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 Fireyladd - Retired Chief Sharp on April 11, 2009 at 8:53pm

In our agency we provide radios to all our officers. The firefighters are not provided a radio nor do we condone them purchasing one. We have spares that arw issued on the fire ground or calls when needed. Otherwise Dept issued only.

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Permalink Reply by Station10Capt106 on April 11, 2009 at 9:05pm

We have radios for about 3/4 of our dept and pagers for everyone. We make sure that the officers and more experienced ones have them first. If anyone wants to purchase one on their own they can and we will also get them programed for them. They are told rules that they need to follow in order to keep them. So far we have not had anyone abuse the priviledge of having one.

John

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Permalink Reply by Aaron on April 11, 2009 at 9:22pm

In our dept. we are responsible for our own dispatching. We are a combination fire dept, our volunteers and off duty paid are on call 24-7. Our paging system is build into our 2 ways. every member on our dept has a radio. I can see a point in only officers having radios on the fire ground, but my question would be how the dept handles intior fire attack and search and recue. If each individual firefighter doesnt have a means of communication it would be impossible to call a mayday if they became disorriented or separated or trapped. ofcource there should be strict sogs to avoid confusion. anyway thats just my oppinion. whats your thoughts.

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Permalink Reply by Station10Capt106 on April 11, 2009 at 9:26pm

We have plenty of radios on our trucks that guys can grab when they get off the truck. We just limit some of the radios that they carry with them at all times. Our radios also are set to page too. I agree that everyone on the fire ground should have a radio on them.

John

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Permalink Reply by Tom Chmielowiec Jr. on April 11, 2009 at 9:32pm

Our Company gives out radios to chiefs and captains only, everyone else gets Minitors, but we have radios on each rig, so that on a call we (the firefighters) have radios... it works well
Junior
Omnis Cedo Domus

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Permalink Reply by Peter Yacovone on April 11, 2009 at 9:33pm

Their is a point as a Chief where you can be talking with to many people on the fire grounds. I feel officers only or a slect few firefighters should have them, Keep the confusion down and guys should be working in teams their should be at least one guy that has a radio on them to report in

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Permalink Reply by Audy on April 11, 2009 at 9:39pm

In my dept all pd have there own and when we get a call the vol.can get one of the eng.then the officer has to make sure the wts get back on after the call ends.all wts are color coded as well as the eng.....

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Permalink Reply by Billy Ray D Florendo on April 11, 2009 at 10:20pm

in our station WE DO NOT HAVE A TWO WAY RADIO.. EVEN A BASE RADIO TO MONITOR THE FIRE ALARM IN OUR PROVINCE.

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Permalink Reply by Smith on April 12, 2009 at 12:11am

Our company used to allow everyone to have only if you paid for it, (if your not an officer) but now with this new system every officer has one and there are radios in every truck for every seat, this way everyone on the scene has communcations. this seems to work very well for the entire county.

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Permalink Reply by Randy Bawks on April 12, 2009 at 12:39am

well put.

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Permalink Reply by Fireyladd - Retired Chief Sharp on April 12, 2009 at 1:41am

This is why I like this guy! GIT ER DONE JACK!

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Permalink Reply by Jake Fireman on April 12, 2009 at 1:45am

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm "issued" a radio....well the driver has one, the ass to his right has one (me), all my firefighters have them. As far as being "issued"...we don't issue them to our personnel. We "issue" them to a seat I guess. I have one for command and such, my engineer has one because he is usually with the rig. My firefighters have them in case something hits that perverbial fan. If something is not hitting that fan and you decide to chat it up with everyone...YOU WILL be wearing a microphone and coiled cord around your neck everywhere we go for the rest of that 24 or 48 hour shift ;)