SC Mutual Aid Talkgroups and Channels

To support statewide interoperability, all users of the South Carolina Statewide 800 MHz Radio System (Palmetto 800) should have all Regional Mutual Aid, Statewide Mutual Aid, Itinerant Tactical (ITAC) and South Carolina Tactical (SCTAC) talkgroups/channels pre-programmed into their 800 MHz radios. Law Enforcement Agencies should also include the Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Talkgroups.
     

REGIONAL MUTUAL AID TALKGROUPS	NAME	HP TROOP
CALLING CHANNEL	SCCALL	Statewide
REGION 1 COMMON Counties:  Richland, Lexington, Kershaw, Lee Sumter, Clarendon	REG01	Troop #1
REGION 2 COMMON Counties:  Abbeville, Laurens, Greenwood, Newberry, Saluda, Edgefield, McCormick	REG02	Troop #2
REGION 3 COMMON Counties:  Spartanburg,, Greenville, Anderson, Pickens, Oconee	REG03	Troop #3
REGION 4 COMMON Counties:  York, Cherokee, Union, Chester, Lancaster, Fairfield, Chesterfield	REG04	Troop #4
REGION 5 COMMON Counties:  Marlboro, Darlington, Florence, Dillon, Marion, Horry, Georgetown, Williamsburg	REG05	Troop #5
REGION 6 COMMON Counties:  Colleton, Jasper, Beaufort, Berkeley, Dorchester, Charleston	REG06	Troop #6
REGION 7 COMMON Counties:  Aiken, Barnwell, Allendale, Hampton, Bamberg, Orangeburg, Calhoun	REG07	Troop #7
REGION 8 COMMON Assignable for special events/emergencies  (coordinate with EMD/DSIT/Motorola).	REG08	Assignable
REGION 9 COMMON Assignable for special events/emergencies  (coordinate with EMD/DSIT/Motorola).	REG09	Assignable
REGION 10 COMMON Assignable for special events/emergencies  (coordinate with EMD/DSIT/Motorola).	REG10	Assignable

Sites for Regional talkgroups conform to the South Carolina Highway Patrol Troops.

STATEWIDE MUTUAL AID TALKGROUPS	NAME
SC CALLING CHANNEL Statewide calling channel, monitored by EMD and SHP.	SCCALL
CHANNEL 1 Pre-assigned for Law Enforcement Operations.	SCMA01
CHANNEL 2 Pre-assigned for Fire Operations.	SCMA02
CHANNEL 3 Pre-assigned for EMS Operations.	SCMA03
CHANNEL 4 Pre-assigned for Command & Control Operations.	SCMA04
CHANNEL 5	SCMA05
CHANNEL 6	SCMA06
CHANNEL 7	SCMA07
CHANNEL 8	SCMA08
CHANNEL 9	SCMA09
CHANNEL 10	SCMA10
SC AIR TO GROUND For mutual aid use in coordinating air-to-ground operations only.	SCAIR-GRD
Dynamic Regrouping	Dyn Reg

                 
Recommended placement for Dyn Reg is the last channel in the first zone of the radio. Dynamic Regrouping allows Motorola remotely create or assign a talkgroup to the Dyn Reg radio position/channel. When responding to a regional or statewide emergency an agency can notify Motorola of the radio ID’s it is sending to assist in the emergency and Motorola can then assign the talkgroup being utilized at the emergency to the Dyn Reg channel in the radio. This feature offers tremendous flexibility and interoperability capabilities to our statewide system. It is highly recommended that this feature be programmed in to all radios with access to the statewide system.

The SC Calling Channel is monitored by SC Emergency Preparedness. Mutual Aid Talkgroups are available for use during emergencies or for special events. The use and assignment of Mutual Aid Channels is coordinated by SC Emergency Management (803) 737-8500.

LAW ENFORCEMENT MUTUAL AID TALKGROUPS	NAME	HP TROOP
LAW ENFORCEMENT CALL	LECALL	Statewide
LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMON 1 Counties:  Richland, Lexington, Kershaw, Lee Sumter, Clarendon	LEC01	Troop #1
LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMON 2 Counties:  Abbeville, Laurens, Greenwood, Newberry, Saluda, Edgefield, McCormick	LEC02	Troop #2
LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMON 3 Counties:  Spartanburg,, Greenville, Anderson, Pickens, Oconee	LEC03	Troop #3
LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMON 4 Counties:  York, Cherokee, Union, Chester, Lancaster, Fairfield, Chesterfield	LEC04	Troop #4
LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMON 5 Counties:  Marlboro, Darlington, Florence, Dillon, Marion, Horry, Georgetown, Williamsburg	LEC05	Troop #5
LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMON 6 Counties:  Colleton, Jasper, Beaufort, Berkeley, Dorchester, Charleston	LEC06	Troop #6
LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMON 7 Counties:  Aiken, Barnwell, Allendale, Hampton, Bamberg, Orangeburg, Calhoun	LEC07	Troop #7
LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMON 8 Assigned to the Highway 278 Hurricane evacuation route in Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton and Allendale counties.	LEC08	Special
LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMON 9 Assignable for special events/emergencies  (coordinate with Highway Patrol).	LEC09	Assignable
LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMON 10 Assignable for special events/emergencies  (coordinate with Highway Patrol).	LEC10	Assignable

