Difference between revisions of "Prince Edward Island (CA)"
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PICS is a Motorola SmartNet Type I, 800 MHz trunking system that covers all of Prince Edward Island. | PICS is a Motorola SmartNet Type I, 800 MHz trunking system that covers all of Prince Edward Island. | ||
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It has been In service since about 1986 and is a joint project of Aliant and PEI EMO. | It has been In service since about 1986 and is a joint project of Aliant and PEI EMO. | ||
In keeping with trends throughout North America favouring the newer Type II sytems, there is speculation that the present PICS system will soon be replaced with an extension of the Nova Scotia Trunked Mobile Radio System ("TMR"), which is already receivable in parts of the province. Another reason to speculate is that although the coverage of PICS is very good there are some areas where coverage to portables is not sufficient. | In keeping with trends throughout North America favouring the newer Type II sytems, there is speculation that the present PICS system will soon be replaced with an extension of the Nova Scotia Trunked Mobile Radio System ("TMR"), which is already receivable in parts of the province. Another reason to speculate is that although the coverage of PICS is very good there are some areas where coverage to portables is not sufficient. | ||
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PICS is made up of 6 sites, using four groups of frequencies. It is thought that each site regardless of location and traffic volume has 15 frequencies. These have been described as 1 dedicated control channel, 9 simulcast and 6 local voice channels. | PICS is made up of 6 sites, using four groups of frequencies. It is thought that each site regardless of location and traffic volume has 15 frequencies. These have been described as 1 dedicated control channel, 9 simulcast and 6 local voice channels. | ||
| − | There is a failsoft system whereby if trunking fails the system reverts to conventional repeaters and a recurring beep to indicate the failure. Users then revert to preassigned frequencies, as in a community repeater system. I am speculating that the local frequencies mentioned above are the conventional repeaters, but I could be wrong! It does seem odd that the system reverts to conventional repeaters rather than to site trunking. There are also simplex frequencies in the system, identified on radios by numbers only. It is not known if there are only common-use simplex frequencies, or also individual agency frequencies. | + | |
| + | There is a failsoft system whereby if trunking fails the system reverts to conventional repeaters and a recurring beep to indicate the failure. Users then revert to preassigned frequencies, as in a community repeater system. I am speculating that the local frequencies mentioned above are the conventional repeaters, but I could be wrong! It does seem odd that the system reverts to conventional repeaters rather than to site trunking. There are also simplex frequencies in the system, identified on radios by numbers only. It is not known if there are only common-use simplex frequencies, or also individual agency frequencies. | ||
| + | |||
Repeater sites are connected by microwave. Sites are often co-located with other Aliant facilities or perhaps other owners' facilities, but generally they have their own tower. One exception is at Caledonia where the repeater is on the Aliant Cell tower. | Repeater sites are connected by microwave. Sites are often co-located with other Aliant facilities or perhaps other owners' facilities, but generally they have their own tower. One exception is at Caledonia where the repeater is on the Aliant Cell tower. | ||
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PICS is shared by public service users and by commercial users. Every emergency agency in PEI has at least one PICS radio but not all agencies use PICS as their primary system. The RCMP utilizes its own 400 MHZ repeater system, however dispatch does have access to PICS and patching may be possible. The two municipal police forces in the province (Summerside and Charlottetown) have full access to PICS but on an everyday basis use their own conventional 800 MHz repeaters. These conventional channels are integrated into PICS radios. | PICS is shared by public service users and by commercial users. Every emergency agency in PEI has at least one PICS radio but not all agencies use PICS as their primary system. The RCMP utilizes its own 400 MHZ repeater system, however dispatch does have access to PICS and patching may be possible. The two municipal police forces in the province (Summerside and Charlottetown) have full access to PICS but on an everyday basis use their own conventional 800 MHz repeaters. These conventional channels are integrated into PICS radios. | ||
