Amateur Radio Is There When All Else Fails

Imagine there’s been a natural disaster in your area. You’ve lost power, it’s impossible to get in your car and drive somewhere safe, and most importantly, the cell towers are down. How will you get in contact with friends and family to tell them you’re alright? That’s where amateur radio operators come in.

“In Puerto Rico back in Maria, amateur radio became, in a military analogy, the light infantry. We could get into a community, establish communication and at least get some information travelling out of that location,” says Joe Bassett, a ham radio operator.

READ the Article 

Ham radio kept communication alive at Kavalappara

A few hour after a landslip occurred at Kavalappara near Nilambur on August 9, all the communication lines had been cut off. Power failure combined with the breakdown of mobile servers threatened to even affect official communication in the region, if not for Home Amateur Machine (HAM) radios.

READ the Article

With a Black FirstNet SIM Card, First Responders' Calls Go Ahead of Yours

FirstNet is a network built for first responders. It's not part of the what the public uses, it's not part of the AT&T business core. FirstNet is a physically separate and dedicated network core with specialized capabilities like always-on priority and preemption built for first responders, by first responders. 

We learned many lessons after 9/11, like how quickly the cellular systems we all depend on become overloaded during a major emergency. How critically vital it is for the voice and data systems first responders depend on everyday continue to function during these times. Now with FirstNet first responders come first.


This CNET article "With a black AT&T FirstNet SIM card first responders' calls go ahead of yours First responder calls and data can now move yours out of the way thanks to lessons from 9/11" BY BRIAN COOLEY MAY 23, 2019 10:00 AM PDT

Click on the link above and read the article, it talks about some of the equipment and support services as well as the advantages for first responders who use FirstNet.

I've had my black FirstNet sim card for a couple months now and service has been great. In Dolan Springs using my Frontier DSL I get 2 Mbps, on FirstNet I get 50-55 Mbps.

I use a Sonim XP8 phone, the battery lasts for days, I don't worry if I drop it, and if it gets wet at fireground, no big deal it's good under water for 30 minutes.  The XP8 is FirstNet Ready so it works on the FirstNet Evolved Packet Core simply by installing a FirstNet SIM card.

If you go with FirstNet make sure you get a FirstNet Ready device, you can find some HERE.

Band 14 is a big deal for cellular technology and it’s even a bigger deal for your local first responders.

FirstNet.com 
FirstNet.gov 

Each year firefighters are killed responding to calls.. Thank You Golden Valley Fire for Driver Training

Several volunteers from LMR received driver training from Golden Valley Fire District over the last couple weeks. Young or old we all need to operate our fire districts vehicles in a safe manner. 

Each year firefighters are killed responding to and returning from calls. Driving safely and getting to the call safe is our number one priority. 



Yes response times are important, but arriving safely is not only important, it's our duty.

I wanted to thank Gus and the GV fire crew for assisting with our training... Great Job Guys..

What's the Difference Between FirstNet and Verizon’s Public Safety Service

It's important first responders understand the various types of systems cellular carriers offer and how they compare. Today we depend on smartphones for many types of communications so the service you choose is important.

I love Verizon they have the best coverage in many places, but other carriers are catching up. Today many first responders use Verizon so I wanted to compare Verizon’s Public Safety Service with AT&T's FirstNet built for first responders.

An article in AllThingsFirstnet.com Is Your FirstNet Expert Really an Expert? Points out some marketing people may not have the expertise and full understanding of FirstNet capabilities. 

Some articles written by "experts" are telling people there's nothing special about the FirstNet Band 14. That since Verizon has Band 13 and they're both in the 700 MHz band they're the same, they're not. 

Public Safety owns Band 14 by Congressional action assigning it for public safety use which is managed by the FirstNet Authority on behalf of public safety. Verizon owns Band 13 which is nothing more than commercial spectrum. 

FirstNet is being deployed with public safety needs in mind. In rural areas like Dolan Springs and Meadview band 14 is authorized for High Power User Equipment known as HPUE that has six times the power of other cellular equipment, band 13 isn't licensed for HPUE.

The other point this “expert” tried to make is that Verizon’s “private core” for public safety is the same as the FirstNet core. This is categorically incorrect. It may have similar functions, but they are not the same and the differences are critical to public safety.