    
Law Enforcement Talkgroups are monitored by SC Department of Public Safety and distributed to users for special events by Nick Babin at South Carolina Highway Patrol nababin@schp.org, (803) 896-8133.

CONVENTIONAL MUTUAL AID CHANNELS

National Mutual Aid Channels:

        

South Carolina Mutual Aid Channels:

            

South Carolina Mutual Aid Channels  (NEW - Digital;  radio to radio only channels):

    

Note:  Only digital capable radios will be able to utilize these channels in the digital mode.

All agencies should utilize local conventional Mutual Aid Channels as part of their special event and emergency communications planning. If you need assistance with planning please contact DSIT. If you need communications assistance or on scene support during an emergency or disaster contact the State Warning Point (803) 737-8500 and ask them to contact us.

POLICY FOR MUTUAL AID TALKGROUPS AND CHANNELS

All Mutual Aid talkgroups (Regional, Statewide & Law Enforcement) and Mutual Aid conventional repeaters shall not be used for routine daily operations or as ongoing working channels by any agency. These channels shall be reserved for inter-agency communications, special or community events, incidents requiring multi-agency participation, coordination and emergencies. These shall not be used for administrative or intra-agency communications unless so directed during a major emergency or disaster situation.

Several Mutual Aid Talkgroups have been pre-assigned to assist agencies and disciplines when responding to emergencies (SCMA01 Law Enforcement, SCMA02 Fire, SCMA03 EMS and SCMA04 Command and Control).

All use of Mutual Aid Talkgroups or Repeaters for special events or emergencies is to be coordinated with the appropriate agencies.

   

EMD will coordinate with DSIT and Motorola on the use of all Mutual Aid Talkgroups. Motorola will reconfigure the talkgroup assigned for the special event to provide only the coverage needed for that event.) For after hour assistance, contact EMD (803) 737-8500 or Motorola at (800) 353-0101.

AIR-to-GROUND TALKGROUP - The primary use of this talkgroup will be for coordinating helicopter landings and take offs at accident scenes, hospitals and other locations. Secondary use will be for coordination with all types of aircraft conducting search & rescue operations, manhunts, fire fighting, aerial surveillance, hurricane evacuations and other events. It is encouraged that all users who conduct air to ground operations with the various network users program their radios and use this talkgroup to promote a safe and efficient operating environment for these specialized operations.

DYNAMIC REGROUPING - The Dynamic Regrouping feature offers users of the statewide 800 MHz radio system tremendous flexibility and interoperability capabilities. It also allows for the instantaneous addition of a talkgroup not preprogrammed into the radio. This feature can only be activated by Motorola, when calling to have a talkgroup dynamically regrouped you will need to have your radio ID# and the talkgroup name and number (#) “if known” to be added. If you need assistance contact the communication coordinator on scene or if the State Communications Vehicle (the Bus) has been deployed stop by the bus for assistance.

SPECIAL EVENT use of an 800MHz conventional epeater(s) is limited to the SCTAC frequencies ONLY. Special event use should be coordinated with the agency providing direct control of the Mutual Aid channel. Use of the channel shall not interfere with emergency or disaster situations. If an emergency or disaster situation develops the agency providing direct control of the Mutual Aid channel(s) under its authority may terminate the Special Event Use of the Mutual Aid channel.

Plain ENGLISH will be used at all times on all Mutual Aid Channels. The use of unfamiliar terms, codes or signals is not allowed.

The use of ric switches or console cross-patching is not allowed on any of the Mutual Aid Channels configured in the statewide mode, (all interconnect guidelines and policies must be adhered too).

The use of ric switched or patches to the Palmetto 800 System must be approved by the 800 MHz Advisory Committee and Motorola, (all interconnect guidelines and policies must be adhered too).

Telephone interconnect (i.e. telephone patching) is prohibited on any of the Mutual Aid Channels.

All efforts have been made to keep this information up to date and current. If you have questions or need additional assistance please contact George Crouch (803) 896-0367 gcrouch@cio.sc.gov, Buddy Jordan (803) 896-0443 jordanb@cio.sc.gov or Motorola at (800) 353-0101.