District to link all responders over radio

Courtesy of Alan Henney and the SCAN-DC group:

Original article at:
http://www.examiner.com/a-547737~District_to_link_all_responders_over_radio.html

By Michael Neibauer, The Examiner (Feb 5, 2007 3:00 AM)

WASHINGTON - Two dozen District government agencies outside police and fire still can’t coordinate over the city’s public safety radio network more than five years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

But the D.C. Unified Communications Center has prepared an upgrade under a recently awarded one-year, $199,960 contract with D.C.-based consultant Telecommunications Development Corp. The deal calls for the development of an intra-District interoperability plan for 23 agencies within D.C. currently using the 800 MHz Radio Network.

“This effort will permit agencies that would not normally have the ability to communicate with one another the means to do so with the implementation of this project,” UCC spokeswoman Debbie Know said.

The government is pleased with its current emergency radio system, but it does have deficiencies, Knox said. Secondary responders were never linked, she said, leaving those agencies with no direct capability to communicate with members of the perspective communities, dispatch or local support staff via the 800 MHz radio network.

The D.C. Department of Health, for example, a vital agency in the case of a bioterrorism attack or virus outbreak, can communicate with RFK Stadium security, the Emergency Management Agency and the D.C. Department of Transportation. But it can’t talk to police or fire over the existing network, Knox said.

“Communications is one of the biggest issues and problems with emergency response, particularly for something on the magnitude of a 9/11,” said D.C. Council Member Phil Mendelson, chair of the judiciary committee. “So this would be part of a comprehensive effort to improve the ability of all responding agencies to talk to each other.”

The District’s first responders seamlessly communicate with each other and others in the National Capital Region through the Motorola SmartZone 800 MHz network. The NCR was recently given high marks for its interoperable communication technology and operating procedures in a U.S. Department of Homeland Security scorecard.

mneibauer@dcexaminer.com

Washington DC Major Airport Frequencies

Here are the major airport frequencies for the Washington, DC area.

Ronald Reagan Washington National, DC (KDCA)

Potomac Approach 118.300 119.850 124.200 124.700 269.000 270.275 306.300 322.300 338.200 (124.200 269.000 East) (128.350 270.275 Southeast 3000 feet to flight level 190) (119.850 322.300 West) (118.300 306.300 Final East) (124.700 338.200 Final West)

Potomac Departure 118.950 121.050 125.650 126.550 257.200 269.500 343.700 348.725 (125.650 348.725 East 9500 feet and below) (126.550 269.500 East 10,000 feet to flight level 190) (118.950 257.200 West 9500 feet and below) (121.050 343.700 West 10,000 feet to flight level 230)

UNICOM 122.950
Washington Tower 119.100 120.750 257.600 120.75 (Copter)
Ground Control 121.700 257.600
Clearance Delivery 128.250
ATIS 132.650


Washington Dulles International, DC (KIAD)

ARMEL Radio 113.500T 122.100R

Potomac Approach 120.450 124.650 126.100 338.250 343.775 (126.100 338.250 331°-090°) (124.650 343.775 091°-240°) (120.450 343.775 241°-330°)

Potomac Departure 125.050 126.650 350.200 (126.650 121°-299°) (125.050 300°-120°)

UNICOM 122.950
Tower 120.100 125.800 128.425 317.800 348.600 (120.100 317.800 Runway 01R-19L) (128.425 348.600 Runway 01L-19R, 12-30)
Ground Control 121.900 125.800 132.450 317.800 348.600 (121.900 317.800 East) (132.450 348.600 West)
Ramp Control 129.550
Clearance Delivery 135.700 317.800
ATIS 134.850

Gov Freqs to Monitor During Prez Ford Funeral Events

The following goverment trunk systems and conventional frequencies should be monitored for support of the President Ford funeral events in the Washington, D.C. area. I have a detailed list of military trunk systems in the D.C. area posted on my MT Milcom Blog as of this date as well. As always reports, updates, additions and corrections would be most appreciated. Send your stuff to larryvanhorn @ monitoringtimes.com.

