Armstrong Fire Wire is an independent, third-party project that was launched in 2023. This service is free to everyone, and does not require any payment or sign-ups whatsoever. This service is also automated, meaning that the information relayed by this website comes directly from the Armstrong County Department of Public Safety via their UHF POCSAG dispatching system.

When fire and EMS agencies in Armstrong Co. are dispatched, a string of text is encoded via POCSAG512 format. We utilize open-source software to decode the text going out over UHF and transcodes it into a useable website and CAD system.

Please note that “encode/decode” is different than “encrypt/decrypt”. Decoding encoded text is perfectly legal when it comes to public airwaves. Decrypting encoded radio frequencies is not almost nearly impossible, but illegal. Encryption/decryption requires a “private key” whereas encoding/decoding does not. More information can be found here.

This website is not affiliated or portrays to be affiliated with any emergency or public service whatsoever.