WTOC: SCMPD Gets Their Scanners Reprogrammed

I quote from the WTOC Story "SCMPD Updates Radios and Scanners":

"Savannah law enforcement is entering the digital age. Since early yesterday morning, Savannah-Chatham police and 911 have had all their scanners reprogrammed."

WTOC TV ran a news story tonight on SCMPD's digital conversion. All throughout the news story, they referred to the officers' radios as "scanners," using the term radio only sporadically. Somehow, I don't think SCMPD's officers are carrying scanners as part of their issued equipment. From the video on WTOC's website, it appears that the officers are using Motorola XTS 5000 portables. This is an example of poor journalism, although I'm sure that most would let them off of the hook by saying most people don't know the difference between a two-way radio and a scanner.

A two-way radio is self descriptive. It communicates two ways, by receiving and transmitting. A scanner is a one way radio, it only receives. There is obviously a difference between the two, but only a couple of times was the proper terminology used. Throughout the article, the radios were consistently and incorrectly referred to as "emergency scanners." Here are a couple more examples (I would assume the second refers to 800 Mhz rebanding):

"Scanner reprogramming should be done by tonight, but as a new technology is installed, an even newer version is on the horizon.

Next year, the city will go through this process again with an even more updated digital signal for emergency scanners."

It should be the job of the journalist to properly identify the subject of their story. That's not too much to ask, is it?

Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net

Savannah Chatham Metropolitan PD Goes Digital

Throughout today, SCMPD has been switching over from their analog talkgroups to a new set of P25 digital talkgroups. The 32### and 33### analog talkgroups are being replaced by 53### talkgroups. Scanning Hobbyists in the Savannah area will have to put their trunk tracking scanners into talkgroup search mode and hunt down these new talkgroups.

Watch for updates on the Chatham-Effingham TRS profile at Radio Reference and for discussion on the ScanSavannah Yahoo Group.


Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net

Thunderstorm Monitoring

I was enjoying a pleasant afternoon of monitoring (one of the few I've had lately) when this afternoon's Thunderstorms brewed up. Military Monitoring came to an end when I disconnected the antennas, so I switched to monitoring local public safety using handhelds.

Savannah Fire has worked several structure fires apparently caused by the weather. The most severe was on Varn Street (TG 37040, Fireground 3) where command asked for a second alarm, but only received an engine company due to the rest of Savannah Fire's units being tasked to other responses. Another was on Colonial Street (TG 36912, Admin). Units also responded to the area of Skidaway and DeRenne for downed power lines.

Savannah Chatham Municipal PD responded to reports of street flooding and loose manhole covers throughout the central and western part of Savannah.

Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net