The History of Contra Costa County Sheriff & Fire Communications

By Alan E. Nielsen Sr.

Communications Manager [Retired]

Contra Costa County Fire District, Pleasant Hill, CA

© 2006 Alan E. Nielsen Sr. Contact Alan

Return To Alan's Home Page


Preface

 

My involvement in Contra Costa County Communications first began in the middle of the 1950’s. I lived in the Camino Tassajara Road area of Danville, CA with my parents and was attending high school. I had an old A.M. “TRF” Radio Receiver that I found laying around the ranch where I lived and I managed to get it working. At the high end of the dial I was able to hear several police channels, which all seemed to be located in one spot. Later I found out they were Marin County Sheriff on 1610 KHz, Contra Costa County Sheriff and Alameda County Sheriff on 1658 KHz, San Mateo County and South San Francisco on 1674 KHz and California Highway Patrol on 1690 KHz. If I moved up the dial a little bit I could hear Kern County and Los Angeles County Sheriff. Listening to police calls became a major hobby of mine and later, it became my profession.

 

My earliest personal contact with Contra Costa County Communications came in 1958 after I graduated high school and enrolled in a two-year electronics program at Diablo Valley College. After my first day of classes, I drove to 2130 Arnold Industrial Highway  in Martinez where there was a 140-foot self-supporting tower and a very strong signal from Contra Costa Sheriff radio system on 1658 KHz. I waited until everyone around there went home and drove up the road to the parking lot in front of the building. There was a Deputy Sheriff, out in front having a cigarette and I introduced myself and what I was looking for. He was the swing shift dispatcher/deputy and he invited me in to see the building. Back then, they didn’t really bother to close the gate or lock the building, as security did not seem to be a problem. The dispatcher could go outside and still hear the radios in case a call came in or a phone rang.

 

A few weeks later I was there during the day, and met several of the radio technicians, Bill Goheen, Blackie Lawrence, & Chet Hayden. I hung out there for a week or so and soon was hired on a temporary basis to install radios in the new Sheriff’s cars and help install a new Local Government radio system. In October of 1959 I was hired full time as a Sheriff’s Dispatcher and worked the graveyard shifts while going to school.

After graduating DVC in Spring of 1961, my draft classification was changed from 4A [going to school] to 1A [Available] Things were a little hot around the world and a lot of my single friends were getting drafted so I elected to take a four year leave of absence from my job and enlist in the Navy.

 

After my tour of duty in the Navy, I returned to my Job as a dispatcher and in June of 1966 I was promoted to Sheriff’s Communications Technician and worked in the Radio Shop located at the same place as before but now known as 50 Glacier Drive.

 

In January of 1972, I was promoted, and transferred to the Contra Costa County Fire District as Communications Supervisor later re-titled Communications Manger a position from which I retired from in January 1999.

 

In this document I will try to describe how a lot of the systems came about. These are my personal recollections and most of the narrative derives from my personal experience, observations or knowledge. I would also like to acknowledge three very good friends and mentors. Captain George K. Burton [deceased] retired Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department, Captain Alan R. Burton [deceased], retired, Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department and Battalion Chief Jack Hill, retired of the Contra Costa County Fire District

 

Alan E. Nielsen Sr.


 

The Beginning

 

Early in the 1930’s, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department first installed radio receivers in five of their patrol cars. The base transmitter was located at Berkeley Police and operated on the frequency of 1630 KHz. The Federal Communications call sign was KSW and was used to send dispatch messages to law enforcement patrol cars located in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, and Solano Counties.

 

Although this system was one-way, and all messages for the patrol cars had to be phoned to Berkeley for transmission the value of this was to be able to contact patrol cars in the field. It was soon apparent that Contra Costa County needed it own system.

 

In 1935, Sheriff Johnny Miller, hired and deputized George K. Burton, who had very good knowledge radio communications. He was given the task of designing and installing a radio system for the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department.

In 1937, the county obtained its own Federal Communications Commission license. It licensed a frequency of 35.22 MHz A.M. running 100 watts of power and to be located on the roof of the Court House in down town Martinez. An antenna had been strung from the dome of the Court House to another point. The power on the license was in proportion to the population of the county which at that time was 100,000 thus the license granted was for 100 watts. The mobile frequency was also 35.22 MHz with 15 watts of power. This system had very limited coverage so the Berkeley system was still used for one-way calls to the patrol cars around the county.