The FirstNet core is dedicated to public safety and built for public safety.  Only primary public safety users and extended primary are allowed on this core. This FirstNet dedicated core is not shared with commercial users.

We all know cellular systems are quickly overloaded during any major emergency simply because the system is designed for average daily traffic. Now first responders have their own cellular system dedicated to their needs.

Article Is Your FirstNet Expert Really an Expert?




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I Love My Sonim XP8 Smart Phone Now It Gets P25 Trunking and gateway Mode

Sonim Technologies says SLED accessory on LTE smartphone will support direct mode, P25 trunking, ad-hoc gateway. Article from Urgent Communications 

Sonim Technologies says SLED accessory on LTE smartphone will support direct mode, P25 trunking, ad-hoc gateway

[Editor's note: Article updated to include prospective pricing for the XP8-SLED package.]

LAS VEGAS—Sonim Technologies’ P25 accessory to its XP8 rugged smartphone will support full P25 conventional trunking and ad-hoc interoperability gateway functionality, in addition to providing high-powered, direct-mode communications, a company official said yesterday during an APCO 2018 session.

Known as the Sonim LMR Enabled Detachable (SLED), the accessory was demonstrated to provide direct-mode voice communications during the IWCE 2018 event in March, according to Bob Escalle, senior director of public-safety and defense markets for Sonim Technologies. Now, a revised version of the SLED includes other features requested by public-safety officials, he said.

“We’re also supporting a full P25 conventional trunking SLED that attaches to our device, as well,” Escalle said during the APCO 2018 session. “The idea is that you can actually bring a very cost-effective, fully CAP-approved P25 handheld with a smartphone device.

“Some people talk about moving from an LMR radio and putting broadband applications on the LMR radio. We’re kind of going in the opposite direction by putting P25 accessory onto our device. If you need it, you can use it; if not, then you have a smartphone with a mission-critical PTT application on there via broadband.”

In addition, Sonim Technologies has established a gateway functionality on the device, leveraging the ability for a SLED-accessoried Sonim XP8 smartphone to communicate with both FirstNet and P25 networks, Escalle said.  

“The other nice thing is that … your smartphone now becomes a quick, ad-hoc IP gateway— narrowband in [and] broadband out, or broadband in [and] narrowband out,” he said. “So, you can imagine going into gateway mode, and this becomes your quick, ad-hoc gateway product for those who either don’t have broadband devices at a scene that may get [access to broadband users].”

During an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications, Escalle said the SLED gateway will have the same functional capabilities as dedicated gateways, with some expected limitations.

“The idea is not to replace those dedicated gateways,” Escalle said during the interview. “Some of those gateways have advanced features that we’ll never support. But, for just a quick-and-dirty [interoperability solution], I can go to gateway mode, and I can support people who don’t have a broadband device—or broadband guys who don’t have a narrowband device—and now I can talk between them, just by setting up this simple gateway.

“As long as it’s receiving a transmission from a P25 talk group or a conventional channel, it will take it and rebroadcast it across the LTE channel. It will only handle one talk group at a time, but that’s all a P25 handheld will handle. It will go in and out, both directions. [And] You are limited by the battery power of the unit, unlike a gateway that might be plugged into the wall or a 12-volt battery. You’re going to be limited by the [battery] capacity of your XP8.”

Of course the Sonim XP8-SLED package is still designed to provide direct-mode voice that is comparable to LMR radios, thanks to the 5-watt power level available in the VHF version of the accessory and the 4-watt power level available in the UHF and 700/800 MHz versions of the SLED, Escalle said during the APCO session.

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How You Can Help Map FirstNet Coverage for Our Area

If you have Firstnet service from AT&T help map where FirstNet has good coverage and where it doesn't in our area.

The app OpenSignal has a good map of coverage using your phones signal. This will help first responders know where they have coverage and where AT&T needs to improve coverage for first responders.

The map on the left is the signal level of all cellular carriers around Pierce Ferry and US93. The map on the right is the signal level for FirstNet. 

All Carriers 

FirstNet

As you can see not to many FirstNet users are using have downloaded the OpenSignal so no too much data. If you have the black FirstNet SIM card please download the OpenSignal app. 

