When monitoring Riverside County Fire's dispatch (RRU-1) I noticed that sometimes AMR (seems like field units) responds to the dispatcher.
Does AMR have a patch channel or seperate radio that they communicate to County Fire with?
Now I know of course 98% of the time you hear County Fire dispatched on RRU-1 (151.385), you will also hear AMR dispatched to the exact same call on AMR's MEDNET frequencys.
Can someone further explain how their system works? Thanks!
AMR's MedNet patched to RRU Dispatch?
Re: AMR's MedNet patched to RRU Dispatch?
AMR Dispatch has a radio and is toned out like the stations are, then they acknowledge the call. Same thing happens in Hemet on the Hemet dispatch channel. IIRC, last time I was in Riverside, they do the same thing on their channel, too; I would assume Corona and Murrieta work the same way, although I'm not sure if AMR dispatch--which is in NE Riverside on the back side of Box Springs--has direct radio access to Corona and/or Murr. (Not sure how they can hear Hemet, given where our repeater site is and the hills between us and Box, let alone Box being in the way---I'm assuming they have a remote site somewhere.)
Even though the AMR units may be listening on a seperate radio/scanner, they are still dispatched by AMR on their frequency. (155.295/.355) Since I can't hear RRU-3, I assume it works the same way out in the desert.
Even though the AMR units may be listening on a seperate radio/scanner, they are still dispatched by AMR on their frequency. (155.295/.355) Since I can't hear RRU-3, I assume it works the same way out in the desert.
Re: AMR's MedNet patched to RRU Dispatch?
As Mike has stated, fire stations and AMR dispatch are notified at the same time. The fire stations and AMR dispatch receive a print out of the call around the time the tones are going off. Sometimes before, sometimes after. This is also the time when the call is sent to the MDC. I have heard that a light goes off at AMR dispatch when they are dispatched.
If you do hear AMR units on RRU 1, it is usually because they picked up the wrong mic or are on the wrong channel. They do talk on support with the engine companies but that depends on the AMR crews. Some do, some don't.
If you do hear AMR units on RRU 1, it is usually because they picked up the wrong mic or are on the wrong channel. They do talk on support with the engine companies but that depends on the AMR crews. Some do, some don't.
Re: AMR's MedNet patched to RRU Dispatch?
When I was a dispatcher in Perris, this was a major topic of concern. I remember that dispatchers used to get really upset when an AMR unit would come up on an RRU frequency for information regarding a call. The department finally had to write an SOP that said that any cooperating agency has the authority to come up on any frequency if it's regarding official business.
If I remember correctly, I don't think any of the AMR field units have the ability to come up on the primary channels (RRU 1 and RRU 3), but the dispatchers commonly come up on RRU 1 trying to talk to their field units on Med Net. Unsually, it's because they are using their "foot pedal" to transmit, which will tx on any channel they have selected on their console when they press it. If they accidentally forget to de-select RRU 1 after acknowledging a call, they'll be simulcasting on RRU 1 and Med Net at the same time - this would happen all the time and we would have to call them and tell them they were taking up the air.
As for the dispatch procedures... it is exactly like the fire stations (just like everyone else has said here). They get a tone out and their primary dispatcher sees an alert on his or her console. They acknowledge the call just like the station does over the air, too. In the desert, it's exactly the same way, except it's a different AMR office (AMR Desert). Murrieta Fire does not tone out AMR like RVC fire does... they don't have the ability to because of the location of their transmitter (on the south face of the hills along Clinton Keith Road). They place a phone call to AMR through a directly connected phone line. However, because there is an AMR ambulance stationed at two of the 4 stations in the city of Murrieta, they usually get the call at the same time as the engine and get on the road at the same time as well.
If I remember correctly, I don't think any of the AMR field units have the ability to come up on the primary channels (RRU 1 and RRU 3), but the dispatchers commonly come up on RRU 1 trying to talk to their field units on Med Net. Unsually, it's because they are using their "foot pedal" to transmit, which will tx on any channel they have selected on their console when they press it. If they accidentally forget to de-select RRU 1 after acknowledging a call, they'll be simulcasting on RRU 1 and Med Net at the same time - this would happen all the time and we would have to call them and tell them they were taking up the air.
