Bibb County Alabama Police Scanner Live

Listen to Blount County public safety radio and see exactly what you can and cannot hear. This page covers the Blount County Sheriff’s Office, Oneonta Police and Fire, local volunteer fire departments, emergency medical services, and state law enforcement in the Oneonta, Blountsville, Hayden, and Locust Fork areas. It includes frequencies, system talkgroups, the encryption picture, coverage by community, and a guide to getting a scanner or mobile app set up.

1. Listen live

Blount County radio traffic centers on Oneonta, the county seat and largest city, extending outward to Blountsville, Hayden, Locust Fork, Cleveland, Snead, Highland Lake, Rosa, Allgood, Susan Moore, Brooksville, and surrounding rural areas. Listeners typically hear dispatch for law enforcement and fire, plus traffic incidents and weather advisories along I-65, US 231, US 11, State Route 79, State Route 160, and State Route 132.

A few realistic expectations:

• Some channels are encrypted: Tactical law enforcement operations, narcotics channels, and specialized multi-agency investigation talkgroups are encrypted and cannot be monitored on public scanners.
• Transmission delays: Online audio stream feeds process through hardware encoders and digital networks, introducing an audio delay of several seconds compared to real-time radio signals.
• Cross-border coverage: Blount County shares borders with Cullman, Marshall, Etowah, St. Clair, Jefferson, and Walker counties. Radio traffic near county lines frequently overlaps into neighboring jurisdictions.

2. What you can hear

Service	What Listeners Typically Hear
Sheriff	Main dispatch for deputies patrolling rural areas, unincorporated communities, and towns without independent police forces.
Municipal Police	Primary dispatch operations for Oneonta Police, Blountsville Police, Hayden Police, and Snead Police departments.
Fire	Blount County volunteer fire dispatch, municipal fire department responses, and shared fireground operations.
EMS and Rescue	Regional ambulance dispatches and Ascension St. Vincent's Blount hospital patient-report channels.
State and Mutual Aid	Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) State Trooper dispatch (Birmingham Post) and inter-agency coordination.
Weather	Outdoor warning siren tests and severe weather notifications from the National Weather Service in Birmingham.

3. Sheriff’s office scanner

The Blount County Sheriff’s Office, operating from the county seat facility in Oneonta, provides primary law enforcement across unincorporated county areas, handles criminal investigations, and operates the Blount County Jail.

• Digital System: Primary Sheriff dispatch operates on the Alabama Interoperable Radio System (AIRS) P25 digital trunked network on Talkgroup 43001 (Blount Co Law Dispatch).
• Conventional Backups: Secondary VHF conventional backup and jail dispatch frequencies operate on 151.925 MHz (PL 151.4).
• Trunked Multi-Site Coverage: Sheriff communications route through regional AIRS P25 tower sites, including the primary Sky Ball Mountain site.

Sheriff deputy unit identifiers generally follow designated numeric series based on assigned patrol zones and command hierarchy across North and South Blount County.

4. Police department scanner coverage

Oneonta Police Department

Patrolling the county seat, Oneonta Police operate primary dispatch on AIRS P25 Talkgroup 43003, with conventional backup channels maintained on 155.625 MHz (PL 186.2) and 155.790 MHz.

Blountsville Police Department

Serving northern Blount County, Blountsville Police operate primary dispatch on AIRS P25 Talkgroup 43005, with conventional backup operations on 155.070 MHz (PL 186.2).

Hayden Police Department

Patrolling western Blount County along the I-65 corridor, Hayden Police coordinate dispatch through AIRS P25 Talkgroup 43007 and regional Sheriff dispatch channels.

Snead & Cleveland Police Departments

Law enforcement in Snead and Cleveland coordinates primary dispatch on AIRS P25 Talkgroup 43009 alongside conventional municipal frequencies.

5. Fire department scanner

Blount County 911 dispatches county volunteer fire departments and municipal fire services via conventional VHF channels patched directly to the regional AIRS P25 network.

• Blount County Fire Dispatch (Conventional): 158.835 MHz (PL 186.2)
• Blount County Fire Dispatch (AIRS P25): Talkgroup 43012
• County Secondary Fire Dispatch: 154.355 MHz
• County Fireground / Tactical: 153.830 MHz (PL 186.2) and 154.280 MHz

Local fire departments are identified by designated station and unit numbers:

• Oneonta Fire & Rescue: Central City Station
• Blountsville Volunteer Fire Department
• Hayden Volunteer Fire Department
• Locust Fork Volunteer Fire Department
• Cleveland Volunteer Fire Department
• Snead Volunteer Fire Department
• Allgood Volunteer Fire Department
• Bangor Volunteer Fire Department
• Pine Mountain Volunteer Fire Department
• Summit Volunteer Fire Department

Fire departments use standard emergency response codes: Code 1 (Routine response), Code 2 (Expedited response), Code 3 (Emergency response with lights and siren), and Code 4 (Scene secure).

6. EMS and medical dispatch scanner

Emergency Medical Services in Blount County are provided by regional ambulance services operating alongside local fire department first responders. EMS calls are dispatched over conventional VHF frequency 158.835 MHz (PL 186.2) and AIRS Talkgroup 43012.

Inbound paramedic patient status reports to Ascension St. Vincent's Blount (formerly Blount Medical Center) in Oneonta are transmitted on the standard HEAR channel:

• St. Vincent's Blount HEAR: 151.040 MHz (PL 186.2)

7. Frequencies and radio systems

How the systems work

• Conventional Channels: A conventional channel operates on a single fixed frequency (e.g., 158.835 MHz) where receivers tune directly to transmissions.
• Trunked Systems: Multi-agency digital networks (such as AIRS P25 Sky Ball Mountain Site 1.54) dynamically assign channels across a shared pool of 700/800 MHz frequencies.

