Nova Scotia Integrated Mobile Radio System

Integrated Mobile Radio System

The Nova Scotia Integrated Mobile Radio System (IMRS) was the province's mission critical public safety field communications system, covering the entire province with a network of VHF repeaters linked via microwave. The system was originally used by provincial fire stations, ambulance systems, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial Department of Transportation, Natural Resources and the Emergency Measures Organization.

The system has largely been deactivated, with the majority of users having migrated to the Nova Scotia (Aliant) Trunked Mobile Radio System] (TMR) - see the TMR entry in the database for more information on that. The only users remaining on the IMRS today are the provincial fire departments. The provincial Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) maintains usage of their repeaters on the IMRS as a backup system only.

The microwave links between the repeater sites have failed in some areas, and will not be repaired. While some microwave links remain active, they are no longer used, and each of these sites should today be regarded as stand-alone.

The future

With the replacement of the Aliant Trunked Mobile Radio System in 2012-2014, the province of Nova Scotia is moving toward establishing its' own P25 trunked radio system. It is believed that many of the IMRS tower sites will become sites for the P25 system, as the towers are already provincially owned. Work is underway to upgrade the microwave links between the existing IMRS sites, which would form the backhaul network for the P25 system.

It is believed that the VHF fire repeaters will remain active once the P25 trunked system becomes operational, so that volunteer fire departments will continue to have access to reliable, low cost wide area VHF communications.

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