Fire Department Partially Encrypted

Montrose Township Fire

Genesee, Michigan

What you can do right now

Encryption Details

Encryption Type P25 ADP
Scope Most Operations except for Dispatch/Paging
Technical Details P25 ADP

Verified Talkgroup Data

Verified Mar 6, 2026 Low confidence
1 Total Talkgroups
1 Encrypted
0 Unencrypted
100% Encrypted
Radio System: Michigan's Public Safety Communications System (MPSCS)
View 1 talkgroup
DEC Alpha Tag Description Status
2477 25F35 Montrose Twp. Fire: Proprietary Tactical Encrypted

Verification Status

We don't yet have per-talkgroup data for Montrose Township Fire 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 Montrose Township Fire 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.

Genesee County Context

Montrose Township Fire isn't an outlier here: 21 of the 38 public-safety agencies we track in Genesee County are fully encrypted (55%), so most departments nearby have made the same move.

What This Means

Our records list a mix here: some talkgroups encrypted, others not. The listing is unverified, so confirm what is audible 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 Montrose Township Fire radio encrypted?

Our database lists Montrose Township Fire as using P25 ADP encryption, though this listing is unverified. Our records list a mix here: some talkgroups encrypted, others not. The listing is unverified, so confirm what is audible at RadioReference.

Can I listen to Montrose Township Fire on a police scanner?

Possibly. Our database lists Montrose Township Fire as encrypting some of its talkgroups while leaving others open, which would leave some channels accessible. The listing is unverified — check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.

Why do agencies like Montrose Township Fire encrypt their radio?

The standard justification nationwide is officer safety and operational security, regardless of whether a documented local incident ever required it. The tradeoff that follows is consistent too: public oversight drops, and reporters lose the ability to track fire department response as it happens.

Can Genesee County reverse the encryption decision?

Yes — nothing about the underlying radio technology forces this. It's a decision Genesee 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 Montrose Township Fire encryption?

Three things carry weight, in this order: a public-records request for Montrose Township Fire's encryption policy and radio recordings, a turn at the microphone during Genesee 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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