Fire Buff Systems and Frequencies

 

Massachusetts and New England are have several different fire buff organizations. In addition to fire and emergency buffs, members of the news media listen and participate in these organizations. Listening to them is a good way to find out about major events as they happen. It also allows the scanner enthusiast to multiply his listening range, since no one can listen to everything. Listed below are some of the larger and more active buffing groups along with frequencies, codes and even some links.

 

Boston City wide

 

463.550    167.9               Channel 1

463.550    91.7

 

                         Citywide Fire Buffs Radio Codes

                                                          

 

10-1   Call Home or Unit ___                                10-26  Food on Stove

10-2   Cancel Response                                         10-27  Compactor Fire

10-3   Call Dispatcher                                             10-28  Subway or Railroad Incident

10-4   Understood                                                  10-30  Smoke or Fire Showing

10-5   Please Repeat                                               10-32  Defective Oil Burner

10-6   Standby                                                         10-33  Odor of Smoke

10-7   Verify Alarm Information                            10-34  Sprinkler Emergency/Malfunction

10-8   In Service                                                      10-35  Alarm Emergency/Malfunction

10-10  Location                                                       10-40  Gas or Electrical Emergency

                                                                                  Code 1: Gas Emergency   Code 2: Electrical Emergency

10-11  Radio Test                                                   10-45  INJURY  Code 1: Fatal                     

10-12  Give Arrival Report                                    Code 2: Serious  Code 3: Minor

10-13 Request Help Urgent                                  10-51  Hazardous Road Conditions

10-14 Update Incident                                           10-75  Working Fire

10-17 Period of Unrest                                           10-76  High Rise Incident

10-18 Holding 1 Engine and 1 Truck                   10-80  Hazardous Material Incident

10-19 Holding 1 Engine or 1 Truck                      10-84  Unit on Arrival

10-20 Appears Under Control                              10-88  Unit Responding to _______

10-21 Brush Fire                                                     10-92  False Alarm

10-22 Outside Rubbish Fire                                  10-99  Units will be operating at least 30 minutes

10-24 Auto Fire                                                       10-100 All Units Operate in Direct Mode Except Unit Designated

                                                                                             relay reports

10-25  Manhole /Transformer Vault Fire         

 

Metro Radio System. This is a large system that covers eastern and central Massachusetts as well as sections of New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Currently one of the most active systems, current members represent public safety, the private sector, and members of the print and electronic media.

 

Frequencies are as follows;

 

 

                462.725R    167.9      Channel 1   This is the main channel used for incident notification

                462.725S     167.9      Channel 2           Simplex mode for on scene communications between members.

                462.650S     167.9      Tac 3                   Direct channel for non incident communications.

                463.850R    151.4       Tac 4                   Alternate Main Channel    

                464.300       203.5      North 1      Coverage for Northern  MA

                464.950       94.8        North 2      Repeats North 1, for Southern New Hampshire

                461.700       94.8        West          Repeats North 1 for Central MA

                                              

 

 

MRS Radio Codes

 

10-1           Responding

10-2           Cancel Response

10-3           Arrived on Scene

10-4           Acknowledgement

10-5           Repeat

10-6           Stand By

10-7           Verify address or info.

10-8           Call

10-9           Meet

10-10         Your location?

10-11         Radio Test (R1 to R9)

10-12         Preliminary Report

10-13         Need Help

                  Code 1-Urgent

                  Code 2-Not Urgent

10-14         Disregard previous info.

10-15         False Call/No Incident

10-16         Freq. Request (fire only)

