Bloomington-Normal

[edit] SCANNING IN BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL

McLean County Scanner - Quick Reference

METCOM-911 Center dispatches for all the police and fire agencies in McLean County, except for Bloomington PD/FD, ISU PD, and the Illinois State Police who all self-dispatched.

IMPORTANT: If you want to listen to the following agencies, they are using the Starcom21 Motorola P25 TRS. You will need a digital scanner capable of monitoring APCO25 trunked systems to monitor the following departments:

• Normal Police [TG 30366]
• Normal Fire [TG 30372]
• ISU PD [TG 4025]
• McLean County Sheriff and rural PD's (Bellflower PD, Chenoa PD, Colfax PD, Danvers PD, Downs PD, Ellsworth PD, Hudson PD, Heyworth PD, Lake Bloomington PD {"LB"}, Leroy PD, Lexington PD {“LX”} , Village of McLean PD {“MC”}, and Stanford PD) [TG 30358]
• County Animal Control [TG 3073]
• County Coroner [TG 30358] {"Edward units"}
• County Juvenile Detention Center [TG 30377] {"JDC units'}
• Illinois State Police [TG 13000]

Bloomington PD and Bloomington Fire still use analog UHF and VHF frequencies respectively. County Fire and EMS are on VHF.

No public safety activity remains on the McLean County (METCOM) EF Johnson Multi-Net II TRS {except for the simulcast of 453.700 (103.5) County EMA spotters} The frequencies for the mostpart have been recycled to Starcom21.

[edit] Starcom21 in McLean County

• The majority of the talkgroups listed for McLean County will always be carried on Site 229 so if you are in range of that site, it's the best one to monitor. On the rural sites listed below, you will usually hear the McLean County Sheriff Dispatch TG, but Normal PD/FD, Bloomington PD, and ISU PD are generally only heard on Site 229

Starcom21 - Site 229 (Normal) frequencies:

Starcom21 - Site 202 (Leroy) frequencies:

Starcom21 - Site 231 (Congerville) frequencies:

Starcom21 - Site 207 (Pontiac) frequencies:

McLean County Starcom21 Talkgroups:

[edit] Bloomington PD

Bloomington PD is dispatched by Bloomington Dispatch. Ch1 453.150 (127.3) is the primary dispatch frequency. Ch2 453.925 (127.3) is used by the 'Paul units' (proactive units) and also is used during larger events such as the county fair, parades, etc. Ch3 460.125 (127.3) is used for dispatch if ch1 has emergency traffic. BPD units will sometimes use 'channel 2' 155.130 (CSQ) to communicate car-car while enroute to calls.

Bloomington PD UHF ch1 is simulcast on Starcom21 Motorola P25 TRS Site 229 TG 30378. BPD proactive UHF channel is sometimes simulcast on Starcom21 Motorola P25 TRS Site 229 TG 30375.

Bloomington PD radio unit identifiers

Bloomington PD Patrol Areas Map

Bloomington PD daily activity log

[edit] Bloomington Fire

-dispatched by Bloomington Dispatch on 154.160 (97.4) simplex. Bloomington Fire is toned by DTMF tones so the Uniden Tone-Out feature isn't applicable.

[edit] Normal PD

Normal PD currently uses Starcom21 Motorola P25 TRS Site 229

• Talkgroups
  
  • 30366 Normal PD ch1 - Dispatch
    
  • 30367 Normal PD ch2 - Car-Car, events, & alternate dispatch when ch1 has "10-33" traffic
    
  • 30368 Normal PD ch3 (very rarely used)
  • 30350 County TAC-1 (used on rare occasion for Normal PD drills)
    
  • Note: NPD does have three encrypted talkgroups on Starcom21

LINKS:
-Normal PD Sub-Beat Map
-Normal PD Staff Directory
-Normal PD Division/Organization Chart

If you have pro96com, click here for the Starcom21 Radios.txt radio id's file for Normal PD. For more updated copies of this file, send me a PM.

