Talking to Other Agencies:
- How do I talk to other dispatch centers in Butler County?
- How do I talk to people from the City of Cincinnati?
- How do I talk to people from Clermont County?
- How do I talk to people from Hamilton County?
- How do I talk to people from Montgomery County?
- How do I talk to the Ohio State Highway Patrol?
- How do I talk to Ohio DNR Park Rangers?
- How do I talk to people from Preble County?
- How do I talk to people from Warren County?
- How do I talk to medical helicopters?
- How do I talk to users within the same government but working at a different agency?
- How do I talk to other dispatch centers in Butler County?
The “BC CALLING” talkgroup allows BRICS users to call dispatch centers they don’t normally talk to. Located in Zone C, Channel 1, users can simply switch their A-B-C switch in the opposite direction when on their dispatch talkgroup (A-1).
The talkgroup is monitored by all nine dispatch centers. It should be used to hail other centers only; extended conversations will be offloaded to a BC TALK talkgroup. Calls should be brief and succinct so as not to tie up the channel. Read the policy on using BC CALLING on our policies page.
- How do I talk to people from the City of Cincinnati?
Cincinnati uses an 800MHz trunked radio system, much like our own. Their radios are compatible with our radios, allowing fairly easy communication.
Cincinnati allowed us to program their talkgroups for interoperability into our radios. Butler County, in return, has given Cincinnati users permission to program our interoperability talkgroups – specifically, Mutual Aid talkgroups for all users and Area Wide or Fireground talkgroups for Law Enforcement or Fire/EMS, respectively.
Not all Cincinnati radios include our talkgroups (although most Cincinnati FD radios should be equipped, as of 2013). If not, their talkgroups are available in your radio. As long as you are in an area that has coverage from the Cincinnati system, you can interoperate on a Cincinnati talkgroup. See the Other Systems guide for more information.
You can also communicate with users from Cincinnati using conventional mutual aid frequencies. See this page for more information.
- How do I talk to people from Clermont County?
Clermont County did not provide their talkgroups for our radios. Butler County has offered to allow Clermont County to program our interoperability talkgroups in their radios, and many individual Clermont-area agencies have done so.
For agencies that have not, the only way you can currently communicate with those users is on conventional mutual aid frequencies. See this page for more information.
- How do I talk to people from Hamilton County?
Hamilton County uses an 800MHz trunked radio system, much like our own. Their radios are compatible with our radios, allowing fairly easy communication.
Hamilton County allowed us to program their talkgroups for interoperability into our radios. Butler County, in return, has given Hamilton County users permission to program our interoperability talkgroups – specifically, Mutual Aid talkgroups for all users and Area Wide or Fireground talkgroups for Law Enforcement or Fire/EMS, respectively.
Many – but not all – Hamilton County agencies have added Butler County talkgroups to their radios. For agencies that have not, their talkgroups are available in your radio. As long as you are in an area that has coverage from the Hamilton County system, you can interoperate on a Hamilton County talkgroup. See the Other Systems guide for more information.
You can also communicate with users from Hamilton County using conventional mutual aid frequencies. See this page for more information.
- How do I talk to people from Montgomery County?
Montgomery County uses an 800MHz trunked radio system, much like our own. Our radios are compatible with their system, allowing fairly easy communication when you respond to Montgomery County.
Montgomery County allowed us to program their talkgroups for interoperability into our radios. Butler County, in return, has given Montgomery County users permission to program our interoperability talkgroups – specifically, Mutual Aid talkgroups for all users and Area Wide or Fireground talkgroups for Law Enforcement or Fire/EMS, respectively.
Their radios do not yet include our talkgroups. An update will follow when they begin adding them to their own, digital-capable radios. In the mean time, their talkgroups are available in your radio. As long as you are in an area that has coverage from the Montgomery County system, you can interoperate on a Montgomery County talkgroup. See the Other Systems guide for more information.
You can also communicate with users from Montgomery County using conventional mutual aid frequencies. See this page for more information.
- How do I talk to the Ohio State Highway Patrol?
The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) uses the State of Ohio MARCS system. It is an 800MHz trunked radio system, much like our own. Their radios are compatible with our radios, allowing fairly easy communication.
