Fire Service FAQs

We purchased a new apparatus and need the radio to be moved. Who covers the cost to move equipment from one vehicle to another?

The cost to move a radio from one vehicle to another is the responsibility of the fire department. Government has provided up to 5 mobile radios and 4 portable radios to every volunteer fire department in Nova Scotia. Along with the upfront cost, government is also supplying the airtime package and maintenance package on all seeded radios, but not the cost of moving of radios between apparatus.

We require a radio technician to relocate a radio between trucks or within the station. How do we do this?

Contact Shubie Radio at 1-877-293-6977 and open a customer service request. You can also use an authorized radio technician through a commercial radio dealer. Either way, we'll need you to fill out the documentation for radio moves and send it to us for our records:
Moving radios between stations, departments or locations
Moving radios between vehicles

We are selling a truck to another fire department in Nova Scotia. As part of the sale, we plan to leave the TMR radio in the truck and purchase a new radio for our own vehicle. Should we make someone aware of this change?

Your department remains responsible for the number of seeded radios listed in the license agreement between your department and the province, so be aware that even if the truck is sold with the radio in it, you remain financially responsible for this radio.

We track all TMRs so we require you to complete an equipment transfer form whenever a radio is moved between apparatus or stations.
Moving radios between stations, departments or locations
Moving radios between vehicles

We're purchasing a new truck to add to our current fleet. Does government supply us with a TMR to install in the new truck?

No, additional seeded radios will not be provided to fire departments. You can contact one of many authorized radio dealers in Nova Scotia to purchase equipment for your new apparatus.

My radio seems to be having issues transmitting and/or receiving, what can I do to troubleshoot the problem before I call in a CSR?

There are a number of things that may cause issues with transmitting or receiving on a radio. A few things to try are as follows:

• Ensure the radio is on the correct talkgroup
• Change the battery on the portable radio and re-try transmitting and receiving
• Change your location (i.e. if you are inside a building, step outside and determine if the problem still exists)
• Check other TMR radios close by to see if the same problem is occurring
• Ensure antenna is secure on portable
• Check connections on back of the mobile radios to ensure they are tight

My radio is damaged, will not transmit and/or receive after troubleshooting or the radio is displaying an error message. What should I do?

Contact Shubie Radio at 1-877-293-6977 and open a customer service request. A representative will contact you to schedule a site visit or provide directions on where to send the portable radio to have repaired.

Some of the batteries on the portables are not lasting as long as they used to. Who supplies new batteries for the portables?

Government provided two batteries for every portable radio (1 of which was new and the other was a used battery) but will not supply batteries as part of the maintenance plan. You should contact an authorized radio dealer to acquire additional or replacement Impress batteries.

We found a great deal on used TMRs from an overseas company. Can we buy them and have them activated on the system?

Radios can be expensive and there are a number of companies selling used and discounted radios throughout the world. Although these radios may look identical to the TMR radios you currently have within your stations, sometimes older versions of these models are unable to be upgraded due to outdated software and firmware. In these cases, the radios may not meet the minimum standard required to be upgraded to our TMR system. Most radio dealers within Nova Scotia are aware of these requirements and can assist you with purchasing the proper equipment. We can also assist you in the process if needed.

Will there be other radio options besides Motorola equipment that we can purchase for use on the TMR system?

We're working with Bell to allow other manufacturers' radios on the system. There is complex testing that has to take place. Our role is to ensure that any provisioning of a new manufacturer's radio does not, in any way, compromise the current TMR public safety network that first responders use.

We recently decreased the size of our fleet and have a spare TMR mobile radio. Can we give this radio to one of the neighboring departments to use?

No, the radios are on long term loan from the provincial government to your department. If changes are made within your department, you are required to contact us to have these radios returned to the government.

Are we able to remove a mobile radio from an apparatus and use it as a base radio in our fire station?

No, the radios are programmed for mobile use only. The use of simplex channels on a base radio is prohibited as they are not licensed for this use. Using a mobile radio this way would be a violation of Industry Canada regulations and could result in fines or loss of licenses.