 

On January 3, 1940, the Federal Communications Commission issued the following license to Contra Costa County.

Call Sign KQCE Base Transmitter 1658 KHz using A3 [A.M.] Transmitter Link 500B 500 Watts of power. Location at the foot of Pine Street Lat 38-03-10N & Long 122-12-25W. Mobile Transmitters on 35.22 using A3 [A.M.] Units were to be Composite running 10 watts or 15 watts and Fred Link was to build a couple units to be known as Link Model 15UBX.

         

The new Martinez location provided excellent one-way coverage throughout the county. The patrol units could transmit back to the Dispatcher in Martinez on a frequency of 35.22 MHz but that proved to be very disappointing. In 1940, the county obtained an experimental FCC license for the purpose of constructing a “repeater” station on the top of Mt Diablo located in Central Contra Costa County. Mt Diablo had an elevation of about 3920 feet and had very good countywide coverage. On February 5, 1940, the Federal Communications Commission issued the following license to Contra Costa County. Call Sign W6XCD Located on the Summit of Mt Diablo. Transmitter to be built by Fred Link and model was a 551. It had 15 watts of power.

 

The frequencies to be experimented with included 134.36 KHz, 39.46 KHz, 39.54 KHz, and 39.14 KHz. The Fred M. Link Company was contracted with to construct the repeater, which consisted of a Link Model 8UA super heterodyne receiver, receiving on 35.22 MHz. A.M. and a Link Model 15UPS transmitter, transmitting on a frequency of 39.40 MHz. A.M. The base 1658 kHz transmitter was replaced with a 500 watt Link A.M. Transmitter, moved to the waterfront area and connected to a new self supporting radio tower. In 1944 the Federal Communications Commission ordered the County off of the 39.46 MHz frequency and then on October 9, 1944 issued the following license to Contra Costa County. Call Sign W6XCD Located on the summit of Mt Diablo. Transmitter to be built by Fred Link and model was a 15FMR. It had 15 watts of power. The frequency was to be 116.150 MHz FM.

 

A second receiver on 35.22 MHz was installed on San Pablo Ridge and the audio from this receiver was carried to the Martinez Dispatch office on a gas company, telephone Line system.

 

The Dispatch & Telephone consoles were installed at the County Court House in downtown Martinez.

 

Many of the mobile units were built in house, using materials from melted down slot machines confiscated by the Sheriff’s Department. The housings were made by a foundry company in Emeryville and the units were hand built. Eventually the Mobile system was changed to F.M. on another low band frequency in the 43 MHz range then in the early 1950’s the system was rebuilt again. Most of the mobile radios were then purchased from the Link Radio Company.

 

When aviation band created in 1948, the repeater had to be moved to 73.54 MHz FM where it remained until about 1961 when the Mt Diablo site was shut down.


 

Early Fire Communications

 

In 1947, the Federal Communications Commission established the Fire Service Radio Service. Up to that time, the only agencies that could apply and receive FCC licenses were Police or Law Enforcement agencies. Contra Costa County applied for and received several fire services licenses, which were assigned the frequency of 46.38 MHz.

 

In the early 1950’s all of the fire departments were districts and pretty much associated with the county except for Antioch, El Cerrito, Pinole, Pittsburg and Richmond. The City of Richmond Fire Department was assigned a frequency in the 33MHz band, Pittsburg and Pinole Fire Departments had their own license on 46.38 MHz Antioch and El Cerrito Fire Departments used their Police Radio systems.

 

Each fire district had it own dispatch operation and either received calls directly at their station where, they had someone on duty, or had a place away from the station to handle the incoming telephone calls. The call taker could activate a siren to summon the volunteers or some other way to summon their firefighters. In some cases there were firefighters on duty in the station to respond.

 

Many of the fire units had a “Link” Radio model 2365 transceiver installed, which was a one-piece unit operating on either 6 volts or 12 volts from the mobile unit. It had a speaker-handset mounted on the dash of the unit. The antenna was about 54 inches and usually mounted on a spring base on the side of the unit. Coverage was pretty good, unit to unit and unit to base.

