Use of speaker mics and portable radios in the fire service

[FireCpt809]

This report was sent to me by a good friend of mine who asked that I share it with my " radio geek" friends.


http://api.ning.com/files/YhwQqZhqiBaRY ... INAL_2.pdf

[NHfirefighter]

Great report with very useful information. Thanks for sharing I know what our next training will be on!

[xmo]

Since the ITS/PSCR report on audio quality/intelligibility issues in the fire service came out a few years ago, there has been a lot of research done and manufacturers have responded with vocoder improvements as well as noise cancelling capabilities in their products, so things are getting better. If you are looking at reviewing your agency's user training, the IAFC has a portable radio best practices presentation and Motorola has this video:

http://business.motorolasolutions.com/p ... tLoud.html

[Shuttle]

Very interesting in deed!
We use our GP330's on a regular basis, no matter what the incident. These are used for our own communication, and comms to dispatch are over a tetra-based system.
The common method of wearing the radio is a) the jacket radio pouch or b) trouser radio pouch under the jacket. Both have the RF attenuation issue, though we use VHF.
But on the other hand, we do not use RSM.
We use a Savox-brand system that includes a PTT or a RSM/PTT -unit. We have an ear-bud style G-series headset available, and those of us who are certified smoke divers get a helmet-com system. The truck chief (in lack for a better term) has a helmet-com in the shared helmet.

The PTT we use is the C-400, which is only IP4x, should be worn beneath the jacket. This often gets disregarded.
The PTT/RSM is the C-C500 which is almost submersible, but requires a lot more force to apply the PTT.
The helmet-com wire is flameproof, but the normal headset wire isn't.

As the radios are quite expensive for our budget (radio+PTT is 700-800 EUR with FI prices) so we try to protect them well. This seems to come at a far greater cost than anticipated.

[RFguy]

If you are looking at reviewing your agency's user training, the IAFC has a portable radio best practices presentation and Motorola has this video:

http://business.motorolasolutions.com/p ... tLoud.html

Great video. Thanks for posting it. I'll distribute this to all my public saftey contacts. It has some valuable information that is applicable not only to fire, but police and EMS as well.

[lafd55]

I agree with the hole antenna location and signal loss, but disagree with how the radio strap is positioned. With where it is it is more likely to get stuck on something rather then it just being under the jacket or in the chest pocket. The radio is one of the most important things a fireman carries, and the more it's exposed the more likely it might get damaged. Just my honest opinion and 2 cents. Also I hate when F/Fs wear their radio straps above their gear rather then under.

[TomSlick]

Thanks for those links. I'm going to pass them on in my department.