Mutual Aid Box Alarm System

MABAS Communications Committee  Charged with the task of improving fire service communications interoperability to assist with incident management of: Emergencies Natural Disasters Man Made Catastrophes

Communications Interoperability  Provide ability for the Incident Commander to communicate with all divisions or sectors at an incident.  Provide ability for companies to communicate within sectors.  Provide for interdisciplinary communications.

Communications Interoperability  Provide communications procedures for “Mayday” and “Emergency Traffic” Situations  Provide ability for mutual aid companies and change of quarters companies to communicate with MABAS Divisions and the local fire dispatch center.

MABAS Communications Interagency Fire Emergency Radio Network Frequency of MHz Two-tone encoding to alert pagers and alert receivers Referred to as the IFERN frequency

Why VHF Simplex?  Most Commonly Used Frequency Band for Public Safety in Illinois  MABAS’ Three Decade History of Dispatch Operations on VHF High Band  NFPA Standard 1221 on Emergency Service Communications Systems: “A separate simplex radio channel shall be provided for on-scene tactical operations.”

Communications Advocacy Statements  Statement #1 – VHF Interoperability –2 Dispatch (Base/Mobile) Frequencies IFERN (wideband) IFERN2 (narrowband) –3 Wideband Fireground (Tactical) Frequencies Red, White & Blue –3 Narrowband Fireground (Tactical) Freqs Gold, Black & Gray –IREACH (Inter-disciplinary Coordination)

Communications Advocacy Statements  Statement #1 – VHF Interoperability –Mutual Aid Response Apparatus should have VHF radio capabilities on IFERN & Fireground Channels –Discourages the use of cross-band repeaters or trunking applications for fireground (tactical) situations.

Communications Advocacy Statements  Statement #2 – Radio Licenses –Encourages all fire departments to audit their FCC radio authorizations. –Encourages appropriate use of frequencies. –Encourages departments and/or MABAS Divisions to obtain accurate FCC radio authorizations on both dispatch and tactical frequencies.

Communications Advocacy Statements  Statement #3 – Transmit Power Limitations –Limits transmit power on fireground (tactical) frequencies to 10 watts maximum. –Allows high power (110 watt) operations on IFERN and IFERN 2 Frequencies –Discourages fixed base station transmit operations on fireground (tactical) frequencies.

Communications Advocacy Statements  Statement #4 – MABAS Alerting –Establishes specific paging tones and encoder timing formats to ensure proper alerting. –Encourages testing to determine proper coverage for dispatch area. (95% coverage) –Encourages reengineering of Division base stations if coverage is inadequate.

Communications Advocacy Statements  Statement #5 – Medical Helicopters –Discourages use of IFERN or Red, White or Blue fireground frequencies for medical helicopter landing zones. –Encourages the use of existing VHF MERCI frequencies, IREACH or other local frequency(ies)

Communications Advocacy Statements  Statement #6 – CTCSS Tones “PL” –Establishes CTCSS tones for all “MABAS” operations frequencies. –Establishes implementation date for IFERN base station operations of January 1, 2006.

Communications Advocacy Statements  Statement #7 – Statewide Radio License –Proposed for Executive Board Action on February 5 th. –MABAS has applied to FCC for statewide authority on 8 “MABAS” frequencies. 25,000 Mobiles 20 Fixed Base Temporary Stations for IFERN and IFERN2

Communications Advocacy Statements  Statement #7 – Statewide Radio License –Establishes parameters for shared use of “MABAS” frequencies and MABAS FCC authorization by member departments. –Frequencies can be used for emergency scene communications and official training activities. –Requires shared users to abide by MABAS policies, FCC rules and Advocacy Statements. –Shifts liability for improper operation to user.

MUTUAL AID BOX ALARM  Each Division designates a MABAS Dispatching Center and a Backup Center with MABAS tone encoders  All MABAS Alarms are toned out on and transmitted on the IFERN frequency.  IFERN becomes dispatch channel for the incident.  Responding apparatus uses IFERN.

MUTUAL AID BOX ALARM  Local fire department dispatcher copies Box Alarm dispatch and confirms unit(s) due from their jurisdiction(s).  Local dispatcher dispatches unit(s) due using normal dispatch procedures/protocols.  If requested unit(s) are unavailable, local dispatcher advises MABAS Division dispatch as soon as possible.  MABAS Division dispatcher has authority to make substitutions.

MUTUAL AID BOX ALARM  Responding units advise local dispatcher of response on local fire frequency.  Responding units then advise MABAS of their response via IFERN radio frequency.  Self or Pre-Dispatching – Wait for MABAS to dispatch alarm before going enroute on IFERN.  Responding units respond to designated Level II staging area and report to staging officer.

MUTUAL AID BOX ALARM MABAS Communications Survey