Navigation

Main Page

Recent changes

Random page

Help

Donations

Tips For Searching

RR Wiki User's Guide

QuickLinks

RR Home

RR Forums

RR Database

Personal Tools

Log in / create account

Search the Wiki

 

Toolbox

What links here

Related changes

Upload file

Special pages

Printable version

Permanent link

Admin Style Guide

Contents 1 Agencies and County Page definitions 2 Alpha Tags 2.1 Guidelines 2.2 Order of determination priority 2.3 Admin Defined Alpha Tags 2.4 Municipality or Agency Designations 2.5 Municipality or Agency with Combined Use 2.6 Standardized Common Use Acronyms 2.7 Location Identifier

Agencies and County Page definitions

• A separate subcategory should be created for the following different types of frequencies. These types of frequencies should not be grouped together in a single sub-category unless an agency has a small set of assignments. In those cases, all can be grouped into one subcategory and should follow the same sort order below.

Police
Fire
EMS
Public Works

• Subcategories should be sorted in the following order of priority. In the case of multiple subcategories that belong to the same agency, sort by agency, then by the below.

1. Police
2. Fire
3. EMS
4. Public Works

• Do not link to images stored on servers outside the RadioReference.com Domain infrastructure. Examples include links to graphics, badges, patches etc on agency's servers. Content not hosted by RadioReference.com should not be included in pages anywhere.

Alpha Tags

The overall goal and spirit of an Alpha Tag is to display to a user of a scanner or communications receiver the use of a particular frequency or trunked system talkgroup. The user should be able to determine the following from an alpha tag:

1. Who uses the frequency/talkgroup

2. What the use is for

3. How it fits into a communications system plan

Thus, an alpha tag of "BPD Disp 1" tells the users that BPD uses the frequency, for "Disp" (Dispatch) communications, and it is designated as channel #1. This meets the requirements of the Alpha Tag.

In another example, "PD Disp" only tells the user that this freq or talkgroup is a Police Dispatch Channel, and doesn't meet the requirements, therefore that alpha tag does not meet the requirements recommended.

Guidelines

• Alpha Tags are limited to 12 characters
• The use of ALL CAPS should try to be avoided in Alpha Tags

Order of determination priority

Alpha tags should be determined using this order of priority. There will always be exceptions, however the admin staff should make every effort to use this order of priority.

1. Mix of 3 Character Municipality and Official Agency Designator

2. Agency Official Designator

3. Admin Defined Alpha Tag

4. A Talkgroup ID or Frequency

Thus, if an official agency designator or alpha tag is known, and it doesn't provide municipality related information (it is generic), then #1 should be used. For example, if Austin PD uses DISP-1 as the designator for their Dispatch Channel #1, then a 3 character municipality or agency identifier should be added to the known official designator. The recommended result would be:

Aus PD Disp1 

 - or -
 
APD Disp1

If an official agency designator *does* provide municipality/agency information then #2 should be used (use the tag) Otherwise, an admin defined tag should be created. Finally, if no admin defined alpha tag can be created or there is confusion on how to create one, then #4 should be used.

Admin Defined Alpha Tags

An admin defined alpha tag should be created using either of the following rules:

• [3 Character Municipality or Agency Designator] + [Usage] + [Location Identifier (Optional)] + [Channel ID/Number]

Examples:

Den PD DSP 1       Denver Police Department Channel 1
Sat FD FG 1        San Antonio Fire Department Fireground 1

• [4 Character Municipality or Agency with Combined Use] + [Location Identifier (Optional)] + [Channel ID/Number]

Examples:

SAPD DSP 1          San Antonio Police Department Dispatch Channel 1

Municipality or Agency Designations

Should be restricted to a maximum of THREE characters, and a minimum of TWO characters

Examples:

DAL = Dallas
SAT = San Antonio
FTW = Fort Worth
NO = New Orleans
MIA - Miami

Municipality or Agency with Combined Use

SAPD = San Antonio Police Department BPD = Boston Police Department CFD = Columbus Fire Department

Standardized Common Use Acronyms

PD = Police Department
SO = Sheriffs Office
FD = Fire Department
PW - Public Works
AC = Animal Control
VFD = Volunteer Fire Department
EMS = Emergency Medical Services

DSP or DISP = Dispatch
CAR = Car to Car
FG = Fireground
TA - Talk Around
TAC = Tactical

Location Identifier

E = East
W = West
N = North
S = South
NE = Northeast
NW = North West
SW = South West
SE = Southeast
C = Central