Monday, October 17, 2005
STILL MAD AS HELL...
Most of you will care less about what I am going to reveal and that is fine, however for the rest of you perhaps this might put some things into prospective as to why I am hammering so hard on this system, the equipment that the first responders are carrying, and the people that had the balls to design and purchase this radio equipment here in Westmoreland County and who continue to defend how “great” it is.
I am not a healthy person. I have some extremely serious conditions that could and most likely will take me to see my Wonderful Mother in Heaven soon. I’m not mentioning this for pity or sympathy in any way and that is not the reason I am Mad as Hell, in fact I thank the Good Lord each and every morning for the health that I do have. I am only mentioning this because I can no long put 18 hours a day into this 800 Mega Hurts system that is going to bring down our counties public safety system.
The days you don’t see a Blah-g are usually the days when I don’t feel good enough to write one. The same goes for the audio files, they take a good chunk out of the day to edit and on the days when I’m not up to par I just can’t do them.
Seriously, my family knows that I am disabled however they do not know the extent (until now). That was privileged information between my wife, my doctors and myself.
I haven’t done anything great in my life, I am just a small cog that Jesus created HOWEVER He gave me this special talent in the world of electronics which I thank Him for. I am using that God given talent here in order to help our county first responders. I am FCC 1st Class Licensed in the field of electronics and an engineer in this field.
Knowing what I know about the system that Commissioner Balya, Director Rich Matason along with Deputy Director Mark Brammell has had installed in this county, I would not feel at ease unless I did WARN the county’s residents and fist responders about it’s potential deadly flaws.
I know that this system is so bad that if it keeps up like this someone will die, if they haven’t already !
I have overheard medics saying that because of 911’s new CAD (Computer Aided Dispatching) Mapping program and the radio system’s DEAD SPOTS, ambulances have not received proper directions and the people they where going to save have died. I do not have this as first hand information, but that is what I overheard.
If the ambulances don't know where to go how can people get help. 911's mapping program is "terrible and I'm surprised they know where they are" said one fire chief to me.
Rich Matason even said, and I quote "God may know where you are, and you may know where you are. But in an emergency, if 911 doesn't know where you are, you may be in trouble", so I guess WE ARE IN TROUBLE !
Several times Latrobe Fire Department has been dispatched to different locations, when the cross streets are given it puts the actual location miles away from the actual fire call. "if 911 doesn't know where you are, you may be in trouble".
Unlike what I’ve heard some people make reference to, I DO NOT want anything out of writing this Blah-g , no cash / awards / no new vehicles… NOTHING. I just want Commissioner Tom Balya, 911 Director Rich Matason and Deputy Director Mark Brammell to admit that this 800 Mhz radio system was a MISTAKE and then work day and night to correct the mistake they brought onto our county.
Our Police, EMS, and Firemen deserve, and should demand a radio system that they know will work when it is needed ! As of today, they DO NOT HAVE that system.
The reason I take so many hours out of my time (what’s left of it) and devote it to writing this Blah-g and posting audio clips is to get the first responders a radio system they can count on.
I do this not for myself, but for the residents of Westmoreland County and the First Responders that serve it so well.
NOW, FOR MY BLAH-G FOR THIS AFTERNOON entitled “I’m as made as Hell and I’m not going to take it anymore !"
As I said, I’m as MAD AS HELL AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE !
What exactly does that mean ?
Hmmm, lets break that down into two parts…
First, I’M MAD AS HELL !
I have been writing about this 800 Mhz system for a long time now and I get emails daily from the Police, EMS, and Fire departments telling me that their radios are not working. Why not tell 911 too, why not tell Motorola, why not tell the News Media ?
Hell, screw all of the knowledge I know about this system and my FCC Licenses and screw the lack of 800 Mhz frequencies used with this system and screw the terrain we live in and screw the lack of radios given out to first responders and screw the enormous amount of DEAD SPOTS where radios won’t work and screw.. and screw… BUT at least listen to the audio clips that I have posted on my website so you can hear for yourself that this system is crippled, flawed and not fit for public SAFETY operations !
Buy a scanner and listen for yourself, or log on to GMAN’s website where you can listen for free (www.gmans.net), and you will hear for yourself that the SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING RIGHT !
I receive HORROR stories about this 800 Mhz radio system by email each and every day but I can’t tell you about most of what’s in the emails BECAUSE the authors wish to remain Anonymous.
I respect that and do not print what I am asked NOT to print, however getting emails like:
“My Name Is Paul Hosenossle and I am a driver for the Pompass VFD and last night during a house fire call we could not reach 911 on our 800 Mhz system by portable or mobiles. The radios just beeped at us. We didn’t know our orders so we sat here for over 8 minutes until we finally reached 911 by phone ! The house burned down because of this but you cannot print this because ….”