Do a speed check once in a while and report it. I'm getting 65-68 mbps in Dolan Springs.. Thanks

HAM's and FEMA Join Forces for Disaster Communication Partnership

FEMA and ARRL Announce Disaster Communication Partnership

Release date: 

July 18, 2014

      

HQ-2014-51

Hartford, Conn. – Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) announced a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that increases cooperation between FEMA and ARRL in the area of disaster communication.  FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, and ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, signed the agreement during the ARRL National Centennial Convention at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Connecticut.

This agreement will allow FEMA and ARRL to work together to provide resources, services and personnel, as available, in order to strengthen capacity in areas of emergency communications, mass care and emergency assistance, disaster preparedness, response and recovery, while also raising public awareness about the use of Amateur Radio as a public safety resource.

“Radio is one of the most resilient communications technologies we have,” Fugate said. “When the power is out and telecommunications are down, the Amateur Radio community can serve as a vital resource in support of emergency responders and survivors during a disaster.  This MOA will strengthen FEMA’s partnership with ARRL and build upon our work to expand emergency communications capabilities and the use of Amateur Radio in emergency management.”

The agreement outlines the ways in which FEMA and ARRL will cooperate to carry out their respective responsibilities, with respect to disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery operations in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. The agreement sets forth the terms by which FEMA and ARRL will provide resources, services and personnel, as available, in order to strengthen capacity in areas of emergency communications, mass care and emergency assistance, disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

“From the earliest days of experimentation with radio to the present time, amateur radio volunteers have combined their passion for exploring radio technology with their devotion to assisting the governmental and charitable agencies that respond to disaster,” Craigie said. “This combination of inventiveness and service has saved lives for a century. We look forward to working with FEMA to further develop opportunities for trained, equipped and prepared amateur radio operators to serve the public interest whenever and wherever disasters affect our country and its communities.”

Amateur Radio operators have been responding to disasters since the beginning of the Amateur Service in the early 1900s. Through the ARRL-sponsored Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and other groups, federally licensed Amateur Radio operators have volunteered their time, equipment and expertise to their communities and country for all kinds of public service events and disaster efforts.

Following recent events, ARRL has supported local communities as they prepare for and recover from the devastation caused by disasters. As part of this agreement, FEMA and ARRL will strengthen their partnership and encourage first responders and citizens to consider joining the ranks of radio amateurs and their long and legendary history of public service to the nation.

###
 
FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards. More information is available from www.fema.gov.

The ARRL's mission is based on five core areas, or "pillars": Public Service, Advocacy, Education, Technology, and Membership. Founded in 1914, the American Radio Relay League is the national association for amateur radio in the USA. Today, with more than 164,000 members, the ARRL is the largest organization of radio amateurs in the world. More information is available at www.arrl.org.

WHAT MOTIVATES AND DISCOURAGES VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS

This is an excerpt from Firerescue1.com article about retaining volunteer firefighters. It points out three reasons people volunteer to take all the necessary training to be on call 24/7 for when a neighbor needs help.

1. Serving their community
2. Emotional fulfillment
3. Camaraderie within the firehouse

I think the most important of the three reasons people volunteer is the camaraderie around the firehouse. Many volunteer firefighters have worked in the fire service, law enforcement, or the military where you have that camaraderie. I think when you leave the fire service or law enforcement it's that camaraderie and of being part of something bigger that you miss.

In the past when I went to Station 41 in Dolan Springs it wasn't a friendly place. Someone would crack the door and ask what you wanted like you were invading their house, when it's our house... 

With the new leadership it seems to be a friendlier place where you're greeted with a smile rather than, what do you want...  I only hope this camaraderie 
continues and the new volunteers feel a part of their fire department that comes with being a volunteer. 

3 Factors that Motivate Volunteer Firefighters to Join the Service 

Read the complete article here 

Allowing volunteer firefighters to be emotionally fulfilled by serving their communities and feel a part of firehouse camaraderie will help recruitment and retention efforts

Since recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters has posed a considerable challenge to the fire service over the past several decades, a significant amount of trade and scholarly research has focused on this topic. Researchers and fire service leaders have worked tirelessly to better understand what’s causing the decline and to craft solutions to recruit more volunteers.

One of the major initiatives has been to identify what motivates someone to become a volunteer firefighter. It’s been found that volunteers are largely motivated by the following three factors. 

