Live Dispatch FAQ's:
1.) Q: What are the unit #'s in Luzerne County (who am I listening to being dispatched)?
A: Click the links for the "Official" Luzerne County Unit #'s assigned for Fire , Rescue , EMS , and 10 codes (for a full list of all unit #'s in use by Luzerne County click HERE ).
2.) Q: Is Luzerne County 911 the only dispatch center in Luzerne County?
A: All departments tone out special announcements and messages for themselves with the exception of hydrants in/out of service and street openings/closings. Luzerne County 911 does all dispatching and emergency traffic for Luzerne County with 2 exceptions: Hazleton City and Kingston, both of whoom are self dispatched.
3.) Q: What is being scanned?
A: Still undecided as of now (dispatch is still in testing period and final settings are yet to be determined). Here is what is being scanned at the moment: West Side Mutual Aid dispatch, West Side Mutual Aid Fire Grounds 1 and 2, Hanover Fire and Ambulance, Wilkes Barre City Fire and Ambulance, Plymouth Fire and Ambulance, Back Mountain Fire and Ambulance, Hazleton City Fire, Luzerne County EMS Dispatch, Fire West, Luzerne County Fire & Ambulance, Fire East, Hazleton City Ambulance, Mountain Top Fire and Ambulance, Suburban Mutual Aid, Lackawanna County City of Scranton Fire Department (they have a live dispatch on their home page ), Fire North, Nanticoke City Fire and Ambulance local, and luzerne County EMA.
4.) Q: Why are any transmissions on West Side Mutual Aid cutting off other transmissions?
A: West Side Mutual Aid is the priority channel in the scanner (and the channel Edwardsville Fire-Rescue-EMS is dispatched on), therefore anything on West Side Mutual Aid will take priority over any other channels.
5.) Q: Why am I not hearing anything?
A: Although Luzerne County is one of the busiest Counties in North East Pennsylvania at this time there are no active incidents going on, keep listening and you'll be sure to hear something in the next few minutes.
6.) Q: If the EMS Crew requirements are met why are they toning it out again?
A: County protocal states units are to be dispatched every 3 minutes until a Unit is responding to a call.
7.) Q: If the EMS Crew requirements are met why are they toning out another ambulance?
A: County protocal states a unit has 9 minutes or 3 tones to get out. Luzerne County uses a 3-2-1 method where the "home" unit gets 3 tones, if they do not respond the 2nd due unit will get 2 dispatches, followed by a 3rd due who will get 1 dispatch. After 3rd due, and sometimes after 1st or 2nd due, if no one is responding in time a private service will be called for patient transport.
8.) Q: Why is the brodcast choppy?
A: See question #4, West Side Mutual Aid is being used as the primary channel.
9.) Q: Why is the brodcast scratchy and not clear?
A: Due to some rural areas and mountainous terrain in the County some channels will use repeators for a brodcast. You may be hearing the repeator brodcasting the dispatch. The call is dispatched out on main radio and then dispatched out on the tower closest to the area call is in).
10.) Q: Why are transmissions being skipped or being picked up in the middle of a dispatch/transmission?
A: Due to many different channels being scanned for dispatch some tones, dispatches, or transmissions may be skipped or picked up in the middle (it's not perfect but with over 20 fire-ems channels in the County it's the best I can do for now).
11.) Q: Are other areas besides Luzerne County being brodcast?
A: Yes, Pike County Comm Center uses the same channel Plymouth is dispatched on. Carbon County uses EMS dispatch and Schuylkill County will use Suburban Mutual Aid. Fire ground activity from upper Lackawanna County may sometimes also be heard on West Side Mutual Aid.
A2: There is also a company called Ida base that uses County EMS dispatch channel (possibly from the Harrisburg area) and can be heard during regular business hours.
Luzerne County, the 1st COUNTY in N.E. Pa. to be brodcast live on the internet. Brocasting since June 20th, 2001.
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