cell phone use around radios

[rgriffin]

Currently admin has banned use of cell phones in the 9-1-1 center as they have heard somewhere that the phone can
make the radios fail when paging. According to our radio tech this is near to impossible. Has anyone had a radio failure due to cell
phone usage???

[MrJim911]

I have not heard of a radio failing, but with the constant updates a cell phone gets they will routinely cause radios to pick up the static of the update. Cell phones in my center must be in airplane mode and thus unable to send receive calls or texts. No reason to have them at the console anyway.

[Lifeguard911]

I am the lone wolf around my center as I don't own a cellphone of any type. Everyone else here does though. I don't like it because it always seems there is a ringtone of some sort going off or I can turn around to ask my partner a question about a call and they will be texting someone and tell me to wait. Our center has rules about cellphone use but it doesn't seem to matter as our supervisors all do the same thing. I agree that the phones should either be turned off or in airplane mode when you are at work.

[rgriffin]

Regarding the cell phone use in dispatch. I was not implying that we sit around and text and answer our phone while trying to dispatch. The issue has come up if that someone (officer, SAR coordinator,Sheriff etc) are in dispatch and their cell phone rings that it could cause a radio failure. Was just wondering if anyone had heard of this happening.
thanks