1. Serving their community: Volunteer firefighters are seeking a meaningful and practical way to serve their neighbors. Their service includes not only responding to emergency calls, but participating in community-oriented events such as chili-dinner fundraisers, public education events at schools and more. These are people who thrive on engaging with the community and putting their training to valuable use. A proven way to burn-out volunteers is with insignificant or infrequent service opportunities.
2. Emotional fulfillment: Studies are proving that volunteer firefighters are not motivated by money. The emotional feelings of value and worth are the only return that most volunteers desire. Volunteers at successful volunteer organizations report that they would continue to perform their duties without pay simply because they love what they do. Making volunteer firefighters question their community worth is an effective way to remove the love for what they do. 
3. Camaraderie within the firehouse: Firefighters have historically been gripped by the sense of community and camaraderie around the firehouse. This network of support, education and enjoyment, often referred to as the brotherhood, is rarely experienced in other professions. Fire departments with an absent, negative, or cliquey sense of community make it difficult and unenjoyable for volunteers to join. This is especially true in combination departments that occasionally foster divides between career and volunteer firefighters.

Although there may be some overlap, the motivations of volunteer firefighters differ from those of career firefighters. Figuring out how to appeal directly to volunteers has proven to be a considerable challenge for many fire service leaders. A sustainable and realistic solution has yet to be identified. Continued attention and research on volunteer firefighter retention and recruitment is therefore critical to the system’s survival.

The next article in this series will explore political obstacles, employee requirement and retention, and increasing call volumes, which tied for the third most prominent and influential challenges to combination departments.

Portable Solar Powered Repeater Finished.. Wanna Come Play With Tech Toys...

I installed my GMRS repeater at the house here on 9th in Dolan a month ago and I've had some interest from people who want to form a local emergency communications group.
462.675 PL tone 100.0


UPDATE
Aug 1st Added a duplexer so I only need one antenna....

GMRS Repeater

You will need a GMRS or amateur radio license. If you don't have your license it's pretty easy... Radios are cheap $50 or so... Look at your smartphone, now imagine it's going to be down for a couple weeks...

I finished my solar powered portable GMRS repeater in an ammo box. 462.725 PL tone 100.0 It can be deployed on a high spot for local communications or mountain top for communications in remote areas. With it's built-in battery and solar power it can provide communications over a wide area for some time.

Portable Repeater

Solar Powered Repeater in an Ammo Box

The GMRS license from the FCC is $70 for 10 years. It gives you 8 repeater frequencies and most cities have GMRS repeaters you can use in that area. GMRS Repeater List I can hit a repeater GMRS on Mt Charleston with a handheld radio and talk to anyone else who can see Mt Charleston, 150 miles or so...

There's no test you just fill out the application pay your money and in a few days you have your license, it covers you immediate family too.

The Amateur Radio License is a little harder to get. 

This one takes study, you will need to know basic radio theory, frequencies, and FCC rules. If your interested 

I'm told there are very limited government capabilities at the local level to assist with emergency communications. We need to improve not only our local capabilities but the regional HAM communities capabilities and response planning. 

Without communications nothing works, nothing! 
Law enforcement, fire service, and EMS have no way be dispatched, no way to know who needs help or where to respond, no way to know what roads are open or closed, and no way to call for help...

You will need to take the basic National Incident Management System or NIMS training from FEMA's Emergency Management Institute if you would like to be involved in emergency communications.

Anyone interested in being involved in a local communications group please contact me. 

Have We Come Full Circle in Radio Communications?

Have we come full circle when it comes to the type of two-way radio communications we use? From two-way radios, to cell phones, to push-to-talk cell phones, to push-to-talk smartphones, to something that looks like the first and works like the last....

As a deputy in Montana we used low band two-way radios on 39.82 Mhz, kind of like a CB radio. We couldn't talk to our sheriff's office 30 miles away, but we could talk to the Catoosa County Sheriff's Office down in Georgia just fine.

Our sheriff's office was a little behind in technology, but in the 70's other agencies were using VHF and UHF radios with mountain top repeaters. These provided more reliable communications than the older low band radios.

This Motorola M1225 UHF mobile uses a PTT microphone and worked on mountain top repeaters. 

Out West where we have high mountain tops repeaters can have range of 100 miles or more. 

In the 80's we saw cell phones starting to be used by law enforcement involved in sensitive operations. Even with speed dial calling other officers was a hassle. 