| − | Several fire departments use the PICS system as their primary means of communications | + | |
| − | + | Several fire departments use the PICS system as their primary means of communications. | |
| + | |||
* For more information on the PICS system, please visit [http://www.marscan.com/peipics.htm] | * For more information on the PICS system, please visit [http://www.marscan.com/peipics.htm] | ||
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As in other provinces the field structure of the RCMP below divisional headquarters was in the past to have subdivisions (not necessary in PEI due to its small size) and beneath those individual detachments. Today this is evolving towards a consolidated structure in which detachments are joined in districts or in large detachments. The individual former detachment locations may still remain as local offices of the district. In some cases they may still be referred to informally as detachments but do not have the autonomy of the past. L Division was, in the recent past, made up eight detachments, which are now combined into three districts (Western, Central and Eastern) | As in other provinces the field structure of the RCMP below divisional headquarters was in the past to have subdivisions (not necessary in PEI due to its small size) and beneath those individual detachments. Today this is evolving towards a consolidated structure in which detachments are joined in districts or in large detachments. The individual former detachment locations may still remain as local offices of the district. In some cases they may still be referred to informally as detachments but do not have the autonomy of the past. L Division was, in the recent past, made up eight detachments, which are now combined into three districts (Western, Central and Eastern) | ||
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The hub of the system is the Stratford repeater (across the river from Charlottetown) and a microwave link from there to telecoms at L Division HQ located in Charlottetown. The call sign for telecoms is XJD916. There formerly were 8 detachments but now instead there are three districts. | The hub of the system is the Stratford repeater (across the river from Charlottetown) and a microwave link from there to telecoms at L Division HQ located in Charlottetown. The call sign for telecoms is XJD916. There formerly were 8 detachments but now instead there are three districts. | ||
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==EMS== | ==EMS== | ||
| − | + | As of 2006 the five private ambulance organizations in Prince Edward Island have been superceded by Island EMS which now operates all ambulances (totalling approximately 16 units). Island EMS is owned and operated by Medavie Blue Cross which also operates EMC, the province-wide ambulance system in Nova Scotia, and is about to do the same in New Brunswick. Island EMS is operated separately from the Nova Scotia operation, with different logos and equipment. | |
==10 Codes== | ==10 Codes== | ||
Revision as of 20:57, 8 August 2009
Contents
Websites
Live Audio
Provincial Integrated Communication System (PICS)
PICS is a Motorola SmartNet Type I, 800 MHz trunking system that covers all of Prince Edward Island.
It has been In service since about 1986 and is a joint project of Aliant and PEI EMO. In keeping with trends throughout North America favouring the newer Type II sytems, there is speculation that the present PICS system will soon be replaced with an extension of the Nova Scotia Trunked Mobile Radio System ("TMR"), which is already receivable in parts of the province. Another reason to speculate is that although the coverage of PICS is very good there are some areas where coverage to portables is not sufficient.
PICS is made up of 6 sites, using four groups of frequencies. It is thought that each site regardless of location and traffic volume has 15 frequencies. These have been described as 1 dedicated control channel, 9 simulcast and 6 local voice channels.
There is a failsoft system whereby if trunking fails the system reverts to conventional repeaters and a recurring beep to indicate the failure. Users then revert to preassigned frequencies, as in a community repeater system. I am speculating that the local frequencies mentioned above are the conventional repeaters, but I could be wrong! It does seem odd that the system reverts to conventional repeaters rather than to site trunking. There are also simplex frequencies in the system, identified on radios by numbers only. It is not known if there are only common-use simplex frequencies, or also individual agency frequencies.
Repeater sites are connected by microwave. Sites are often co-located with other Aliant facilities or perhaps other owners' facilities, but generally they have their own tower. One exception is at Caledonia where the repeater is on the Aliant Cell tower.