Government Trunk Radio Systems

Washington, DC – Federal SMR System
System: LTR Passport Analog

Site ??? JFK Center for Performing Arts
408.4500/417.4500 (LCN01)

Site ??? National Zoo
409.4250/418.4250 (LCN01)

Site 101 National Mall
407.0750/416.0750 (LCN01) 407.3750/416.3750 (LCN02) 408.5500/417.5500 (LCN03) 408.8750/417.8750 (LCN04) 410.3125/419.3125 (LCN05)

Site 103 Udvar-Hazy Center
406.5875/415.5875 (LCN01) 409.8500/418.8500 (LCN02) 410.9625/419.9625 (LCN03)

Site 106 Unknown
406.5875/415.5875 (LCN01) 409.8500/418.8500 (LCN02) 410.9625/419.9625 (LCN03)

Site 107 Unknown
406.5875/415.5875 (LCN01) 409.8500/418.8500 (LCN02) 410.9625/419.9625 (LCN03)

Washington, DC – Unknown Federal System
System Type: Motorola Type II (Mixed Mode)
406.1125 406.3625 406.5250 406.7750 406.9250 407.0875 407.2375 407.4125c 407.5625c 407.7125 407.8875 408.0875 408.2625 408.4250 408.5750 408.7375 408.9125 409.1125 409.2750 409.4750 409.6375 409.9125 410.2875c 410.5625 410.7625

Miscellaneous Government Conventional Systems

Note: Frequencies listed below were heard during the Capitol Hill Sniper Scare that I monitored via the DXTuners on May 26, 2006. That information was posted to this blog also.

U.S. Capitol Police Channels
169.2250 Repeater/Simplex [156.7-Hz PL tone]
165.5375 Repeater/Simplex [118.8-Hz PL tone]
170.1750 Repeater/Simplex [107.2-Hz PL tone]
162.2500 Repeater/Simplex [146.2-Hz PL tone]
162.6125 Repeater/Simplex [127.3-Hz PL tone]

U.S. Capitol Hill Voice Pagers
169.5750 House Republican Pager
170.3750 House Democrat Pager
171.1750 Senate Democrat Pager
171.9750 Senate Republican Pager
406.6750 Senate Republican Pager
406.8000 Senate Democrat Pager
416.1500 Architect Pager/Emergency Alerting System

Miscellaneous U.S. Capitol Radio Users
414.8750 Architect of the Capitol Repeater/Simplex
408.4000 Capitol Tour Guides Simplex
409.1000 Congressional Aides/Pages Repeater
418.0750 Parking Enforcement Simplex
410.2000 Government Printing Office Security Repeater
408.1250 Library of Congress Security Repeater/Simplex

U.S. Park Police (National Park Service)
166.7250 Secondary Channel Repeater/Simplex [127.3-Hz PL tone]
166.9250 Dispatch Channel Repeater/Simplex [127.3-Hz PL tone]
167.0750 Administrative Channel Repeater/Simplex [127.3-Hz PL tone]
166.8500 Tactical Channel Simplex [127.3-Hz PL tone]

National Park Service Operations – National Capital Area
168.4250 NPS-Parks East (Fort Washington) Repeater/Simplex [141.3-Hz PL tone]
172.4750 NPS-Parks Control/Rock Creek Park Repeater/Simplex [156.7-Hz PL tone]
172.7500 White House Maintenance Unit Repeater/Simplex [156.7-Hz PL tone]
171.6500 White House Visitor Control Operations Simplex [156.7-Hz PL tone]
411.6750 White House Liaison Repeater [162.2-Hz PL tone]

You can find additional detailed government frequency information in an excellent Adobe Acrobat PDF file put together by the Capitol Hill Monitor Group for the 2005 Presidential Inauguration on their website.

As always I am looking for any updates, additions, and corrections by those who are in the area and monitor the event. Please send your material to larryvanhorn @ monitoringtimes.com.