C1 – EPSO RED Primary Fire Dispatch C2 – Command TG C3 – Command TG C4 – Command TG C5 – Command TG C6 – Command TG C7 – Command TG C8 – Command TG C9 – Command TG C10 – 8CALL90 C11 – 8TAC91 C12 – 8TAC92 C13 – 8TAC93 C14 – 8TAC94 C15 – Colo Springs Utilities Dispatch C16 – CSFD Fire Primary Dispatch

12. C-Zone (Local) C1 – RED, EPSO Primary Fire Dispatching C2 – C9, Interagency TG’s – To be utilized when 2 or more local agencies or groups need to communicate. C15– Colo Springs Utilities Dispatch C16– CSFD Primary Dispatch

13. C-Zone (Local)(C2-C9) Users requesting a C-Zone talkgroup may include incident commanders, others as needed for response, or as needed for planned events. Assignments of C-Zone talkgroups are initiated through a request to a dispatch center: C2 – C5 generally assigned by EPSO C6 – C9 generally assigned by CSFD

14. C-Zone (Local)(C2-C9) The primary method for requesting a C-Zone talkgroup for a new event, or to determine which talkgroup is currently in use for an existing event, is to contact your own communications center or dispatchers at one of the following: *El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (radio position C1) *Colorado Springs Fire Dispatch (radio position C16)

15. C-Zone (Local)(C2-C9) All users are able to join incident command or operations for any event utilizing a C-Zone talkgroup. Termination: Assigned agencies or groups will notify their communications center that the event has been completed. A subsequent intercom announcement to EPSO, CSFD and City Utilities will be made by the communications center to advise that the assigned talkgroup has been cleared. Interagency talkgroups C2-C9 are currently recorded at the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Requests for audio copies can be made by contacting their communications center.

16. C-Zone (Local)(C2-C9) Military communications centers utilize a 400 MHz system, but have the ability to patch to select C-Zone Talkgroups for effective communications: Fort Carson Peterson Schriever Air Force Academy Cheyenne Mountain

17. C Zone NATIONWIDE TACTICAL CHANNELS (Talking to another agency outside of the county) C10 - C14 8CALL90 – Hailing Channel. All agencies that utilize an 800 MHz system have the ability to hear your transmission. If contact is needed with a specific agency, hail them with their name; Jefferson County SO, South Metro Fire, Denver PD, etc.

18. C Zone NATIONWIDE TACTICAL CHANNELS (Talking to another agency outside of the county) C10 - C14 If an emergency exists and the agency in the area is unknown, hail with identifying information, location and problem: “Attn any agency, this is El Paso County Transport 14 at MM232 I-25 southbound, I need medical assistance for a prisoner.” The requester would then be asked to switch to an appropriate 8TAC TG to complete the request.

19. C-Zone (Nationwide) 8TAC C11: 8TAC91 –Primarily used only as simplex in the PPRCN system. C12: 8TAC92 –Repeated in El Paso County C13: 8TAC93 –Repeated in El Paso County C14: 8TAC94 –Primarily used only as simplex in the PPRCN system.

20. A-Zone (Switch)(To be completed by individual group or agency) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

21. B-Zone (Switch)(To be completed by individual group or agency) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

22. C-Zone (Switch) 1. – EPSO RED Primary Fire Dispatch 2. – C2 3. – C3 4. – C4 5. – C5 6. – C6 7. – C7 8. – C8 9. – C9 10. – 8CALL90 11. – 8TAC91 12. – 8TAC92 13. – 8TAC93 14. – 8TAC94 15. – Colorado Springs Utilities Dispatch 16. – CSFD Fire Primary Dispatch

23. D-Zone (Switch)(To be completed by individual group or agency) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

24. E-Zone (Switch)(To be completed by individual group or agency) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

25. MAC Talkgroups (Statewide) M.A.C. = Mutual Aid Channels MAC talkgroups are used to communicate among agencies or groups from outside of El Paso County, and across the state. Use of MAC talkgroups is governed by rules contained within the standard operating procedures of the CCNC, which is the user group that sets standards for operations within the Statewide DTRS. Advanced planned use of these talkgroups may be coordinated through the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) or the Governor’s Office of Information Technology (GOIT), but CCNC member usage of MAC talkgroups, which includes usage by PPRCN members and participants, does not require prior coordination. MAC 9 is monitored by CSP and EPSO. Listen to the MAC designated for your type of incident, announce your usage of the chosen MAC, and then use it for your incident. Regional coordination through your dispatch center may be useful so others know the MAC talkgroup you are using. MAC talkgroups are generally located by accessing the appropriate zone within the soft key functionality on the front of the radios.

26. MAC Talkgroups(Statewide) Division and use of the MAC Talkgroups is broken down into 5 state regions: MAC 1-4 Central Colorado (Denver Metro Area) MAC 5-8 Northeast Colorado MAC 9-12 Southeast Colorado (El Paso County) MAC 13-16 Southwest Colorado MAC 17-20 Northwest Colorado MAC 21 Statewide Hailing Talk Group

27. MAC Talkgroups (El Paso County) Suggested usage for Southeast Colorado and El Paso County: • MAC 9 Hailing • MAC 10 Fire • MAC 11 Law • MAC 12 EMS

28. MAC

29. The PPRCN Radio System A user’s radio becomes ‘affiliated’ with the system at a repeater site whenever his radio determines that both the signal is satisfactory and the user-selected talkgroup is authorized to be carried via that site. If a user’s radio is within range of a site with substantially better coverage than the currently affiliated site can provide, and where the selected talkgroup is allowed, the radio will automatically switch sites without user intervention.