Then in 1996 Nextel launched iDEN service allowing push-to-talk communications much like law enforcement was used to. This was favored by many law enforcement agencies because it allowed dispatch to talk to one officer or all the officers on a squad and allow them to shared information.

Advances in technology brings us to PoC or Push-to-talk Over Cellular. PoC has advanced rapidly with Verizon, Sprint and AT&T all offering some type of PTT service.

Today we have something that looks like a conventional two-way radio with it's microphone, but has the familiar screen and operation of a smartphone.

These hybrid Smartphone PoC units have some advantages over conventional two-way radios and there are pros and cons to both.

Since PoC uses the cellular tower system there are no cost for building and maintaining mountain top repeaters. As long as cellular networks are up and running first responders get priority over other users using services like the WPS the Wireless Priority Service a Federal program that prioritize calls over wireless networks.

Unlike our familiar two-way radios that use mountain top repeaters  these hybrid Smartphone PoC units are only limited by the cellular network. With mobile CradlePoint LET Routers, GoTenna, or Beartooth the range of smartphone PoC's can be extended but that's another discussion.... 

I don't know... 

When cops and truckers used two-way radios with microphone's that had cords they could talk and didn't crash into everything they saw. 

Then you get cell phones as small as a microphone and people, even truckers go nuts and can't drive and talk at the same time.

NOW we have these hybrid Smartphone PoC units with a microphone with a cord.... So are truckers going to drive better holding that microphone again? 

Can you imagine a millennial driving a stick shift and talking on a CB radio?

I don't know... Drive Safe... Talk Safe... K

Firefighter Helmet Lights Thinking Out of the Box....

After being on a couple fires at night I decided a helmet light was a necessity. I found some nice LED flashlights with helmet mounts for firefighters for $90. Since the FAA requires lights for night flights on drones, I didn't have an extra $90 and had a set of LED lights and mounts for my Mavic Pro so I thought I would give them a try.

The lights I use are called Lume Cubes and they're not designed for drones, actually they're designed for professional photographers providing various lighting for video and flash photography.

To me the Lume Cube has several advantages over a standard helmet mounted LED flashlight. It has a Bluetooth app with flash and video modes. It's dimmable from 0 to 1500 Lumens in the app and has 10 levels of brightness from the Cube. 

For investigators and others who need to take photos at fireground the Lume Cube has lots of light for shooting video and the optical sensor triggers the Lume Cube each time your camera flash goes off to provide additional lighting options. 

It's metal exterior is tough, the charge port is easy to access and it's waterproof down to 100', so it should do well in wet conditions,

At level 3 it provides good light for working 3-5' away, at level 10 the Lume Cube is very bright, it lights the area like one of the scene lights on our fire trucks. On level 10 it gives you 25 minutes of use, at 50% you can get up to 2 hours of use, on level 3 it should last 4 hours or more.

A Bluetooth app gives you control of the brightness as well as other functions like a strobe effect from your phone. This makes it easy to control brightness and strobe effect. The strobe is very bright and could be used to direct someone toward a firefighter or find a disoriented or down firefighter.

Tech Stuff for Photographers It's 1500 Lumen Light features a 6000K color temperature, and the unit's output is dimmable from 0 to 1500 Lumens. You will understand all the lighting features it has better than I do http://gooddogdigital.com/product/lume-cube/

What Part of RED FLAG WARNING No Burning Don't people Understand?

RED FLAG WARNING 

NO BURNING ALLOWED

As one of the new volunteers for the LMRFD I think we've been responding to far too many trash fires and controlled burns in the district. Wake up people it's hot and dry out there....

What Part of RED FLAG WARNING! 

 No Burning Don't People Understand?

With the recent winds around Dolan and Meadview we've been lucky that one of these trash fires hasn't gotten away and caused the loss of someones home.

First you can not burn trash anytime, garbage, plastics, and packaging must be taken to a landfill. Even then you can only burn natural material like trees and brush. 

You need to get a burn permit from the LMRFD. That said, no burn permits will be issued until the Red Flag Warning is canceled. 

Who Ya Gonna Call.......

Do you have a Family Communication Plan? A plan can make all the difference in case of an emergency. Do you know who you would call in case of an emergency? Do you have a family meeting place?

RED FLAG WARNING 

Mohave County Fire Restrictions from 2019 Jun 21 midnight until rescinded....