Or “My name is Paul Gunsmith and I am Chief of Payberry Police, please do not print the following or my name because council might fire me. Our officers were almost shot last night because we went to use our 800 Mhz radios during a drug bust and the system told us we were out of range even though the tower is only 2 miles away. When we pushed the emergency button it didn't do anything, nothing at all !”
How many times do I have to receive this anonymous information when you know there isn’t a damn thing I can do about anything unless I write about it. Sure I want to know about each and every time this system fails you, our first responders… but there isn’t a DAMN THING I CAN DO about it when everyone wants to be anonymous ! Did I say that twice ¿
I’M AS MAD AS HELL because the leader of the gang at 911, Rich Matason doesn’t speak about this system to me, I feel he lies about the radio system coverage as being 95% in the Westmoreland County News Letter. 95% Radio Coverage In Westmoreland County MY ASS and IMO that is a damn LIE !
PROVE IT !
Let's take a portable radio and go through the valleys of Ligonier, the areas around Markle, How about WILPEN, areas in Washington and Allegheny Township, Mrs. Smith's farm in Seward and Mr. Jone's woods in New Florence. PROVE IT !
Mark Brammell who is Rich’s right and left hand man will not talk to me as HE KNOWS I KNOW THE TRUTH. Not only do I know the truth, so do all the fire and police chiefs that I talk to.
Everyone loves the XTS-2500 radios, hates the XTS-1500 radios, loves the audio quality of the voice when it's not garbled and hates the fact the radios don’t work half the time and Westmoreland County is filled with DEAD SPOTS. So what does that leave you with ?
An expensive toy !
It was told to me that Mark has gone so far as to start a WITCH HUNT (good month for it) AT THE 911 CENTER to find out who up there is emailing me. Hey Mark, it’s not who is, it is who are… more than one DISPATCHER emails me, and some not so often, others every day.
From what I have been told by more than one dispatcher, IF THESE DISPATCHERS are found to be emailing me, they will BE FIRED.
Is there something else wrong at 911 that I haven’t heard about yet ?
I’m sorry that names are being used here, and I have no personal problems with Rich or Mark however I do have a problem with this SYSTEM that 911 Management will not address.
I do have a personal problem with Commissioner Tom Balya as he will not speak to me about this system. He has his "chief of staff" talk to me and that is not right. I HELPED VOTE TOM INTO OFFICE ! Isn't he suppose to be available to the residents of his county ?
(pix from his website)
Most Police, EMS, and Fire Departments would also like answers on all these issues I’ve brought up. The Number One Issue With This System is
DEAD SPOTS
due to the frequency selected for emegency communications !
Rich or Mark, you NEED TO GO ON THE RECORD ABOUT THESE SYSTEM PROBLEMS !
Sure I’m as MAD AS HELL ! Supervisors working at 911 carrying more expensive radios around than the Police Chiefs, EMS Directors, and Fire Department Chiefs ! Most fire companies do not have enough radios for their crews when 50 unused portables are sitting in the command center magic bus, new vehicles for the elite management, Blackberry Phones that WE pay for, equipment that needs serviced at 911 goes unattended to, dispatch consoles broken, ear microphones that don't work...
WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH THIS WHOLE PICTURE ?
Several DISPATCHERS have confirmed all of this but I can’t give out their names. Now if they would go forward and contact the TRIBUNE REVIEW and KDKA, both news organizations would be knocking on the 911 doors with a RAM ROD !!!
The things that Police and Fire Chiefs have told me is enough to SHUT DOWN 911, but they don’t want their names used. Again I respect that. It is up to THEM to take it to the press.
But not to worry to those who email me. Anonymous is Anonymous.
I just hope that someday these DISPATCHERS and POLICE and FIRE CHIEFS will see that if THEY don’t do something soon perhaps NO ONE will and someone will lose their life over this DAMN RADIO SYSTEM, and that would be a crying shame… and for that I AM MAD AS HELL !
There are RADIO (so called) TECHNICIANS employed by a company that installs all these Motorola Radios that DO NOT KNOW HOW TO INSTALL A RADIO or CONNECT WIRING TO A BATTERY ! Why would someone hire someone to do a job they are not qualified for ???
LISTEN TO THIS
The Oklahoma Fire Department Station 49 had a FIRE in one of their trucks recently. A FIRE IN A FIRE TRUCK.
Why, because the 800 Mhz RADIO WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY.
Thank God someone was close to the station to put the fire out before the WHOLE STATION burned down. Yes, I’M MAD AS HELL ! This should have never happen. Who installed the radio ? Do they have an FCC First Class License ? Even though an FCC License it’s not required anymore to do the installation at LEAST it shows the person knows the difference between a 12 Volt B+ Power Lead from a Water Hose !
