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Emergency frequency

WaterH

WaterH

Well-known member
Joined
May 20, 2020
Member Number
602
Messages
3,132
Loc
North Florida
At my airport, there is an electric gate. The city issued me a gate key card because I do allot of instruction there. The other day I was working there and a plane came in and landed with the gear up. It was not a big deal and the plane just skidded to a stop. The guy was not hurt, but because this is a small town that not much happens, a fire truck, ambulance and 4 police cars responded. (2 sheriff’s, a city and a state trouper)

We were just hovering off to the side watching the circus. All these vehicles came up to the gate and it opened. They did not use a key card. The airport office was closed, (weekend) so nobody let them in from there. I thought this was strange. We landed and shut down for a break. When it was quiet, I saw another cop come up to the gate and he blew his siren and the gate opened. Again, he did not use a card.

I was talking to a friend about this and wondered if the gate had some kind of sound actuation switch. He said that he has a radar detector that detects emergency vehicles. He says that when they are blowing the siren, there is also a frequency emitting that will change stoplights to green. He thinks that freq opened the gate. Has anybody heard of this?

Might be nice to have one of those on my truck. Then I could keep the key card in my car. (They only gave me one)
 
We don’t have any stoplights in our county.

In Billings they have a system like that but I believe it’s set up so their party lights trigger the traffic light . This way they can respond with just their lights and not their siren and the lights will turn green for them.
 
A lot of departments use an opticom on the trucks.
Quick google:
The Opticom 792M IR emitter emits precisely- timed pulses of infrared light at the base flash rate of approximately 10 or 14 Hz. It also interleaves programmed encoded pulses that carry the vehicle class and ID number information.

So not a radio frequency.
 
Yeah,
There's probably a detector loop in the pavement that picks up a transponder on the Emergency Vehicle. We have to install these at the entry gates of Multi-family developments we build.
 
maveric said:
A lot of departments use an opticom on the trucks.
Quick google:
The Opticom 792M IR emitter emits precisely- timed pulses of infrared light at the base flash rate of approximately 10 or 14 Hz. It also interleaves programmed encoded pulses that carry the vehicle class and ID number information.

So not a radio frequency.
Click to expand...

I don’t believe there is a IR sensor there. Also, like I said, there were city, county and state vehicles involved.
 
Bogus One said:
Yeah,
There's probably a detector loop in the pavement that picks up a transponder on the Emergency Vehicle. We have to install these at the entry gates of Multi-family developments we build.
Click to expand...
They didn’t cut up the pavement when they installed this gate.
 
Back in the 70s we found out you could trip lights to your favor by swinging spotlght back and forth across the sensor on top. Just make sure there were no cops to see you do it! :laughing:
 
They probably have some kind of transponder.

The gate at the airport where I work is open from 7am - 7pm and keypad the rest of the time. The old gate was the same way except a lucky few of us had garage door openers that were programmed for it.
 
I was just at the airport and saw this sign.

IMG_1876.jpeg


I blasted my air horn several times and it wouldn’t open.
 
At our local muni airport, my son’s friend pings a frequency from his radio and the gate opens. No voice.
 
WaterH said:
He says that when they are blowing the siren, there is also a frequency emitting that will change stoplights to green. He thinks that freq opened the gate. Has anybody heard of this?
Click to expand...
/\/\ My comment about the opticom was replying to this. Emergency services use them a lot in bigger cities to clear intersections.

My guess is the gate has a keypad for authorized individuals, but “garage door” style openers for emergency services.
 
maveric said:
/\/\ My comment about the opticom was replying to this. Emergency services use them a lot in bigger cities to clear intersections.

My guess is the gate has a keypad for authorized individuals, but “garage door” style openers for emergency services.
Click to expand...

Or, you know....


WaterH said:
I was just at the airport and saw this sign.

IMG_1876.jpeg


I blasted my air horn several times and it wouldn’t open.
Click to expand...
 
WaterH said:
At my airport, there is an electric gate. The city issued me a gate key card because I do allot of instruction there. The other day I was working there and a plane came in and landed with the gear up. It was not a big deal and the plane just skidded to a stop. The guy was not hurt, but because this is a small town that not much happens, a fire truck, ambulance and 4 police cars responded. (2 sheriff’s, a city and a state trouper)

We were just hovering off to the side watching the circus. All these vehicles came up to the gate and it opened. They did not use a key card. The airport office was closed, (weekend) so nobody let them in from there. I thought this was strange. We landed and shut down for a break. When it was quiet, I saw another cop come up to the gate and he blew his siren and the gate opened. Again, he did not use a card.

I was talking to a friend about this and wondered if the gate had some kind of sound actuation switch. He said that he has a radar detector that detects emergency vehicles. He says that when they are blowing the siren, there is also a frequency emitting that will change stoplights to green. He thinks that freq opened the gate. Has anybody heard of this?

Might be nice to have one of those on my truck. Then I could keep the key card in my car. (They only gave me one)
Click to expand...
They either just had a clicker or Knox box on the gate operator. I put Knox switches on all the gates I put in. The local FD has a specific gate key code. You have to submit your order through Knox and the local FD approved the order.

Fire Departments - Knox Rapid Access System

For over 40 Years, Knox has led the industry in providing secure and safe access for first responders. Discover the power of the emergency Knox key today.
www.knoxbox.com www.knoxbox.com
 
We just tuned to a frequency and keyed mic specific times for the gates at the Anchorage Airport. (Amount marked on gate sign). Or it worked automatically by sensor. Ground loop or infared.

Wouldn't make sense a pilot have to get out of the plane and swipe a key card :laughing:
 
I see folks flashing their high beams trying to get red lights to turn green. I haven't seen one successfully trigger the light sooner than normal though. most of my vehicles don't have high beams so I've never tried :laughing:
 
Garage door opener tied to the lights, Our work trucks were wired so we didn't have to key card in
 
locally ES vehicles has at one time a strobe light looking gizmo
if you watched the cops they wouldn't like waiting, and it would go on for a seconds and off, and it would kill the light cycle and give it to him as a green

Funny thing, I drove to the airport today and was thinking of this very subject
We have the blank white cards that you swipe, I am sure with the money they spend on those stupid fire trucks, there is a IR Radion doo hicky that is in there
 
I remember that the Honda street racing crowd during the 90's would buy some sort of transponder that would make red lights turn green during racing- 🏁
 
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