Llandilo fire

[Scotty]

Heard on the GRN on the normal firecom dispatch channels amongst normal broadcasts.

[JAFO]

Ok, as an MDT Upgrade was garried out not too long ago, wondering if the Tones are associated with incident updates being sent to MDT's via the GRN system?

When Crews get address updates or redirections via the MDT's, Comm's usually ask if we received the updates, does make sense

[Scotty]

Thanks JAFO. Hearing the way the tones were broadcast and the 'urgent' type messages that followed made me think the new info was not on the MDT and was being broadcast as an appendum to an ongoing job, possibly directly from a LO with the RFS, etc. I'm still not sure if the tone could be heard by all crews of if they were directed at specific crews (similar to selcall, etc) and only

[JAFO]

FRNSW don't use Cellcall and apart from the old Tone Pagers I have never heard Tones used on our radio's in my 26 years with FRNSW.

I wouldn't be suprised if the MDT's can also function via radio frequencies . . . and it does make sense to fall back onto the GRN if the Mobile Data network becomes unreliable which on a day to day bases has shown shortfalls

[Scotty]

The tones must be a new addition, but are definitely now being used in numerous areas from the responses on here.

I was wondering if the the tones were able to be heard by all crews on the channel or if they are directed to a specific crew via the console (similar to a selcall like notifcation). Thinking this through as I'm writing it is more likely the tones are broadcast for all to hear, then it wouldn't matter if the crew was using a portable or mobile radio.

[Garry]

I heard the tones overnight, Pump 288 was responding to a house fire. The alert tone went across the channel and the operator said 'pump 288 there is an update from pump xxx, check your MDT"

[JAFO]

I heard the tones overnight, Pump 288 was responding to a house fire. The alert tone went across the channel and the operator said 'pump 288 there is an update from pump xxx, check your MDT"

Ok, now I'm back at work . . . and I asked the question and YES the crew I am with today could hear the Tones during the Landilo Incident over the FireComm radio channel, but have n idea what they were, and during the Llandilo incident they didn't receive any updates on their MDT . . . . so still can't confirm if it is passably a MDT Data Tone being sent to appliance MDT's.

Now Scotty, for your information . . . when a incident update is sent through to a appliance MDT, the MDT sounds a alert tone which the crew are required to press an acknowledge button on the MDT Screen to see the updated information . . . now that audible alert tone is also suppose to be broadcast through the pump panel speaker when the pump is in operation so the Pump Operator knows the MDT has received an Update, so by rights . . . there really is no benefit of the the crews hearing the Tone's over the radio.

[Mr Flibble]

The tones are purely a button on the console software that the Radio Operator has the option to use.

Also the MDTs only utilise Telstra 4G, FRNSW Wifi or Ethernet if the MDT is placed into a toughpad docking cradle. They have no data connection to the GRN.