STAGE I FIRE RESTRICTIONS TO TAKE EFFECT ON STATE LANDS 
***MOHAVE COUNTY - SOUTH OF THE COLORADO RIVER***
Phoenix, AZ (6/20/19) - As fire activity gains momentum and fire suppression resources remain spread thin across Arizona, the Department of Forestry and Fire Management will implement fire restrictions to some state lands on Friday. 
Starting Friday, June 21, at 8 am, Stage I fire restrictions go into effect on Arizona state-owned and managed lands in Gila, La Paz, Maricopa, and Yuma Counties. The department will also put Stage I restrictions in place in Mohave County, south of the Colorado River. 
Restrictions apply to the following state-owned and state-managed lands within the above-mentioned counties including: 
• All State Trust lands outside incorporated municipalities.
• All Game and Fish Commission Wildlife areas and department properties outside incorporated municipalities.
• All State Parks outside incorporated municipalities – State Parks will remain open with fire restrictions in place. Please refer to https://azstateparks.com/fire-safety/ – for park-specific fire restriction information. 
• All Department of Transportation highway, right-of-way property outside incorporated municipalities, not owned by federal land management agencies. 
Restrictions include: 
• Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, charcoal, coal, or wood stove, other than in a developed campsite or picnic area is prohibited. Exemptions include, a device solely fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off. Such devices can only be used in an area that is barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding flammable materials within three feet of the device. 
• Smoking is prohibited unless it is within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site/improved site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barred or cleared of all flammable materials. 
• Fireworks or another incendiary device are prohibited – year round. 
• Welding or operating acetylene or other torch devices with an open flame is prohibited. 
Exemptions include: 
• Any federal, state or local law enforcement officer or member of an organized rescue or firefighting organization in the performance of an official duty. 
• All land within a city boundary is exempted unless otherwise stated in a city ordinance. 
All exemptions to these restrictions must be approved by the State Forester. 
If local authorities have imposed stronger restrictions then those listed above, than the local restrictions shall apply. 
These restrictions apply to all permit and lease holders and other authorized users of state-managed lands. These restrictions do not apply to private lands under ARS § 37-1303. 
Restrictions are effective at 8 am on June 21, 2019, and will continue until rescinded. 
For fire restriction information go to: http://firerestrictions.us/az/ - or download the agency’s mobile app by searching the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management in the iTunes and Google Play stores. 
For more information, contact Tiffany Davila at 602-540-1036 or by email at tdavila@dffm.az.gov 

Apps & Tools for Firefighter Communications Mapping & Location Sharing

Our Smartphones are amazing compared with the "portable" radios we had in the 60's. They required $40-$60 in batteries and lasted a day at best. Needless to say we rarely got to use these radios.

In the 60's communications at fireground was difficult at best. In the 70's things got better with a handheld radio you could really hold in your hand, but they were expensive.

Today we have smartphone that give us amazing communications capabilities, when they have service. The problem is cellular service is designed for average daily use. When there's a major event like an earthquake or something local like the Minneapolis bridge collapse cellular systems fail. Minneapolis Bridge Collapse: Why Cellular Service Goes Down During Disasters

Now First Responders have FirstNet a cellular system designed for first responders that gives them priority over other users.

When in remote locations like wildfires many times firefighters have no cell service there are ways to communicate.

Beartooth

Beartooth comes to the rescue providing talk, text, and location sharing in a small unit. Beartooth allows you to talk, text, share maps as well as your location for situational awareness.

GoTenna Pro

GoTenna is a portable mesh network device that allows you to link from unit to unit extending range. You can text, share maps and location with GoTenna but no voice communications.

Both of these units have their own individual advantages and disadvantages, so if your interested in this type of communications check these out carefully.




A PTT Walkie Talkie App is Zello is free and gives you worldwide communications.

International Association of Wildland Fire has a free app Tools for Volunteer and Wildland Firefighters

Fireground Communications, out 4-Wheeling, or Just Talking to Your Wife

Communications at fireground are difficult and many times expensive some Motorola walkie talkies cost $5000-$7000. Firefighters many times have their radios in a pocket where they're difficult to hear especially if their fire gear.

Then comes Zello an app that turns smartphones into walkie talkies. Add a $10 bluetooth headset and a $3 bluetooth camera button as the PTT and you have communications.