HEADS UP TO ALL DEPARTMENTS EVERYWHERE that have an 800 Mhz Radio installed in a VEHICLE.
Have someone check the INSTALLATION, especially the power lead from the battery to the radio.
THERE SHOULD BE A FUSE AT THE BATTERY AND AT THE RADIO to PROTECT your vehicle from a faulty installation which it appears there are MANY !
You wouldn't want your police car, ambulance or fire truck to catch fire over one of these wonderful radios, would you ?
The radio power lines should run directly to the BATTERY, not the fuse box ! It is the LAZY TECHNICIAN that will connect the wiring to the fuse box, the HALF LAZY TECH that will make the effort to wire the radio directly to the battery without using fuses and a GOOD TECH will wire the radio directly to the battery, AVOIDING ALL ALTERNATORS, GENERATORS and anything else that will create noise and use a FUSE at the BATTERY and one at the RADIO.
You have to take the EXTRA Time to do a good job ! I don't see that here on any vehicle I've looked at.
One fire company I know of, the Chief told me that every time they made a right hand turn in their TANKER the radio would quit working. The REPAIR MAN (right) would come out and fix it. Next fire call the radio would go dead on the first right turn made, same thing.
So the Chief had his OWN MECHANIC look at the wiring and the power lead was BARE and was touching the Battery Box, shorting out on right turns !
YOU MEAN TO TELL ME A RADIO TECH CAN’T RUN A SIMPLE WIRE FROM THE BATTERY + SIDE TO THE RADIO AND FUSE IT ON BOTH ENDS ?
Geeeesh, Classes start at 9AM, I’ll teach you !
In another email received, The Radio Tech installed a GROUNDING ANTENNA on a FIBERGLASS AMBULANCE TOP. That is about as useful as sits on a bull !
SPECIAL ANTENNAS ARE MADE FOR THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE AND MOTOROLA IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST MAKERS OF THESE ANTENNAS, I should know as I installed many of them.
I think RADIO MAINTENANCE NEEDS RADIO MAINTENANCE !
Who decided what company should do the installations on YOUR vehicles ? The county maybe… wild guess. Does that company have SUPERVISORS that check the work of the installers ?
Must not.
In My Opinion, EACH and EVERY INSTALLER SHOULD BE HOLDING AN FCC FIRST CLASS LICENSE. If they didn’t cheat on the exam then at least they know what they are doing !
I remember a police officer in Ligonier Township telling me that every time he turned on his 800 Mhz radio his back lights went out. At Latrobe Fire Department every time they turned on their 800 Mhz truck radios their VHF radios went dead or developed a loud whine. In one case after the TECH finished installing a radio (in the wrong location, right Lee) the Light Bar and Siren Stopped working. MAD AS HELL !
Ok, the second part of the sentence “NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY MORE” applies to this.
Each incident I hear of like this, I am going to place a CALL INTO MARK, the Deputy Director or RICH, the Director at 911 for an on-the-record comment.
I will then post the incident and the comment if there is one.
If 911 Management refuses to talk to me then it will be noted.
NOTE, I will not contact Joe N. at 911 for his comments, only Mark, Rich or a Supervisor.
Too many people are blaming Joe for feeding me inside information and that just is not the case. Joe and I are friends but he is not the source of ANY of my Blah-g information.
I AM NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE. If I get a report that the tower site in New Kensington is Down and the radios are not working right, I will call 911 for confirmation.
I will also check with my other sources to see if there is a T1 line that might be out of service and call another source in the New Ken area to take a quick signal report.
I WILL START FOLLOWING THROUGH on this and post the results whenever I can.
I have a new car for sale, it is a M-XTS APCO 25 TG200, perfect inside and has a custom paint job on the outside. It’s only problem is it will not go up hills. Asking price is $14 Million. Interested parties only, email news@k3sam.com.
THAT’S IT for the second part. So does everyone have it… I’m as MAD as HELL I’m not going to TAKE it ANYMORE.
Other notes of interest:
Tip of the MONTH CD WINNER will be announced later today or tomorrow. If you don’t know how that works, just send in a tip or comment to news@k3sam.com about this system and on the 17th of each month we have a drawing and a winning name is pulled from my trusty PA Lottery Hat.
So far Scott J. won the first CD and one of the 911 Dispatchers won the second CD. These are FREE to the winners…no shipping charges, nothing.
These CD’s include the same audio files you can download from my website for FREE plus a few other audio clips that aren’t on the website so it’s a nice thang to win.
That’s it, I’m Tired, I’m Mad, and I’m NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE !
DECODED,
K3SAM
http://800.k3sam.com - website
news@k3sam.com – tips and comments and a chance to win a nice CD
