Tuesday, July 19, 2005

 

OPEN MESSAGE / FLASH / RADIOS DON'T WORK !!

An open message to:

Westmoreland Co. 911 Department of Emergency Management,
Westmoreland County Commissioners,
Staley Communications,
Penn Township Police,
All Other Police Departments, Ambulance Services, Fire Departments, and Other Users of this Multi-Million Dollar Radio System In Westmoreland County,
and to
All Residents of Westmoreland County, Pa. that PAID FOR THIS RADIO SYSTEM.

DATE: 19 JULY 2005

At approximately 2:23 AM, Penn Township car 1-76 called for 911.
No answer.

Twenty Seconds Later car 1-76 called for 911 again.
No answer.

Thirty Four Seconds Later car 1-76 called for 911 again.
No answer.

TWO MINUTES and Eleven Seconds Later car 1-76 called for 911 again.
No answer.

Eleven Seconds Later Penn Township car 1-72 called 911.

SEVEN Seconds Later 911 answered car 1-72.

Car 1-72 then explained “76 been calling you”

911 Responded “Ahhh, we can’t here him up here”

Car 1-72 said “Can here him out here, called you about five times”

911 Responded “Supervisors sitting right there too, can’t hear him”

The time stamp was 2:28 (am)

This has my trust in the new 911 Radio System DOWN TO ZERO.


If Penn Township Car 1-76 would have yelled 10-13 or officer down… would he still be down now ?

I am NOT putting the blame or pointing a finger at the Dispatcher on duty or the Supervisor sitting right there, but if 911 can’t hear a Police Car calling them, they have MAJOR RADIO PROBLEMS.

The condensed audio is available at
http://800.k3sam.com
under audio clips. Most dead space was removed for downloading purposes however NO AUDIO WAS EDITED.

This is bad. Very bad.

End of open message.


 

SANDY and the DEAD SPOTS !



I’ll start this early morning writing with a bag of Doritos from the store in the Grift… that should get me through this issue of the BLAH-G.

NUMBER PLEASE

I overheard 911 say to one of the EMT’s last night, think it was New Kensington Medic 125… “you are Medic 125, right” ? The EMT came back and said “yes, I’m sorry”. (paraphrasing there but close)

The dispatcher, Bob I think, was looking at his identifier on his dispatch console that tells him what radio was transmitting when the EMT said that. Each time a radio transmits, it’s unique code is sent to the dispatcher console saying “Hi, I’m Ralph’s radio” or “Hi, I’m Sandy’s radio”. So if Sandy gives her radio to Ralph it is going to sound as if Ralph has an awful high voice… so to speak.

The Medic in Unit 125 had identified himself as Medic 124 in this case. Ah HA ! Bob caught him identifying incorrectly. That’s really no biggy but here is where it might matter.

If that Medic might have come across an accident or needed HELP in anyway, and he pressed his EMERGENCY BUTTON, 911 would have been looking for Medic Unit 125 (actual radio id) instead of Medic 124, the way the EMT actually identified himself.

This is the same for any firefighter or police officer. When radios are swapped the vastly computerized 911 does not know, and the dispatcher will have the incorrect information at his or her console. The biggest offenders to me (I can see all the identifiers on my “console” here) here are Forbes Road Fire Department and Latrobe Police. Hell let me use Latrobe Police as an example since I live in the big City of Trobe.

An officer might start out in Car 4-2 and half way through the shift their identifier is showing up as Car 4-1. At the end of his shift they are using Portable 4-3.

I can follow the officer around electronically because I know his voice, but 911 gets confused sometimes. Stick to one car radio and one portable and you’ll be fine. Pass the radios around and you confuse the bigeebers out of us.

MUTUAL AID

I understand that M.A.A.S. has a good many more 800 Mhz Radios now installed. I guess they might as well join everyone else on 800 as it seems to be the way to go. It’s the same old story… just because Dick jumps off a cliff are you going to follow ? I guess so in this case.

