Radio Communications

1. Radio Communications Jackson County Fire Dist #4

2. Objectives • To use and understand the terms and etiquette in “clear text” • Identify the different radios used within the dept • To learn and use basic features of dept radios.

3. Commonly used radio talk • “Responding” • “On Scene” • “Can Handle” • “Returning” • “In Quarters” • “In/Out of Service” • “Terminate times” • “Available on scene”

4. Radio etiquette • Use “Clear Text” only, no 10/12 codes. Clear text is simply plain English. • Keep transmissions short and concise (to the point). • No cussing/swearing etc. • Maintain a professional attitude while talking on radio. • Think before you speak (ums, dead air is annoying and frequencies are getting busy). • Keep radio off your face when you speak, your message will be unreadable. Have radio a few inches away from your face when you speak. • Speak clearly

5. Fire Ground Commo. • A formal scene size-up/report on conditions from 1st in apparatus • Establishing of command • Use of tacital frequncies if needed (enocouraged) • Requesting additional resources

6. Emergency Radio Signals • These could save your life, or someone else’s someday! • “Emergency Traffic” is used to report an emergency (on or off the fire ground, in or out of district). • “Abandon” when ordered to “Abandon”. Withdrawn IMEDIATELY to a safe area. Drop all tools, hose, etc. Roll call with be conducted to ensure all personnel are accounted for, Followed by 3 horn blasts and the Abandonment tones from SORC. • “Mayday” is used by trapped or missing firefighters. Don’t feel disgraced and shy to call a mayday. We don’t want to be at your funeral cause you didn’t. • “Withdraw” is the calm and orderly withdrawal of personnel. Personnel will collect tools, hose, and equipment, then leave the fire area. • “Evacuate” is NOT to be confused with “Abandon,” “Evacuate is the removing of civilians from the area.

7. Scene Size-up/ Report on conditions • What do they want to hear? • Correct location if differs from the initially reported location • Building and occupancy type • Fire Activity/Behavior • Exposures • Use of and what tactical frequency • Instructions for incoming units • Additional Resources if needed or canceling of excess resources

8. Common Fire Ground Identifiers • Command • Operations • Safety (could be an interior and exterior safety on scene) • Accountability • Exterior (operations) • Interior (operations) • Ventilation • Water Supply • Exposure • Medical • Rehab • Staging

9. Need help? • First, know what you need: • SORC has “Alarms” programmed for any incident type. This is an easy way to get more help. Example, “Central, Rogue Elk command requesting 2nd alarm.” Simple ey? • Also can request specific resources if needed such as a single water tender, personnel in a staff vehicle, chief officer, etc. Example, “Central, Rogue Elk command request water tender respond to the scene.” You may need to know where to get the water tender (what fire dept, what substation of that fire dept).

10. Why do they have that number? • RVFCA has a pre-set number designation for all apparatus, personnel, etc. This slide is for persons who have their own number. Departments distribute numbers as desired. • Common numbers you might call and who they are: • 6451 Chief, Bob Miller • 6455 Captain, John Burns • 6456 Captain, Erin Elder • 6457 Captain, Rick Lowe • 6470: Vol, Stu Fraiser • Others you might talk to: • 7753: Battalion Chief (different folks) • 7792: Chief Mechanic, Jim Tuttle • 6251: Fire Chief, Bob Batte (Prospect) • 6551: Fire Chief, Jeff Gorman (Butte Falls)

11. What do we have? • 3 basic radio types • Base (station) • Mobile (vehicle) • Potable (handheld)

12. What do we have? cont. • Do to changes in time and cost, we also make different makes of radios which though have all the basic functions, have their own features and locations of features.

13. Bases • 1 Base Radio • Motorola made • Features: • Remote mic and PTT • Volume • On/Off swtich • Stores 4 frequencies • 1: JCFD 4 Tac • 2: State Fire • 3: North County • 4: Blank

14. Mobiles • We have a few different radio makes in the dept, each of course having it’s own features, newer radios have more channels and the frequency names, vs the older radios with less channels and are ID’ed by channel number. • On ALL mobile radios, North County is ALWAYS group/bank/zone 1, channel 1

15. Midland Mobiles • 22 channels/frequencies • Volume knob which is also the on/off swtich • Squelch knob • Channel select knob • Mon. • P Scan/ N Scan • A/D Sel

16. Kenwood Mobiles • Multi group, 210 channel radio • Independent on/off button • Volume knob • Channel select knob • SCN: scan button • D/A: Delete/Add channels to scan list. • HC: Home/Priority Channel • DIM: Adjust backlighting of radio • SQ: Squelch

17. Portable Radios • Again with grants and other money we have different make radios, therefore again having different features, etc. • On ALL portable radios, North County is ALWAYS Group 1, channel 1

18. Bendix King Even within the same make comes different models. They can be denoted by color Grey: Old ones Black: New Ones (Best Put)

19. Bendix Kings cont Controls of the “BK” radios: • Vol, on/off knob • Squelch knob • Channel select knob • Transmit power switch • Scan on/off switch (neutral scan) • Priority scan on/off swtich • Acc Plug (above PTT button) • Keypad- next slide

20. Bendix King Keypad • Set Priority channel • Select channels to scan • Change groups

21. Motorola Portables • Controls of the Motorola Portables: • Vol, On/Off knob • Channel select knob • ABC Switch- Keypad lock • Orange button: inactive

22. Motorola Portables cont • Purple Button: “Talk Around” • Upper black button: backlight • Lower black light: inactive • Big black button: PTT

23. Motorola Portables cont • “House” button: main menu • Computer button: for programming • Center arrows: cursor • Button 1,2,3 (number of dots): selecting of screen options above button

24. THE END