Fire Department Specific Channels

Bourbon County Fire/EMS

Bourbon, Kentucky

What you can do right now

Encryption Details

Encryption Type NXDN Scrambling
Scope Only Units. Dispatch is clear
Technical Details NXDN 15 bit scrambling

Verified Talkgroup Data

Verified Mar 6, 2026 Low confidence
1 Total Talkgroups
1 Encrypted
0 Unencrypted
100% Encrypted
Radio System: Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (P25)
View 1 talkgroup
DEC Alpha Tag Description Status
1201 LFD EMS SPC Lexington Fire Training Staff / EMS Special Detail Encrypted

Verification Status

We don't yet have per-talkgroup data for Bourbon County Fire/EMS from the RadioReference API. The encryption scope and type above come from the RadioReference Wiki, which is community-maintained rather than independently confirmed channel-by-channel. Our automated matching put this at low confidence (50%) based on how closely the wiki listing matches this agency's name and county.

If you monitor Bourbon County Fire/EMS directly or have more current information, the fastest way to fix this is to update the RadioReference Wiki entry — our data pulls from there and from the RadioReference API on a regular refresh cycle.

Bourbon County Context

Of the 4 public-safety agencies we track in Bourbon County, Bourbon County Fire/EMS is currently the only one we have flagged as encrypted.

What This Means

Our records list a subset of this department's talkgroups as encrypted rather than the whole system. Verify the current per-channel status at RadioReference.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bourbon County Fire/EMS radio encrypted?

Our database lists Bourbon County Fire/EMS as using NXDN Scrambling encryption, though this listing is unverified. Our records list a subset of this department's talkgroups as encrypted rather than the whole system. Verify the current per-channel status at RadioReference.

Can I listen to Bourbon County Fire/EMS on a police scanner?

Possibly. Our database lists Bourbon County Fire/EMS as encrypting specific talkgroups rather than the whole system, which would leave some channels accessible. The listing is unverified — check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.

Why do agencies like Bourbon County Fire/EMS encrypt their radio?

Agencies cite officer safety and operational security. Those are assertions rather than findings — no local evidence is typically produced — while the effects are concrete and land straight away on anyone who relied on hearing Bourbon County Fire/EMS to know what was happening nearby.

Can Bourbon County reverse the encryption decision?

Yes — nothing about the underlying radio technology forces this. It's a decision Bourbon 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 Bourbon County Fire/EMS encryption?

Three things carry weight, in this order: a public-records request for Bourbon County Fire/EMS's encryption policy and radio recordings, a turn at the microphone during Bourbon County budget discussions, and finding the other people locally already asking the same question. Individually these are easy to deflect; together they are not.

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