City of Boston Public Safety Agencies
The
Boston Police Department provides police protection to the citizens of and
visitors to the City of
The
Operations Division, better known as the "turret" provides
communications. Located at Boston Police Headquarters the “turret” contains
9-1-1 operations, all radio dispatch and the “teletype room” where wanted,
license, and registration checks are performed.
All
Note: Channel 14 has been
designated for public safety interagency communications. Command staff from
BPD, BEMS, and BFD will have the frequency programmed into their radios to
allow for direct communications at the scene of major incidents.
|
Designation |
Frequency |
PL |
Use |
|
Channel 01 |
460.350 |
D-315 |
Special Events, City Wide
events |
|
Channel 02 |
460.450 |
D-331 |
Alpha Gold units |
|
Channel 03 |
460.225 |
D-343 |
Bravo Charlie Units |
|
Channel 04 |
460.400 |
D-346 |
Echo, Jake, |
|
Channel 05 |
460.500 |
D-351 |
Delta Kilo Units |
|
Channel 06 |
460.175 |
D-364 |
Fox, Harry Units |
|
Channel 07 |
460.300 |
D-365 |
Car to Car, Car to Base |
|
Channel 08 |
460.125 |
D-371 |
License, Stolen, Wanted |
|
Channel 09 |
460.075 |
D-411 |
Unit to Unit |
|
Channel 10 |
460.250 |
D-412 |
Detectives |
|
Channel 11 |
460.375 |
DVP |
Detectives |
|
Channel 12 |
460.050 |
D-464 |
Mobile Operations |
|
Channel 13 |
460.150 |
D-465 |
Detectives |
|
Channel 14 |
460.275 |
D-466 |
Public Safety Interoperability Channel |
|
Channel 15 |
460.475 |
DVP |
Command |
|
Channel 16 |
460.025 |
D-506 |
Communications Division |
|
|
460.200 |
|
New Frequency |
|
|
460.475 |
|
Citywide Broadcasts |
|
|
158.910 |
118.8 |
Paging? |
|
|
453.350 |
D-532 |
Housing Police |
|
|
453.200 |
118.8 |
BPD Services |
|
|
453.300 |
118.8 |
|
|
Area Wide 3 |
470.7875 |
131.8 |
Old BAPERN 3 |
|
Area Wide 4 |
470.5625 |
131.8 |
Old BAPERN 4 |
|
North Tactical |
470.4875 |
131.8 |
Old BAPERN 2 NORTH |
|
West Tactical |
470.7375 |
131.8 |
Old BAPERN 2 WEST |
|
South Tactical |
470.9125 |
131.8 |
Old BAPERN 2 SOUTH |
|
Central Tactical |
470.9875 |
D-654 |
Old BAPERN 2 CENTRAL |
|
Northeast Tactical |
471.7625 |
118.8 |
Old BAPERN 2 NORTHEAST |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In addition the Boston Police
Operations Division "The Turret" can communicate on all of the BAPERN
Channels and can cross patch to any of the operational channels if the need
arises.
Each unit is assigned it's own call sign. The first part of the call sign is a
phonetic letter that designates the part of the city or specialized unit.
The city is broken down into
five areas, within each area are two or three
districts.
|
Call sign |
District # |
Location/Unit |
|
Alpha
|
1/15 |
Downtown, |
|
Bravo
|
2 |
Roxbury |
|
Charlie
|
3 |
Mattapan |
|
Delta
|
4 |
South End, |
|
Echo
|
5 |
|
|
Fox |
6 |
|
|
Gold |
7 |
|
|
Harry |
11 |
|
|
Jake |
13 |
Jamaica Plain |
|
Kilo |
14 |
Allston/Brighton |
|
|
18 |
|
|
Mike |
|
Special Events |
|
Nova Base |
|
Channel 8 |
|
Romeo |
|
Detail units on Central
Artery project |
|
Silver |
|
Services (mechanics, tow
trucks, etc |
|
Tango |
|
Special Operations |
|
Victor |
|
Detectives |
|
Yankee |
|
Administration |
Academy xxx units are heard
when there is an academy class in session. These units operate on Channel
1 and transmit simulated radio traffic including fights, officer in trouble
calls, crimes in progress calls, etc. The concept is to get recruits used to
operating police radios.