30. The PPRCN Radio System The user radio will remain affiliated at the last best site until such time as another site can provide a significantly better signal. Site switching will occur only after several seconds of voice inactivity on either a selected or a scanned talkgroup. The radio can tune to either control channels to measure signal quality provided by adjacent sites, or else tune to voice traffic, but cannot perform both simultaneously. Therefore, adding too many talkgroups to a scan list may hinder switching to sites providing better coverage.

31. The PPRCN Radio System When an “Out of Range” message is displayed on the LCD, and is accompanied by a long tone, the radio is not affiliating with any site. A significant change of location should provide communication capabilities. An individual user can improve communications simply by not obstructing their handheld antenna with their body or a solid surface.

32. The PPRCN Radio System Be sure to hold the portable straight up and down, holding it sideways will lessen the antenna range of the portable. A stronger signal may be obtained by simply repositioning the portable radio and it’s antenna to face another direction. Take two steps in any direction and try again to transmit.

33. The PPRCN Radio System If wearing the portable, try to pick it up to your mouth, and try again to transmit. If in a building, get to a window and try again. If a user is unable to communicate on a portable, utilizing a mobile (vehicle radio) might allow communications in that same area since a mobile has greater wattage.

34. “Busy” Signals and Congestion: Although the system has undergone upgrades implementing technologies designed to minimize ‘busies’, busies can still occur when an inordinate amount of radio traffic overloads the sites. This occurs primarily during large incidents that involve multiple agencies and multiple users requiring too many talkgroups at any instant.

35. “Busy” Signals and Congestion: If a busy tone is heard, all trunked talkgroups are in use. Release the transmit button and wait for three, quick, call-back tones. When a call back is received, your radio will automatically “key up” for three seconds so that you can key up and begin talking.

36. “Busy” Signals and Congestion: If a continuous low-pitched tone is heard, the radio is out of the system's range. The red XMIT (transmit) indicator may flash several times as the radio tries to access the system. Release the transmit button and try again when the vehicle is driven within range of the system.

37. “Busy” Signals and Congestion: Try to steer communications as much as possible away from repeated talkgroups. For instance, if users are working an event in relatively close proximity to each other, use a local simplex mode setting on the radios. It will allow good communications for that area, and local users will not experience nor contribute to system busy conditions while using their radio in simplex mode.

38. “Busy” Signals and Congestion: Assign incident operations to as few talkgroups as possible. An example would be to utilize the common C-Zone talkgroups, as every user has access to them.

39. “Busy” Signals and Congestion: Only under the most unusual circumstances should a user ask their communication centers to “patch” talkgroups, as this can also stress the system unnecessarily (400 MHz patched to 800 MHz is an exception).

40. “Busy” Signals and Congestion: Don’t place the talkgroup selector of your radio on a busy talkgroup that is in use distant from your location, while your radio is affiliated to a rural site with a limited number of frequency pairs like Calhan, Truckton, Mt. Pittsburg, or Woodland Park. Due to limited radio site resources, monitoring in this fashion could be responsible for causing a busy condition in the distant area and in your operational area at the same time. If not associated with a large incident, please do not monitor that talkgroup.

41. “Busy” Signals and Congestion: Scanning the distant talkgroup is permitted, as long as the scanning radio does not have the distant talkgroup selected as the primary talkgroup. Users should also understand that scanning does not always result in the user receiving all transmissions taking place on a scanned talkgroup.

42. CONCENTRIC SWITCH In most portable radios, the concentric switch serves two purposes: SIMPLEX MODE and SCANNING

43. Simplex A radio is referred to as being in the ‘simplex mode’ because signals are passing from radio to radio, and not through the radio repeaters that are located at tower sites. Simplex is recommended when users are not able to communicate effectively on a normal repeated talkgroup, ie; in a large cement or metal building, or surrounded by hills and valleys. The users have a range of about ½ mile. Users outside of that radius, e.g., communications centers, will not be able to receive, monitor or communicate with those units.

44. Simplex Only select frequencies or selector switch positions are capable of ‘simplex mode’ in El Paso County. Such simplex channels are always in the simplex mode, and the channel names are shown with a suffix “D” to symbolize “direct” radio to radio (simplex) mode: 8CALL90D 8TAC91D 8TAC92D 8TAC93D 8TAC94D ALWAYS SIMPLEX: SMPX 1 SMPX 2 SMPX 3 SMPX 4 SMPX 5 STACD Air Medical Transport

45. SimplexWhen a portable radio needs to be switched over to the simplex mode:1. Select the desired talkgroup.2. Turn the concentric switch on the top to the Ø symbol.3. The LCD will then display a |--->| symbol above the talkgroup name.

46. Simplex Remember that not all talkgroups can be changed to a simplex mode. When changing the concentric switch to Ø and the |--->| symbol does not appear, then the radio is selected on a talkgroup that cannot be put in simplex mode.

47. SCANNING Scanning is a radio feature that allows the listener to be alerted to, and receive radio transmissions from more than one talkgroup. If there is activity on a talkgroup that has been programmed to scan, your radio will automatically switch to that talkgroup.

48. SCANNING To scan talkgroups on (most) portables: • Select on the primary talkgroup. • Turn the concentric switch on the top to the Ø symbol. • The LCD will then display “Z”symbol above the talkgroup name.

49. SCANNING For most portable radios: To select talk groups to SCAN: The concentric switch can be in either mode, “O” or “Ø”. • Select the button under PROG. A flashing box above the talkgroup name will indicate that the radio is in the programming mode. 2. Select the button under SCAN.

50. SCANNING 3. The options are SEL to select a talkgroup to scan or DEL to delete a currently scanned talkgroup. The “Z ” symbol above the talkgroup name will indicate that it is programmed to scan.