You can actually hear with a helmet on, use the BT PTT button to talk without reaching for your radio. The range unlike traditional repeaters the range in unlimited, it works anywhere you have a data signal. 

This works great if you're out 4-wheeling or talking to your wife at the store like we do saving a phone call.

New Fire Chief is Making the LMRFD Safer

Just my opinion but I think our new interim fire chief Tim Bonnee is taking steps to make the LMRFD safer. Chief Bonnee is using volunteers for brush fires especially those out of district leaving the fire crew available. We need more volunteers, hint, hint...

By using volunteers for brush fires it leaves the full time firefighters available for medical emergencies and additional fire calls. 

On the fire on Pierce Ferry the other day we had several citizens assist firefighters dragging hose to get water on the fire. I want to thank the people who helped out you make the firefighters job easier and safer.

The LMRFD still needs volunteers and we hope to start training soon. Please come apply to be a volunteer, what's the worst they can do, say no...

PLEASE Everyone Take a First Aid Course and Learn CPR/AED

Paramedic Training Then and Now... The Beginning of EMS as we know it...

Paramedics have only been around since the 70's. When I started in EMS in the 70's many "ambulances" were ran by funeral homes. In Spokane Valley it was Thornhill Funeral Home and Ambulance Service. Makes me a little nervous today.... Things have changed..

When I went to KRMC emergency department last year they were very concerned about my privacy. It took quite a while to see the doc even after being taken back into the ER area, but every few minutes someone came around to ask if my privacy was being protected... It was pretty slow that day so I don't know if any EMT or paramedic students were working that day.

It was a long time ago when I took my paramedic training at Daniel Freeman Hospital in Inglewood California. I had worked a year for Mercy Ambulance in Spokane and wanted to be a paramedic, but didn't want to take a year or two at the community college. I wanted to train in a busy place and found one of the schools where paramedicine was born in LA, a busy place.

I found Daniel Freeman Hospital, the Wedworth-Townsend Paramedic Act was passed on July 15th 1970 and in August 1970 Paramedic Training in California is initiated at Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital under the direction of Dr. Walter S. Graf. His old Heart Wagon an old bread van was still in the parking lot.

Several friends had gone through training at Daniel Freeman. It was 6 months of training 8-4 five days a week with tests every week. The first day they tell you to pay attention under 70% on any 3 tests and you're out, go home. We started with 30 students and after every test there were empty chairs on Monday, 20 graduated. I did what we'll say was not good in high school, I got 90% all the way through training at Daniel Freeman.

It was a different time heroin and crack cocaine were big LA in 1984 and the Olympics were town. Working at the emergency department at the USC Medical Center was exciting. Beds lined th outside walls with critical patients in the middle. Everyone there were doctors doing their ER rotation, physician assistant or paramedic students.

My first day they introduced me to the big guy in the ER and said listen to him. He gave me an IV tray, taught me little poke in Spanish, and said do what you're told you'll do fine and he left.... The doctors doing their ER rotation made a few mistakes, but it's a teaching hospital.

The physician assistants seemed to have a much better grasp on things, but like paramedic students they have 1 to 2 years of hands on experience in their field. They taught me a lot and would take time to explain things if you didn't get it. Training after working on an ALS ambulance made it easy. I had done or seen everything we were learning done many times, but now I knew why we did it.

EMT's are trained in advanced first aid and transporting patients. Paramedics are trained in a wide area of subjects and now with a little more training some places are starting paramedicine programs where paramedics do more home care follow up to keep from making those emergency runs

If you have been to an ER department lately watch Code Black Documentary a on the old USC Medical Center, AKA the LA County Hospital where many Daniel Freeman paramedics trained, let me know what you think...

If you have an interest in helping others take an EMR or EMT class... Volunteer 80% of calls today are medical calls.

Never Forget July 5th 1973 11 Kingman Firefighters Lost their Lives

July 5th 1973 11 Kingman firefighters lost their lives protecting their community.