PICS is shared by public service users and by commercial users. Every emergency agency in PEI has at least one PICS radio but not all agencies use PICS as their primary system. The RCMP utilizes its own 400 MHZ repeater system, however dispatch does have access to PICS and patching may be possible. The two municipal police forces in the province (Summerside and Charlottetown) have full access to PICS but on an everyday basis use their own conventional 800 MHz repeaters. These conventional channels are integrated into PICS radios.
Several fire departments use the PICS system as their primary means of communications.
- For more information on the PICS system, please visit [1]
Confederation Bridge Trunk System
This system is reported to be a Motorola Type I system with a fleet map of B4-S7. The system ID is 402C. It is licenced to Bell Canada with a location of Albany, PEI. The callsign is XLW881.
- For more information, please visit [2]
RCMP
Prince Edward Island is one of eight provinces of Canada in which the RCMP operates as both the provincial and federal police force. In addition it is also the municipal police force in much of the province. The RCMP organization in PEI is designated as L Division, with its own commanding officer and headquartered in Charlottetown. This is the smallest division in Canada, in terms of geography, and also I would guess, in number of personnel. L Division is part of the Atlantic area of the RCMP, which has a regional headquarters in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
As in other provinces the field structure of the RCMP below divisional headquarters was in the past to have subdivisions (not necessary in PEI due to its small size) and beneath those individual detachments. Today this is evolving towards a consolidated structure in which detachments are joined in districts or in large detachments. The individual former detachment locations may still remain as local offices of the district. In some cases they may still be referred to informally as detachments but do not have the autonomy of the past. L Division was, in the recent past, made up eight detachments, which are now combined into three districts (Western, Central and Eastern)
The hub of the system is the Stratford repeater (across the river from Charlottetown) and a microwave link from there to telecoms at L Division HQ located in Charlottetown. The call sign for telecoms is XJD916. There formerly were 8 detachments but now instead there are three districts.
The radios have displays and generally, a name rather than number identifies the channel. In addition to these frequencies it is possible or likely that the RCMP in Prince Edward Island may also utilize the national bank of 420 MHz frequencies allocated to the RCMP and CSIS, for special uses. All of this usage is likely to be encrypted and therefore unavailable to the casual listener.
Municipal Police Forces
There are four independent municipal police forces in the province of Prince Edward Island:
- Borden-Carleton
- Kensington
- Summerside
- Charlottetown
Borden and Kensington operate on the PICS system while Summerside and Charlottetown both have their own conventional 800MHz repeater system within the PICS channel plan.
EMS
As of 2006 the five private ambulance organizations in Prince Edward Island have been superceded by Island EMS which now operates all ambulances (totalling approximately 16 units). Island EMS is owned and operated by Medavie Blue Cross which also operates EMC, the province-wide ambulance system in Nova Scotia, and is about to do the same in New Brunswick. Island EMS is operated separately from the Nova Scotia operation, with different logos and equipment.
10 Codes
EMS:
- Code 1 - Respond Lights & Siren
- Code 2 - Respond No Lights Or Siren
- Code 3 - Hospital Transfer
- Control - Dispatch
POLICE:
- 10-1 - Receiving poorly
- 10-2 - Receiving well
- 10-4 - Message received
- 10-6 - Busy
- 10-7 - Out Of Service
- 10-8 - In Service / Available
- 10-9 - Repeat Message
- 10-10 - Negative
- 10-11 - Road Stop
- 10-17 - En Route (To Call)
- 10-21 - Phone Call
- 10-23 - On Scene
- 10-27 - Drivers Licence Information
- 10-28 - Vehicle Registration Information
- 10-29 - Criminal Records Check
- 10-30 - Danger use caution
* A = Armed and Dangerous * C = Contagious Disease * E = Escapee * M = Mental * S = Suicidal * V = Violent
- 10-95 - Update Status (Are You OK)
- 916 - RCMP Dispatch
- 442 - Kensington Police Dispatch
- MPH - (Mike Papa Hotel) Police Helicopter
- 253 - Impaired Driver
- GOA = Gone On Arrival
- DOA = Dead On Arrival