EMS TRANSMISSION 05/02/2006
Instruction Memorandum No. 2006-142
Expires:   9/30/2007

 

To:                   All State and Center Directors

                        Attn: CIOs and FMOs

 

From:               Assistant Director, Information Resources Management

 

Subject:           2006 Fire Handheld Radio Configuration DD: 6/1/2006

 

Program Area:   Telecommunications and Wild Land Fire

 

Purpose: This Instruction Memorandum publishes the fire handheld radio configurations standards for 2006, as endorsed by the Fire National Equipment Committee, the Fire National Operations Committee,and the Bureau Radio Technical Advisory Group.

 

Policy/Action: Each State and Center shall have all handheld radios which will be used for Wild Land Fire operations configured per the attached standards by June 1, 2006. These standards will remain in effect until October 1, 2006.

 

The attached standards provide the required and recommended software, button and programming configurations for radios used for fire operations in the field (FIELD). Configurations not listed are set at local discretion. The National Interagency Incident Communications Division (NIICD) Cache standards are also provided as a reference. 

 

BLM radios and systems using frequencies from 162 to 174 MHz or 406 to 420MHz to support fire operations shall operate in narrowband analog mode.

 

Radio systems supporting fire operations, were a Tone Pick List is used, shall have the tone list configured per the attachment.    

Waivers from this policy shall be addressed to the Bureau Telecommunications Manager containing the model of the equipment, the justification why the configuration cannot be implemented, and the configuration which is requested to be used in the fire handheld radios.

 

Extensions for the configuration completion due date shall be addressed to the Bureau Telecommunications Manager containing the models of the equipment, the justification why the configuration date cannot be met, and the proposed completion date.

Time Frame: This policy is effective upon receipt.

 

Background: The post 2004 fire season comments indicated the need for national configuration standards for handheld radios to improve firefighter safety and to make communications support more efficient and effective. As a result, a Configuration Board consisting of fire radio users and technicians was convened to define the radio configurations standards for 2005. These recommended standards were submitted to the Fire National Equipment and Operations Committees for review and endorsement. For 2006, these configurations have updated based on recommended changes and now includes the National Interagency Incident Communications Division Cache standards.

 

Budget Impact: Minimal. Pre-fire season radio maintenance and configuration is normally conducted each year during the off season. 

 

Manual/Handbooks Affected: None.

 

Coordination: This document was coordinated with the Office of Fire and Aviation.

 

Contact: Please address any questions or concerns regarding this policy to Deb Weigel at (303) 236-2260, or Russ Sveda at (303) 236-2315.

 

 

1 Attachment

    1 - Bureau of Land Management Fire Radio Configuration Standards 2006 (5 pp)