ESO / GL Technical Information

What Are ESO and GL Channels?

• ESO: Emergency Services Organisation Liaison
• GL: Government Liaison Talk groups

These are shared, open-access talk groups on the NSW PSN (formerly GRN), designed to facilitate communication between:

• NSW Police
• Fire and Rescue NSW
• NSW Ambulance
• State Emergency Service NSW
• National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS)
• Local councils
• Transport and infrastructure agencies

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Operational Context

ESO/GL channels are commonly used for:

• Bushfire coordination between RFS, NPWS, and FRNSW
• Flood and storm response involving SES, councils, and utilities
• Major public events like New Year’s Eve, Vivid Sydney, or protests
• Transport incidents requiring joint traffic, police, and rescue input

These channels are especially useful when agencies operate on separate encrypted talk groups but need a common, open channel for tactical coordination.

They are interoperable, meaning they are accessible to multiple agencies and are often activated during large-scale emergencies, natural disasters, or planned events requiring joint operations.

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Scanner Monitoring

• Unencrypted / Open Accessibility: ESO/GL channels are popular among scanner users because they are typically unencrypted.
• Hardware & Software: You can monitor them using SDR tools (e.g., Unitrunker, SDRTrunk) or digital scanners programmed with PSN frequencies.
• Metadata: Metadata such as Radio IDs (RIDs) and Talkgroup IDs (TGIDs) is visible, even if voice traffic is encrypted elsewhere.