Saturday, August 06, 2005

 

POETRY IN MOTION



Normally I would write something silly, stupid, or insane here. I would continue to expose our 800 Mhz system as a dud, a Radio Money Pit - A DEATH TRAP with Management wasting Millions of Dollars of Our Money... as that's what I do best -

However I received an anonymous poem today in my email that I would like to share with the masses.

When I first looked at this poem I could only think... how true.
Someone is paying attention - WESTMORELAND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, are you ??

POEM
titled: Ode to 800

the Booger Blah-gher has a plan
to get the word up to the man
that the new 800 system's woes
tempt the grim reaper's deathly throes

the tower's down and the T1's toast
when our firefighter heroes need them most
and when they call for the help they need
their calls receive not, the Center's heed

it's a working structure and he's checking upstairs
for possible entrapment and extension flares
he takes a step and the floorboards snapped
his air bottle's empty and now he's trapped

seconds count, but the minutes pass
will his next transmission be his last?
firefighter down!, at the top of the stair!......
no response, just dead air

his pleading voice now showing his fears
but he's on the wrong TAC and no one hears
the wrong channel setting is what it was about
right where it was left from the last call out

moral of the story is the system setup's bad
but how many stories are gonna have to end sad?

the brass needs to take a good hard look,
maybe a re-reading of the TRS design book
don't be blokes, fix what's broke
don't let someone die in the flames and smoke
anonymous



DECODED,
K3SAM

 

BLACKBERRYS AND CORNFLAKES

BOY I’LL EAT GOOD TODAY (not) !



With all the tax payer money that I spend and spent for our new WESTMORELAND COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT EQUIPMENT including the building being used for dispatching, I would think that they are done WASTING my money.

NO, NOT SO.

Now I find out that ALL of the “911 Management” are GETTING NEXTEL BLACKBERRY CELL PHONES !

If our communications system is SO GREAT, why do they need another form of communications ?


Besides, these BLACKBERRY NEXTEL CELL PHONES are not cheap.

These BLACKBERRYS are NOT CHEAP ! (worth repeating !)

Don’t they each all ALREADY HAVE cellular phones that we probably pay for ?

WASTE WASTE WASTE !

These can cost the TAX PAYERS in Westmoreland County up to $349 EACH plus MONTHY CELL PHONE BILLS that will get BILLED TO THE COUNTY (US).

You would think that giving Mr. Brammell a FORD EXCURSION to drive around would be enough for the highest of high ! Why doesn’t he just drive the MOBILE COMMAND CENTER back and forth to work from Penn Township ?

And now we buy him and the other Management Personnel at Westmoreland County a BLACKBERRY ?

WHERE DO I SIGN UP ?

If I were you (I already have) I would call the WESTMORELAND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OFFICE AT (724) 830-3106 and complain. After all, THEY are the ones that approve these things.

So, while I’m eating corn flakes tonight, 911 Management will be having Steaks with their BLACKBERRYS.

COVERAGE

After yesterdays BLAH-GS (suggested reading) I had a number of emails complaining about RADIO DEAD SPOTS. These are areas where the Police, Firemen and Ambulance Crews CANNOT use their radios !

We have money for BLACKBERRYS but no money to correct the radio DEAD SPOTS ?

I ask 911 specifically about the Westmoreland County / Indiana County Line which is filled with areas of NO COVERAGE and was given a quote “We Used Up Our Money and Don’t Have Any Left For Another Tower” !

GEEEESH !

Dead spots were reported in Washington Township, Markle, Ligonier, Ligonier Township, New Florence, Salem Township, Latrobe, Hempfield, Murrysville, Lower and Upper Burrell, Allegheny Township, New Kensington, Donegal, and Unity Township.

We have FIRE DEPARTMENTS operating in all those areas ! Dead spots cannot and should not be tolerated from Fire and / or Police Departments in those areas (or any area) !

Seems like all I get done when writing this is to end every sentence with an EXCLAMATION MARK !

ENGINEERING

Another thing we should DEMAND from our commissioners is a list of ALL MONEY SPENT by our EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT !

I found out recently that because of the HUGE tower that sits outside of the 911 emergency management building that we have LOST EXPENSIVE NEW RADIO EQUIPMENT due to thunderstorms, yes LIGHTNING HITTING THE TOWER right outside OUR building.

This can’t be covered under manufactures warranties as lightning strikes NEVER are. ON A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR SYSTEM you would think that we have better lightning protection, wouldn’t you ?

ALL OF THIS EQUIPMENT is located in the same building as the dispatchers, in fact very close to them. That is a health hazard ! I should probably place a call to OSHA and see if that falls within the guidelines of compliance. Speaking of OSHA, I wonder if that building has been tested for dangerous Radio Frequency (RF) exposure ?

RECORDS

In reference to the above items I am going to request a copy of 911’s budget for the last 5 years. You would think it is public record, right ?

I’ll let you know if I do not get a copy.

Carmen Pedicone is this county’s controller and his email address is controller@co.westmoreland.pa.us and here is a copy of the email I sent him this morning:

Dear Mr. Pedicone,

I would like a copy of the budget for the Westmoreland County Emergency Management Department for the last 5 years including this year ?

Is it also possible to receive a copy of that departments individual purchases for the last 5 years including this year.

If it is not possible to go back 5 years, I would like any records at all that you might have for any years including this year.

Thank you.

Your truly,
xxxxxxxx my name of course xxxxxxxxx


Did I say “including this year” ?

I am working on a lot today, so this is it for now.

If WE, the taxpayers are going to pay Millions and Millions of OUR MONEY, I want to make sure we get what we paid for… NOT A SHOTTY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM FILLED WITH DEAD SPOTS.

It would seem to me that 911 Management cares more about getting BLACKBERRYS than they do peoples lives !

DECODED,
K3SAM
http://800.k3sam.com


All information is based on confidential emails and phone calls made to this writer.

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