 

The Fire Agencies that were around in the early 50’s included the following:

 

Antioch City Fire Department

Bay Point Fire Protection District (Port Chicago & Clyde)

Bethel Island Fire Protection District

Brentwood Fire Protection District

Byron Fire Protection District

Central Fire Protection District [Walnut Creek]

Crockett-Carquinez Fire Protection District

Danville Fire Protection District

Eastern Fire Protection District (Marsh Creek, San Ramon, Moraga, Highland & Tassajara, unincorporated Antioch & Pittsburg)

El Cerrito Fire Department

El Sobrante Fire Protection District

Kensington Fire District

Lafayette Fire Protection District

Mt Diablo Fire Protection District

Oakley Fire Protection District

Orinda Fire Protection District

Pinole Fire Department

Pittsburg Fire Department

Richmond Fire Department

Rodeo Fire Protection District

San Pablo Fire Protection District


 

Major Upgrade in the 1950’s

 

In the early 1950’s, the county did a major upgrade to its radio communication systems. A new building was build at 2130 Arnold Industrial Highway, near the Juvenile hall in the outskirts of Martinez. A new Link Radio 1000C radio transmitter was purchased and installed at this location and transmitted on 1658 KHz. A new concrete tower base was poured and the site was readied for the relocation of the self-supporting transmitting tower from the Martinez waterfront to this location. During the actual move, the system was down for a few days and all calls to Contra Costa units were handled by Alameda County Sheriff’s dispatch as both counties used the same 1658 KHz frequency. The old Link Radio 500B transmitter, from the Martinez waterfront, was then moved to the Arnold Industrial Highway location and became a standby providing redundancy to the system.

 

In the new system, the patrol cars transmitted back on a new frequency of 155.01 MHz. There were three receivers in the system to relay the signals back to the Dispatch Center, which became known as “Control One”. One of the receivers was located on Tank Farm Hill in the Pinole area with the audio signal carried back to “Control One” over a telephone carrier system owned by one of the pipeline companies. A second receiver was located on Grizzly Peak located in the Berkeley hills. Its received audio was carried to “Control One” via a 458 MHz. point-to-point radio system using directional antennae. The main receiver for 155.01 MHz. was located near the summit of Mt Diablo. It continued using the frequency of 73.54 MHz to carry the received audio signals back to “Control One”. A military surplus multiplex system called an AN/TRC system, which was capable of carrying 4 different receiver audio signals, was used. The first audio channel carried the 155.01 MHZ. radio audio for Contra Costa Sheriff, the second audio channel carried audio from a fire frequency receiver installed on Mt Diablo to receive 46.38 MHz. The third audio channel was not used and the fourth audio channel was connected to an Alameda County receiver on 155.25 MHz. Alameda County had the same equipment installed at their San Leandro dispatch center to receive this audio from Mt Diablo.

 

Both Contra Costa County Sheriff and Alameda County Sheriff were using 1658 KHz frequency to transmit to their patrol units and they were able to monitor each other’s patrol units.

 

The 46.38 MHz fire receiver allowed fire units in the county, which had a receiver, installed on 1658 KHz to communicate directly with “Control One”.

 

In the 1950’s the county police agencies used the following radio frequencies. Each agency on had one radio frequency to use.

 

Antioch         155.31 MHz.
Brentwood       155.31 MHz. Also used the Sheriff’s Channel
Concord         155.31 MHz.|
El Cerrito      155.31 MHz.
Kensington      155.31 MHz.
Martinez        155.31 MHz
Pinole          155.31 MHz. Also used the Sheriff’s Channel
Pittsburg        39.xx MHz.
Richmond        155.37 MHz.
San Pablo       155.31 MHz.
Walnut Creek    155.31 MHz.
 

Late in the 1950’s, the Contra Costa County Sheriff was assigned another radio frequency. It was called Channel B and was on a frequency of 155.19 MHz.

 

Radio Equipment

 

The First mobile radio equipment was built by George Burton and other police radio engineers. He used melted down slot machines to make the housing and then standard components to construct the radio transmitter. Some of the Equipment by Brand name that were used included:

 

Link Radio Model 205 Receiver [Sheriff’s Department]

          A crystal controlled AM Receiver used to receive 1658 KHZ. Unit mounted in the trunk of the car and had a remote control
          head to adjust the Volume and Squelch.

 

Link Radio Model 1905  Receiver

 

Link Radio Model 1907

 

Link Radio Model 2240 Transmitter [Sheriff’s Department]

          Crystal controlled FM transmitter used to transmit 155.01 MHz.

