LAFD Blog article: You Got a Radio Scanner... Now What

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

LAFD Blog article: You Got a Radio Scanner... Now What

You Got a Radio Scanner... Now What?Scanning monitor radios, often referred to as "Police Scanners" or "Scanner Radios" were popular gifts this holiday season.

Received with warmth and a sense of awe on Christmas morning, many have sat quietly since, awaiting the often intimidating process of being programmed.

While manufacturers try to simplify instruction manuals, the greatest challenge seems to be obtaining radio frequency information for local agencies or events of interest.

As you might imagine, Neighborhood Firefighters have been approached often this past month by enthusiasts eager to hear their Fire Department in action.

The good news is that local residents need not traipse to a Neighborhood Fire Station. The Los Angeles Fire Department is pleased to provide comprehensive voice radio frequency information on-line at: www.lafd.org/freq.htm

Though our friend Gene Hughes retired from publishing the popular Southern California Police Call radio frequency guide before his untimely passing, there remain several on-line resources to explore scanner radio use in our region:

Monitoring radio frequencies however, will only tell you part of the story. That's why we warmly welcome you (with or without your scanner in hand), to visit a Neighborhood Fire Station, and meet the men and women behind those voices on the radio.

Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Source: Los Angeles Fire Department Blog

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Wednesday, January 28, 2009