NOVA SCOTIA FIRE GRID

This system is one of the few remaining vestiges of the NS Integrated Mobile Radio System, which has largely been replaced by the 800 MHz NS Trunked Mobile Radio System. This component has been left in place as it is used on a daily basis in parts of the province for volunteer fire department dispatch and operations. Some are virtually unused today, such as the Hammonds Plains repeater which is in an area where all fire departments use the 800 MHz trunk instead.

The system had two purposes. At its simplest, this system provided a VHF repeater with wide area coverage in each region of the province. This meant that a small VFD for example could have reliable coverage without erecting their own repeater and tower, and as part of this, allow communication with neighbouring departments. The second purpose was to allow communications across the province, and in addition, if necessary, a connection to other emergency services. This latter aspect is now essentially extinct, as the other emergency services are for the most part gone from the VHF spectrum (migrated to the NS Trunked Mobile Radio System on 800 MHz), and therefore the province is abandoning or has already abandoned the links between one repeater and another and the connection to the central control centre (Shubie Radio) in Shubenacadie.

The following is the information pertaining to the linked system as it was (and may yet exist): A dial-up code is used by a unit in one area that must be connected with a distant repeater. The user brings up the local repeater and dials up the distant one by inputting the dial-up code. Note that the dial-up code is the site number + network number (100) + 19. It is not known why the code could not be 101, 102, etc. (similar to the pattern in other NSIMRS networks). It is possible for fire grid users to be connected to the EMO/GSS network and perhaps also to the NSTMRS by dialing the operator at Shubie Radio (dial-up code = 0)

Site #	Rptr Site	Area Served	Dial-up Code	Channel #	frequency (out)	Input frequency	CTCSS Tone
1	Middle Ohio	Shelburne	120	2	151.535	154.04	71.9
2	East Kemptville	Yarmouth	121	3	151.745	154.07	71.9
3	North Range Corner	Digby County	122	4	151.895	154.16	71.9
4	DND	Annapolis	123	10	151.805	154.13	71.9
5	Springfield	Springfield	124	5	151.925	154.10	71.9
6	Garland	Kings County	125	9	151.985	154.025	71.9
7	Liverpool	Queens County	126	6	152.03	154.19	71.9
8	Sherwood	Lunenburg County	127	7	152.21	154.22	71.9
9	Willow Hill	West Hants	128	3	151.745	154.07	82.5
10	Hammonds Plains	Halifax	129	4	151.895	154.16	82.5
11	Jerusalem Hill	Musquodoboit Hbr	130	11	151.805	154.325	82.5
12	Marinette	Sheet Harbour	131	5	151.925	154.10	82.5
13	Kirkhill	Parrsboro	132	4	151.895	154.16	114.8
14	Sugarloaf	Cumberland County	133	5	151.925	154.10	114.8
15	Nuttby Mtn	Colchester County	134	6	152.03	154.19	82.5
16	McLellan's Mtn	New Glasgow	135	7	152.21	154.22	82.5
17	Cochrane Hill	Sherbrooke	136	1	151.535	154.01	94.8
18	Fairmont	Antigonish	137	8	151.985	154.04	94.8
19	Lundy	Guysborough	138	3	151.745	154.07	94.8
20	Oban	St. Peter's	139	5	151.925	154.10	94.8
21	Rear Boisdale	Sydney	140	6	152.03	154.19	94.8
22	Kiltarlity Mtn	Inverness County	141	10	151.805	154.13	94.8
23	Cape Smokey	Ingonish	142	7	152.21	154.22	94.8
24	Money Point	Cape North	143	8	151.985	154.04	94.8

Note that the channel numbers vary with the output and input frequencies, not with the CTCSS tone. In some cases the same output frequency is used in two different channels, but with a different input frequency.