The explosion occurred during a propane transfer from a Doxol railroad car to a storage tank on the Getz rail siding near Andy Devine Avenue/Route 66. The incident began when a hair line crack in the side of the tanker was leaking non smelling gas that was ignited by static electricity this caused a spark that ignited the leaking propane gas, this was discovered after a long investigation and trial was conducted. The initial fire badly burned the two railroad employees present, one of whom later died from his burns. The burning propane gas escaping from the valve connection on the rail car quickly heated the liquid propane inside, increasing the tank pressure. This in turn increased the leak and fire, further heating the tank car

Firefighters Memorial Park in Kingman is dedicated to those 11 firefighters who died in the BLEVE

High Tech Communications on the Cheap with Zello PTT App

We seem to have come full circle when it comes to in vehicle and handheld communications devices. In the 70's in Montana we used 100 watt FM radios on 39.82 Mhz in our patrol cars. That's low band not too far from CB radio frequencies.

In the winter when skip was in we couldn't talk to a deputy 20 miles away, but we could hear LAPD put out their stolen car report every morning. In the 80's we changed to VHF radios and the problem went away.

Later cell phones came to law enforcement and officers carried phones. The specialized units started using specialized cell phones with PTT, push-to-talk. These used the cellular network rather than repeaters on mountain tops.

Zello PTT on the cheap...

You can spend hundreds of dollars on specialized Bluetooth headsets with PTT for Zello or other PTT over cellular services, or less than $10 for a Bluetooth headset with remote PTT button.

Use a wired headset? Want to use an in the ear $5 Bluetooth headset like mine, or your favorite BT headset as a PTT for Zello.

The AINA Bluetooth PTT Button for Zello is $79.00 OR you can get a Bluetooth camera buttons on eBay for $1.20 from China or $5.00 from the US 

Watch This Video on how to setup a cheap bluetooth camera button as a Zell PTT button for your BT headset.

My First Impression of AT&T's First Responder Network FirstNet

I've been testing out AT&T's network built for first responders 

called FirstNet. The first thing I learned is don't call AT&T for help with FirstNet, they have a seperate support group that are great. They know what they're doing and get any problems with activation or IMEI numbers solved fast.

The FirstNet tower is working great in Dolan Springs. My guess is the cell tower above Dolan is the FirstNet tower 310-100 I can see on an app. I checked data speed and it just over 60 Mbps. You can not only download large files in seconds, you can tether 10 devices when needed.

The plans and prices for first responders in HERE 

They have some great offers for agencies to purchase the $1000 rugged Sonim XP8 phone for .99 cents and a 2 year plan.

The plan I use is the $44.99 unlimited data, talk & text plus unlimited mobile hotspot & tethering plan, with no throttling.

All in all FirstNet seems like a good deal for first responders. Just remember to call FirstNet for support and not AT&T..

This is a good article from All Things FirstNet about the system being built for first responders. I just signed up for FirstNet and found we have a local tower dedicated to first responders..

If you're a first responder check out Band 14 a high power band for first responders. If communications are important to your agency, check out FirstNet

Information on Band 14 Link 
While public safety is intrigued by the performance capabilities of the FirstNet system being built by AT&T, first-responder representatives repeatedly have expressed concern that typical LTE devices use only 0.200-0.250 watts of power when transmitting signals. By using HPUE—a 3GPP standard that can be used only on the 700 MHz Band 14 spectrum licensed to FirstNet in the U.S.—devices can transmit signals at 1.25 watts of power, according to Bob LaRose, vice president of business development at HPUE maker Assured Wireless.

IAFF Joins with AT&T to Educate Firefighters on FirstNet Mobile Broadband Services

POSTED BY: EDITORIAL STAFF JUNE 11, 2019

FirstNet is a critical tool to keep firefighters and paramedics safe and ensure effective emergency and disaster response LINK to Article

LMRFD Board Needs to Stay OUT of the Operation of the Fire District

I've filed one complaint with the Arizona Attorney General's Office and will continue to file complaints until the board stops interfering with the operation of the fire district.

I urge everyone to learn the Open Meeting Rules attend the fire board meetings and file complaints when the board goes beyond their mandate..

I sat down with Chief Bonnee today and he gets it.

I sat down with Chief Bonnee today and he gets it. He understands that we need volunteers as well as more support from areas currently not paying property tax to the LMRFD.

I hope the fire board is smart enough to spend a little to save a lot. We need our brush truck at station 41 where it can be of use, not as a chiefs vehicle.

The chief needs a 4x4 pickup truck he can use for support. I don't understand why the old chief was running a fire truck to death that's going to cost US $100,000 plus to replace.

If you have any interest in the fire service or EMS go to the LMRFD Web Page and apply the LMRFD needs volunteers.