Monday, August 15, 2005
My Promise.
Happy Monday Morning. I looked under my tree again but still no presents… damn that always happens. I even turned the lights on, you know the real Bright ones hoping they would reach Greensburg.
I was out yesterday and had a chance to see the new Latrobe Police Cruiser. Nice ! I took out my cell phone to take some quick photos of it and got yelled at by one of Latrobe’s Finest.
I thought he was going to beat me up or arrest me the way he yelled out my name. (He doesn’t know that I know Kung Fu and Jujitsu and a few other Japanese words. Lucky for him !) Actually he was nice enough to show me the radio console and the position of the 800 Mhz Radio.
It is located right between his Dick Tracy lunch box and the 1,000 watt bass amplifier for their new car stereo ! So that’s who has been driving by in the middle of the night playing that new song BADBOYZ-WC !
We have such a good police force here that there is hardly any crime, which makes for boring scanner listening in good old District 4 (Talkgroup 64).
But on the other hand we don’t have to worry about going down town and dodge bullets either. Thanks to Officer S. for taking some time to show me the new cruiser.
Speaking of scanner action, District 5 police is still the most active however District 9 is just about side by side now. When it comes to fire departments being dispatched it seems I’m always hearing Station 7 going out on a call or being called for backup. Until the 800 Mhz system and I never heard them… hell never knew Paintertown existed for that matter.
This area fire companies (Latrobe, Bradenville and Lloydsville) are also quite active except they still use Latrobe Fire’s Repeater (154.385 Mhz) for a lot of their calls because they know it’s reliable and no TAC Channels to fool around with.
HELLO CAPITAL
The BLAH-G is now regular reading for the people at the courthouse. I am happy to see that. What I am hoping for is for another Commissioner to call or email me and explain why Commissioner Tom Balya hasn’t called me yet.
From Domestic Relations to the Sheriff’s office I’ll give a big Booger Blah-ger welcome !
If you folks read this as much as the Department of Emergency Management I might have to start a separate page for “what’s happening in the county” and you can start telling me about which computers aren’t working in your department, if the telephone system is screwy and any other problems you might have. You know it’s our dollars that pay for that stuff too.
I know the Commissioner’s are a bit upset at me writing about the defective Multi-Million Dollar radio system but I keep thinking of one thing.
If I am right about this system (and I am) isn’t it worth making me happy and follow up on my claims if it means saving one life ?
Or to put it another way.
A fireman or police officer is going to need help one of these days.. right ? When they call for help or push their emergency button and nothing happens, are you willing to accept full responsibility for what happens when no help comes ?
If you can say NO, it’s not worth anyone’s life by amusing this crazy person by checking out his claims then I hope you can sleep good tonight.
If you can say YES, you will accept full responsibility for what happens when a police officer is hurt or worse, or a fireman (or men) are hurt because the system isn’t working right when they scream for help or push that orange button, then just watch the clock because it is only a matter of time.
My promise.
If this radio system in anyway gets anyone hurt in the line of duty, I will appear at each and every court appearance needed, and will provide all the information I have mastered in my 35 years of radio maintenance to aid you in your defense.
Nice promise, huh. The better part of a nice promise is knowing that I mean it and will devote as much time into helping you as I am attempting to spread the word about this Million Dollar Mistake.
WHAT DO YOU WANT DONE MR. BLAH-GER
I am not trying to have all this new equipment thrown in a big pile to have it scrapped. Nor am I trying to get you to go back to your old antique radios either.
What I want done can be broken down into two areas of attack.
The first method of attack. This whole system can be made to work as described with the addition of MANY new tower sites. There are just too many dead spots to call this an efficient radio system, especially if you are using it for emergency communications.
Further, TAC channels for working fires should be eliminated.
Instead of a TAC channel, a Talk-Around Channel should be used in case the Trunked Repeater System (TRS) isn’t picking up the signal inside of a building.
You have a much better chance of an Analog Simplex frequency getting out at the fire scene than a Digital TRS signal (I have government written proof of that).
The other method of attacking this major radio problem is to have Motorola REDESIGN the entire system using VHF frequencies. It may also be possible to cover the area with our 25 towers AND the 400 Mhz UHF band too.
A new topographical study would have to be done by a professional service to find that out AND that should have been done while the county was doing theirs for 800 Mhz (if they even did one, no one is talking).
MOVING to a lower frequency will help in these hard to hear, hard to access areas like Markle, Wilpen and Darlington areas as well as any Indiana / Westmoreland County Joint area. A tower was planned for that area for major coverage but Westmoreland County ran out of money !
800 Mhz and Westmoreland County are a BAD MATCH.
I just have to sit back and laugh sometimes. This is directed to Commissioner Tom Balya directly. Tom, I remember you coming into a business that I happen to be in when you were running for Commissioner and you ask me for your vote. You promised to make yourself available to your constituents if elected. Well Tom, I actually believed you. Further, I voted for you.
Was that my mistake ?
I just want a radio system so each police officer, firefighter, and medic out there can know that when they pick up their microphones and push that button, they will be heard.
Heard not only by 911 but by each and every member of their department. We do not have that now.
Oh, and a direct message to The Department of Emergency Management. Until this radio system is FIXED or REPLACED, I strongly suggest that you do an ON THE HOUR role call of all the police officers currently on duty. I would have them check both their portables and mobile radios. Police Chiefs, I hope you also request this roll call. That way each radio AND the radio system are at least checked for your area on an hourly basis.
This might be a big headache but it is definitely worth it… just until the system is fixed.
MORNING MENU
A Hot Dog, Two Sunny Side Up Eggs, Fresh Green Spinach, Loaf of Bread and a very small Glass of Wine. Please follow directions: Arrange the Eggs so that they are side by side placing the Hot Dog Below and Horizontal. Place a little pinch of Spinach right above the Hot Dog and in the center.
This is in the form of a SMILEY FACE ! Now, when you see those EGGS, think of me looking at you. When you see the Hot Dog, let it remind you not to be a wiener ! The Spinach is for strength to do what is right !
Oh the Bread and Glass of Wine. Well, that is for you to have Communion and Pray to the Good Lord that this system doesn’t CRASH again.
THIS MENU IS FOR ANYONE THAT CAN CHANGE, OR HAS THE AUTHORITY TO INVESTIGATE THIS MILLION DOLLAR COMMUNICATION SYSTEM MESS.
DECODED,
K3SAM
http://800.k3sam.com – the site
news@k3sam.com – the email address
