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Has anybody figured out how Riverside (City) Fire assigns their channels? That is, for each call, how are channels assigned? I've seen Command 2 assigned in medical emergencies.

I have no inside info, and I don't know why they call these Command channels, but here's how they've been using the first three channels for years:

460.5750 F1 COMMAND 1 PL123.0 This is the dispatch channel. Also use to contact units are on the road but not on an incident.
460.6000 F2 COMMAND 2 PL97.4 This is the primary response or incident channel, regardless of the type of incident.
460.6250 F3 COMMAND 3 PL123.0 This is the secondary response or incident channel, usually only used when COMMAND 2 is busy or dedicated to a particular incident.

FWIW, if it's a major incident and they assign it a fireground tactical such as tac 4 (non-repeater mode), the IC stays on COMMAND 2 or 3 for comms with dispatch, which is why I assume they're called COMMAND channels.

<>< Mike

retiredFD07 wrote:I have no inside info, and I don't know why they call these Command channels, but here's how they've been using the first three channels for years:

460.5750 F1 COMMAND 1 PL123.0 This is the dispatch channel. Also use to contact units are on the road but not on an incident.
460.6000 F2 COMMAND 2 PL97.4 This is the primary response or incident channel, regardless of the type of incident.
460.6250 F3 COMMAND 3 PL123.0 This is the secondary response or incident channel, usually only used when COMMAND 2 is busy or dedicated to a particular incident.

FWIW, if it's a major incident and they assign it a fireground tactical such as tac 4 (non-repeater mode), the IC stays on COMMAND 2 or 3 for comms with dispatch, which is why I assume they're called COMMAND channels.

<>< Mike

So the fire crews use the assigned Tac channel to talk amongst themselves but would need to go to Command to let the commanding officer know if there's something important.

I just thought that if maybe they assigned channels a certain way like how some FDs have channels for medical emergencies for example.

"Command channels" are typically repeated and monitored by a dispatcher at the dispatch center. On the command channel, a dispatcher is usually logging incident activity and taking / responding to requests for resources and coordinating responses from further out units so repeater or remote base coverage is necessary. The "tactical" or fireground channels are typically NOT monitored by the dispatcher and are typically simplex channels used at an incident where wide area coverage is not needed or necessary. Repeater coverage in the basement of a burning building or in rough hilly areas is unknown and unreliable. Simplex works much better for things like structure fires. If the incident is not significant enough to warrant it's own tactical channel, dispatch coordination will be done on a common "command" channel.

FYI, RFD "command 2" is also multicast onto 154.175 Mhz.

CQPSK, thank you for your concise info. Much appreciated!