I have always enjoyed listening to police and fire/rescue calls on a scanner. Having obtained my amateur radio license when I was 16, pulling signals out of the air has fascinated me for a long time. However, a lot of police departments are using new technology (including “trunking”) which makes it difficult. You have to keep up with the latest equipment, or you won’t hear anything.

As usual, a website has been created that solves this problem. Check out www.RadioReference.com.

This site offers the ability to listen to police, fire, ambulance and other public service radio communication throughout the US. It does not offer every service in every city. When you go to the site, click on “Live Audio” and go to Live Audio Home to choose your state and your local area. Here in my area I usually listen to the Clearwater Police.

The site has other features too, for people who are really into scanners and monitoring the public airwaves – there’s a forum to communicate with other users, a classified section for buying and selling equipment, and more.