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RADIOS D-250. FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TITLE: HANDHELD RADIO NO: D-250 FILE: RADIOS EFFECTIVE DATE: 08-06-90 REVISED: 12-25-s4, 03-01-01, 05-01-05, 11-12-13 AUTHORITY: Sheriff M. Mims APPROVED BY: Assistant Sheriff T. Gattie REFERENCE: Fresno County Sheriff's Office Policy and Procedure Section 102. PURPOSE: The purpose of this policy is to establish a consistent method for the utilization of the handheld radios by staff members on duty within the jail facilities. POLICY: It is the policy of the Fresno County Sheriffs Office Jail Division that custody staff members shall maintain and utilize the handheld radios in a consistent and professional manner. PROCEDURES: I. HANDHELD RADIO ASSIGNMENTS A. Each correctional officer shall be assigned a Kenwood TK-5220K handheld radio,which shall be worn or carried at all times while in uniform and on duty. B. Staff members shall be responsible for the proper care, handling and storage of their issued handheld radio and any related attachments. When not on duty, staff members shall store their radios in their assigned lockers. Under no circumstances may a radio be taken out of the building while off-duty, with the following exceptions: 1. Travel to-and-from approved training. 2. With explicit permission from a Watch Commander or other lieutenant. II. CHANNEL ASSIGNMENT A. Handheld radio communication for the jail facilities shall be conducted on the following channels: Page 1 of 6 FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TITLE: HANDHELD RADIO NO: D-250 FILE: RADIOS 1. Channel X: this channel is designated for all communications in the Main Jail and North Annex Jails. 2. Channel X: this channel is designated for all communications in the South Annex Jail. 3. Channel X: this channel is reserved for communications during repeater failure (when advised by Central Control). May also be used for Maintenance overflow. 4. Channels X — X: these channels are reserved for tactical communications during major incidents and emergencies, primarily used by SERT. These channels do not require use of the repeater, and range is limited to the transmitting floor, plus one floor directly above and directly below. B. Staff members shall not switch to a tactical channel except for emergency purposes, or when directed by a supervisor. C. The remaining channels are assigned to other Bureaus within the Sheriffs Office (refer to Addendum A for channel assignments, range and limitations). D. There are twelve zones. The zones can be changed by using the keypad on the front of the radio, however, users are admonished to leave the radio on the"Jail"zone. If the zone is inadvertently changed, push either one of the arrows on the keypad until the appropriate zone (i.e., "Jail") is located. III. HANDHELD RADIO IDENTIFICATION A. When staff members communicate on the radio, they shall first identify the position or person they want to contact and then identify their own position or name. For example "MJ Lobby - Booking II" would be a call from the Booking II officer to the MJ Lobby security station. B. When contacting another staff member via the radio, it is important to indicate the facility. The proper identification response for each facility is as follows: 1. Main Jail or MJ 2. North Annex Jail, North Jail, North or NJ Page 2 of 6 FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TITLE: HANDHELD RADIO NO: D-250 FILE: RADIOS 3. South Annex Jail, South Annex, South or AJ C. Housing unit security stations are referred to first by the facility, followed by the floor number, and succeeded by "one". For example, the appropriate call name for Main Jail Sixth Floor Security would be"MJ 6-1". D. The floor officers assigned to the housing unit shall be referenced in numerical order, as they appear on the assignment roster. For example: MJ 6 Security MJ 6-1 NJ 4 Security NJ 4-1 MJ A/FF MJ 6-2 NJ ABC NJ 4-2 MJ Floor MJ 6-3 NJ DEF NJ 4-3 NJ Floor NJ 4-4 Accordingly, the appropriate call name for a Main Jail Sixth Floor floor officer would be "MJ 6-2" or "MJ 6-3". E. All remaining positions are referred to by their corresponding assignment (i.e., "Booking I", "NJ Basement", etc.). F. Although position/assignments should be used for routine transmissions, the use of officers' names may be used during emergency situations. IV. RADIO RESPONSE CODES The "10-Codes" or "aural brevity" codes are used to save air time and to convey a precise, defined meaning. The word "ten" before the code number simply alerts the listener mentally that a code is about to be spoken. The 10- codes shall be utilized for radio transmissions within the facilities.The following is a list of the most frequently used codes (refer also to Addendum B). 