10-17         Fire Box # Request

10-18         Activity Update

10-19         Monitor Freq. for activity

10-20         Incident Under Control

10-21         Brush/Woods Fire

10-22         Motor Vehicle Fire

10-23         HazMat Incident

                  Code 1-State Team Requested

                  Code 2-Local FD Response Only

10-24         Gas Leak

10-25         Electrical Fire

                  Code 1-Manhole

                  Code 2-Vault

                  Code 3-Substation

10-26         Ship Fire

10-27         Subway/RR Incident

10-28         Tunnel Incident

10-29         Incident is Photo-worthy

10-30         Fire/Smoke Showing

                  Code 1-Heavy Smoke/Fire

                  Code 2-Light Smoke/Fire

                  Code 3-Nothing Showing

10-31         Explosion/Bomb Incident

                  Code 1-Explosion

                  Code 2-Bomb Incident

                  Code 3-Susp. Package/Device

10-32         High Rise Incident

10-33         Structural Collapse

10-34         Construction/Industrial Accident

10-35         Working Fire

10-36         Search For Person

                  Code 1-Missing

                  Code 2-Lost

10-37         Water Incident

10-38         Drowning Search

                  Code 1-Confirmed Victim

10-39         Aircraft Incident

                  Code 1-Serious

                  Code 2-Not Serious

10-40         Motor Vehicle Accident

                  Code 1-Jaws Requested

                  Code 2-Photo/Recon Requested

                  Code 3-Accident Not Reportable

10-41         Emergency Vehicle MVA

10-42         School Bus Accident

10-43         MedFlight Requested

                  Code 1-Requested

                  Code 2-LZ Location

                  Code 3-Inter-facility Transfer

                  Code 4-Not Avail. Due to Wx

                  Code 5-Cancelled by OIC

10-44         Tractor Trailer Accident

10-45         Fatality/Injuries

                  Code 1-Fatality

                  Code 2-Serious Injury

                  Code 3-Minor Injury

10-46         Weather Alert

10-47         Avoid Area/congestion

                Code 1-Flooding

                  Code 2-Wind Damage

                  Code 3-Accident

10-48         Report/Road Weather

10-49         Wrong-way Traffic

10-50         Police Operation

                  Code 1-Pursuit/Auto

                  Code 2-Manhunt/Search on foot

                  Code 3-Raid

                  Code 4-Other (specify)

10-51         Suicide

                  Code 1-Jumper

                  Code 2-Other (specify)

10-52         Demonstration

                  Code 1-Riot

                  Code 2-Civil Disturbance

  Code 3-Volatile Situation

  Code 4-Peaceful

10-53         SWAT Team Response

10-54         Homicide

  Code 1-Firearm

                  Code 2-Knife

                  Code 3-Other (specify)

10-55         Officer Shot/Stabbed

10-56         Officer in Trouble

10-57         Shots Fired

10-58         A&B/Dangerous Weapon

                  Code 1-Firearm

                  Code 2-Knife

                  Code 3-Other (specify)

10-59         Armed Subject

                  Code 1-Barricaded

                  Code 2-With Hostage

                  Code 3-Other (specify)

10-60         Bank Robbery

10-61         Armored Car Robbery

10-62         Armed Robbery

                  Code 1-Home Invasion

                  Code 2-Business

                  Code 3-Other (specify)

10-63         Kidnapping

10-64         Burglary

10-65         Body Found

10-66         Rape

10-67         Selective Enforcement

10-68         Prison/Jail Incident

                  Code 1-Riot/Disturbance

                  Code 2-Escape

10-69         Request for K9 Unit

10-70         VIP Arrival/Escort

                  Code 1-Secret Svc Protection

                  Code 2-State/local Protection

10-71         Sensitive Incident

                  Code 1-No Radio; Landline Only

                  Code 2-Use Radio Discretely

10-72         Domestic Violence

10-73         CPR in Progress

10-74         Request for ME

10-80         Car Jacking

10-90         Essential Radio Traffic Only

10-91         Request Emergency Notification

10-95         Unauthorized Radio User

10-96

10-97         Hold Radio Traffic

10-98         Resume Normal Operations

10-99         Restrict talk to current incident

 

 

 

10-100       Major Emergency      First Unit on scene will update MRS base. All others on scene will operate on direct. Units not involved with incident will hold their traffic until 10-98  or 10-99 is given.

