Welcome to CapeCodFD.com A website dedicated to providing you with information and images of the Fire / Rescue Departments of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA.
	Radio Page

Updated 01-06-2001

This page will have lots of radio related information and frequencies.

I have attempted to list as many frequencies as possible in the Cape & Islands / Southeastern Massachusetts area.
Thanks to those who have made the frequencies available to me. Since I am unable to monitor all of them
personally, I am unsure of what the most active frequencies may be in some cases...
(primarily some of the Plymouth & Bristol County depts).

If you see any errors or have information to add please email me. Thanks.

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1

CAPE COD AREA FIRE RADIO

Cape Cod Fire Departments have traditionally operated on low band in the 33 mhz range.

In recent years these radios added PL (Private Line) features which reduced the effect of
the irritating "skip" problems associated with that band.

Some departments in recent years added other frequencies (in high and UHF range) for
administrative and other purposes, but continued to operate on the low band.

Today, most of the Cape Cod fire departments are using an 800 mhz trunked radio system
as the result of a deal worked out with the state police public safety radio system over the past
couple years. Many local police departments are also using the trunked system.

The 800 trunked radio system is a Motorola Type II system, locally using 15 frequencies
for public safety including fire, police, state police, environmental units, etc...

Each department utilizing the system has a unique "Talkgroup" assignment. When
the talkgroup is programmed into certain radios / scanners, it serves to control what
department you hear on a particular channel in your radio. These talkgroups are 5 digit
numbers that are listed in the following sections.

The fire departments using the system are all simulcasting their 800 radio traffic over the
low band for pager/home receiver purposes. The 800 radio system enhances the ability to
hear both portable and mobile radio traffic countywide.

Major incidents are assigned one of three (3) OPS (Operations) channels for incident use.
Covering apparatus and subsequent calls are handled on the department's primary fire alarm
channel. Mutual aid is dispatched on a separate channel.

A couple problem area, including less than 95%/95% in building reception has kept a couple
departments from making the complete conversion as of this time. Most radio traffic however
is on the 800 mhz system and simulcast on low band.

The Barnstable County Control Mutual Aid center is located at the
Barnstable Sheriff's Department, Route 6A, Barnstable village.

Mutual Aid Center: KCB 781

Apparatus within the county are all assigned "county radio" numbers. Radio
numbers are used on all frequencies including the department's "Fire Alarm."
Each department is assigned a block of numbers which are assigned randomly
by the departments to apparatus. Numbers indicate the department, but there is
no correlation between numbers and types of apparatus.

(##) indicates departments NOT YET fully utilizing 800 mhz for daily use.

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2

CAPE COD AREA FIRE RADIO

Conventional Frequencies By Community

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3

CAPE COD AREA FIRE RADIO

Conventional Frequencies By Frequency

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4

CAPE COD AREA 800 mhz RADIO FREQUENCIES

These frequencies must be programmed into trunk tracker radios in order to be able to listen to
the 800 mhz radio talkgroups. The conventional 800 channels are in addition to the trunked channels
and must be listened to in conventional mode. Some of the Direct fireground channels are low
power and non repeated and heard in a very limited area.

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5

CAPE COD AREA 800 mhz FIRE RADIO TALKGROUPS

Fire Departments listed by 800 mhz Talkgroups. Talkgroups were assigned alphabetically. Each
talkgroup is 64 points off from another. The 5 digit talkgroups are what would be programmed into
trunk tracker scanners to monitor the departments.

Note: The 800 mhz frequencies must be programmed as well in order for the trunk tracker to be able
to locate and monitor programmed talkgroups.

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6

THE ISLANDS FIRE RADIO

Martha's Vineyard Island, also known as Dukes County, has one centralized dispatch center
located at 10 Hanger Road North at the Martha's Vineyard Airport.
This facility dispatches all fire, police, ems, and other
departments on the island.

