Calhoun County Alabama Police Scanner Live

Listen to Calhoun County public safety radio and see exactly what you can and cannot hear. This page covers the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Anniston Police and Fire, Oxford Police and Fire, Jacksonville Police and Fire, Piedmont Police and Fire, Jacksonville State University Police, local volunteer fire departments, emergency medical services, and state law enforcement in the Anniston-Oxford metro area. 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

Calhoun County radio traffic centers on Anniston and Oxford, the main population and commercial centers, extending outward to Jacksonville, Piedmont, Ohatchee, Weaver, Hobson City, Choccolocco, Alexandria, Wellington, White Plains, and surrounding East Alabama communities. Listeners typically hear dispatch for law enforcement and fire, plus traffic incidents and weather advisories along I-20, US 78, US 431, State Route 21, State Route 9, and State Route 109.

A few realistic expectations:

• Some channels are encrypted: Tactical law enforcement operations, SWAT channels, narcotics investigations, and specialized tactical 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: Calhoun County shares borders with Cherokee, Cleburne, Clay, Talladega, St. Clair, and Etowah 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 Anniston, Oxford, Jacksonville, Piedmont, Weaver, and JSU Police departments.
Fire	Calhoun County 911 RCFP fire dispatch, Anniston Fire, Oxford Fire, Jacksonville Fire, and local volunteer fire ground operations.
EMS and Rescue	Regional ambulance dispatches (RMC EMS) and Stringfellow Memorial Hospital HEAR patient-report channels.
State and Mutual Aid	Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) State Trooper dispatch (Jacksonville/Birmingham Posts) and inter-agency coordination.
Weather	Outdoor warning siren activations and severe weather notifications from the National Weather Service (NOAA Weather Radio KIH58 via Mt. Cheaha).

3. Sheriff’s office scanner

The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, operating from the law enforcement complex in Anniston, provides primary law enforcement across unincorporated county areas, handles criminal investigations, court security, and operates the Calhoun County Jail.

• Primary Dispatch (Conventional VHF): Main Sheriff dispatch operates on conventional VHF frequency 155.670 MHz (PL 179.9).
• Talk / Tactical Channels: Sheriff talk-around and secondary operations utilize 155.070 MHz (PL 179.9).
• County Jail Operations: County jail communications operate on 460.025 MHz and 460.300 MHz.
• Regional P25 Integration: The Sheriff's Office maintains access to the Alabama Interoperable Radio System (AIRS) P25 digital trunked network for multi-agency interoperability.

Sheriff deputy call signs generally follow designated numeric series based on assigned patrol zones across North, South, East, and West Calhoun County.

4. Police department scanner coverage

Anniston Police Department

Patrolling the county's largest city, Anniston Police operate primary dispatch on conventional VHF frequency 154.890 MHz, with tactical operations maintained on 154.845 MHz.

Oxford Police Department

Serving southern Calhoun County along the busy I-20 corridor, Oxford Police operate primary dispatch on 155.610 MHz (PL 167.9) and AIRS P25 talkgroups.

Jacksonville Police & JSU Police Departments

Jacksonville Police dispatch on conventional VHF frequencies and regional P25 talkgroups. Jacksonville State University (JSU) Police operate primary campus law enforcement on 154.025 MHz (PL 141.3), with public safety and maintenance on 154.3925 MHz and 152.315 MHz (DPL 343).

Piedmont Police Department

Serving northeastern Calhoun County, Piedmont Police operate primary dispatch on conventional VHF frequency 154.2275 MHz (DPL 071).

Weaver Police Department

Patrolling the city of Weaver along SR 21 between Anniston and Jacksonville, Weaver Police coordinate dispatch through 155.535 MHz (PL 179.9) and regional Sheriff channels.

5. Fire department scanner

Calhoun County 911 dispatches county volunteer fire departments and municipal fire services via conventional UHF and VHF radio channels.

• Calhoun County Volunteer Fire Dispatch (RCFP): 453.550 MHz (DPL 431)
• Anniston Fire Department Dispatch: 154.340 MHz (PL 67.0) | Tactical: 154.190 MHz
• Oxford Fire Department Dispatch: 158.835 MHz (PL 167.9)
• Piedmont Fire Department Dispatch: 151.2575 MHz (PL 131.8) | Tactical: 154.295 MHz & 154.325 MHz
• Quad Cities Fire Tactical (Digital): 453.900 MHz (DMR)

Local fire departments and stations include:

• Anniston Fire Department (Stations 1–5)
• Oxford Fire Department
• Jacksonville Fire Department
• Piedmont Fire Department
• Alexandria Volunteer Fire Department
• Ohatchee Volunteer Fire Department
• Bynum Volunteer Fire Department
• Choccolocco Volunteer Fire Department
• Wellington Volunteer Fire Department
• White Plains 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 Calhoun County are provided by RMC EMS working alongside municipal fire departments and volunteer first responders. EMS dispatches occur over county fire frequencies and regional medical networks.

Inbound paramedic patient status reports to Regional Medical Center (RMC) and Stringfellow Memorial Hospital in Anniston are transmitted on the standard HEAR (Hospital Emergency Administrative Radio) frequency:

• Stringfellow Memorial Hospital HEAR: 155.340 MHz (PL 206.5)

7. Frequencies and radio systems

How the systems work

• Conventional Channels: A conventional channel operates on a single fixed frequency (e.g., 155.670 MHz or 453.550 MHz) where receivers tune directly to transmissions.
• Trunked / DMR Systems: Regional trunked systems (such as AIRS P25) and specialized digital channels (such as Quad Cities Fire DMR on 453.900 MHz) dynamically route communications.

