Fire Department Partially Encrypted

City of Milledgeville Fire Department

Baldwin, Georgia

How we verified this

As of August 2026 RadioReference lists the Milledgeville Fire administration talkgroup on the Baldwin County Public Safety (GA) system as encrypted, while the countywide Fire Dispatch 1 talkgroup that serves the area remains in the clear.

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-09: radioreference.com . Encryption status changes without notice — confirm the current picture on the live RadioReference database before relying on it.

What you can do right now

Encryption Details

Encryption Type P25 ADP
Scope Some talkgroups encrypted; dispatch audible per verification
Technical Details P25 ADP

Baldwin County Context

City of Milledgeville Fire Department isn't an outlier here: 4 of the 5 public-safety agencies we track in Baldwin County are fully encrypted (80%), so most departments nearby have made the same move.

What This Means

This agency encrypts some of its communications while leaving others open. Which channels are affected depends on the operation.

See encryption status nationwide Interactive map showing which US police departments have encrypted their radios. Open the encryption map →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is City of Milledgeville Fire Department radio encrypted?

Yes. City of Milledgeville Fire Department uses P25 ADP encryption. This agency encrypts some of its communications while leaving others open. Which channels are affected depends on the operation.

Can I listen to City of Milledgeville Fire Department on a police scanner?

Partially. City of Milledgeville Fire Department encrypts some of its talkgroups while leaving others open, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.

Why did City of Milledgeville Fire Department encrypt their radio?

The reasons offered are almost always the same two: officer safety and operational security. Whether either was tested against a real Baldwin County incident is rarely part of the public record, whereas the consequences are easy to observe — no real-time accountability, and neighbouring agencies still in the clear left working around the gap.

Can Baldwin County reverse the encryption decision?

Yes — nothing about the underlying radio technology forces this. It's a decision Baldwin County officials made and can revisit, and other communities have pushed departments back toward open channels through sustained council pressure and coalition-building.

What can I do about City of Milledgeville Fire Department encryption?

File a FOIA request for City of Milledgeville Fire Department's radio recordings and encryption-decision paperwork, then show up to speak at a council or commission meeting. Find other residents or journalists in Baldwin County who want the same access — state legislation requiring public radio access is the longer-term fix, but organized local pressure is what usually moves the needle first.

Data source: RadioReference Wiki

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-09 — see "How we verified this" above. Encryption status changes; confirm at RadioReference before relying on it.

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