The electromagnetic spectrum defined as radio waves is chopped up into bands by regulatory agencies, including the World Radio Organization and the Federal Communications Commission. Each band is assigned to certain service. Public safety is just one of the many services that is assigned specific sets of frequencies.
The following list shows the current U.S. frequency assignments, with primary users shown first in the list, followed by other services that may use the frequencies if primary users haven't requested assignments. The public safety bands are highlighted. All figures are in megaHertz.
Police, fire and EMS agencies are frequently assigned channels in the local government and special emergency bands. Some of the assignments are designated for the general category of public safety.
We should point out that as of April, 1997 the FCC has dropped the administrative boundaries between many of these services, allowing agencies to use any available frequency within their own category. The assignments are now in just two pools--public safety and industrial/business. You should check with your frequency coordinator to determine which frequencies might now be available for you.
25.01 - 25.33 petroleum
25.33 - 25.60 government
25.60 - 26.11 international broadcasting
26.11 - 26.475 remote pickup broadcasting
26.475 - 26.95 Civil Air Patrol
26.95 - 26.96 international fixed
26.96 - 27.23 Citizens Band
27.23 - 27.28 taxi, emergency, telco, motion picture, press, petroleum,
manufacturing, business
27.28 - 27.43 special industrial
27.43 - 27.53 business band
27.53 - 28.00 meteorological aids
28.00 - 29.70 amateur radio, 10 meters
28.70 - 29.80 forestry products
29.80 - 30.00 aeronautical fixed
30.00 - 30.06 government
30.06 - 30.86 petroleum
30.86 - 32.00 forestry, conservation
32.00 - 33.00 government
33.00 - 33.18 special emergency, highway maintenance
33.18 - 33.40 petroleum
33.40 - 34.00 fire
34.00 - 35.00 government
35.00 - 35.14 business
35.14 - 35.16 telco maintenance
35.16 - 35.66 radio common carrier
35.66 - 35.86 special industrial
35.86 - 36.00 business
36.00 - 37.00 government
37.00 - 37.46 police
37.46 - 37.86 power radio
37.86 - 38.00 highway maintenance, special emergency
38.00 - 38.25 radio astronomy
38.25 - 39.00 government
39.00 - 40.00 police (local government)
40.00 - 42.00 government
42.00 - 42.94 police
42.94 - 43.01 business
43.01 - 43.20 teleco maintenance
43.20 - 43.68 radio common carrier
43.68 - 43.84 motor carriers (paired with 44.46 - 44.82)
43.84 - 44.46 land transportation
44.46 - 44.82 motor carriers
44.82 - 45.90 police (forestry, conservation,
local government)
45.90 - 46.06 special emergency
46.06 - 46.50 fire
46.50 - 46.60 local government
46.60 - 47.00 government
47.00 - 47.41 highway maintenance
47.41 - 47.70 special industrial, special emergency
47.70 - 48.54 power radio
48.54 - 49.50 forestry products, petroleum radio
49.50 - 50.00 government
50.00 - 54.00 amateur (6 meters)
137.00 - 138.00 small low-earth-orbit satellites
148.00 - 150.03 small low-earth-orbit satellites
150.03 - 150.775 government
150.775 - 150.79 special emergency
150.79 - 151.505 highway maintenance, forestry/conservation, business
151.505 - 152.00 special industrial, business
152.00 - 152.225 radio common carrier
152.225 - 152.5 business, taxi
152.5 - 152.87 rural band, radio common carrier (paired)
152.87 - 152.035 motion picture, remote broadcast, industrial
152.035 - 152.74 forestry, petroleum, power radio, manufacturers radio
152.74 - 154.115 local government
154.115 - 154.445 fire
154.445 - 154.65 business band, special industrial
154.65 - 154.969 police
154,969 - 155.16 local government
155.16 - 155.4 special emergency
155.4 - 155.7 police
155.7 - 156.015 local government
156.015 - 156.24 highway maintenance
156.24 - 157.725 marine VHF
157.725 - 157.755 taxi
157.755 - 158.115 business band, radio common carrier
158.115 - 158.475 power radio, forestry, petroleum, manufacturers radio
158.475 - 158.73 rural radio, radio common carrier
158.73 - 158.995 local government, police
158.995 - 159.21 - highway maintenance, police
159.21 - 159.465 forestry/conservation
159.465 - 160.20 motor carriers
160.20 - 161.61 railroads, special industrial
161.61 - 161.625 marine
161.625 - 161.775 remote broadcast
161.775 - 162.0125 marine
162.0125 169.425 government
169.425 - 169.525 petroleum, power, forestry, business
169.525 - 170.225 government
170.225 - 170.325 business, forestry, power, rail
170.325 - 170.425 government
170.425 - 170.575 forestry/conservation
170.575 - 171.025 government
171.025 - 171.125 business, forestry, power, rail
171.125 - 171.425 government