 

Link Radio Model 2365 Transmitter-Receiver Combination [Fire Departments]

          Crystal controlled FM transmitter & receiver used on 46.38 MHz Fire channels

 

Control 1

 

As previously mentioned, in the 1950’s Contra Costa County Sheriff relocated its main communications equipment and facilities to a new building located on Arnold Industrial Highway in Martinez. This facility was next to Juvenile Hall. The building was to also house the Civil Defense Organization of the County and the Sheriff’s Radio Shop. The Communications Center at this location was called “Control One”. “Control Two” was located at the Front Reception of the Sheriff’s Office in Martinez. It had remote control of radio channel one, the 1658 KHz transmitter and 155.01 receiver MHz system.

 

Some of the systems that were located at “Control 1” at the end of the 1950’s included the following:

 

A Cinder Block, Flat Roof building that had a Communications Room; it had a conference room for Civil Defense and Civil Defense employees. An office for the Communications Captain, an office for the CD Director, bathroom & lunch facilities, a radio shop and small garage for working on radios in the vehicles and an auxiliary Communications Room used by CD and the RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service).

 

A 140-foot self-supporting tower with six red tower lights as required by the Federal Aviation Agency. This tower was shunt fed from the 1658 KHz AM transmitter being used and had several other antennas located on it. It was also painted red and white.

 

A Gas Fed Generator for emergency power backup.

 

A Link Radio AM Transmitter, model 1000C, operating at 990 watts using two 833A Vacuum tubes for RF power and two 833A Vacuum tubes as AM modulators. This was the main transmitter.

 

A Link Radio AM Transmitter, model 500B, operating at 500 watts using two 250TH vacuum tubes for RF power and two 250TH vacuum tubes as AM modulators. This was normally shut off but could be turned on at any time. A large vacuum switch was used to switch the antenna feed to either transmitter.

 

A Motorola base radio for the State Law Net also known as “Point to Point” This system transmitted on 155.67 MHz to the state law net repeater on Mt Diablo and received on 154.71 MHz

 

A General Electric base station with no connection to the console just a mike hanging on the wall for what was known as “B” channel a second Sheriff’s frequency 155.190 MHz.

 

A Link Radio FM receiver, to receive the 73.54 MHz repeater signal from Mt Diablo. A military Surplus AN/TRC carrier equipment to split the four receiver audio signals received from Mt Diablo to four separate audio signals

 

A Motorola 450 MHz receiver to receive the audio link from the Grizzly Peak 155.01 receiver.

 

Mechanical Time Stamps made by Simplex to time stamp documents

 

Three Model 28 Teletype Machines for torn tape written communications. One machine was connected to the State of California relay center. One machine was connected to a West County network, which included San Pablo, Pinole & El Cerrito PD. One machine was connected to the East County system, which included Martinez PD, Martinez Sheriff, Concord PD, Walnut Creek PD, Pittsburg PD, and Antioch PD. Each network also had a Teletype tape printer so messages received from one network could be sent out on any of the other networks. The dispatcher on duty had to do this.

 

A TWX teletype machine, used by Sheriff and CD to receive TWX messages such as weather reports and other items of interest.

 

A CONELRAD receiver, this received AM signals on 640 or 1240, which were the old CONELRAD signal system started after nuclear threat in the 50’s.

 

A Civil Defense “Bell & Lights” system, received signals via a bell and lights from the State Warning System and used telephone lines to operate.

 

A Civil Defense Siren Control used to control a few of the CD sirens around the unincorporated area of Martinez.

 

One Radio Console used to control 1658 & point-to-point radio and the various monitor receivers.

 

There were two telephone consoles; each had a telephone set and a bank of switches to select the line. The lines that were installed at the time included the following:

County PBX Line

County PBX Line

Brentwood Police Line

Martinez Police Line

Martinez Police Line

Martinez Police Line

Martinez Police Private Line to PD and phone booth outside

Pinole Police Line

Walnut Creek Police Line [on when there was no one avail at the PD]

CD Business Line

CD Business Line

CD Business Line

 

There was a speaker intercom between “Control One” and “Control Two” at the Sheriff’s Office

 

In 1960, some items were added or changed out at “Control One” and included the following:

 

The Console was replaced with two home built consoles that could handle multiple radio transmitters and receivers. They were identical and were installed side by side in the Communications Center room

 

The Radio Channels Connected included:

 

Channel A - Sheriff - Transmit 1658/Receive 155.01 From Mt Diablo, Grizzly Peak & Pinole.