• Normal PD started using the Starcom21 Motorola P25 TRS on February 21, 2006. The old UHF channels are no longer used by NPD, but are included for historical purposes:
  
  • 460.025 (103.5) old Normal PD 1 (dispatch)
    
  • 453.950 (103.5) old Normal PD 2 (alternate, car-car, events)
    
  • 453.775 (103.5) old Normal PD 3 (car-car simplex, very rarely used)
    
  • 453.925 (127.3) old Normal PD 4 (Bloomington PD 2 {'proactive' gang unit})
    
  • 453.900 (103.5) old Normal PD 6 (old ISU PD dispatch)
    

[edit] Normal Fire

Normal Fire is paged by METCOM and operates on Starcom21 Motorola P25 TRS Site 229
talkgroup 30372. If you are close to a fire and without a P25 capable scanner, you can monitor the Normal Fire mobile extender repeater on 159.0525 (100.0). Look for fireground communication to be on either Starcom21 TG 30372 or on 153.830 MABAS Fireground Red.

• Normal has three fire stations (see this link for station addresses and equipment inventory).

[edit] McLean County Sheriff

McLean County Sheriff ("Paul units") is dispatched by METCOM on Starcom21 Motorola P25 TRS Site 229, Site 202, and Site 231 talkgroup 30358 (often TG 30358 can be heard on Site 207 Pontiac). Rural PD's occasionally use 30362 "ch5" for car-car communications.

Other departments using Starcom21 TG 30358 include: Bellflower PD, Chenoa PD, Colfax PD, Danvers PD, Downs PD, Ellsworth PD, Hudson PD, Heyworth PD, Lake Bloomington PD {"LB"}, Leroy PD, Lexington PD {“LX”}, Village of McLean PD {“MC”}, Stanford PD, and McLean County Coroner ("Edward").

[edit] McLean County Fire

All fire departments (except for Bloomington and Normal Fire) are paged by METCOM on 156.210 (94.8). All responses and fire operations are on 154.190 (173.8). Some fireground operations may be done on MABAS IFERN 154.265 or County Fireground 154.235 (CSQ).

McLean County EMS radio identifiers

McLean County Fire radio identifiers

Some Uniden Fire Tone Outs for McLean County Rural Fire can be found at the CARMAchicago Yahoo!Group's Database section

[edit] McLean County EMA

The main frequency to monitor when storms approach is the 453.700 (103.5) repeater. McLean County EMA does have a talkgroup on Starcom21 but 453.700 (103.5) is not simulcast on Starcom21.

Other frequencies are listed below for your reference.

[edit] Illinois State Police

Bloomington-Normal is located within ISP District 6. Pontiac, IL is the district HQ. Patrol units are 600's, matching their patrol car's license plate in most cases.

As of August 13, 2007 - ISP D6 is now using Starcom21

ISP District 6 Starcom21 Trunked System
Sites

Talkgroups

Statewide ISP frequencies formerly used around Bloomington-Normal.
Some of these may still be active even though regular ops are now on Starcom21.

• 155.475 HF-1 ISPERN - Illinois State Police Emergency Radio Network
  
• 155.055 HF-3 I-REACH -- Statewide Interagency Mutual Aid
  
• 155.460 HF-4 Used extensively in Bloomington-Normal area for base->car and car->base as an alternate to 42.520 / 42.720
  
• 42.500 LF-2 Statewide car-car (ex. radar details)
  
• 154.905 ISP DCI HF-2 occasionally troopers will make traffic stops on this channel (mobiles tx PL 110.9)
  
• 155.505 ISP Mobile Extenders
  

ISP District 6 Pontiac Conventional Frequencies:
These will be used less frequently due to the fact that ISP D6 switched to using Starcom21 on 8/13/2007.

[edit] ISU - Illinois State University

[edit] ISU Police

As of October 2006, ISU PD now uses Starcom21 Motorola P25 TRS Site 229 for dispatch and operations.

ISU Starcom21 Talkgroups
4025 - ISU PD (dispatch)
4026 - ISU PD (ch 2)

• Previously, ch1 453.900 (103.5) was ISU PD and ch2 453.650 (103.5) was Parking Services/Housing. Housing appears to have inherited the old ISU PD 453.900 repeater [4/7/07].

• ISU PD units are in the "100's" series and are self dispatched. Post is "Illinois". Along with the standard 10-codes, ISU PD uses its own radio code system which is outlined here

• Fire Department response to ISU is from Normal Fire Department's Fire Station #2 604 N Adelaide St (see 'Normal Fire' on this page).

• ISU Environmental Health/Safety officers use 453.200 (103.5). This repeater is not usually very active except for emergencies (ex. science lab chemical spill).

