Radio Communication Information
The Washington Township Fire
Department is dispatched by the Washington Township Police Communications
Center. It was formerly served by the West Morris Communications Network (WMCN)
which was established in 1969 with a New Jersey State SLEPA grant, and
originally provided regional dispatching for Washington Township, Mansfield
Township and seven Hunterdon County towns (Lebanon, Tewksbury, Clinton Borough
and Township, Readington, Califon, and High Bridge). In 1975 with the inception
of the Hunterdon County 911 system, the seven Hunterdon towns left the system,
and with the closing of the old Morris County Police Radio system, Chester
Borough and Township joined it. In 1980, the system underwent a major
improvement project consisting of a complete overhaul in technical design and
equipment replacement. The beginning of 1984 saw the addition of Independence
Township's emergency services to the system.
On September 15, 1992, 9-1-1
service became operational for the Morris County municipalities. Beginning in
1997, Warren County began 9-1-1 service and those towns left the system. In
1998, with the move to a new headquarters, the system once again underwent a
major redesign and improvement process, utilizing computer aided dispatch and
equipping police cars with mobile data terminals (MDT).
WTPD now provides emergency
services 9-1-1 call taking and dispatch for only Washington Township. Medical
9-1-1 calls are handled by
CENCOM. The dispatch center is identified as
"CONTROL" on all channels, and Firefighters are dispatched via voice
alert and text pagers. Dispatch and operational communications primarily utilize
narrowband UHF frequencies. The three Washington Township Fire Companies are designated as
"Company 1" or "Long Valley" (Formerly Station 36), "Company 2"
or "Fairmount" (Formerly Station 34), and "Company 3" or
"Schooley's Mountain" (Formerly Station 35). All apparatus are equipped with
Motorola XTL programmable mobile radios and XTS series portables.
The individual apparatus are
numbered according to the Morris County NIMS plan which is shown in the example
below. Fire radio operations utilize "Plain Language" for compliance with the
National Incident Management System. Station dispatch can still be heard on frequency 154.325
MHz.
Click here
to hear a sample dispatch tone.
