Monday, February 20, 2006
Turn out the lights... the potties ogar
Good A-morn,
Just some quick notes B-coz I am up which is much better than not being up.
From my 911 inside sources I was able to find out that not only is the 33.52 Mhz fire frequency OUT OF SERVICE, so is the 33.70 Mhz MAIN FIRE DISPATCH frequency !
BOTH FIRE FREQUENCIES AT THE SAME TIME, MAJOR FUBAR !
Not that Staley Communications has been trying to repair the fire frequencies for the last zillion months but I guess they narrowed the problem down to “OLD ANTENNAS”. They were suppose to replace the antennas ON TOP of the Bear Caves tower on Friday but I guess a little bit of WIND scared the monkey ! So, because it took them 20 years to figure out that the antenna was bad it will probably take another 20 years to replace it !
Folks, you have to understand something. There are several pieces of test equipment that when connected to the antenna wire (coax) will tell the technician, or the person designated to pretend they are a technician, if the antenna is good or bad ! It is a 10 SECOND TEST and it took Staley Communications all this time to do the test ?
Maybe it took them all these months to realize that radios require antennas.
Maybe that is why we don’t hear some of the stations when they transmit, perhaps Staley Communications hasn’t realized yet that each radio also requires a microphone.
As put so nicely by the one 911 insider informant, maybe it’s because the dumb-asses at Staleys are clueless as to how to fix a radio let alone a radio system. (semi-paraphrased)
OK, we have determined that BOTH FIRE DISPATCH low band frequencies are out of order at the MAIN Bear Caves tower site which dick-tates into saying that 911 Management does NOT care for the residents of Westmoreland County because with these two frequencies out of service the response time to YOUR HOUSE for a fire or Medical Ambulance Assist will be drastically increased.
READ: IMO, it’s gonna take the firemen longer to get to your house while it is on fire while the COUNTY COMMISSIONERS are home dreaming of Peter Pan, Tiny Tim, Dick York and Rock Hudson.
But that’s ok, after all they are the people we put in charge to Help Us in times of need and they are the ones that make 911 walk for as sure as there is a HELL 911 doesn’t run.
Another possible reason why it is taking so long to fix the Bear Caves Fire Transmitters as pointed out by my inside sources is that Mark Brammell’s Home Fire Department, Station 87 (Harrison City) is not affected by that transmitter site… they use a different one so why the hell should HE CARE if something that doesn’t affect him personally get fixed.
I don't want the hard working volunteers at Station 87 to be mad at me for that statement as I am only repeating what people that work for Mark have told me although I tend to agree with the statement. It in no way reflects the company as a whole, only the management at 911 who are also firefighters at that station.
REMEMBER, THIS IS WHAT THE FOLKS AT 911 ARE SAYING AND THEY WORK UNDER MARK ! If that isn’t something to take seriously I don’t know what is.
Speaking of towers and climbing them, for those of you that live in the Greensburg Area have you noticed that the TOWER LIGHTS on the tower site AT THE 911 CENTER on Donahue Road are very dim ? In fact I can’t remember seeing the very top flashing light. Is it working ?
I know that if you look around you will see all the tower sites erected in that area shining BRIGHTLY in the night, and then there is that one. If they are indeed out of order or even if just one light is out, 911 has to report that information to both the FAA and the FCC.
The reason for reporting lighting problems to the FAA is so an AIRPLANE doesn’t hit the tower in the night time. I was going to say that we don’t have any airports around to worry but that would insult your intelligence as everyone knows that the ARNOLD PALMER REGIONAL AIRPORT is only about 3 air miles away from the 911 center.
When I called the Airport Tower this morning they were unaware of any problems with the Donahue Road tower. Well, if my 911 sources are correct and there is a lighting problem, they had better pick up the phone and call the FAA’s Data Center in Altoona with the tower ASR Number IMMEDIATELY !
I know that 911 Management hates this Blah-ger for uncovering these things but that is the least of my worries. If Richard Matason and Mark Brammell are pizzed at me then I guess I am doing my job right. There wouldn't even be a Blah-g if they were doing things right.
Also keep in mind that I could not be writing the Blah-g if it were not for my 911 INFORMANTS who truly care about the lives of others and want the problems at the Department of Emergency Management corrected.
