RFS get new handhelds

[freqwaves]

They had in our local paper Catherine Fields RFS with new Handheld radios after getting a $20,000 grant from the government.
I'm presuming they were PMR fireground radios as they looked smaller than a GRN type motorola radio.
Would these be analogue or P25 as more brigades go digital?

Thanks, John.

[Bigfella237]

I would've thought they'd have to be APX6000's, which with the lower capacity batteries do look a little smaller than the old XTS portables, but you'd only get maybe ten radios (at govt. pricing) for that money?

They could be UHFCB I guess but then they wouldn't do the 'proper' fireground channels, not to mention that you could get about four hundred of them for twenty grand, which sounds like overkill!

But if they're only for use on the official fireground channels they could be just about any type of programmable radio, either VHF or UHF, analog or P25, depending on which PMR profile they chose to adhere to?

Got a picture or a URL for the story?

Andrew

[Longreach]

Hi all,
Given your area ,John, mainly uses GRN for normal operations they would be P25 radios like the APX6000, Tait TP9100 series etc. However given that they are on the GRN why would they have to buy there own radio's. We were told here unless they are a service supplied radio then they are not allowed to be on the network (P25 or otherwise). Given too that only the Group Captain, Captain and Senior Deputy (or at a pinch the OIC, maybe a deputy)are the only ones allowed on the normal operating channel i wouldn't have thought there would have been a need for too many radios?
Which next goes to VHF fireground radio's which are analog. For 25K that would buy a lot of radios?
Cheers
Matt

[Wonky]

John did they look anything like this one:

http://www.benelec.com.au/pdf/BL500Adforweb.pdf

[Adpad]

Wonky , that's them some brigades use them up here on the central coast

Adam

[freqwaves]

Wonky, the picture did not show the radios close up & the crew had them in their hands with the display facing them.They do look like the size of the one you show but where all black in colour. I did a search of the Macarthur Advertiser newspaper website but no link to the story.Unfortunately threw the paper out last week.

Thanks for the responses.
John.

[matthewn1983]

This was taken from the RFS Service Standard 5.1.3 Communication Systems Dated 17 June 2013

VHF High Band (136-174 MHz) Mobile/Portable Radio Equipment

2.5 Tait or Simoco VHF 136-174MHz mobile radio will be used for NSW
RFS fire ground use and communication with other agencies as per the
standard profile available only from Communications Systems. If
Simoco radios are used, the controller microphone/handsets will be
coloured blue.

2.6 Benelec BL500 VHF 136-174 MHz portable radios will be used for
handheld NSW RFS fire ground communications.