[edit] ISU Facilities

ISU Facilities use UHF repeaters and simplex frequencies as follows:

ISU does use the ClearTalk Motorola Type II TRS for some functions:

Normal ClearTalk frequencies:

ISU ClearTalk Talkgroups:

• the only ISU ClearTalk TG which regular activity is 24624

[edit] ISU Redbirds Athletics/Events

Go Redbirds! While attending Illinois State University Redbirds sporting events, consider monitoring:

ISU PD uses Starcom21 Motorola P25 TRS Site 229 TG 4025 while at sporting events. Parking Services uses 453.650 (103.5). When needed, the Heating Plant/Facilities Management would use the 453.600 (131.8) repeater.

Redbird Arena – (Men’s/Women’ Basketball, Women’s Volleyball)
frequencies as of 2007-2008

• 189.8000 (CSQ) ISU Redbird Arena TELEX system {constant carrier} – used during the games to coordinate the music, video, and contests during time-outs
• 453.8125 (151.4) ISU Athletics/Redbird Arena
• 461.8375 (DCS612) ISU Redbird Arena Concessions
• Starcom21 TG 4025 ISU PD
• 453.6500 (103.5) ISU Parking
• 155.2350 (123.0) Unit 5 school buses (act as shuttles before and after the men's basketball games)

The ISU Homecoming Parade frequencies are listed here.

Bone Student Center/Braden Auditorium has two channels

• 453.300 (151.4) simplex
• 458.300 (CSQ) simplex

[edit] Snow Plow Frequencies

City, State, and County Highway Departments
Unfortunately, Bloomington and Normal's snow plows are not on systems that can be easily monitored.

• Bloomington Public Works uses the Supreme Radio Communications UHF LTR Passport TRS. You can hear their communications on 460.850 but you'll hear LTR key-ups every 2 seconds when nobody is talking.
• Normal Public Works uses NEXTEL (source)
• 151.010 (141.3) McLean County Highway Department
• 47.1000 (123.0) IDOT Bloomington Yard
• 47.1000 (123.0) IDOT Towanda yard
• 453.600 (131.8) ISU Grounds (snow removal on campus)

Township Highway Departments

Also worth monitoring to get updates on road conditions...

• 453.700 (103.5) McLean County EMA (rescues people stranded in their cars), although Starcom21 TG 30364 EMA ADMIN was used for this purpose in December 2008
• 453.425 (141.3) BNPTS - transit buses
• 155.235 (123.0) McLean County Unit 5 school buses (Normal)
• 151.865 (DCS 343) Bloomington District 87 school buses
• 156.210 (94.8) McLean County Rural Fire paging
• 154.190 (173.8) McLean County Rural Fire
• Starcom21 TG 13000 -- ISP D6 DISP A
• Starcom21 TG 13044 -- ISP D6 CAR-CAR
• Starcom21 Ameren talkgroups
• Cleartalk CornBelt talkgroups

[edit] Events

[edit] US Cellular Coliseum - Bloomington, IL

Home of the Bloomington Prairie Thunder hockey team and the Bloomington Extreme indoor football team

US Cellular Coliseum radioreference.com forum thread

BPD units at the Coliseum often use the "Baker" radio ids, such as "Baker 1", and usually use the 453.150 repeater. Once or twice I heard some units at the Coliseum on 453.925. When I go to games, I listen to the following for BPD:

• 458.150 (127.3) BPD 1 - dispatch (input)
• 458.925 (127.3) BPD 2 - pro-active units (input)
• 465.125 (127.3) BPD 3 - alternate (input)
• 155.130 (CSQ) BPD car-car channel 2 (simplex)

During the 1/26/08 Kid Rock concert, the BPD units at the Coliseum used 453.925. Quite a few patrol units had to respond, so there was some activity on 453.150 (the regular dispatch channel). Bloomigton Fire/Rescue had to respond a few times and they used 154.160.

