Communications Division History

This history covers the Santa Clara County Communications Department from 1947-1975. County Fire has always been dispatched by the county's central dispatch which handles all emergency services.

Three photos from the collection of Ray Maher

Radio Operators Bob Kelty (1951), Don Wade (1952) and Marge Hartman (right), with Battalion Chief Hugh Turner (1952) at the Communications Center on Tully Road.

On 26 May 1948 the County Communications Department started operations upstairs in the second story of the old County Court House on the corner of First and St. James Streets. Bob Mason was director and Chief technician, and Paul Cosso, Chief dispatcher. In order to provide 24 hour service, two additional dispatchers were hired in a very short time. Still Bob Mason had to dispatch to cover relief and vacations.

In October of 1949, the Federal Communications Commission authorized four transmitting and receiving units. The communications department completed installation of some of the first selective calling systems (quick call) in the State of California in December, 1949.

The first four stations to receive this new system were Alum Rock, Cambrian, Cupertino, and Quito. One of the big benefits of this system is its savings of dispatch time.

Due to the lack of space, and the high noise level, the Communications Department was moved to the Central Fire District Headquarters in 1950, where they operated with two frequencies, one for the sheriffs office, and one for the fire department. A transmitting tower was installed on the roof of the Tully Road Station.

The original mobile units had AM radios tuned to 1674 KC (KHz) and could only receive, not transmit, so in 1949-1950, 2 way radios were installed in the rigs so that complete communications could be had.

In 1956 installation of the Gamewell Fire Alarm System began in the Alum Rock area. This system was completed and placed into service on 6 Jun 1957 with 22 street boxes.

Once again lack of space forced a move into the present location at the end of Canoas Garden Road atop Oak Hill. In 1960 the present building was completed, where they now run ten positions, and about 40 frequencies, including police, fire, health and medical, Department of Transportation, and paramedics to name a few.

In September 1974 the City of San Jose Communications Department merged into the county system. By August of 1975 they should be into computer dispatching.

What does the future hold? In the very near future, new frequencies will be added so that all San Jose and County fire rigs will have four to six frequencies, and perhaps a system of three or four geographic corridors with dispatching made without regard to political boundaries.

The fire frequency is "Control 2" with its transmitter set on top of Oak Hill. Due to "dead areas", in 1951 a microwave link (2A) was set up to a transmitter on Copernicus Peak to cover the west side. In 1952, a second microwave link (2B) was established at Rodoni Peak at the end of Boman Road in Saratoga to cover the "shadows" on the east side and in the south-west valley.

Santa Clara County Fire Dept Archive

A view of the rotary files, showing the large wall-mounted county maps. This photo was taken in the Carol Drive Communications Center prior to consolidation with San Jose.

both from the collection of Jim Ackley

Two photos from a 14 January 1955 San Jose Evening News article, showing County Comm's communications console in the Tully Road Center, and the installation of a 3-way radio into County Fire's new Engine 15 by Merle Fagundes, County Communications Department technician, while Chief Fred Luhring looks on, and FF Ralph Caccamo uses a hand microphone. This article states that experts rank Santa Clara county's radio system to be second only to New York City and Los Angeles for operational soundness and service.

At the start dispatching the stations was one by telephone, calling the first-in stations and then advising the other stations of the dispatch. The process was repeated when they all returned. Dispatching was not done by radio until the Tully station was built. Structure responses got two engines and a tanker. That provided three firefighters at the scene.

While the engines had VHF radios on the Sheriff's channel, the tankers only had a receiver operating on 1674KHz at the end of the commercial broadcast band. County Fire used the San Jose Police 1674KHz transmitter to cancel them when they responded to fires.

from the collection of Jim Ackley

County Communications, 1950. At console: Max Watson; in doorway: Stan Paine. Both of these men had lost a leg during WWII; Stan, the first Chief Dispatcher prior to Paul Cosso, refused to wear a prosthetic, and can be seen in the photo using his crutches. This photo was taken at the dispatch center in Room 25 of the Courthouse, just prior to the communication center moving to Tully Road.

Los Altos History Museum

Control Panel of the Santa Clara County Communications system. Seated, from left, are Paul Cosso, Chief Dispatcher; Don Wade, Don Porter, and Tony Hernandez. Photo circa 1956, taken at Tully Road.

Another version of County Communications history can be viewed here.