News 
The long awaited CFA-approved digital listening sets/scanners for Brigades are not far away. CFA has chosen the successful unit and completed contract negotiations with the supplier.
CFA and VFBV are discussing the distribution of subsidised sets to Brigades, and should announce details in the next two weeks.
The unit has passed CFA technical evaluation and the volunteers who field tested it have given it the thumbs up.
The listening set has a large range of options, and the manufacturer has agreed to the volunteers’ request to supply it pre-configured with settings to suit CFA Brigades’ needs.
Having successfully had volunteers included in the field trials, VFBV has pressed for every Brigade to be offered an equal, guaranteed number of subsidised sets, with any sets not taken up to be equally redistributed to Brigades that want them.
The program is expected to be in full swing well before summer, and VFBV has offered to assist with logistics to ensure no Brigade is disadvantaged by remoteness or lack of access to electronic ordering.
We will post the announcement on the VFBV website as soon as it is available.
ANALOGUE CHANNEL SHUTDOWNS
The VFBV/CFA Joint Communications and Technology Committee has become aware that CFA is shutting down an increasing number of analogue radio channels, despite an agreement that it would not decommission analogue services until the new digital listening sets were available.
The Committee has expressed its frustration to CFA that the shutdowns have gone ahead. CFA representatives have explained that the analogue shutdowns where operationally required to provide increased digital capacity in the network, and did not go ahead without District Operations Managers’ approval.
CFA has told the Joint Committee that it was the OM’s responsibility to conduct local consultation before approving any shutdown. Should your Brigade have concerns, you should proactively discuss the issue with your OM before they approve any local Shutdown.
The subsidised distribution of digital listening sets should be announced within the next two weeks. In the meantime, CFA regional radio dispatch traffic is available online using the free website Broadcastify. This web streaming service allows you to receive radio comms via your computer, smart phone or tablet.
To hear CFA traffic, go to www.broadcastify.com/listen/stid/152 and select your region. Anyone listening via their mobile phone should keep track of their data usage to avoid exceeding their monthly data limit.