The second character denotes
the unit type
1
Rapid Response (two man cars)
2
Patrol Wagons
3
Motorcycles
4
Neighborhood Service Unit, including Community Service
Officers,
7
Mounted
8
Specialized detective units like Homicide.
9
Supervisors
A
Lieutenants
B
Captains
C
Command
D
Other
K
Anti Crime units (Plain Clothes Officers)
The third and fourth digits
denote the individual unit identification.
The fifth digit, if used
denotes shift. Generally you will only hear this at the beginning and end of a
shift.
A -
Night Shift
D -
Day Shift
F -
Evening
The Boston Police Department
does not use any dispatch codes. All calls are given out in clear language.
They do however use service codes and Routine Miscellaneous Incident Reporting
Codes (Miscel Codes). Service codes are used for
Vehicle Maintenance, Lunch Breaks, Court, Etc. Miscel
Codes are used for clearing incidents for which no report is required. Finally,
they use codes for Arriving, Clearing, and Logging on and off the air.
|
Code |
Meaning |
Code |
Meaning |
|
1 |
Vehicle
Maintenance |
16 |
Moving
Violation or Tagging |
|
2 |
Radio
Maintenance
|
17 |
Car Wash |
|
5 |
Transport Prisoners |
20 |
Gas |
|
|
Court Attendance |
21 |
Travel to and From Post |
|
12 |
Warrant
Unit for Pickup |
35 |
Licensed
Premises Inspection |
Miscellaneous Routine
Incident Reporting Codes (Miscel Codes)
|
Number |
Incident |
Phonetic |
Police Action |
|
1 |
ADT or Burglar Alarm |
A- Adam |
Non Bona Fide Incident |
|
2 |
Citizen Alarm |
B- Boy |
No Person can be found |
|
3 |
Citizen Calling for Help |
C-Charlie |
No such address |
|
4 |
Escort Duty |
D-David |
No police service necessary |
|
5 |
Fire Alarm |
E-Edward |
Perpetrator gone on police
arrival |
|
6 |
Family trouble |
F-Frank |
Peace restored |
|
7 |
Gathering causing annoyance |
G-George |
Advised Warrant |
|
8 |
Investigation person
routine |
H-Henry |
Advised to re-contact
police if repeated or returned |
|
9 |
Investigation, premises
routine |
I-Ida |
Taken to district station |
|
10 |
Landlord – Tenant
Disturbance |
J-John |
Field Interrogation report completed |
|
11 |
Lock Out |
K-King |
Issued traffic citation |
|
12 |
Noisy Party |
L-Lincoln |
Issued parking ticket |
|
13 |
Prowler (no description) |
M-Mary |
Advised legal help |
|
14 |
Police Services – Traffic,
etc. |
N-Nora |
Accidental or defective alarm |
|
15 |
Disturbances Drunk |
O-Ocean |
False – no prosecution |
|
16 |
Disturbance inside |
P-Paul |
Service rendered |
|
|
|
X-Xray |
Clear from Code 19 |
Status Codes
Adam Robert
Arriving on scene
Charlie Robert
Clearing assignment
that does not require miscel code or report
Ocean Nora Logging on the air
Ocean Frank
Logging off the air
Most City of
Frequencies
868.7000
867.9375
866.9375
860.9375 Control
860.7625
859.9375 Control
859.7625
858.9375 Control
858.7625
857.9375 Control
857.7625
856.9375
856.7625
852.1875
851.5375
|
|
PUBLIC FACILITIES
|
|
53040 |
Ch 1 - Special Events |
|
52816 |
Ch 2 Municipal
Building Police Department Dispatch |
|
52848 |
Ch 3 - MBPD Site Security ( |
|
52880 |
Ch 4 - MBPD Warrants |
|
52912 |
Ch 5 - Administration |
|
53072 |
Ch
? - City Hall Security |
|
|
|
|
51216 |
Transport Patched to 471.6875 PL 131.8 |
|
51248 |
Security? |
|
51280 |
Administration |
|
51312 |
Maintenance |
|
51376 |
Tactical |
|
51408 |
Penal |
|
|
INSPECTIONAL SERVICES |
48016
|
Animal Control |
48048
|
