InterceptRadio.com Forums

Sorta related to Valcom, sorta not, but I'd rather lump a few questions into one thread instead of cluttering the forum with a bunch of threads.

1. Valcom PD users identyfing themselves: What's the first number? I know the second character, the letter, is which department they're with (except for the K-9 units). I'll hear things like 1 Adam 3 or 2 Adam 16. I know some agencies use the first number to designate the shift, but I think I've heard numbers higher than 3 and 1's between 2200 and 2300.

2. This is mostly related to Auburn. My neighbor got TP'ed over the weekend and for some reason wanted a police report. I snapped a picture of the car (because for once it wasn't moving).



A-23 and 23G; what do they mean? I'd guess that A-23 is Auburn's 23rd car and it's on the roof so that helicopters and such can identify cars from the air. 23G means it runs on Gas...?

3. Do all unmarked cars have XMT plates? City, county, and state units? My dad has told me he's seen tricked out Civics having a car pulled over on I-5 but he couldn't ever recall what the plates were like.

4. I know AMR does BLS transports for South King Fire. I know they're never first on scene. They're basically like a taxi but more expensive and for sick people. So who does the ALS transports? Are there rules/laws/regulations/procedures/protocols that state when AMR goes lights & sirens? I've never seen a unit outside Seattle with its lights or siren on.


And an unrelated side note: I know that at least some of the AMR vans have CD players in them. You can tell when they're still on duty because when they come into your store at least one of them has a portable in their hand the entire time and everyone and a while they'll take off running. Hey, they've got 10 minutes to get to the call, and if it's a slow period I don't blame 'em for shopping instead of sitting in the van watching traffic.

You know, I had a whole big answer typed up for this, and the web ate it.

Id numbers- the first number is a shift or special unit identifier:

1,2,3- Shifts
4- I think this used to be an extra shift designator
5- Detectives, i.e. 5K25 was a Kent detective
7- Traffic units

Exempt plates- Short answer, no. See the WSP ADAT units for a great example- http://policechiefmagazine.org/magazine ... e_id=92004

See also: detective units.

This reply better not get deleted...

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President-in-Exile, Seattle Area Radio Communications And Scanner Traffic Intercept Crew (SARCASTIC)
Don't feel bad if you can't use your STD100/200; there are still people using Digital Frequency Search!
Bunnery definition for the under-fives

Wil is correct in what he has posted.

In addition:

6 units are the on duty Sergeant(s)
8 units are special units, ie: school police, corrections officers, etc.
9 units are off duty officers working and they have a radio, ie: Muckleshoot Casino, etc.

The "9" units are generally identified as:

9 Off duty unit
A Auburn
# The officers seniority number in the department.

The information on the off duty officers and the "8" units came from a member of the department.

What I don't know is how the administrators (Chief, Deputy Chief, etc.) are identified.

Wayne

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Wayne
KF7FYL

While each and every agency and department have thier own protocal and numbering system, numbers like A 23 on the roof or G 23 on the bumper most often are "Shop Numbers" assigned to each motor fleet as a serial number. This has nothing to do with call signs assigned or used over the air, as much as it's used to tell which car is being used by which unit.

Yes, AMR is the contracted agency that provides BLS transports in South King. They also do so for other South King County Departments, however Tri Med ambulance is getting close to doing most of the BLS transports.

For the most part, the private ambulance companies do not run with lights and siren throughout King County. The exception to this is in Seattle, where it is commonplace.

The King County Fire chiefs have made it kind of a general policy that private transports are not to go code-red, unless they are requested to do so by on-scene units, or if the patients condition worsens. However, if a patients condition worsens, and the ambulance is not close to a hospital, they are directed to pull-over and call for the closest BLS and ALS unit.

In the past, there have been fair amount of accidents involving ambulances while they were going code-red, when they shouldn't have been. This is why there was a push to reduce the instance when they go code. It simply isn't neccessary 99% of the time, considering patients that go by private ambulance are not critically sick or injured.

Like I mentioned above, Seattle has their ambulances run code, but I think this is because of the contractual requirement that stipulates response times. AMR is the exclusive private transport for Seattle, so they don't have the option of calling closer, available units from Rural Metro and/or Tri Med.

