Attention Departments!

Do not use your old VHF FCC call sign on the 800MHz system.  Your old VHF FCC license does not apply to the new 800 MHz radio system.

Please take the time to carefully read the following e-mail that was sent out on January 6^th, and instruct your personnel on its content.  There is still way too much fire ground traffic on Fire Main. Simply put, if you are not talking to Central Dispatch you should not be on talking on fire main.

Fire Main is used for dispatching and communications with Central Dispatch ONLY, i.e.:

• Units checking enroute with Central Dispatch is done on fire main
• Units checking on location with Central Dispatch is done on fire main
• Units clearing the scene with Central Dispatch is done on fire main
• Requests for Central Dispatch to dispatch mutual aid is done on fire main
• Requests for Central Dispatch to notify Consumers Energy or other agency is done on fire main
• Requests for Central Dispatch to cancel a unit or department, or hold equipment at the station is done on fire main
• Acknowledging “a cancel” from Central Dispatch is done on fire main
• Base radio signing on the air with Central Dispatch is done on fire main
• Base radio signing off the air with Central Dispatch is done on fire main
• Notifying Central Dispatch that an ambulance or Paramedic is on location is done on fire main

All other communications, between responding units and department base radios, is to be done on the assigned fire ground talk group or on the department’s proprietary talk group, i.e.;

• Giving directions to responding units is done on the assigned fire ground talk group.
• Telling your base radio to hold all equipment is done on the assigned fire ground talk group
• Giving tactical assignments to responding units is done on the assigned fire ground talk group
• The IC directing specific units to respond is done on the assigned fire ground talk group
• Directly canceling a unit by the IC or by the base radio is done on the assigned fire ground talk group
• Acknowledging “a cancel” from a base radio or incident commander is done on the assigned fire ground talk group
• Informing your base radio that you are enroute is done on the assigned fire ground talk group
• Informing your base radio that you are on location is done on the assigned fire ground talk group
• Informing your base radio that you are clearing the scene is done on the assigned fire ground talk group
• Requesting your base radio to contact Consumers Energy, or other agency is done on the assigned fire ground talk group
• Notifying your base radio that an ambulance or Paramedic is on location is done on the assigned fire ground talk group

The policy is a unit checks enroute with Central Dispatch, they go to the assigned fire ground talk group and they stay there, unless they need to talk to Central Dispatch on fire main.  Once the base radio signs on the air with Central Dispatch they immediately go to the assigned fire ground talk group and stay there, unless they need to talk to Central Dispatch on fire main.

All radios should be set to scan fire main and your departments proprietary talk group.  Once you go to your assigned fire ground talk group you will still hear transmissions on the other two talk groups as well as the assigned fire ground talk group.

Central Dispatch controls the radio traffic. When Central Dispatch tells you to go to your assigned fire ground talk group, All units responding to that incident must do so immediately

You do not use your old FCC call sign on the 800 MHz radio system.  Those call signs are associated with the old VHF license and do not apply to the new 800 MHz system.