Ohio MARCS allowed us to program their talkgroups for interoperability into our radios. Butler County, in return, has given MARCS users permission to program our interoperability talkgroups – specifically, Mutual Aid talkgroups for all users and Area Wide or Fireground talkgroups for Law Enforcement or Fire/EMS, respectively.
Their radios do not yet include our talkgroups. An update will follow when they begin adding them to their own radios. In the mean time, their interoperability talkgroups are available in your radio.
We do not have OSHP dispatch talkgroups; rather, our radios contain common MARCS talkgroups that both parties could switch to for an incident.
The OSHP dispatch center for Post 9, located in Warren County, monitors and can be hailed on the OH SO-9 talkgroup on MARCS. Our dispatch centers may also use this talkgroup to reach Post 9.
You can also communicate with OSHP using conventional mutual aid frequencies. See this page for more information.
- How do I talk to Ohio DNR Park Rangers?
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources uses the State of Ohio MARCS system. It is an 800MHz trunked radio system, much like our own. Their radios are compatible with our radios, allowing fairly easy communication.
Ohio MARCS allowed us to program their talkgroups for interoperability into our radios. Butler County, in return, has given MARCS users permission to program our interoperability talkgroups – specifically, Mutual Aid talkgroups for all users and Area Wide or Fireground talkgroups for Law Enforcement or Fire/EMS, respectively.
Their radios do not yet include our talkgroups. An update will follow when they begin adding them to their own radios. In the mean time, their interoperability talkgroups are available in your radio.
We do not have DNR dispatch talkgroups; rather, our radios contain common MARCS talkgroups that both parties could switch to for an incident.
The Ohio DNR dispatch center for Hueston Woods and the entire state is located in Columbus. The Columbus comm center can be hailed on the MCALL-3 talkgroup on MARCS. They can reach a DNR officer for you and direct you to a common talkgroup.
You can also communicate with DNR using conventional mutual aid frequencies. See this page for more information.
- How do I talk to people from Preble County?
Much of Preble County does not currently use 800MHz; they use VHF frequencies. If you have a VHF radio installed in your vehicle, it may have Preble County frequencies.
The Preble County Sheriff’s Office uses Ohio MARCS 800MHz. You can work with them on common MARCS talkgroups contained in our public safety radios. PCSO radios are also equipped with Butler County talkgroups for incidents in our coverage area.
We are working on a more permanent and seamless solution to communicate with Preble County public safety.
If you have an emergency, you can hail the Preble County Sheriff dispatch center on their MARCS talkgroup, OH SO-68. This MARCS 800MHz radio is installed in their dispatch center.
- How do I talk to people from Warren County?
Warren County uses an 800MHz trunked radio system, much like our own. Our radios are compatible with their system, allowing fairly easy communication when you respond to Warren County.
Warren County allowed us to program their talkgroups for interoperability into our radios. Butler County, in return, has given Warren County users permission to program our interoperability talkgroups – specifically, Mutual Aid talkgroups for all users and Area Wide or Fireground talkgroups for Law Enforcement or Fire/EMS, respectively.
Most Warren County public safety radios are equipped with Butler County talkgroups for incidents in our coverage area. For incidents in Warren County, their talkgroups are available in your radio. As long as you are in an area that has coverage from the Warren County system, you can interoperate on a Warren County talkgroup. See the Other Systems guide for more information.
You can also communicate with users from Warren County using conventional mutual aid frequencies. See this page for more information.
- How do I talk to medical helicopters?
We communicate with medical helicopters using conventional mutual aid frequencies. These channels are provided nationally for mutual aid to all public safety responders with 800MHz radios.
There are five channels: 8 CALL 90, 8 TAC 91 D, 8 TAC 92 D, 8 TAC 93 D, and 8 TAC 94 D.
8 CALL 90 is reserved for hailing other dispatch centers or field units. You will typically be assigned 8 TAC 92 D or 8 TAC 94 D, located in Zone C, for communication with helicopters.
See this page for more information about the 800MHz mutual aid channels.
See also: Medical Helicopter Guide for Dispatchers.
- How do I talk to users within the same government but working at a different agency?
Each political subdivision in Butler County was provided with a government talkgroup that was made common to all users and agencies within the political subdivision. WC GOV, for example, is the West Chester government talkgroup. It appears in the template for West Chester police, fire, public works and administration radios.
Each political subdivision or dispatch center will have to decide when and how their government talkgroups will be used. Consult your local policies.