Coaldale Borough Fire
Schuylkill, Pennsylvania
How we verified this
As of August 2026 RadioReference states that all talkgroups on the Schuylkill County Public Safety P25 system are encrypted, but still lists Coaldale Borough's own fire and fire-police channels (46.400 and 151.625 MHz) as analog and in the clear, and Broadcastify carries a live Schuylkill County Fire feed.
Encryption Details
Schuylkill County Context
Schuylkill County is a mixed picture: 6 of 16 agencies we track here are fully encrypted (38%), which means some neighboring departments are still audible on a scanner.
See every agency we track in Schuylkill County → County encryption overview →
What This Means
Encryption here is a mixed bag: some talkgroups are locked, others aren't. It varies by channel and by what the department is doing at the time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Coaldale Borough Fire radio encrypted?
Yes. Coaldale Borough Fire uses P25 AES-256 encryption. Encryption here is a mixed bag: some talkgroups are locked, others aren't. It varies by channel and by what the department is doing at the time.
Can I listen to Coaldale Borough Fire on a police scanner?
Partially. Coaldale Borough Fire encrypts some of its talkgroups while leaving others open, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.
Why did Coaldale Borough Fire encrypt their radio?
The reasons offered are almost always the same two: officer safety and operational security. Whether either was tested against a real Schuylkill 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 Schuylkill County reverse the encryption decision?
It can. The radios support open and encrypted operation equally well, so this is a configuration and a policy, not a constraint — and policies set by Schuylkill County officials are policies those officials can revisit when constituents press for it.
What can I do about Coaldale Borough Fire encryption?
File a FOIA request for Coaldale Borough Fire's radio recordings and encryption-decision paperwork, then show up to speak at a council or commission meeting. Find other residents or journalists in Schuylkill 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.