Channel B - Sheriff - Transmit 155.19/Receive 155.19 Local

Fire Emergency - County Fire Emergency -Transmit 46.38/Receive 46.38 Local & Mt Diablo

Fire Business - County Fire Business - Transmit 46.10/Receive 46.10 Local

Local Government - County Local Government - Transmit 45.24/Receive 45.24 Local & Mt Diablo

Point to Point - State Law Net - Transmit 155.67/Receive 154.72 Local

Police Channel - Local Police - Transmit 155.31/Receive 155.31 Local

Receive Only - CHP on 42.34 MHz and on 1690 KHz

 

The telephone sets were replaced throughout the building with AT&T Twenty Four Line “Call Directors”

 

A General Electric 250 Watt Radio transmitter-receiver combination was installed to provide for direct fire communications on 46.38 MHz & 46.10 MHz

 

A new Local Government radio frequency on 45.24 MHz was obtained.

 

An unused high band radio was installed on 155.31 MHz for direct communications with the local police units.

 

A General Electric 250 Watt Radio transmitter-receiver combination was installed to provide for communications with county public works, animal control, ambulances and marshals in the county. A 45.24 receiver was installed on Mt Diablo to extend the range.

 

A Motorola MR20 Microwave system was installed between Arnold and Kregor Peak. and then Kregor Peak to Bald peak.

 

Motorola MC20 48 channel multiplex equipment was installed so that remote controlled radios could be used at the new Kregor Peak and Bald Peak sites.

 

Remote Radio Site - Mt Diablo

 

In the late 1930’s, the County contracted with the State of California to use their radio vault located near the summit of Mt Diablo in Central Contra Costa County. Over the years, this site grew to include a microwave system owned by PG&E, the state “Point to Point” network, A CHP receiver and repeater. An FBI radio system, as well as other state and federal radios. On or about 1960, the State of California advised the County by letter that it wanted the county to remove its radio equipment from Mt Diablo.

 

Remote Radio Site - Kregor Peak

 

In late 1950’s the County began looking for remote radio sites to develop. One of them was a site located above the Clayton area and was purchased from the Kregor family. In 1960, the county, in conjunction with AT&T and PG&E, who also were developing sites close by, graded and paved a road to their site off Black Diamond Way East of Pittsburg. The county had a cinder block constructed with two rooms. One for a generator and the other for radio equipment. A tower was installed next to the building for VHF radio antennae and microwave dishes were installed on the roof of the building. A microwave radio was installed to the Arnold Site in Martinez and another was installed to Bald Peak, another site being developed.

There was no electrical power at the location once the building and towers were completed. The county purchased several surplus electric power generators and always had two working generators on the site at all times with one running. Every day a technician or mechanic had to go to the site to replace the fuel in the 50 gal drums and switch generators. If one generator quit, it would automatically switch to the other. If it could not be repaired on site, the county garage repair shop would bring up a spare and replace the problem generator. This went on for over year at which time PG&E had installed power poles up to Kregor Peak and to their site on Clayton Hill.

 

Remote Radio Site - Bald Peak

Bald Peak is located in the Oakland-Berkeley Hills. Bald Peak, also goes by the name Vollmer Peak, named after a former Berkeley Police Chief, August Vollmer. During the middle & late 1950’s, this location contained a room full of electronics equipment used for launching Niki missiles from the various Niki sites around the area. After the Niki missile system was shut down in 1960, the East Bay Municipal Utilities District, which owned the property & buildings, leased it to Contra Costa County for a communications site.

The County installed a Microwave link from Bald Peak to Kregor Peak which would connect this site to “Control 1” in Martinez. An emergency electrical power generator was installed to provide backup power to the site. Radio equipment was then installed on Bald Peak. The first units installed were the 155.01 MHz receiver from Grizzly Peak. A 155.190 MHz two-way base station was installed and was to become the new Sheriff’s primary dispatch channel. Other radio equipment was eventually installed for Fire and Local Government purposes.

 

Remote Radio Site - Rocky Ridge

 

Martinez Radio Repair Shop