As for the dispatch procedures... it is exactly like the fire stations (just like everyone else has said here). They get a tone out and their primary dispatcher sees an alert on his or her console. They acknowledge the call just like the station does over the air, too. In the desert, it's exactly the same way, except it's a different AMR office (AMR Desert). Murrieta Fire does not tone out AMR like RVC fire does... they don't have the ability to because of the location of their transmitter (on the south face of the hills along Clinton Keith Road). They place a phone call to AMR through a directly connected phone line. However, because there is an AMR ambulance stationed at two of the 4 stations in the city of Murrieta, they usually get the call at the same time as the engine and get on the road at the same time as well.
Re: AMR's MedNet patched to RRU Dispatch?
Field units do have the ability to come up on RRU 1. Heard it many times. Before AMR won the county contract and deciding on having their own dispatch, Perris used to dispatch Goodhew ambulances off of RRU 1 and Support nets. I believe the county actually owns some of the ambulances in case AMR would ever actually pull out of the contract, the whole EMS system wouldn't collapse by AMR taking all the ambulance out of the county.211 wrote:If I remember correctly, I don't think any of the AMR field units have the ability to come up on the primary channels (RRU 1 and RRU 3), but the dispatchers commonly come up on RRU 1 trying to talk to their field units on Med Net. Unsually, it's because they are using their "foot pedal" to transmit, which will tx on any channel they have selected on their console when they press it. If they accidentally forget to de-select RRU 1 after acknowledging a call, they'll be simulcasting on RRU 1 and Med Net at the same time - this would happen all the time and we would have to call them and tell them they were taking up the air.
Re: AMR's MedNet patched to RRU Dispatch?
You forgot Hemet Valley Ambulance.Kingscup wrote: Before AMR won the county contract and deciding on having their own dispatch, Perris used to dispatch Goodhew ambulances off of RRU 1...
DUDE, that brings back memories. I've been monitoring RRU since Nov '86 when my future step-father showed up and brought this weird walkie-talkie with him that had these funny-looking crystals things in it and red lights that scanned across the top of it, kinda like the scanner on the front of KITT. This would eventually lead to me hanging out at station 6 in MoVal, then a tour in '90 of the ECC--where I met this really nice dispatcher named Cherri. She even let me sit in her chair...it was the best thing that could have happened to this then-16 y/o scanner geek!!! I have since been back to new ECC where I applied as a call taker back around 2000-2001, but was passed over as there were a lot of other applicants. It was my dream job to be one of the dispatchers that I heard over the radio, but I have sinced realized that public safetey dispatching just isn't for me. 80-100 AAA calls in 12 hours on Saturdays back when my company had their AAA contract with me being the only one to handle them with 5 phone lines ringing off the hook made me realize that a real dispatching job just wasn't for me.
Re: AMR's MedNet patched to RRU Dispatch?
As for the desert, there are paramedics at almost every FS. AMR dispatches for Palm Springs and maybe DHS if I know correctly. Blythe has its ambulance service dispatched by Riverside Medics or something like that. They may have AMR units deployed in all those unincorporated areas.
Re: AMR's MedNet patched to RRU Dispatch?
I am not sure if you mistyped or do not understand how this works. Maybe I am not understanding what you typed. RVC Fire dispatches FD ambulances in the cities of Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells and Indio. Cathedral City dispatches their own FD ambulances. AMR only dispatches their ambulances to the rest of the valley. They don't dispatch any FD ambulances. AMR recently bought out Blythe ambulance but I believe they are still dispatched by River Medical out of Lake Havasu.cvrules90 wrote:As for the desert, there are paramedics at almost every FS. AMR dispatches for Palm Springs and maybe DHS if I know correctly. Blythe has its ambulance service dispatched by Riverside Medics or something like that. They may have AMR units deployed in all those unincorporated areas.
Re: AMR's MedNet patched to RRU Dispatch?
Ah well I knew about Cat City. So I guess all the other cities (DHS, LQ, Coachella) would have AMR since none of their stations have paramedic ambulances parked like they do in Indio or Palm Desert.
Also I once came across a conventional 800MHz frequency called AMR Desert on this site (may still be there). Could it be the freq that River Medical uses for AMR nowdays?
Also I once came across a conventional 800MHz frequency called AMR Desert on this site (may still be there). Could it be the freq that River Medical uses for AMR nowdays?
Re: AMR's MedNet patched to RRU Dispatch?
no on River medical what is under blythe is what river medical is using.