How Many Fire Departments Give Out Two Way Radios to their Members?

In the Department I belong to give two way radios to all the line offers, and any firefighter that would like to have a two way radio only needs to get pemision from the Chief, and he, or she can purchase their own, and the department will program it for you. When we use the radio, our call sign is our ID number. I must say it works well within our Department. How do other departments feel about the uses of radio's?

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Permalink Reply by Tom Carter on July 7, 2009 at 2:12pm

I've been at Wayne Twp Fire for 23 yrs, and have seen our radio go from the old way of officers had portables & mobiles, ff had mobiles , to today where each member has a 800mhz portable issued to them. As an officer its a nice thing to know whos responding & how many...

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Permalink Reply by CHRIS PUYLARA on July 7, 2009 at 3:20pm

I KNOW THAT I HAVE REPLIED TO THIS BEFORE,BUT AFTER READING SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS GOING ON, I THOUGHT I WOULD ADD SOME MORE. IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, IF EVERYONE HAS A RADIO IN A DEPARTMENT,AND YOU ARE GOING FOR YOUR ISO RATING....EITHER TO REDUCE IT OR WHATEVER, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WILL HELP WITH YOUR RATING, BY HOW MUCH, I DON'T KNOW. I REALLY BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE IN A DEPARTMENT SHOULD HAVE ONE, IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE LEADERSHIP AND THE RULES THAT ARE IMPLEMENTED ON RADIO TRAFFIC AT SCENES. ONE OF MY RULES WOULDS BE.....THAT IF THERE IS A CALL.....ONLY OFFICERS COULD CALL FIRE CONTROL TO CHECK ENROUTE.....NOT JUST EVERYBODY.....NOW IF YOUR A FIREFIGHTER ENROUTE TO THE STATION... CALL THE PORTABLE....SWITCH TO YOUR TACH CHANNEL...AND TAKE CARE OF IT THERE....ETA TO STATION... OOPS TRUCK LEAVING....MEET US ON SCENE...ETC. BOTTOM LINE IS WE SHOULD ALL HAVE THEM....ITS ALL ABOUT GOING HOME AT THE END OF THE CALL.....STAY SAFE KIDS.....CHRIS

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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on July 7, 2009 at 3:54pm

We've got a radio for every riding position in all of our rigs, with a few spares kept in the stations. Our Chiefs have their own call signs, otherwise our call signs correspond with the rig you're on that day. (ie. Engine 2 Officer is Engine 2A, crew is Engine 2B, C & D).

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Permalink Reply by Shanna Davis on July 7, 2009 at 7:24pm

Everyone on my dept. has a radio. This has just been in the last year though. Before that only officers and crew leaders had radios. The volunteers raised holy hell about the radio situation after having a few incidents where several members were basically endangered because they did not have a radio on scene. So now we each have a radio and a pager.

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Permalink Reply by Mick Shelley on July 7, 2009 at 8:54pm

Hey Dave, Again thanks for responding to the discusion. I love it, ( Back In The Dinosaur Era ) Heres one for ya, this is one of my old patches from back in the .....

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Permalink Reply by Mick Shelley on July 7, 2009 at 8:58pm

Hey Joe, Thanks for responding to the discussion. Sounds as if you have
a good program in place. Thanks again, be well, and stay safe out there Brother.

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Permalink Reply by Mick Shelley on July 9, 2009 at 4:48pm

Hey Chris, Thanks again for your input to the discussion. I have to agree
with what you had to say. That is some what the same as I have been saying
during this discussion. Again thanks for your comments. Be well, and stay safe
out there Brother.

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Permalink Reply by Mick Shelley on July 9, 2009 at 4:51pm

Hey Brian, Yhanks for responding to the discussion, sounds as if your
department has a good SOP with the radio's. Thanks for adding your comment.
Be well, and stay safe out there Brother.

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Permalink Reply by shane phillips on July 10, 2009 at 2:28pm

Our Dept gives every member a radio, that way when 911 calls us out each member can call 911 and them know there in route to the station .

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Permalink Reply by Mick Shelley on July 10, 2009 at 3:09pm

Hey Ralph, Thanks for responding to the discussion. I can't beleive you don't
even have a station, that's a first. You also have just 7 members, that has to be
the smallest department that I have ever heard of. Again thank you for sharing
your story with us. Be well, and stay safe out there Brother.

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Permalink Reply by Mick Shelley on July 10, 2009 at 3:38pm

Hey Abe, Thanks for responding to the discussion. Sounds as if you have
everyone covered, and in place. Thanks again for your reply. Be well, and
stay safe out there Brother.

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Permalink Reply by Wayne Peterson on December 18, 2010 at 8:05pm

Good heavens every member should not be calling into 911, our dept has its own repeater and we use that to communiate to each other and what equipment we are picking up. Works very well and we stay off 911 central freq. Only officers report to 911 unless they are not avaiable. Trucks check in when going ito service.

We continue to get more radios in the hands of members with proper instruction.