Ops/chiefs net

[Kingscup]

I noticed on RR that there is an Ops/chief net on 31.18 and 31.14. I have never monitored this and it is not in the Cal Fire/RVC fire radio plan. Just wondering what it is.

[brandon]

I put 31.180 into the scanner a while back and heard somebody doing radio checks. It sounded like a repeater and came in at full scale. Did not hear enough traffic to identify the user or log any PL tone.

[211]

The ops net used to be a low-band communication link for chiefs and/or the command center in Perris. All of the old command vehicles and chief's vehicles had low band radios installed so they could talk to each other privately, seperate from the normal field operations taking place on the regular VHF support/command frequencies. The traffic on this channel was usually routine (who was covering what shifts, engines being taken out of service, etc). I still have no idea why a low band frequency was chosen.

Ops net was phased out shortly after the widespread acceptance of Nextel technology. All chief officers and overhead personell with the Riverside County Fire Department / CAL Fire RRU now carry Nextels, but I think there are still a few old (very old) vehicles stil remaining in the fleet that have the old low band radios installed.

I don't even think any of the radio consoles in the Perris ECC have the ability to control the low band radio anymore, but I think it's still installed down in the radio vault and the antenna is probably still in place on the tower out behind the building.

[Kingscup]

Thanks for the info.