Metropolitan Fire Brigade

Radio Frequency/Channel Information

Ch*	RXF-Out	TXF-In	Zone	CTCSS	Offset	Stations Based On This Channel*	Repeater Location
1	467.7750	458.2750	CENTRAL	94.8Hz	-9.500	1, 2, 3, 10, 18, 35, 38 and 39	Melbourne GTV 9& Ferny Creek
2	467.4750	457.9750	NORTHERN WESTERN	94.8Hz 94.8Hz	-9.500 -9.500	4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19 and 30 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51 and 52	Melbourne GTV 9& Kangaroo Ground
3	466.8750	457.3750	SOUTHERN	94.8Hz	-9.500	20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33 and 34	Melbourne GTV 9 & Ferny Creek
4	466.2750	456.7750		94.8Hz	-9.500	Old “West” only channel.	Melbourne GTV 9 & Kangaroo Ground
5	465.9750	456.4750		94.8Hz	-9.500		Melbourne GTV 9 & Kangaroo Ground
6	465.6750	456.1750		94.8Hz	-9.500		Melbourne GTV 9& Ferny Creek
7	465.3750	455.8750	Sunshine Rd	94.8Hz	-9.500	Use for West Zone transmission, when needed	Tottenham
8	465.0750	455.5750	Sth Zone 2	94.8Hz	-9.500	25, 29, 32, 33, 34	Police Academy, Ferny Creek
9	469.5750	SIMPLEX	Fire Grnd 1	94.8Hz	SIMPLEX	Firefighters to Pump Operator etc	25watt Simplex For Fireground Comms
10	469.9000	SIMPLEX	Fire Grnd 2	94.8Hz	SIMPLEX	As above	25watt Simplex for Fireground Comms
N/a	161.4000	Not Used	CFA Liason		SIMPLEX	MFESB to CFA prior to BEST/Intergraph	NO LONGER IN USE

*These channel numbers match all MFB appliance, base & portable radio sets.

Response Codes

Code 1 Emergency response lights & sirens

Code 2 Lights only, no siren (usually at request of police) or lights & sirens at direction of Officer In Charge

Code 3 Normal Road Traffic Regulations are to be followed.

Call Categories

Fire Indicator Panel-Full Call Sprinkler, valve monitor or private fire alarm has sounded

Incident- Non-fire call. Fuel washaway, gas leak, persons trapped-industrial or motor vehicle accident.

Non-Structure Fire- Grass, bush, scrub, car etc

Structure Fire- Fire involving a structure, or anything within a structure

Radio Messages

Turnout: “VKN8 Pumper 16 turning out to reported house fire 156 St Helena Rd Greensborough, Melways 11 Echo 11” [Appliance]

“Roger Pumper 16” [VKN8]

On Scene: “VKN8 Pumper 16 On Scene”[Appliance]

“Roger, Pumper 16 On scene” [VKN8]

Wordback: “VKN8 Pumper 16 Wordback” [Appliance]

“Pumper 16 Send” [VKN8]

“Wordback from Station Officer Frequency, Non-Structure fire, Not Yet Under Control-[Appliance] 2^nd Alarm response (extra appliance/s required than what is on scene)

Wordback Categories

Stop-Primary Response Appliance(s) and firefighters on scene are able to handle situation, no more Fire Brigade appliances or personnel required

Under Control- Back-up (Secondary Response)appliances are to continue to scene of fire/incident.

Not Yet Under Control-2^nd alarm response in addition to the appliance(s) on scene.

What’s a 2^nd or a 20^th alarm in Fire Brigade speak?

2^nd Alarm Response-District Station Pumper (Usually an ‘Ultra Large’); District Officer; Rescue, Teleboom or Telesquirt and the two nearest pumpers are to respond.

3^rd Alarm Response-As per 2^nd Alarm plus five nearest pumpers, hose layer, Breathing Apparatus Van, Combination Ladder/Platform, Communications Van/Control Unit, Superintendent and any other appliances and Executive(Command) officers and firefighters as required. As the alarm number increases so to does the amount of appliances, firefighters and Command Officers that will attend. What exactly constitutes each alarm, as they go from 2^nd alarm through to 20^th alarm, still needs to be worked out (although some of this will always change at the direction of the OIC as different appliances are used for different incidents/fires, however each alarm response level does set of the response of particular vehicles, and this system is common to most Fire Brigades/Departments of the world. FDNY, Chicago, London, QMFS, NSWFB, MFESB, TFS are just but a few who use the same alarm response system. Seldom few, if ever any, fires in Australia will be above a 5^th alarm. Note also this system is not used for bush/scrub fires etc, including those which the MFESB often attend outside their area in the Dandenong Ranges(Which is well and truly a CFA area)

Primary Response-The initial response to a fire call is made by the nearest station to the fire, these are the Primary Responders.

Secondary Response-These are the stations that are further away than the previous station, but usually either one or two more fire stations will respond to the call as back-up. For example. Greensborough Plaza (which is 100m from MFESB Station 16) is responded to primarily by MFESB Pumper 16. However, in most cases MFESB Water Tanker 14 (Plenty Rd Bundoora) and Eltham CFA Pumper (909 Main Rd Eltham) would respond to fire calls at Greensborough Plaza as the secondary appliances, the ‘back-up.’ If further assistance is required then the MFESB would generate a 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, or 5^th alarm etc.

Simply, every time it increases a digit (ie from 2^nd to 3^rd alarm) they turn out more as per the 2^nd alarm, i.e. another District Officer, Ultra Large, Transport pod, 2 pumpers, 2 other appliances, and more executive command. A almost identical system of firefighting communications with almost all English speaking countries using the same radio terminology within the firefighting world (US, UK, Australia, NZ, Europe all use the same 1^st to 20^th alarm and same response codes!!!)

Melbourne’s Only 20^th Alarm Fire

Principally By Mike Smith [With Additions By Ashley Geelan]

When the Coode Island (Coode Island Chemical Spill 2.20 p.m.; 21 August, 1991), Melbourne chemical fire occurred in Melbourne the MFB had only two appliances left (i.e not at Coode Island), with my father and his mates standing knee deep in Benzine fighting the fire! The RAAF, RAN, Army, and even the Airport Firefighters from Tullamarine and Essendon turned out, even the CFA turned up, but upon seeing the size of the blaze decided to leave as soon as they saw how big it was-true story-I don’t blame them (the CFA either). Further Information on the Coode Island Disaster can be found by typing Coode Island into an Australian-based Web Search engine

©2003, 2004 COPYRIGHT The Australian Scanning Encyclopedia, VicNews Ltd, and Ashley Geelan.

No part of this page may be transmitted or re-produced in whole or part without permission from the author(s).

Thanks to Mike Smith for his invaluable help with the MFB.

This Page Last Updated: January 7, 2004

MFB Index Fire Services Index Home