Emergency Dispatch language.

[Remington788]

Yes, I use my BaoFeng as a scanner.
No I do not transmit. I have no license.

I scan through the Fire/EMS dispatches for several surrounding counties. While I suppose that most of the communications is probably done via digital channels using systems at frequencies well outside the UV5r's capability, they still make an announcement on old VHF channels.

Some of the stuff, I just don't understand and maybe someone here can help me.

1. Why do they talk so fast? Sometimes they talk faster than a TV announcer reading the fine print in a car ad. I find this in listening to Air Traffic Control also. Speech so fast it is sometimes unintelligible.

2. Box Numbers. Every fire and EMS call ends with a Box number, like "Fall victim, 123 Elm St. Sometown. Box 55E" What is the significance of the Box?

[pens87pgh]

The box number thing must be local to your area. I listen to ours quite often on my BaoFeng and never have heard that.

[Remington788]

I remember as a kid that the fire siren would blast, then a loud horn would set off two series of blasts. They were a code. 5-3 was one neighborhood intersection, 1-9 another, etc. It told the volunteer firemen where to go. This was before pagers.

[Gun]

I remember as a kid that the fire siren would blast, then a loud horn would set off two series of blasts. They were a code. 5-3 was one neighborhood intersection, 1-9 another, etc. It told the volunteer firemen where to go. This was before pagers.

In Wesleyville, they STILL use the air raid siren, which is just plain ridiculous.

[free]

In Wesleyville, they STILL use the air raid siren, which is just plain ridiculous.

Shit. Even in Pittsburgh I hear the air raid siren, which is even more ridiculous..

[xXxplosive]

Here in Jerzy, we still have the sirens in our township too....

[PAMedic=F|A=]

In Wesleyville, they STILL use the air raid siren, which is just plain ridiculous.

Until the dispatch towers go down, which are increased run through isp lines and require power.

Or 911 goes down because Verizon*s land line goes down.

911 is a system you want to have multiple redundant backups on.

Sirens are Increasingly unpopular with fire companies, but I disagree with it. They should be there, and be used, because pager batteries fail, and sometimes 912 goes down. In some counties it happens a couple times a year, for hours.

[Carson]

Until the dispatch towers go down, which are increased run through isp lines and require power.

Or 911 goes down because Verizon*s land line goes down.

911 is a system you want to have multiple redundant backups on.

Sirens are Increasingly unpopular with fire companies, but I disagree with it. They should be there, and be used, because pager batteries fail, and sometimes 912 goes down. In some counties it happens a couple times a year, for hours.

NYC still has pull boxes on the corner for fire and EMS. But they have had voice capability for decades.

Philadelphia has not had corner boxes in decades, but still dispatch house and building fires with a phantom box number.

[Mr_Gixxer]

Box is just an identifier used for mutual aid calls where they draw from certain groups of departments to respond depending on area and emergency.

[Manxdriver]

‘ Box number’ is a holdover from the days when there were actual call boxes on streets that you could pick up and call in!
Nozzle jockeys are weird people!