Conventional Frequencies & Trunked Talkgroups Table

Frequency / TG	Tone / Mode	Agency / Use	Band / System	Status
TG 43001	P25 Phase I	Blount County Sheriff Dispatch	P25 Trunked	Clear
TG 43003	P25 Phase I	Oneonta Police Primary Dispatch	P25 Trunked	Clear
TG 43005	P25 Phase I	Blountsville Police Dispatch	P25 Trunked	Clear
TG 43007	P25 Phase I	Hayden Police Dispatch	P25 Trunked	Clear
TG 43012	P25 Phase I	Blount County Fire & EMS Dispatch	P25 Trunked	Clear
158.835 MHz	PL 186.2	Blount County Fire Dispatch (VHF Patch)	VHF FM	Clear
151.925 MHz	PL 151.4	Blount Sheriff / Jail Backup	VHF FM	Clear
155.625 MHz	PL 186.2	Oneonta Police VHF Backup	VHF FM	Clear
155.070 MHz	PL 186.2	Blountsville Police VHF Backup	VHF FM	Clear
154.355 MHz	CSQ	County Fire Secondary Dispatch	VHF FM	Clear
153.830 MHz	PL 186.2	Blount County Fire Tac	VHF FM	Clear
151.040 MHz	PL 186.2	Ascension St. Vincent's Blount HEAR	VHF FM	Clear
155.445 MHz	PL 107.2	Alabama State Troopers (Birmingham Post)	VHF FM	Clear
155.010 MHz	CSQ	Alabama StateNet (Inter-agency)	VHF FM	Clear
162.400 MHz	N/A	NOAA Weather Radio (Birmingham)	VHF FM	Clear

8. Coverage across the county

Area	What to Expect
Oneonta	County seat activity, municipal police, sheriff dispatch, and municipal fire dispatch along SR 79 and US 231.
Hayden & Smoke Rise	Active law enforcement and volunteer fire response along the busy I-65 corridor near the Jefferson County line.
Blountsville & Summit	Northern county Sheriff patrol and volunteer fire department operations along SR 79 and SR 68 near Marshall County.
Locust Fork & Remlap	Southern county Sheriff patrol and volunteer fire dispatches along SR 79 near the St. Clair County border.
Highways & Transit	Alabama State Trooper dispatch and emergency responses along I-65, US 231, US 11, SR 79, SR 160, and SR 132.

9. How to listen

• On a phone or browser: Stream live audio using standard web browsers or online streaming portals without installing extra software.
• On a traditional scanner:
  1. Program the conventional VHF frequencies listed in the table above into your analog or digital scanner.
  2. Input the corresponding PL codes (e.g., PL 186.2 for Fire Dispatch) to filter out unwanted interference.
  3. Ensure your scanner supports P25 Phase I/II digital decoding to monitor AIRS trunked talkgroups (Sky Ball Mountain site).
  4. Save 162.400 MHz for continuous NOAA weather advisories.
• On a radio app: Search for Blount County Public Safety, Blount Sheriff, or Blount Fire & EMS within popular iOS and Android scanner applications.

10. Why the scanner may not be working

• Encrypted Channels: Tactical SWAT channels, narcotics investigations, and sensitive police ops use encryption, which results in silence on public scanners.
• Incompatible Equipment: Standard analog scanners cannot decode P25 Phase I/II digital transmissions.
• Signal Range Obstacles: Mountainous terrain, heavy timber, and deep river valleys near Sand Mountain and Rickwood Caverns can weaken radio signals. An outdoor antenna improves reception.
• Low Activity Hours: Dispatch channels will remain silent during periods with no active emergency incidents.

11. Is the radio encrypted?

Partly. Primary Sheriff dispatch (AIRS TG 43001), Oneonta Police dispatch (TG 43003), county fire dispatch (158.835 MHz / TG 43012), and hospital HEAR communications are unencrypted and open to public monitoring. Tactical law enforcement channels and specialized investigation operations are encrypted.

12. Nearby counties

Cullman County, Marshall County, Etowah County, St. Clair County, Jefferson County, and Walker County.

13. Official public safety resources

• Blount County Sheriff’s Office
• Oneonta Police Department
• Oneonta Fire & Rescue
• Blount County Emergency Management Agency (EMA)
• Blount County 911 Dispatch
• Blount County Commission
• Ascension St. Vincent's Blount Hospital
• National Weather Service, Birmingham

14. Frequently asked questions

Is it legal to listen to a police scanner in Blount County?

Yes. Listening to unencrypted public safety radio communications is legal in Alabama. Using intercepted information to facilitate a crime or evade law enforcement is illegal.

Is Oneonta Police encrypted?

Primary dispatch channels for Oneonta Police (TG 43003) are unencrypted and open for public listening. Tactical channels are encrypted.

What frequency is the Blount County Sheriff on?

Blount County Sheriff primary dispatch operates on AIRS P25 Talkgroup 43001, with conventional VHF backup on 151.925 MHz (PL 151.4).

What scanner do I need for Blount County?

A P25 Phase I/II digital scanner is required to monitor trunked law enforcement and fire talkgroups on the AIRS system.

Can I listen on my smartphone?

Yes. Live scanner streams can be monitored through mobile web browsers and smartphone apps on iOS and Android.

Can I hear ambulance traffic in Blount County?

EMS calls are dispatched through 158.835 MHz and AIRS TG 43012, with hospital patient reports transmitted on 151.040 MHz (St. Vincent's Blount).

Which highways are covered?

Radio coverage includes I-65, US 231, US 11, State Route 79, State Route 160, and State Route 132.

How can I get local weather alerts?

NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts advisories continuously on 162.400 MHz from the Birmingham transmitter.