What's that red button on the radio for?

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FFEMT1764

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Well I confirmed my suspicions yesterday...pushed the red button on the EMS radio at work and it did absolutly nothing...no beep, no siren, nothing...at least my code 5 was coming, we needed all the help we could get lifting the pt...and we got stuck in the yard to boot(red clay, rain, and a 26000# freightliner dont mix). I am definatly going to bring this up in our first response configuartion committee
 

Jon

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FFEMT1764 said:
Well I confirmed my suspicions yesterday...pushed the red button on the EMS radio at work and it did absolutly nothing...no beep, no siren, nothing...at least my code 5 was coming, we needed all the help we could get lifting the pt...and we got stuck in the yard to boot(red clay, rain, and a 26000# freightliner dont mix). I am definatly going to bring this up in our first response configuartion committee
Happened out here several months ago. A medic had a "holy crap" code at a dialysis clinic... started off as Seizures, then the guy pulled the needles out, shunt wouldn't stop bleeding, he called the county for help, no answer... eventually hit his panic button with no result....
 

FFEMT1764

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Gee, this is great to know...they provide us with a radio that could save our butts but they dont activate the features...I wonder what genius thought this idea through...
 

Chimpie

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The same one that thought it would be a good idea to have one frequency for multiple agencies/counties/states. :)
 

FFEMT1764

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OH OH so you mean I can blame the FCC...I like blaming the federal government...of course I know they didnt program the radios...so maybe they only get partial blame...the 6 agency thing has to be their fault!
 

Chimpie

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I doubt the frequency problem is the FCC's fault. Not fully knowing the situation I blame the individual agencies or the head comm guys. My guess is that they only wanted one frequency since the same dispatcher is used for all agencies (if I remember correctly).
 

FFEMT1764

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No they are all dispatched separately but the individual counties that have the agency...I think the FCC got carried away when they gave out 155.160...alot of people are using that in the SE US.
 

Chimpie

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So there are six different dispatchers talking on the same freq? And if so, are the six dispatchers in the same room or at the respective agency?
 

FFEMT1764

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6 diff disp in 6 diff locales...in 3 states... all within 100 mile radius of each other and all but us have 10,000+ watt power output...we have 1000 watt...
 

Chimpie

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And there is one 911 center that covers this whole area right?

So 911 receives call, determines which county and state is in, forwards them the information and then it's dispatched?

What about PL tones, repeaters, etc.
 

FFEMT1764

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No, 6 diff 911 centers too...and here lately they all feel then need to tone people out at the same time...which makes it hard for us to hear calls when our dispatch is blasted by one of the other agencies.
 

Chimpie

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Okay, so six diferrent 911 centers, dispatching their own ems agency, but all share one frequency. I think I finally deciphered all that. LOL

It's easy to say then that each agency/county needs to file for their own frequency. There is no excuse not to, and the cost is not that much.

Each rig has their own freq programmed in on their radio, if they assist other agencies then those agency's freq, then a mutual aid freq which common sense would say use the 155.160.

That's just how I see it but then again I'm not there so... :)
 

FFEMT1764

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Well that would solve the problem...but we have had this freq since 1976 when we formed our service...I think the others came along a few years down the line...and our current county administrator and council are old timers...they hate the idea and talk of change-or spending $$$...I am hoping that we get to go to the 800 system...but then again we were supposed to have been there by now...seems the SO keeps getting all the radios that we were allocated in the past budget...go figure-the redheaded step-child.
 

ffemt8978

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Got to be one of the oldest thread revivals ever!!!

And don't anyone go getting any ideas about beating that record.
 

jwSWAT210

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lol....ironically enough...when I joined,...its what showed in my recent posts. It wasnt until you mentioned the "revival" how old it was. Weird
 

NomadicMedic

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And as a follow-up to the emergency button... If you smash that orange button on our radios, it IMMEDIATELY makes every screen in the radio room start flashing red, there is a loud tone, and it opens the microphone on the radio for 15 seconds and locks everyone else out. It also transmits the radio alias, in most cases which unit the radio is assigned to. For fire its as specific as the position, "Engine 79-1 seat 3." It also sends the GPS coordinates to the radio room consoles. If you don't tell them you're okay, they send EVERYONE to help.

It's usually an accidental press and the dispatchers know it. They'll just tell you to clear it.
 

Achilles

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And as a follow-up to the emergency button... If you smash that orange button on our radios, it IMMEDIATELY makes every screen in the radio room start flashing red, there is a loud tone, and it opens the microphone on the radio for 15 seconds and locks everyone else out. It also transmits the radio alias, in most cases which unit the radio is assigned to. For fire its as specific as the position, "Engine 79-1 seat 3." It also sends the GPS coordinates to the radio room consoles. If you don't tell them you're okay, they send EVERYONE to help.

It's usually an accidental press and the dispatchers know it. They'll just tell you to clear it.
On the Motorolas you can also press it and the press the ptt button, talk and then press the red button again to turn it off and then press it again to turn it off
 

Kevinf

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It's fun when you're driving and manage to activate the SHTF button, good luck working that out in a timely manner. Ask how I know. One of my coworkers managed to hit it three times in a row while at a firehouse barbecue. Dispatch told him that he'd need to bring them ribs if he did it again.
 
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