Portable Radios- One For Each Crew Member or Do You Have to Share Them?

Several months ago, my F.D. updated our portable radios so that each seating position had it's own portable radio. We were able to do this due to a grant. This ensures that each crew member on that rig has his/her own radio. This has greatly improved safety and communication. I was just wondering what other F.D's, (from big city to small town) are doing.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Stone on February 19, 2009 at 8:17pm

We are a small volunteer rescue squad, and every one of our active members has their own portable. Like several have said on here the Vertex's can be purchased cheaper than a pager and provide not only page function but the ability to talk as well. Training is the key to keep folks from making your department look lke a bunch of idiots to those out there in scannerland.

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Permalink Reply by Allen Green on February 19, 2009 at 8:19pm

Here in Cypress Creek our Comm Officer does an EXCELLENT job in making sure each FF in a aparatus has a radio and it is my job as the (Cadet) to lock in the channel we are working while inroute so I am very very familer with the radios I just wish our moto tone pagers had 2 way possiblities to let the engine know I am almost at the station when responding to a call. As for the scene everyone that needs to communicate has a way to do so except us gofers :-)

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Permalink Reply by Michael Stone on February 19, 2009 at 8:19pm

Try talking to your county commission.

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Permalink Reply by Jeffrey Bryant on February 19, 2009 at 8:20pm

I am from a smaller department in Vermont. we did the same thing. we went with the grant and put a radio in every seat of the 5 trucks and 2 more ing the chiefs car.

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Permalink Reply by Ken Dallinger on February 19, 2009 at 8:21pm

My department is a rural volunteer department and by the reply's I've read to this story, apparently we're pretty lucky in one regard. All 25 personnel on our department is issued an ICOM portable pager/transmitter radio. These radio's not only alert our members of a response but they can transmit on these units as well. This has improved communication and Firefighter Safety tenfold. Our budget is small and money tight like I'm sure it is for most, but we felt that this purchase would assist our members greatly and it has paid off in dividends.

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Permalink Reply by Jeffery Wood on February 19, 2009 at 8:25pm

We are a small rural Volunteer Fire Department with 32 members and we were funded in 2008 with a grant to purchase portable radios for every riding position in each fire department vehicle

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Permalink Reply by jeremy mankin on February 19, 2009 at 8:31pm

in our county every fire fighter,policeofficer and ems personal have two radio's one hiband and one 800mgh radio some of us have two or three radio's depending on if you are in law,ems or fire

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Permalink Reply by bob on February 19, 2009 at 8:37pm

at our F.D. line officers have portables and interior firermen have radios but everyone else has mouth and ears but its not to bad if you need something or someone you tell the closes person to you but this is a small rural F.D. we might have at a usuall call 15 to 20 people we have 2 pumpers, one 1800 gallon tanker, a hummer brush truck, a rescue, and 2 ems vehicals and it works fin and it dousnt couse to much confusion between county and the sean or air talk at the sean

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Permalink Reply by Tom Aiello on February 19, 2009 at 8:37pm

We to have portable radios for all interior FFs as well as officers and 3 safety officers. We are a relatively small dept. with three engines, Heavy rescue, Tower ladder and brush utility. We have found that communication is the key issue in all of our strucure fires.

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Permalink Reply by steve on February 19, 2009 at 8:40pm

Yes, I agree it does help with communication..also nobody forgets to grad a radio. My department did a similar thing. So your off to a good start

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Permalink Reply by FFWiseman28 on February 19, 2009 at 8:42pm

we are a small lil Village volunteer Fire Dept. and we all (each member) has their own radio

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Permalink Reply by Fire Plug on February 19, 2009 at 8:44pm

We are a VFD in a very sparse county in south Texas and had the good fortune of having new radios donated to us by members of the community. We have a portable for every FF, and new mobiles in every truck, with several portables as spares. It's ludicrous to think of a FF in a structure without a radio - like sending him in with no air in his tank.