Well I got my start in the US Army Signal Corps. 

I was an HF RTTY operator but also worked with VHF FM simplex and retrans systems. 

After the Army I became a firefighter/EMT in Abilene Texas. Over the last 31 years I have seen our department transition from a VHF simplex system to a VHF repeater and eventually an 809 MHz EDACS trunked system. I spent some time working with the vendor designing the system, testing the system and training the troops to use it. It’s been a good career and I am finishing it out driving a ladder truck, hanging it up this August. 

And yes, on all of those 24 hour shifts I always had a scanner, shortwave radio, ham HT, etc.. in my backpack!

73,
Ed Maikranz
KG5UN
Abilene, Texas