[edit] ISU Sporting Events - Normal, IL

For scanner frequencies for ISU Redbirds sporting events, see the ISU section of this webpage

[edit] Fourth of July Fireworks - Bloomington-Normal, IL

Music that accompanies the fireworks at both parks is heard on 1230 AM WJBC

Bloomington Miller Park

• 453.925 (127.3) Bloomington PD 2 [repeater]
• 453.100 (118.8) Bloomington Park District [repeater]
• 453.100 (110.9) Miller Park Zoo [repeater]
• 154.160 (97.4) Bloomington Fire [simplex]
• 453.150 (127.3) Bloomington PD 1 (peripheral calls) [repeater]
• 155.130 (CSQ) Bloomington PD "2" car-car [simplex]

Normal Fairview Park

• Normal PD uses NPD 2 Starcom21 TG 30367 for traffic control
• Normal Fire uses Starcom21 TG 30372 for responding to fireworks related fires
• Normal PD channel 1 Starcom21 TG 30366

[edit] McLean County Fair

Official website

2008 McLean County Fair frequencies:

• 453.925 (127.3) was all that I heard used. It's possible there may have been some simplex or low-power repeater frequencies used but none that I could receive from home.

2007 McLean County Fair frequencies:

• 453.925 (127.3) was all that I heard used. It's possible there may have been some simplex or low-power repeater frequencies used but none that I could receive from home.

2006 McLean County Fair frequencies:

• Bloomington PD 'Proactive' units used ch2 453.925 (127.3) for the fair detail. In the pre-METCOM days, I used to hear deputies at the fair on 453.675 but now BPD covers the fair since the Interstate Center now within the corporate limits.
• McLean County EMA was using Starcom21 TG 30364 at the fair.

Interstate Center frequencies:

I wasn't close enough to hear if any of the above simplex freqs were used by fair staff. In my notes archive, I had noted hearing Fair ops on a 461.150 repeater ten or so years ago (the only license for this freq is for Supreme Communications so possibly they were using rental radios). In addition to the database frequencies listed above, the Interstate Center holds license WPLR462 for a repeater on 452.125, which according to this post from 2002 has a tone of DPL 251.

[edit] Taste of Country Fair - Lexington, IL

• 853.4875 DCS703 Fair Ops (simplex)
• Lexington PD uses the Starcom21 TRS
• 156.210 (94.8) Lexington FD/Ambulance paging
• 154.190 (173.8) Lexington Fire Response
• 154.815 (173.8) Lexington Ambulance Response, En-Route (input is 159.030)

[edit] Special Olympics Illinois Summer Games - Normal, IL (ISU)

Website
Confirmed in 2009:

• 453.8125 (151.4) ISU Athletics Department
• ISU PD: Starcom21 TG 4025
• ISP D6: Starcom21 TG 13044 D6 CAR-CAR (parade on Friday)
• NPD: Starcom21 TG 30367 (parade on Friday)
• McLean County EMA: Starcom21 TG 30350 McLean Co Tac 1 -- providing medical support at ISU residence halls (Watterson Towers mentioned)
• Normal Fire: Starcom21 TG 30372; or listen to 159.0525 (100.0) for fire/ems responses
• 453.600 (131.8) ISU Facilities Management

Confirmed in 2008:

• 464.600 051 DPL Illinois Special Olympics 
• 464.550 251 DPL Illinois Special Olympics 
• 453.8125 (151.4) ISU Athletics Department
• ISU PD: Starcom21 TG 4025
• ISP D6: Starcom21 TG 13044 D6 CAR-CAR
• Normal Fire: Starcom21 TG 30372; or listen to 159.0525 (100.0) for fire/ems responses

Confirmed in 2007:

• ISU PD: Starcom21 TG 4025
• ISP D6: Starcom21 TG 13044 and TG 13063
• ISU Facilities Management: 453.600 (131.8)
• NPD: Starcom21 TG 30367 (parade on Friday)

Unconfirmed but possible usage:

• 453.900 (103.5) ISU Housing
• 453.650 (103.5) ISU Parking
• NPD: Starcom21 TG 30366 NPD DISPATCH

IG WQBL564
SPECIAL OLYMPICS ILLINOIS - BECKY LIPP
NORMAL, IL
[radios will be used by the staff to organize, maintain and provide security of olympic games for the physically challenged throughout the state of illinois.]
ctrl pt 1 - 605 E. WILLOW NORMAL IL 309-888-2551
11/01/04 License Issued
1 - IL Statewide
464.5 MOI 95x4e
464.55 MOI 95x4e
2 - IL Statewide
461.1 MO 95x4e
462.125 MO 95x4e
462.375 MO 95x4e
462.4 MO 95x4e
464.6 MO 95x4e
464.65 MO 95x4e
464.7 MO 95x4e
464.75 MO 95x4e
NOTE: 461.100 and 464.650 have near constant data in the Bloomington-Normal area

[edit] ISU Homecoming Parade - Normal, IL

ISU Homecoming website
Confirmed 2007 frequencies:

• Normal PD used TG 30367 "Channel 2" on Starcom 21 TRS for traffic control
• ISU PD used TG 4025 on Starcom 21 TRS
• 453.600 (131.8) ISU Facilities (used by parade staff as well as ISU Grounds)
• 453.650 (103.5) ISU Parking
• a few radio station Marti units were heard in the 450-451 MHz range
• for the football game frequencies, see this section

[edit] ISU Move-In Day each August - Normal, IL (ISU)

ISU Move-In website
Crowded day around ISU as the freshmen move in to the dorms.