Sit back in your chair (you have my permission) and sip your coffee while you think about this.
• 911 doesn’t have a working fire command low band frequency working in the Eastern part of the county right now with the coverage that Bear Caves has.
• 911 has tower lighting problems with the tower on THEIR property.
• 911 has software Mapping Problems with their computers.
• 911 has problems receiving incoming signals from Police, EMS and Fire Departments on the new 800 Mhz equipment.
• 911 has problems supervising Staley Communications, or the ability of getting Staley communications to respond to problems with their equipment.
• 911 has problems with Verizon, who is responsible for their T3 in house and T1 data transmission lines. Without those lines 911 would be silent, the dispatchers could go home while the 911 supervisors mop the floor with the Directors supplying them with Hot Water every two hours or so (in between coffee breaks).
• The new 800 Mhz equipment has been wired incorrectly by Staley Communications which is a FACT. Numerous Police, EMS and Fire departments have contacted this Blah-ger with horror stories including antenna connectors falling out of the back of radios, improper wiring, incorrect or missing grounding wires on mobile radios, incorrect Antennas mounted on fiberglass topped vehicles such as ambulances, Antennas mounted in the wrong location on vehicles putting the passengers inside these vehicles at risk of getting CANCER !
• Improper staffing levels INSIDE the 911 building during normal operating hours (did that sink in ?).
• No Communications Back Up Links To Each of OUR 26 Tower Sites. In fact, no communications link to ANY of OUR 26 Tower Sites.
• No Communications Back Up From the 911 Center to Verizon Central Office (CO) in Greensburg. That’s the big one folks. If that link goes down the 911 Center goes silent… can’t hear nuttin’.
• 911 Took money earmarked for HAZMATS NEW TRUCK and are using it on a Van that we do not need and probably won’t work. They should give the $250,000 back to Hazmat and worry about fixing the system BEFORE any attempt is made to EXPAND OUR Ill-Fated Cyst-Em !
• Mark Brammell programming all FIRE RADIOS so that the FIRE TAC talkgroups are operating through the repeater Cyst-Em INSTEAD of Direct to Direct, otherwise know as SIMPLEX operation. Simplex operation is the ONLY acceptable form of communications on the Fire Grounds as stated by the National Fire Prevention Association and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In my conversation with DHS, I was told that Mr. Brammell would be instructed to REPROGRAM EACH AND EVERY FIRE RADIO to conform, or lose Government Funding. This also applies to the Police TAC Channels however my contact at DHS wasn’t all that concerned about the police ?
• 911 Management driving around in vehicles WE bought for them. The perks include gas cards paid for by US.
• 911 Management eating for free on credit cards WE pay for.
That was just a quick review and enough time to let you finish your coffee.
There is a BUNCH OF NEW BREAKING NEWS concerning 911’s internal operations however I have been instructed to hold off reporting any of it for a short period of time. So like I said and will continue to say, I WILL NOT PRINT things that you do not want me to print.
If you would like to keep me up to date with inside information that is not printable just yet you still can by sending your comments to news@k3sam.com and just tell me not to print what you are telling me, the single (as in almost un-married) Blah-ger or only print some parts. Whatever your wishes are.
Correction: I had posted a photo of one of the dispatchers cars a while ago and ask who owned it. I was told her name was "Tammy". Seems there was a Tammy that worked there years ago who is no longer with us... the car actually belonged to Donna, sorry Donna for the mistak. I'll have to buy you dinner some night. Just let me know when. Donna no longer has that car but it sure was a pretty red.
Should things go alright tonight I will be posting another the new audio clip on my website. Perhaps even two. Maybe I’ll grow a few more hands and solve the mystery of converting HEX numbers into non-eatable sun-dried contaminated non-reversable, flexible donafied green hanky tank sludge muffins, the color of Dan's jacket. Who knows ? (wow, that would be a call for Hazmat !)
DECODED,
K3SAM
PS: Wishing my friend Joe N. a speedy recovery. I had spoken to him recently and he was under the weather and taking a few days off of work. IMO he is the glue that keeps that crazy place together ! Disclaimer: Joe N. is NOT an informer of mine, but a friend. Even though he is our 911 Coordinator - NOTHING that you will ever read on this Blah-g has come from him.
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