Mutual Aid has been heard using their radios in some cases, even though they haven’t official switched over. During one of the fairs at one of the parks (geeesh I’m good with details) Mutual Aid Portables were heard talking back and forth to the 911 Mobile Command Center when patients would need water or be falling over from the heat.

It is hard to find out anything from Mutual Aid as to their possible future plans as no one from there is talking.

Speaking of AMBUANCES ! I need a good ambulance number reference paper emailed to me. Does anyone have a guide they could email me with all the ambulance numbers on it. Like, who is Medic 108, and 122, and 600. I need a list.

Send to: news@k3sam.com

In turn, I will put it on a nice table and post it on my website for all to see and copy. NO CHARGE.

DID YOU SEE THAT ?

Who has the nicest POLICE CAR, AMBULANCE, or FIRE TRUCK ?

Show off your vehicles, send me your photo and I’ll post it here. Take as many photos as you wish, .jpg format please.

You can vote on them yourselves and let me know what the outcome is. All photos will appear HERE on the Blag-h and will find a permanent home on my website, http://800.k3sam.com/ . You can go there now and click on LOCAL PHOTOS to see the nice collection that has already been started ! It's already two long pages !!

There can be separate categories too, one for inside, outside, light bars.. hell I can even do siren sounds if you send me a .WAV file. Send them, I’ll post ‘em.

WEBSITE CLEANING

Sunday and Monday afternoodles I did some website maintenance. Several of my pages were updated including the Westmoreland County Frequency List, The Police Car Designators, and the Audio Clips. There were enough updates added that it took me a few hours. No, I’m not slow ! It’s just some people are FAST, I just happen to be HALFASSED.

I was really getting into the updating… the Boogerette had the radio blasting really hard rock ! Yeh, Mandy by Barry Mannitolobe was on the 8 track, strobe lights flashing and the incense burning. And me without my Sitar.

DEAD SPOTS

I’m still getting reports from police and fire personnel that they are finding dead spots, spots where their radios are not working ! This should be issue number two with Westmoreland County 911 (WC911). Is it going to half to take someone getting hurt before the county acts upon this ?

When the radios can’t transmit at certain locations, how is a call for more equipment, help or anything else going to get out to WC911 or anyone else.

A lot of times during a fire I’ll hear Command yell for more water, or to stop the water flow… because of a safety hazard. What if the Engine can’t get the message ?

Now, go to Wilpen and try this ! Wilpen is one of those “dead” locations where signals are hard to get out. There are many more too. If you are having problems getting out in any locations, let me know. If you won’t tell 911, the Booger will.

CONTEST

Don’t forget about the Monthly Contest here at the BLAH-G ! You could WIN a CD of WC911’s best for the month, just by turning in some info or tips about your radio system or county happenings involving the new radio system. Nothing dirty now, just want to know if you might be having radio problems, dead spots like I mentioned above, Mexican Radio Drills, Food Tossing Contests using mobile antennas… anything reportable. See yesterday’s Blah-g for all the details.


A Booger Proclaimation !

WEDNESDAY THE 20th of JULY 2005 is WESTMORELAND COUNTY'S FIRST:

"TOOT YOUR HORN AT A 911 DISPATCHED RADIO CAR DAY".

If you see any Police, Fire, EMS, Maintenance, County Parks, Coroner, Sheriff, or other 911 dispatched vehicle on the road, beep your horn and wave. Flash your lights too if you wish. Tell them how much you appreciate their service ! You have my permission to get an early start on Tuesday.

Signed by the Booger, the 19th of July 2005

BREAKFAST

Today’s breakfast includes:

A can of Spaghetti-O’s boiled just right, two pieces of trout with stuffing and chilled olives with beef fat. Wash it all down with a quart of Mother of Moose Milk. There are cabbage chips on the meat cutting table for snacks if you are still hungry. Yummy !

Scotty J. tells me that he tries each and every one of these meals. Last I heard he was in Room 808, no flowers please.


DECODED,
K3SAM

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