Building Inspectors |
48080
|
Health Inspectors |
48112
|
Electrical Inspectors |
48144
|
Code Enforcement |
48176
|
Administration |
|
|
PUBLIC
HEALTH COMMISSION |
|
47216 |
Ch 1 - Police - South Block
( |
|
47248 |
Ch 2 - Police - Long Island
Hospital |
|
47280 |
Ch 3 - Police - Common |
55056
|
EMS 1 |
55088
|
EMS2/Hospital 2 |
55152
|
EMS 4 |
55184
|
Hospital 1 |
55248
|
Hospital 3 |
|
055312 |
Bio Hazard |
|
|
PARKS
DEPARTMENT |
049744
|
Park Rangers |
049808
|
Ranger Car to Car |
|
|
CITYWIDE TALK GROUPS
|
041616
|
Citywide 1 Emergency |
041648
|
Citywide 2 Events |
041680
|
Citywide 3 (Interop) |
041712
|
Citywide 4 |
|
Channel |
Frequency |
PL |
Use |
|
09
|
462.950 |
151.4 |
Tactical |
|
10 |
462.975 |
151.4 |
Citywide
Dispatch |
|
11 |
458.1375 |
97.4 |
Simplex
(portable only) |
|
12 |
460.550 |
192.8 |
Tactical,
special events |
|
13 |
458.0625 |
210.7 |
Simplex
(portable only) |
|
14 |
460.525 |
503 |
Tactical,
Special Events |
|
15 |
453.100 |
D-165 |
Boston
Ambulance Mutual Aid (BAMA) |
|
16 |
453.775 |
156.7 |
Communications
Engineering |
Channels 1-8 are MED 1-8, see
Ambulance and EMS page for frequencies and PL information. Channels 11 and 13
are receive only in mobile units. The Communications
Engineering Unit uses channel 16
Boston EMS is the 9-1-1
ambulance service for the City of Boston. Operated by the Public Health
Commission, Boston EMS is a third service system. All BLS units are staffed by
two EMT-Ds, and two paramedics staff all ALS units. In addition to ALS and BLS
units, Boston EMS also operates bicycle units for special events. Also
during the warm weather months EMTs are assigned to
Boston Police Department Harbor Patrol boats. Boston EMS also has two Special
Operations trucks that are equipped for use at Mass Casualty Incidents or
incidents with potential for large numbers of patients.
All Boston EMS BLS ambulances
and supervisor vehicles are equipped with Semi Automatic Defibrillators.
Boston and Massachusetts Port Authority Fire Departments act as first
responders and are also equipped with SAEDs. In
addition many private and public facilities in Boston have SAEDs
of their own. The Boston EMS training division provides Training and Quality
Control for all SAED users in the city.
All EMS response vehicles
have mobile computers installed. Most dispatch and response information
is transmitted by Mobile Work Station (MWS), which significantly reduces the
amount of voice traffic on the dispatch channels. Added future enhancements
will include digital mapping, and eventually report writing software. Work
Stations are commonly referred to as “MDTs” over the
air.
|
Call
sign
|
Primary Response Area |
|
|
Ambulance
1 |
Downtown
Boston |
|
|
Ambulance
2 |
Roxbury |
|
|
Ambulance
3 |
Mattapan |
|
|
Ambulance
4 |
South
End/Back Bay |
|
|
Ambulance
5 |
Hyde
Park/West Roxbury |
|
|
Ambulance
6 |
South
Boston |
|
|
Ambulance
7 |
East
Boston |
|
|
Ambulance
8 |
Downtown/East
Boston |
|
|
Ambulance
9 |
Allston/Brighton/Back
Bay |
|
|
Ambulance
10 |
Dorchester/South
|
|
|
Ambulance
11 |
Dorchester |
|
|
Ambulance
12 |
Roxbury/Dorchester |
|
|
Ambulance
13 |
Jamaica
Plain |
|
|
Ambulance
14
|
Allston/Brighton |
|
|
Ambulance
15 |
Charlestown |
|
|
Ambulance
16 |
Back Bay/South End |
|
|
Ambulance
17
|
Roslindale/West Roxbury |
|
|
Ambulance
18 |
Hyde
Park |
|
|
Ambulance
19 |
Mattapan/Dorchester |
|
|
Ambulance |