Saturday, August 26, 2006

 

TOWERS DOWN - MANAGEMENT SLEEPING !


Although in this writing would love to sit here and explain AGAIN how our 911 system operates through the regular TELEPHONE LINES, and that any number of possible issues could knock the ENTIRE CYST-EM (read system) OFF THE AIR, I will not. If you wish to learn more, just read my back issues.

Remember, I've been writing this Blah-g for well OVER a year now with hopes of getting our first responders a better communicaitons system. To date the only thing I have been sucessful in doing is making new friends and giving myself some God awful headaches.

This Cyst-Em was thrown together so fast that the 911 system we paid for and expect to operate during EMERGENCY CONDITIONS might as well not even be there. This Cyst-Em has proven over and over again that even with a single drop of rain and the appearance that a thunderstorm is on it's way, it will begin to shut down.

IF THAT IS HOW SOME SO CALLED RADIO ENGINEERS DESIGNED IT, THEN IT WORKS FINE AND AS SPECIFIED.

In other news, Ligonier and Ligonier Township Areas were without 800 Mhz coverage last night as that tower was out of service, AGAIN. Fire Departments were forced to use the old trusty 33 Mhz frequencies. Gee, those frequencies never stop working unless 911's BEARCAVES TOWER goes down.

In more other news, Penn Township areas were without 800 Mhz coverage yesterday when their 800 Mhz remote tower site went down. Remember, there are many ways to stop a tower from transmitting so why it went down is anyones guess. Personally I think one of the Managers at Westmoreland County 911 placed a toxic boogy on the telephone line in the 911 equipment room (DNA TESTING NEEDED).

Do you, as a reader of this Blah-g, understand what the word "inter-operability" means ? Richard Matason, the 911 so called Director uses this word a lot to describe our radio system.

Well, the word means "the ability to function with other systems". That does not come from any dictionary, but from yours truly. Mr. Matason says over and over again that the purpose of putting in this piece of shit radio system was so we would have better "inter-operablity" between systems.

DID YOU KNOW that Fayette county has threatened to SUE Westmoreland County because Mr. Matason and Mark Brammell (the Ass Director) has refused to allow their emergency management first responders to use our system ? Allegheny County has also threatened legal action as they are NOT ALLOWED on Westmoreland County's radio system. Somerset County is just plain pissed. (sorry, cannot give up my sources for this information, highly top secret !)

HOW IS THAT FOR INTER-OPERABILITY ?

DID YOU KNOW that earlier this week, ALL FIRE STATIONS were advised to have someone man their stations all night BECAUSE 911's device that sets off fire sirens (encoder) FAILED. Actually it was a tower issue again, but telling you that way is much easier. One of the POLICE STATIONS that has a working encoder was setting off FIRE SIRENS when 911 couldn't (verified). Again, the police to our rescue !

I don't know HOW Richard Matason, Mark Brammell, Dan Stevens, Staley Communications, or Tom Balya can go home at night with a clear conscience (the sense of right and wrong). Pehaps they don't have one ??

Compissioner Tom Balya should NEVER have approved this Motorola Radio System, the same system that has been thrown away by countless other Emergency Communication Centers around the country. We have over 25 Million Dollars invested in this piece of crap system and I'm here to tell you that even another 25 Million Dollars will NOT make it any better !

This photo was Tom when he was younger and smarter.

Perhaps the management of the Westmoreland County Pennsylvania 911 Center Should Learn How To Speak English ?
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PRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE AMATEUR RADIO RELAY LEAGUE (ARRL)
K3SAM IS A MEMBER

* Interoperability called vital to public safety first-responder missions:

California Department of General Services Senior elecommunications Engineer Glen Nash, K6GSN, told a Radio Club of America (RCA) breakfast meeting August 9, that wireless communication among public safety first responders is a critical tool to satisfying their mission requirements. The meeting was held during a national convention of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO) in Orlando, Florida. An APCO past president, Nash chairs the Technology Committee of the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC). ARRL has a relationship with both organizations. Nash explained that the need for interoperability comes into play during police chases crossing jurisdictional lines and mutual assistance among neighboring fire departments to multi-agency drug enforcement and major emergencies involving multiple -- and sometimes distant -- agencies. Nash believes interoperability is not simply a technology problem. In addition to technical barriers to wireless interoperability, he cited cultural, social and language or terminology differences. "There are many areas where we need to approach the problem, and many factors to resolve to make it happen," he concluded.

More than 100 attended the breakfast meeting, one of a series held every year by the Radio Club of America at conventions. Founded in 1909, the Radio Club of America is the world's oldest radio communications society. It promotes cooperation among those interested in the advancement and scientific study of radio communication.
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Enough is enough and enough for now.

If you have any tips, comments, or a letter you would like to see published here on the Blah-g, please send everything to news@k3sam.com. I would love to include your name with the information that I use however if you wish to remain anonymous just let me know. I however have to know who your are so I can validate the information you give me, so a "fake" user name from Hotmail will not work. *

Until next time, have a safe Labor Day... and please try not to go into Labor !

DECODED,
K3SAM
Sam W. Jacobs - Licensed Communications Engineer

website - http://800.k3sam.com
comments / news / tips - news@k3sam.com


* HOW THIS WORKS: When you send a tip, I will personally call a dispatcher, police chief,fire chief or the proper authority at home to check on the information you provide. When verified, your tip will be published. Just as an example, if you send me an anonymous tip telling me that R. Matason used the county credit card to buy Steeler tickets for him and a friend, I will disregard it. If you tell me who you are, I will then investigate your claim and publish the results. You can remain anonymous to the world, but let me know who you are. Crank emails are deleted !

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