FEMA IS-951: DHS Radio Interoperability Answers The groups of Federal Interoperability Channels designated for Incident Response (IR channels) and Law Enforcement (LE channels) include both repeater channels and simplex channels. A. TRUEFALSE Radios contain both simplex and repeater channels, and it is important to know which are which in order to select the most appropriate channel. A. TRUEFALSE Which group of channels is used for interoperability among all federal agencies? A. Calling or hailing channelsIncident Response (IR) channelsDHS common channels Command and control channels The orange button on portable radios is an active feature which is programmed the same across all agencies to send an Emergency Call transmission. A. TRUEFALSE Which of the following options is considered a realistic best practice when planning an operation or event? A. Test radio communications in advance to ensure effective coveragePlan operations away from challenging terrain such as hilly or mountainous regionsAvoid the need to communicate from within heavy density buildings or structuresLimit operations to areas which are more rural and away from populated urban environments There are common DHS interoperability channels in both the Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) bands. A. TRUEFALSE The use of encryption is required when using DHS common channels. A. TRUEFALSE New or updated encryption keys are programmed into radios by: A. Attaching a keyloader or through over-the-air-rekeying (OTAR)Having another user transmit the correct encryption key from their radioAttaching a cloning cable to another user’s radio with the desired encryption key Returning the radio to the manufacturer for an update Handheld portable radios and vehicle mounted mobile radios both have equivalent power output and coverage range A. TRUEFALSE The DHS common interoperability channels in the Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) bands that require access to a repeater are: A. DHSNET and DHS-RPTVTAC11 and UTAC41VCALL10 and UCALL40DHSNET and DHSTAC The channel FIO-1 is an example of one of the DHS common interoperability channels in the UHF frequency band. A. TRUEFALSE Which radio function is used to change between different groups of channels programmed into the radio? A. Scan buttonPTT switchZone selectorAccessory attachment If “blips and bleeps” or other electronic noises are heard during a user’s radio transmission, they are most likely communicating on a digital channel, and can be expected to: A. Suddenly drop out or disappear as they move out of range Automatically switch to analog modeImprove audio quality due to digital reconstructionActivate the radio’s scan mode to search for a new channel Radios that have not yet been reprogrammed with the new common DHS template should contain the DHS common interoperability channels in other existing zones in the radio. A. TRUEFALSE One method of changing zones on a radio begins with: A. Pressing the button, or soft key, under the menu item “Zone” on the radio display screenSimultaneously pressing the top and bottom buttons on the side of the radio Using the channel selector to keep moving through channels until the radio changes to the next zoneTurning the radio off and back on while pressing the home button The primary purpose of the DHS common repeater and simplex channels is to establish interoperability among DHS components. A. TRUEFALSE DHS radios in the Very High Frequency (VHF) band should contain which DHS common interoperability channels? A. VCALL10 and VTAC11DHS-RPT and DHS-SIMDHSNET and DHSTAC FIO-1 Where should DHS personnel using Very High Frequency (VHF) radios find the common DHS interoperability channels DHSNET or DHSTAC in their radios? A. Either in Zone IO1 or another existing zone in the radioIn Zone FCC1In Zone FedCom1In Zone InterGov1 To access an interoperability channel, it may be necessary for the user to: A. Activate the radio’s scan featureChange zones on their radioPress the home buttonAttach a keyloader to the radio When attempting to communicate on the Federal Incident Response (IR) channels during an event, the designated simplex calling channels (IR5 or IR15) should be used first. A. TRUEFALSE If attempts to communicate on the channel designated for an event are unsuccessful, the next step should be to: A. Report to the nearest command post locationSelect another channel in a different radio zoneUse the channel where you last had reliable communicationsDownload a new encryption key for the radio In the absence of available repeaters, which DHS common simplex channels can be used for short range communications interoperability among DHS components? A. FEDCALL or FED-DIRDHSTAC or DHS-DIRDHSCALL or DHS-DIRDHSTAC or DHS-SIM Previous Next