 

 

 

TAC 9 Radio System   

 

 

TAC9  Brockton   471.4625    PL 103.5

TAC9  Boston       471.2625   PL  203.5

TAC10 Brockton  472.0125    PL 131.8    Unit to Unit

TAC9 Worcester  472.2125    PL 179.9 

 

TAC 9  Radio Codes

 

10-01  Responding

10-02  Cancel response

10-03  Arrived on scene

10-04  Acknowledgment

10-05  Repeat

10-06  Stand by

10-07  Verify address or information

10-08  Call by phone

10-09  Meet up

10-10  Location

10-11  Radio check (R1 to R9)

10-12  Preliminary report

10-13  Need help

           Code 1 Urgent

           Code 2 Not urgent

10-14  Disregard

10-15  False call

10-16  Fire frequency request

10-17  Fire box # request

10-18  Progress report on incident

10-19  Monitor frequency for activity

10-20  Incident under control

10-21  Brush/woods fire

10-22  Motor vehicle fire

10-23  HazMat incident

10-24  Gas leak

10-25  Electrical fire

            Code 1 Manhole

            Code 2 Vault

            Code 3 Under control

10-26  Ship fire

10-27  Subway/Rail road incident

10-29  Incident is photo worthy

10-30  Smoke/fire showing

            Code 1 Heavy fire/smoke

            Code 2 Light fire/smoke

            Code 3 Nothing showing

10-31  Explosion/Bomb incident

            Code 1 Explosion

            Code 2 Bomb incident

10-32  High rise incident

10-33  Structural collapse

10-34  Construction accident

10-36  Search for person

            Code 1 Missing

            Code 2 Lost

10-37  Water incident

10-38  Drowning search

10-39  Aircraft incident

            Code 1 Serious injury

            Code 2 Minor injury

10-40  Motor vehicle accident

            Code 1 Jaws requested

            Code 2 Photo/recon

            Code 3 Not reportable

10-41  Emergency vehicle accident

10-42  School bus accident

10-43  Med-flight requested

10-44  Tractor trailer accident

10-45  Injuries/fatalities

            Code 1 Fatality

            Code 2 Serious injury

            Code 3 Minor injury

10-46  Weather alert

10-47  Avoid area/congestion

            Code 1 Flooding

            Code 2 Wind damage

            Code 3 Accident

10-48  Report road/weather conditions

10-49  Wrong-way traffic

10-50  Police operation

            Code 1 Pursuit/auto

           


Code 2 Manhunt/search

            Code 3 Raid

            Code 4 Other

10-51  Suicide

            Code 1 Jumper

            Code 2 Other

10-52  Demonstration

            Code 1 Riot

            Code 2 Civil disturbance

            Code 3 Volatile situation

            Code 4 Peaceful

10-53  Swat team response

10-54  Homicide

            Code 1 Firearm

            Code 2 Knife

            Code 3 Other

10-55  Officer shot/stabbed

10-56  Officer in trouble

10-57  Shots fired

10-58  A&B dangerous weapon

10-59  Armed suspect

            Code 1 Barricaded

            Code 2 With hostage

            Code 3 Other

10-60  Bank robbery

10-61  Armored car robbery

10-62  Armed robbery

            Code 1 Home invasion

            Code 2 Business

            Code 3 Other

10-63  Kidnapping

10-64  Burglary

10-65  Body found

10-66  Rape

10-67  Selective enforcement

10-68  Prison/jail incident

            Code 1 Riot/disturbance

            Code 2 Escape

10-69  Request for K-9

10-70  VIP arrival/escort

            Code 1 Secret service protection

            Code 2 State/local protection

10-71  Sensitive incident

            Code 1 Call by phone

            Code 2 Radio discretion

10-77  Back in service from scene

10-90  Essential radio traffic only

10-91  Emergency notification

10-95  Unauthorized radio user

10-97  Hold radio traffic

10-98  Resume normal operation

10-99  Restrict talk to incident

10-100  Major emergency

 

Other fire buff  frequencies.

 

USER                                                     Frequency             PL

                               

Boston Radio System               472.1125                   136.5

Cape Cod Citywide                         464.100                        85.4

Central Radio System                          463.825                   103.5

                                                                461.550                   103.5

Middlesex Notification Group            461.875

 

Providence Citywide

Ch 1 463.775    PL 167.9    Incident Notification

Ch 2 462.400    PL 250.3    Providence Car to Car

Ch 3 463.375    PL 91.5      Northern RI Incident & Car to Car

Ch 4 452.825    PL 167.9    Operations

Ch 5 461.425    PL 79.7     Incident channel - Ledyard CT