Fire Dispatch: KNBH 905
Police Dispatch: KCB 860
EMS Dispatch: WNMJ 229
Misc Dispatch: KQG 404

Fire apparatus have been assigned numbers indicating the town and type of apparatus
100 units: Chilmark
200 units: Edgartown
300 units: Aquinnah
400 units: Cuttyhunk Island (Gosnold)
500 units: Oak Bluffs
600 units: Tisbury
700 units: West Tisbury
800 units: State Forestry
900 units: Vineyard Airport

10's = Cars
20's = Engines
30's = Brush & Tankers
40's = ARFF units
50's = Ladders
60's = Rescues
70's = Officers
80's = Portables
90's = Ambulances

---------------

Nantucket Fire Department has its own in station dispatch.
Nantucket shares the same frequency as Plymouth FD with a different PL code.

KCF 907

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7

THE ISLANDS FIRE RADIO

Conventional Frequencies by Community

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8

THE ISLANDS FIRE RADIO

Conventional Frequencies By Frequency

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9

PLYMOUTH COUNTY FIRE RADIO

Historically most of Plymouth County was on low band 33's. A few departments utilized VHF Hi
frequencies. In recent years, a number of departments have switched to UHF frequencies.

Plymouth County Control Mutual Aid center is located at the Plymouth Sheriff's Department
office on Obery Street. The Plymouth County common fire frequency was always 33.90.
A number of years ago, PCC began dispatching mutual aid on 154.295. This is for station to
station communications only. Recently, Plymouth County added (6) fireground UHF frequencies
for apparatus and scene communications.

Plymouth County Control: WNKT 379

Apparatus in Plymouth County have various numbers assigned. Some, primarily brush units,
have "county" radio numbers assigned, while other units simply use "Department Unit #."
For example, a Plymouth Breaker is designated "178" while an engine may be called
"Plymouth Engine 6"

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10

PLYMOUTH COUNTY FIRE RADIO

Conventional Frequencies By Communities
(Updated 01-06-2001)

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11

PLYMOUTH COUNTY FIRE RADIO

Conventional Frequencies By Frequency
(Updated 01-06-2001)

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12

BRISTOL COUNTY FIRE RADIO

Bristol County has historically used 46.18 frequency for mutual aid purposes.
The Bristol County Mutual Aid Center is located in the Norton Fire Headquarters.

In recent years many of the Bristol County Fire Departments have been
switching to UHF frequencies.

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13

BRISTOL COUNTY FIRE RADIO

Conventional Frequencies By Communities

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14

BRISTOL COUNTY FIRE RADIO

Conventional Frequencies By Frequency

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15

CAPE COD AREA POLICE RADIO

Cape Cod Police Departments have traditionally operated on VHF band in the 155 mhz range.
When initially established, police radios used (4) county wide frequencies in the 155s.
A number of years ago, some departments went to their own VHF hi frequencies.
In more recent years, some departments installed conventional 800 mhz radio channels.

When the State Police 800 Trunked Radio system was developed, a special arrangement
was made that included use of the trunked system by Cape Cod public safety agencies.

The fire departments utilize this system, as do some of the police departments, primarily those
that did not previously utilize 800 conventional channels. At this point, all Cape police
departments operate in the 800 mhz range, some on conventional and others on the
trunked system. The trunked system is basically from Dennis to Provincetown, while the
towns from Bourne to Yarmouth are using conventional 800 channels.

The County Sheriff's Department operates as the central control point for police radio
as well as fire and ems. The County Sheriff's Dept communicates on several police
channels, using Channel One for General Broadcasts and other countywide broadcasts.

KCA 376: Barnstable Sheriff's Department

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16

CAPE COD POLICE RADIO

Frequencies By Community

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17

CAPE COD POLICE RADIO

Frequencies By Frequency

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18

THE ISLANDS POLICE RADIO

Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Police Departments

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19

ISLAND POLICE RADIO

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20

STATE POLICE RADIO

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21

PLYMOUTH COUNTY POLICE RADIO

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22

EMS

Barnstable CMED Center is located at the Barnstable County Sheriff's Department.

CMED serves to track and connect (patch) all ambulance radio traffic between ambulances and hospitals.

There are 4 hospitals in the system:
(1) Cape Cod Hospital (2) Falmouth Hospital (3) Tobey Hospital (4) Martha's Vineyard Hospital

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23

MARINE

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24

WEATHER

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25

AIR

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26

OTHER

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