this is from the 2015 annual operating plan for the federal wildfire agencies in California
=========================== COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES It shall be the responsibility of the agency sending mutual aid resources to ensure that those resources have adequate communications capabilities. Adequate communications capability is defined as VHF Highband radios with a minimum of 240 channels and pre-programmed with the most current FIRESCOPE STATEWIDE FREQUENCY CHANNEL PLAN. Emergency apparatus used for mutual aid will have a mobile VHF Highband radio (powered by the emergency apparatus battery and connected to an external antenna) and a minimum of one portable VHF Highband radio. The VHF Highband portable radio should be capable of being operated by alkaline batteries. Strike Team/Task Force Leaders: In addition to the communications capability required for emergency apparatus, Strike Team/Task Force Leaders are encouraged to respond with a conventional 800 MHz radio pre-programmed with the 800 MHz mutual aid channels as identified in FIRESCOPE STATEWIDE FREQUENCY CHANNEL PLAN. For Narrowband Radios: On January 1, 2013, all public safety and business industrial land mobile radio systems operating in the 150-512 MHz radio bands must cease operating using 25 kHz efficiency technology, and begin operating using at least 12.5 kHz efficiency technology. This deadline is the result of an FCC effort that began almost two decades ago to ensure more efficient use of the spectrum and greater spectrum access for public safety and non-public safety users. Migration to 12.5 kHz efficiency technology (once referred to as Refarming, but now referred to as Narrowbanding) will allow the creation of additional channel capacity within the same radio spectrum, and support more users. After January 1, 2013, licensees not operating at 12.5 KHz efficiency will be in violation of the Commission's rules and could be subject to FCC enforcement action, which may include admonishment, monetary fines, or loss of license. Agencies shall ensure that local radio channels are not utilized outside of the agency’s licensed area of operation. Agencies should provide a minimum of 4 hours of annual basic radio training for Division Supervisors, Strike Team Leaders, and single resource leader positions. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "massfire" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to massfire+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to massfire@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/massfire. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
