scanSydney

In a month or so

Ok, I'll bite.

Are you talking something simple like the merging of channels or something more concerning, such as encryption?

No no encryption or channel merging

http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j ... 1109,d.dGc

Page 3

MDT's - the firies are finally dragging their feet into the 21st century.

Initial job details may now be lacking, as with responding/stop messages, but sitreps etc will no doubt still be passed over the radio.

Realistically the only messages that you won't hear with MDT's that may be of interest would be call outs to appliances who are out of the station, as these will likely be over the MDT instead of by radio.

Calls to crews in stations already come off the printer, so apart from maybe missing a response message not much will change there for us. Basically the 'interesting stuff' will still be by radio, so should still be plenty to listen to.

Will it be quieter? Yep. Will it be 'silent'? Nup.

Yes and No.

With Code 1's, 3, 5, 6 and STOP Code Messages all being place over the MDT, it's very possible for some calls you'll hear no radio messages from some Crews for a range of incidences - AFA' s, MVA' s, Rescues, Grass/Rubbish Fires.

By rights at Greater Alarm jobs all you might / should hear is the incident controller.

With high radio traffic periods such as what we would be seeing now with the extreme weather conditions around Sydney and major bushfires like the 2013 Blue Mountains, the MDT's will free up the GRN System from non essential radio messages - crew dispatching & arrival.

other benefits for us, majority of the paper back documents we carry in the appliance - hydrant maps, SOG's, Pre incident plans, chemical data etc . . . will now be available in electronic media via the MDT's, including satellite maps and possible live satellite streaming.

Long over due

Radio traffic won't die down until phase 2, it's not hooked up to ESCAD yet, just running in "Local" mode with maps, SOGS, PIPs, etc (As you said) to get business feedback from the crews in MS3.

The Duty Commanders already utilise ADASHI for larger incidents (Above a 2nd/3rd alarm depending on the nature of the incident).

It's a good tool and it's come a long way since the early days a year or so ago.

Mr Flibble wrote:It's a good tool and it's come a long way since the early days a year or so ago.

A good tool!!!!

It would want to be the F22 Raptor of MDT Systems. There had since the first MDT Trial in 1996-97 to develop it, could had even gone to NRMA or the Taxi service and got some pointers near 10 years ago, well over due.

Those MDT's were shit full stop. It's only in the last few years that I think hardware has gotten to the level that it needs to be rugged, easy to read and operable with gloves on in a truck and the HP Toughpads being used are definitely best of breed in that field.

The software is also being vigorously tested, designed and customised for FRNSW rather than shoe horning some application in to "Do the job".

It won't be without it's issues to begin with but it will be way better than any Roadside Assistance or TAXI MDT.

So we are talking about the using the same MDT frequencies that the ambos use?
If so and if there are more users on the MDT service, wont that slow down the receipt/sending of messages at times?

No - according to the article it's based on Telstra 4G service.