Phoenix and Vicinity Fire Frequencies

For anyone who needs them, here are the frequencies and labels for Phoenix and vicinity. If I have them labeled wrong keep it to yourself.

Phx Fire Disp Ch 1 154.1900
Phx Fire Channel 2 154.2500
Phx Fire Channel 3 154.0700
Phx Fire Channel 4 154.2800
Phx Fire Channel 5 153.8300
Phx Fire Channel 6 154.3100
Phx Fire Channel 7 154.1450
Phx Fire Channel 8 153.7700
Phx Fire Channel 9 155.6700
Phx Fire Channel 10 151.3700
Phx Fire Channel 11 154.0250
Phx Fire Channel 12 155.7750
Rural Metro Disp 154.3700
Rural Metro Sim 154.3850
Rural Metro ground 154.4000
Chandler FD BlueDeck 1 154.4300
Chandler FD BlueDeck 2 155.9550
Rural Metro Ch 5 BlueDeck 3 154.4000
Rural Metro Ch 6 BlueDeck 4 153.8600
Mesa Fire 1 BlueDeck 8 154.3400
Mesa Fire 2 BlueDeck 9 154.2350
Mesa Fire 3 BlueDeck 10 153.9500
Buckeye Fire BlueDeck 12 154.0850
Mesa Fire Channel 4 154.2800
Mesa Fire Channel 5 154.0100
Mesa Fire Channel 6 154.1750
Mesa Fire Channel 7 154.2050

Bluedeck 5, 6, and 7 are on police frequencies and rarely used except when staging for police. Blue deck 11 is ???

First Alarm House Fire

At approximately 11:00 I heard on my scanner "Engine 13 is on the scene of a single story residence, with a working fire". I never even heard the actual dispatch call. Since their signal came in loud and clear I knew it had to be close. I jumped in my car and of course went the wrong way (I did not have an address). I went south on 32nd st., luckily I saw the smoke to the east and headed that way. The house in question was a couple houses west of 36th street on Harvard. As I got there the homeowner was being led away by a fireman, the homeowner was covered with soot, and had probably tried to fight the fire or been caught inside. The fire inside the house had already been knocked down and crews were on the roof ventilating.From the way the front of the house looked it must have been ripping.

At one point they pulled a pitbull from the fire, unburned but not breathing. They did not attempt to resuscitate it (I don't blame them). While there I overheard 2 firemen say that they had investigated or had been at this address previously. Here are the rest of the pics.

update: as of 01-08-2008 I drove by the house and the dog was still in the front yard under the blanket.update: as if 16:42 01-08-2008 the dog was moved to the gutter, on the blanket.Update: 01-09-2008 Dog gone.

First Alarm Restaurant Fire

At approximately 15:30 today a call went out for an unknown fire at 32nd st. and Van Buren. Engine 29 responded and reported a working fire in an empty Mexican food restaurant (Formerly a Denny's). A second call went out at 15:35 for a first alarm Working fire. I immediately left the house and headed that way. It took me about 5 to 7 minutes to get there because of rush hour traffic. Thankfully I beat the police to the scene and was able to walk around the restaurant unimpeded. The fire was being fought offensively until about 13:50 when due to fears of a roof collapse the emergency traffic tone was sounded and all firemen evacuated the building.

As the Saying goes "When the ladder goes up,
the building comes down". Well not in this case, at about 16:06 after a few minutes soaking from ladder 11 the firemen again went offensive.
It was about this time I had to leave.

The fire appears to have started in a storage room in the back of the building possibly by "houseless people". Speaking of which, this guy:
was sleeping in the restaurant parking lot and didn't stir until someone woke him up. He then tried to pick a fight with the guy who woke him. Here are the rest of the Pics:

Second Alarm Structure Fire (in HDR)

This morning Mike came over to look at my spa. We left my house at about 09:55 to get a new GFCI cord for the spa. We had just turned south on 32nd street when I saw a large column of smoke in south Phoenix. I mentioned to Mike that it looked like it had just started as the column had not flattened, of course I did not have my camera and neither did Mike. So we raced back to the house and grabbed my camera and scanner and headed to the fire.

The fire was at Frontier Emergency Products 16th street and Victory. I later learned that this is where the city of Phoenix repairs it's Fire engines. The Fire started some time before 09:45. We attempted access from 7th street but were stopped by the usual over zealous cop.

I took a few quick pictures and then we left to try our luck elsewhere.

We had much better luck on 16th street and we were able to get near the front of the building (after being cautioned by another cop about the hazardous smoke). While taking pictures we were filmed by news channel 3. However we did not appear on the video shown on TV. There were 3 ladders directing water on the building so of course it was a total loss. We left when the fire was mostly out and, because we were soaked with sweat from the humidity. I apologize for the darkness of the pictures I could not see how they were turning out due to the overcast and my glasses going dark form the UV light.

First Alarm Structure Fire (in HDR)

You couldn't keep away from it My Precious. It calls to us.Whatever....

At 11:38 the call went out "structure fire at 24th street and Roosevelt" at Photography studio. I almost didn't go (because of the day before yesterday). I changed my mind, grabbed my bag and ran out the door. I got to 32nd st. and McDowell when I heard them call the balance of a first alarm. I got on the the freeway and off again at 24th st. thus skipping several lights. I managed to get there within 5 minutes, and before the cops. I parked about a half block away, grabbed my scanner, and camera then walked the rest of the way in. Engine 8 was parked by the front door and several crews were already inside fighting offensively. There were several off duty firemen who showed up, then the news people showed up. At approximately 11:55 the emergency tone was sent out and everyone was ordered out of the building. Engine 8, and the building owners car were moved from the buildings entrance an unmarked ladder began setting up. Ladder 11 to the east in a parking lot, and the other ladder to the south of the building. Around 12:00 there were several small explosions coming from the broken windows near the entrance on the east side, at 12:09 the fire began to roll out of the collapsing roof. The walls on the west side started collapsing inwards and the firemen began evacuating houses to the west. While I was watching and taking pictures a fireman (possibly a Battalion commander) was standing next to me all excited and said to me "Are you getting this!!", "Have you seen anything like this!!", "WOW look at that!!". I wanted to say "not since the day before yesterday", but I just said "not in a long time". Around 12:30 Chris called to ask if I knew what the smoke was from at 24th st. south of the freeway. I told him I was there. At 12:35 I was quite hot and tired and the police were starting to rope everything off and being general butt heads, plus the majority of the fire was knocked down. I got to my car drank a very warm bottle of water (mmmm warm water) and took off. At 13:38 command was terminated. While at the scene I overheard one of the battalion commanders talking to another fireman and saying that the buildings owner suspected arson, as he was there and saw someone doing something (I could not hear all of the conversation). Here are the pics:









Update: this picture taken the day after.