171.425 - 171.575 forestry/conservation
171.575 - 171.825 government
171.825 - 172.00 business, forestry, power, rail
172.00 - 172.225 government
172.225 - 172.375 forestry/conservation
172.375 - 173.075 government
173.075 173.2 radio location service, stolen vehicle recovery
173.2 - 173.4 business, special industrial, press, motion picture, power,
petroleum, forestry
173.4 - 174.00 government
174.00 - 216.00 television channels 7 - 13
216.00 - 220.00 maritime mobile, aeronautical fixed and mobile telemetry
220.00 - 222.00 private land mobile
222.00 - 225.00 amateur (1.25 meters)
399.0 - 401.0 low-earth-orbit satellites
420.0 - 450.0 amateur radio (0.7 meters), radio location
450.0 - 451.0125 remote pick-up broadcasting
451.025 - 451.175 power radio
451.175 - 451.725 petroleum, power, manufacturers, forestry, telco maintenance
451.725 - 453.00 taxi, motor carrier, forestry, power, petroleum
453.0 - 454.0 fire/police,
forestry, highway maintenance, local government, power industrial
454.0 - 454.375 mobile phone, point-to-point microwave
454.375 - 454.65 radio common carrier, rural radio
454.65 - 455.0 channel 1-12 airborne telephone
455.0 - 456.0 remote pickup broadcasting
456.0 - 456.975 petroleum, power, forestry, telco maintenance
456.975 - 457.0 special industrial
457.0 - 458.0 motor carrier, taxi, forestry, petroleum, industrial, rail,
business
458.0 - 459.0 fire/police,
forestry, highway maintenance, forestry, power, local government, rail,
business
459.0 - 459.350 mobile phone, point-to-point microwave
459.350 - 459.65 rural radio, radio common carrier, point-to-point microwave
459.65 - 460.0 airborne telephone
460.0 - 460.525 police (paired +5 MHz)
460.525 - 460.650 fire, special emergency
(paired +5 MHz)
460.65 - 462.200 business band
462.00 - 462.475 manufacturers radio
462.475 - 462.525 forestry, power, petroleum
462.525 - 462.75 citizens radio, Family Radio Service
462.75 - 462.95 business band
462.95 - 463.175 special emergency
463.175 - 465.00 business radio
465.00 - 465.525 police
465.525 - 465.625 fire, special emergency
465.625 - 467.175 business radio
467.175 - 467.475 manufacturers radio
467.475 - 467.525 forestry, power, telco, petroleum
467.525 - 467.75 citizens radio
467.75 - 467.95 business radio
467.95 -468.20 special emergency
468.20 - 470.00 business radio
470.00 - 512.00 TV channels 14-20, shared: police, fire, industrial
Virtually all of the frequency assignments in this next band are paired for use in repeated systems. We have indicated the pairing only for the public safety frequencies.
614.0 - 806.0 broadcasting
806.0 - 809.75 business, special industrial, land transport, public safety (conventional)
809.75 - 821.0 business, special industrial, land transport, public safety (trunked)
821.0 - 824.0 public safety (paired with 866.0 - 869.0)
824.0 - 835.0 cellular block A
835.0 - 845.0 cellular block B
845.0 - 846.5 cellular block A
846.5 - 849.0 cellular block B
840.0 - 851.0 aeronautical mobile
851.0 - 854.75 5 business, special industrial, land transport, public safety (conventional)
854.75 - 866.0 5 business, special industrial, land transport, public safety (conventional)
866.0 - 869.0 public safety
869.0 - 880.0 cellular block A
880.0 - 890.0 cellular block B
890.0 - 891.0 cellular block A
891.0 - 894.0 cellular block B
894.0 - 896.0 aeronautical mobile
896.0 - 901.0 private land mobile, SMR, business, special industrial, land
transport
901.0 - 902.0 narrowband Personal Communications Services (PCS)
902.0 - 928.0 industrial, scientific, medical
928.0 - 929.0 fixed
929.0 - 930.0 private paging
930.0 - 931.0 narrowband PCS
931.0 - 932.0 common carrier paging
932.0 - 935.0 point to multi-point (paired)
935.0 - 940.0 private land mobile, SMR, business, special industrial, land
transport
940.0 - 941.0 narrowband PCS
941.0 - 944.0 point to multi-point
944.0 - 947.0 auxiliary broadcast, STL/ICR
947.0 - 952.0 broadcast studio transmission link
952.0 - 960.0 international fixed public
1525.0 - 1545.0 mobile satellite space-to-earth
1545.0 - 1559.0 aeronautical mobile (R), mobile satellite
1610.0 - 1626.5 big low-earth-orbit satellite
1626.5 - 1646.5 mobile satellite
1646.5 - 1660.5 aeronautical mobile (R), mobile satellite
Within the following band, the FCC has created six blocks, each assigned to different companies and carriers. The licensed services use paired frequencies.
1850.0 - 1910.0 narrowband PCS, blocks A-F
1910.0 - 1930.0 unlicensed PCS devices
1930.0 - 1990.0 narrowband PCS, blocks A-F
2110.0 - 2150.0 "emerging technologies"
2310.0 - 2360.0 satellite DARS
2390.0 - 2400.0 unlicensed PCS/amateur radio
2483.5 - 2500.0 big low-earth-orbit satellite - shared