• 453.900 (103.5) ISU Housing
• Starcom21 TG 4025 - ISU PD
• 453.650 (103.5) ISU Parking
• 453.600 (131.8) ISU Facilities Management

Related frequencies

• 453.425 (141.3) Bloomington-Normal Transit buses and ISU Redbird Express
• Starcom21 TG 30366 - Normal PD

[edit] Stores

Eastland Mall - Bloomington, IL
Eastland Mall website

• 461.6375 (DCS114) Mall security/maintenance (F1 repeater/F2 ?talkaround)

Freqs/tones heard near Eastland Mall. Channel descriptions are assumed based on these being common nationwide store freq/PL combination.

• 467.7625 (71.9) American Eagle Outfitters?
• 151.955 (74.4) Gap or Old Navy (heard in March 2005)
• 467.925 (67.0) mentioned "aisle 1" (heard Black Friday 2008 at Empire and Veterans)

Other stores in Bloomington-Normal:

[edit] Neighboring Counties:

Piatt County:
[southeast of McLean County]
155.595 Sheriff Dispatch (131.8 PL)
154.400 Fire Departments (103.5 PL)
155.325 Piatt County EMS (127.3 PL)
453.500 Piatt County Highway/ESDA (151.4 PL)

Champaign County:
[southeast of McLean Co]
MDICE TRS TG 21501 Sheriff Dispatch/Urbana PD/U of I PD
MDICE TRS TG 21500 Champaign Police
154.250 County Fire Departments (131.8 PL)
154.070 Champaign/Urbana City FD (131.8 PL) paging only - ops are on the MDICE TRS

Woodford County:
[northwest of McLean County]
453.500 Sheriff's Dispatch (100.0 PL)
155.145 County Alternate (203.5 PL)
154.430 Congerville/Secor/Eureka/Minonk/Roanoke FD (CSQ)
153.980 El Paso Fire Dispatch (CSQ)
156.120 County ESDA Dispatch/Highway Dept (114.8 PL)
155.055 IREACH (CSQ)

Livingston County:
[north of McLean County]
460.100 LIVCOM Sheriff (192.8 PL)
460.600 LIVCOM FIRE/EMS (110.9 PL)
453.750 County Alternate (186.2 PL)
462.950 County ESDA (103.5 PL)

DeWitt County:
[south of McLean County]
155.865 Sheriff Dispatch (141.3 PL)
158.775 Farmer City PD and Ambulance (141.3 PL)
155.430 Fire Departments (141.3 PL)

Ford County:
[east of McLean County]
156.225 Sheriff Dispatch (179.9 PL)
460.475 Gibson City PD (DCS 155)
154.190 Rural Fire Departments (151.4 PL)
154.415 Gibson City Fire Department (151.4 PL)
155.415 Gibson Area Ambulance (DCS 343)

Tazewell County:
[west of McLean County]
800 MHz EDACS Sheriff's Dispatch
154.205 Tazewell County Fire
154.250 Tazewell County Fire
154.370 Tazewell County Fire
155.070 Tazewell County ESDA (131.8 PL)

Logan County:
[southwest of McLean County]
155.565 Sheriff Dispatch (186.2 PL)
158.760 County Fire/ESDA Net (110.9 PL)

[edit] Related links:

• CARMA Chicago McLean County Profile - Excellent Resource!!
  
• Starcom21 Yahoo!Group - discuss scanning the new Statewide P25 TRS
  
• McLean County Radioreference.com page
  
• CARMA Chicago Yahoo!Group - scanner listeners from Chicago and northern IL report their findings here
  
• ScanIllinois Yahoo!Group - another great resource for Illinois scanner listeners
  
• IL Radioreference.com forum
• Supreme Radio Communications, Inc. - UHF (Bloomington)

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