Conventional Frequencies & Radio Systems Table

Frequency (MHz)	Tone / Mode	Agency / Service	Band	Mode	Status
155.670	PL 179.9	Calhoun County Sheriff Primary Dispatch	VHF	FM	Clear
155.070	PL 179.9	Calhoun County Sheriff Talk / Secondary	VHF	FM	Clear
460.025	CSQ	Calhoun County Jail Operations	UHF	FM	Clear
154.890	CSQ	Anniston Police Primary Dispatch	VHF	FM	Clear
154.845	CSQ	Anniston Police Tactical	VHF	FM	Clear
155.610	PL 167.9	Oxford Police Primary Dispatch	VHF	FM	Clear
154.025	PL 141.3	Jacksonville State University (JSU) Police	VHF	FM	Clear
154.2275	DPL 071	Piedmont Police Primary Dispatch	VHF	FM	Clear
453.550	DPL 431	Calhoun County Fire Dispatch (911 RCFP)	UHF	FM	Clear
154.340	PL 67.0	Anniston Fire Department Dispatch	VHF	FM	Clear
158.835	PL 167.9	Oxford Fire Department Dispatch	VHF	FM	Clear
151.2575	PL 131.8	Piedmont Fire Department Dispatch	VHF	FM	Clear
453.900	CSQ	Quad Cities Fire Tactical	UHF	DMR	Digital
155.340	PL 206.5	Stringfellow Memorial Hospital HEAR	VHF	FM	Clear
158.775	PL 97.4	Calhoun County EMA / Emergency Ops	VHF	FM	Clear
155.445	PL 107.2	Alabama State Troopers	VHF	FM	Clear
155.010	CSQ	Alabama StateNet (Inter-agency)	VHF	FM	Clear
162.475	N/A	NOAA Weather Radio (KIH58 Mt. Cheaha)	VHF	FM	Clear

8. Coverage across the county

Area	What to Expect
Anniston & Oxford	Heavy commercial and urban dispatch, municipal police, sheriff traffic, city fire dispatch, and hospital reports along I-20 and US 431.
Jacksonville & JSU	University public safety, city police, municipal fire, and Sheriff traffic along SR 21.
Piedmont & Spring Garden	Northeastern county law enforcement, fire dispatch, and rural Sheriff responses along SR 9 and SR 200.
Ohatchee & Alexandria	Western county Sheriff patrol and volunteer fire dispatches along SR 77 and SR 144 near the St. Clair County border.
Highways & Transit	Alabama State Trooper dispatch and local emergency responses along I-20, US 78, US 431, SR 21, SR 9, and SR 109.

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 and UHF frequencies listed in the table above into your analog or digital scanner.
  2. Input the corresponding PL/DPL codes (e.g., PL 179.9 for Sheriff dispatch, DPL 431 for County Fire) to filter out unwanted interference.
  3. Ensure your scanner supports P25 digital decoding and DMR if monitoring regional trunked talkgroups or Quad Cities Fire.
  4. Save 162.475 MHz for continuous NOAA weather advisories from Mt. Cheaha.
• On a radio app: Search for Calhoun County Public Safety, Calhoun Sheriff, or Anniston Police & Fire 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 digital or DMR transmissions.
• Signal Range Obstacles: Mountainous terrain around Mt. Cheaha, Choccolocco Mountain, and Dugger Mountain 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 (155.670 MHz), Anniston Police (154.890 MHz), Oxford Police (155.610 MHz), county fire dispatch (453.550 MHz), and hospital HEAR communications are unencrypted and open to public monitoring. Tactical SWAT channels and specialized investigation operations are encrypted.

12. Nearby counties

Cherokee County, Cleburne County, Clay County, Talladega County, St. Clair County, and Etowah County.

13. Official public safety resources

• Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office
• Anniston Police Department
• Oxford Police Department
• Jacksonville Police Department
• Piedmont Police Department
• Jacksonville State University Police Department
• Anniston Fire Department
• Oxford Fire Department
• Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency (EMA)
• Calhoun County 911 Dispatch
• Calhoun County Commission
• Regional Medical Center (RMC) / Stringfellow Memorial Hospital
• National Weather Service, Birmingham

14. Frequently asked questions

Is it legal to listen to a police scanner in Calhoun 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 Anniston Police encrypted?

Primary dispatch for Anniston Police (154.890 MHz) is unencrypted and open for public monitoring. Tactical channels are encrypted.

What frequency is the Calhoun County Sheriff on?

Calhoun County Sheriff primary dispatch operates on conventional VHF frequency 155.670 MHz (PL 179.9).

What scanner do I need for Calhoun County?

A standard analog scanner can monitor Sheriff dispatch, Anniston Police, and county fire channels. A digital scanner (P25 / DMR) is recommended for digital channels and regional interoperability.

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 Calhoun County?

EMS calls are dispatched through county emergency radio channels and fire dispatch, with hospital patient reports transmitted on 155.340 MHz (PL 206.5).

Which highways are covered?

Radio coverage includes I-20, US 78, US 431, State Route 21, State Route 9, and State Route 109.

How can I get local weather alerts?

NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts advisories continuously on 162.475 MHz (KIH58) from the Mt. Cheaha transmitter.