10-1 Reception poor 11-98 Meet with: 10-2 Reception good 11-99 Officer needs assistance 10-4 Message received 10-6 Busy, stand by Code 1 At your convenience 10-9 Repeat last transmission Code 2 Urgent 10-20 What is your location? Code 3 Emergency 10-21 Telephone: Code 4 Situation under control 10-22 Disregard last Emergency—clear radio traffic transmission Code 33 (when activated, officers will 10-23 1 Stand by hear a steady beep) Page 3 of 6 FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TITLE: HANDHELD RADIO NO: D-250 FILE: RADIOS V. COMMUNICATIONS CONDUCT AND PROPER HANDHELD RADIO USAGE A. All handheld radio communication shall be conducted in a professional manner. Swearing, joking and informal conversation are unacceptable forms of radio communication. B. Handheld radio communication shall be considered one of three lines of communication. However, if a person or area is easily available by telephone or intercom, these lines of communication should be considered first. VI. HANDHELD RADIO PANIC ALARM A. Panic buttons are located on both the handheld radio (the orange triangle on the top portion of the radio) and the lapel/speaker mic (the recessed orange button. The panic alarm is only to be used in the event of an emergency. 1. When the panic alarm button is depressed, ALL operational radios will emit twenty (20) beeps. 2. The alarm may be deactivated by turning off the radio, and then turning back on. Although this will quiet the audible beeps, it does not deactivate the alarm in Central Control. Central must still be notified and will need to reset the alarm. B. When a panic alarm is triggered, the monitor in Main Jail Central Control will indicate the assigned number of the signaling radio. The Central Control Officer shall refer to a list of assigned radios, determine the location, and immediately dispatch assistance to verify and resolve the emergency. C. Staff members shall not call Central Control to find out which panic alarm was activated, unless they have information regarding the specific situation. D. The panic alarm function will only work on Channels 1 and 2 while inside the jail facilities. (Channels 3-7 are direct or "simplex" frequency and do not make use of the repeaters.) Page 4 of 6 FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TITLE: HANDHELD RADIO NO: D-250 FILE: RADIOS E. Transportation officers will normally utilize Channel 9 while assigned to duties outside of the jail facilities. If the panic alarm is activated while outside of the jail facility, the activation will notify Sheriff's Dispatch. F. After an emergency situation has terminated, an all-clear message shall be initiated to indicate that the situation has been controlled. VI I. HANDHELD RADIO RECHARGING INSTRUCTIONS A. Each handheld radio battery should last approximately eight(8)to ten(10) hours. B. Staff members are responsible to ensure that their assigned handheld radio is functional, and they have a fully charged battery for their radio at the beginning of each shift. C. Each security station is equipped with a handheld radio battery recharger, stocked with extra batteries. To recharge a handheld radio, simply exchange the depleted battery with a fully charged one. (Note: the radio should NEVER be placed into the charger while the radio is turned on, as this will cause damage to the battery.) D. To disengage/install the battery- 1. Lift the safety catch, press the release latch, then pull the battery pack away from the transceiver. 2. Match the guides of the battery pack with the grooves on the upper rear of the transceiver, then firmly press the battery pack in place. Lock the safety catch to prevent accidentally releasing the battery pack. 3. Insert the depleted battery(without the radio attached) into the charger compartment and seat it firmly to assure that proper contact has been made. E. It takes approximately two hours for a battery to recharge. When a battery reaches full charge, the red charge light will turn off and the green light will turn on. A flashing green light indicates that the battery is 90% - but not fully - charged. 1. The battery may be left in the battery charger indefinitely without any resultant harm. Page 5 of 6 FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE JAIL DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TITLE: HANDHELD RADIO NO: D-250 FILE: RADIOS 2. Do not recharge a fully charged battery as that will significantly reduce the battery life. F. Some chargers are equipped with a yellow light. The yellow stand-by light indicates that either the connection is not fully met, or the battery is too hot or too cold to be charged at that time. Reaffirm the connection. If the connection is fully met, the battery charger will begin to charge once the battery is at the proper temperature. G. If the red, yellow and green lights blink on and off, the unit needs to be unplugged for approximately ten (10) seconds and then re-plugged. The re-charger will reprogram itself automatically. Vill. REPEATER FAILURE A. Should any of the radio repeaters fail, it will be necessary to switch the transceiver to Channel 3. Channel 3 is a director"simplex"frequency and does not make use of the repeaters (the radio is used more like a walkie- talkie). Central Control will notify the affected areas to switch their channels, should this occur. B. During use of Channel 3- 1. Use the radio as little as possible. Make every effort to substitute the intercom. 2. Listen before transmitting. Remember that everyone is on the same frequency. Keep transmissions brief and professional. 3. Be aware that the panic alarm will not function while on Channel 3. IX. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS A. Ensure the end of the antenna does not touch the eyes. B. Radios should not be used within 300 feet of any suspected explosive device. Page 6 of 6