Common incident talkgroups may only be used when assigned by a dispatcher. With the large amount of talkgroups shared by many agencies, only dispatchers will be able to track which are available for assignment.
Typically, landing zone coordinators communicate from ground to helicopter using a simplex (direct) frequency. In the 800MHz band, the national mutual aid frequencies (also known as NPSPAC frequencies) are the standard for ground to helicopter coordination.
Fire agencies in western Butler County who were originally provided 800MHz radios on the Oxford Area Radio System will have their mobiles reprogrammed next week.
This week saw the transition of all Oxford Area Radio System users to the Butler Regional Interoperable Communications System. Careful planning and coordination between BRICS staff, vendors and local officials resulted in a smooth transition for two dispatch centers, three law enforcement agencies, two fire/EMS departments, one EMS agency, one hospital ER and two public works groups.
As part of our contract with Motorola, a one-time special purchase offering has been made available to all Butler County governments and agencies. This will allow the purchase of additional radios and accessories at a substantially reduced price
In July, our technicians conducted rigorous testing of portables provided by EF Johnson Technologies, a manufacturer of Project 25 compliant two-way radios. The purpose was to test radio performance and functionality on the BRICS 800MHz voice system.