Some departments, like Renton Fire, do their own transports to Valley and Overlake.

Regarding ALS tranports, those are all done by the county medic units (which are part of the fire-based ems system).

Primary use of those big numbers- logistical coordination by air units.
Secondary use for those big numbers- personnel investigations.
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Consider this FICTIONAL tale conjured completely from my imagination:

A great number of years ago, in an unnamed kingdom currently ruled by an Alsatian.

There were some very bad men that caused injury to a nice, friendly, non-community based policeman in an urban area of the kingdom on a very dark & scary night. The evil men fled the scene of their mayhem but were soon observed by other Policemen leaving the area.

Subsequently, these Badmen were pursued in their evil chariot throughout the kingdom by a large number of angry, task oriented policemen who were empathetic to the injured policemans situation and potential demise. The procession of Badmen and Policemen made its way thru seven counties and resembled a large, glinting black & white snake with the head of snake comprised of a Red 1976 Ford Granada (Fo-door).

With each jurisdiction traversed, the snake grew in length.

The Badmen experienced a talent deficit of sorts and the pursuit terminated under a maze of freeway overpasses where the errant newscopter could not film very well. (No one on the ground knew there was a news copter overhead as they did not fly at night normally at the time).

Two of the Three Badmen incurred serious injuries inconsistent with those of a motor vehicle collision. One developed a nasty 'Vibram' rash on his forehead (the Vi and part of the b, could actually be seen in photographs). Many accusations were made, fingers pointed, hands wrung, and management types from several jurisdictions were up in the middle of the night trying to remember how to perform the Police craft without the aide of a desk and secretary (that makes them really angry btw).

Well, it seems that there had been some budget difficulties and one of these management types figured they could save the big money by not putting the big expensive decals on the roof of the new patrol cars. Over a couple of years, the practice grew regionally as the boastful bean counter management guy shared his pecuniary wisdom with other overseers at the monthly rubber chicken feast that all the overseers attended.

Well at final count, the official number was 17 different agencies including four different offices of the State Gendarme' were represented at the time and place the Badmans' Vibram Rash was developed. I know for a fact that number to be four agencies light (I forgot until just now- have to work on that I guess).

Many of those present left rather quickly and without ceremony after the badmen were apprehended. Particularly those knights clad in tan pants and those who do not wear keepers left with one might think was great haste and speed. Many names and badge numbers were never known.

To complicate matters, there was apparently rather disruptive sunspot activity afoot that evening as it apparently caused massive police radio outage/failures throughout the region as there were few records of anyone being at the scene at all. Mysterious stuff and real hard for the management types to reconcile.

Anyway, the overthinkers got a copy of the footage from the eye in the sky. Not great quality. Helped a little bit, but, a question was posed: Hey where are those big ole numbers we used to have on the roof of the cars? asked all the city attorneys in concert as they were trying to mitigate their respective liability.......the reply was a chorus of crickets that was almost deafening. No one wanted to take credit for that budget line item deletion idea afterall.

Within a month, all the chariots in the kingdom got their horizontal livery back and have had them ever since.

In the final analysis, the state prison system population grew by three, two policemen lost their jobs (one got his back later) and 8 across various departments got a prize ranging from a letter of reprimand up to a couple of days in the tropics. The Ford Granada went to Japan to become a razor blade that came back and cut my face and caused a nasty infection.THE Vibram boot was never located.

The injured policeman recovered and grew up to become one of the most reviled and detested overseers ever.....
Many years later he had a 'creative budget moment' and decided to get rid of push bars and black out switches in "the new cars" in a move that also had many unintended, unforeseen negative effects. Both were back on the cars within a year. Just proves that everything is cyclical- even 'good ideas'.

And some say you could never make a story like this up...........

With a mind and writing talent like yours -- you must me a newsperson or a Desk Sgt. Or a very fustrated scanner buff. Or all of the above.

So basically, my guess was right. :)

I heard a 10 A (adam) unit make a traffic stop about 1600 today near the 2000 block of M St SE in Auburn. Does anyone have any idea what the 10 units are?

Wayne

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Wayne
KF7FYL

10 A is admin. If it was just 10A, it sounds like the chief made a traffic stop.

Thank you.....

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Wayne
KF7FYL