Chicomm Blog

Whether you’re new to scanning or an experienced hobbyist looking to upgrade your equipment, it pays to be clear on what you’re looking for.

Listening to police frequencies and the conversations being held over the emergency response system of your area is an eye-opening experience, and to make the most of it, you’ll need the right equipment.

To help with your decision-making process, here are some questions to ask when buying a frequency scanner.

Technological advances have made it easier than ever for officers to keep in touch over police frequencies – and for the public to listen in.

From inexpensive frequency scanners to free smartphone apps, the opportunities are seemingly endless for people to monitor police radio and public safety traffic. While most of the interest is harmless, there are examples of the technology ending up in the wrong hands. 

Here are just a few of the ways that listening to police frequencies has never been easier.

If your current emergency equipment plan involves having personnel carry multiple two-way radios to communicate with everyone they need to reach, it’s time to explore your options.

Truly interoperable solutions are available that eliminate the need for juggling radios, and they highlight the importance of updated emergency communications equipment for both today and into the future.

Here’s a look at several ways that digital radios ensure emergency equipment interoperability.

When people talk about the emergency response system of tomorrow, the predictions are breathtaking: firefighting drones, human-operated robots, real-time 3-D simulations and more.

While some of that may sound more like science fiction than a real possibility – especially given the budgetary and resource concerns facing public safety – there are sound emergency communications investments that departments can make today to prepare for tomorrow.

Let’s take a look at ways that public safety can prepare for the emergency response system of the future.

The development of the police phonetic alphabet and military phonetic alphabet demonstrate the widespread utility for public safety and government, particularly over two-way radios, but there are multiple uses for civilian situations, too.  

Here are some examples of how the international phonetic alphabet has taken off – in some cases, quite literally.

Like other forms of radio lingo such as 10 codes, the police phonetic alphabet grew out of a need for users to communicate quickly, clearly and without ambiguity.

The alphabet endures today not only because of its utility but because of its significant role in public safety culture – it’s hard to imagine officers communicating without it.

Let’s take a quick look at the history of the police phonetic alphabet and its role in public safety.

It’s almost impossible to imagine a successful disaster response operation without two-way radios. Radios are the lifeline of emergency communications, ensuring seamless connections, instant updates and collaboration, as well as unmatched reliability during times when cell phone towers can become overloaded.

Two-way radios, through both internal features and functionality as well as applications and accessories, bolster first responder communications for everyday use and during disasters.

Let’s take a closer look at the critical role of two-way radios in disaster response with an overview of the attributes that make them indispensable.

The phonetic alphabet, or spelling alphabet, is one of the most universally recognized pieces of two-way radio lingo, and its history reveals a lot about the evolution of wireless technology and international cooperation.

If you’ve ever had to spell, then respell, then spell again a series of letters over a phone or two-way radio, you can understand why the spelling alphabet was developed. Many letters sound the same, and rather than risk miscommunication during mission critical transmissions and wartime broadcasts, officials adopted a universal set of words to represent letters.

For those of you curious about the history and usage over time, here’s a rundown of the Alpha Bravo Charlies (ABCs) of the two-way radio alphabet.

NATO Alphabet

In general, when people talk about spelling alphabets, they’re referring to the NATO alphabet, considered the international phonetic alphabet, that took effect starting in 1956. Because NATO allies led the effort for one universal standard, the alphabet was nicknamed after the organization.