the BLAH-G

MAYBE IF WE HIT THE DAMN THING WITH A HAMMER ?

2007-08-22T13:31:00.000-04:00

HEY FRIENDS and those that do not like me because I spent a YEAR inside the Westmoreland County Pennsylvania 911 Center without them knowing it, exposing how corrupt and confused things really are… GOOD MORNING.

I just had to write a few paragraphs this morning, unfortunately I don’t have enough time to do an update article, just a NEWS FLASH.

So…

NEWSFLASH !

Hey 911, Hey Danny boy, Hey Mark and Dicky… WAKE UP And Call Mr. Staley, your RADIO SYSTEM HAS BEEN SCREWED UP ALL NIGHT ! In fact, it’s been screwed up since the very first friggin’ tower was put up, but last night was really really really BAD.

Thank God I live in Butler County now where they have a GOOD RADIO SYSTEM installed and ( honest to God ) working !!! I still have yet to hear ONE COP, or ONE EMT, or ONE FIREFIGHTER ask Butler County Dispatch to repeat themselves.

EVERYONE CAN HEAR EACH OTHER !

WHY, you ask ?

BECAUSE IT’S A RADIO SYSTEM !

Yes, Butler County Emergency Management uses radios to communicate, not a stupid computerized pooling system using towers, phone lines, towers and wasted computer parts and equipment and towers. Butler is Radio to radio communications, not digital radio to tower to computer equipment to phone lines to more computers to digital to analog converters to amplifiers to speakers like Westmoreland. Grrrrrrr !

Did I mention TOWERS ?

I have never been able to prove that anyone from Westmoreland County TOOK A BRIBE from Motorola or Staley Communications to install that junk they call a radio cy-stem, but if I can I will shout it from the PEAK of the COURTHOUSE ROOF in Greensburg while calling the District Attorney’s office with my cell phone.

OK, time to go but I had to get that news flash out to everyone. Remember today’s NEWSFLASH, again… the Westmoreland County 911 Emergency (yes folks, Emergency) Radio System was not working last night. No one could talk to anyone All you could hear was “repeat”, “what” and “10-9”. 911 kept telling everyone that THEIR RADIOS were broke. Get real County Radio, the WHOLE DAMN SYSTEM INCLUDING THE MANAGEMENT (except Joe N.) IS BROKE.

DECODED,

K3SAM

Sam W. Jacobs CET
(Certified Electronics Engineer – Communications Specialist / Designer / Repair Lead Technician)

OPS... Not In Westmoreland You Say ?

2007-07-02T08:20:00.000-04:00

Yes, the Blah-ger no longer resides in Westmoreland County ! I'm sorry but I couldn't take living in the same county as Compissioner Tom Balya anymore, it was just too much. I moved to Butler County and the air now smells better and I see a lot less Motorola vans driving back and forth to the different 911 tower sites. ( and I no longer need those Valium pills ! )

In fact BUTLER COUNTY did exactly what I was attempting to do in Westmoreland County, they installed and are using 400 Mhz radio equipment ! They have FULL COUNTY COVERAGE with less than half the tower sites. Gee, sounds like some insane technician might have been right about 400 Mhz communications ?

What does that mean ? In the month or two that I've lived here I don't believe that I've heard one police officer or fireman ( or EMT for that matter ) ask to have a transmission repeated.

NO MORE 10-9's or " PLEASE REPEAT ". Everyone hears everyone else.

It is a DAMN GOOD EMERGENCY RADIO SYSTEM and best of all, IT WORKS !!! If fact I heard one police car report that he just arrived in Pittsburgh. Nice coverage.

I can still listen to the Westmoreland County system up here thanks to GMAN's 24 hour rebroadcasting of the WC 911 system on the internet... but I do that rarely.

The Westmoreland County 911 radio signals are too weak to reach Butler County directly on my Bearcat or Radio Shack scanners, even with an outdoor antenna mounted 15 feet above the peak of my roof, that's why I use the broadband internet feed.

Westmoreland County got cheated in every way, poor equipment, very inept County Commissioners, and because of using 800 Mhz they have a poor signal. That means if a COP car is in pursuit of a vehicle heading into Butler County, they will lose all radio communications at the county line.

But then again, isn't that what I've been saying all along ?

IF YOU ARE A FIRST TIME READER OF THE BLAH-G and you live in Butler County, stop by and say hello on my website and drop me an email at webmaster@k3sam.com. I am going to design a website for the BUTLER CO. PUBLIC SAFETY very shortly, much like the one I already have for Westmoreland County's 911 system and since I do not know shit about the inter-workings of Butler Co.'s 911 I could use some help. ( visit Westmoreland Co.'s site @ http://800.k3sam.com )

While living in Westmoreland County (most of my life) I got to know many of the 911 dispatchers and department chiefs. That was a BIG advantage in writing the Blah-g. The information that I delivered to the readers was timely and actuate. Hell, I use to know exactly which towers were down and which ones were targeted for service. I hope someday I will know the inter workings of Butler County as well is I do Westmoreland.

In the meantime if I hear of any breaking news for EITHER county I will surely post it here, or at least I'll try... if I can... perhaps a bit late but better late then never... or at least I'll tell my German Shepard about it. ( He listens a lot better than the Westmoreland County Compissioners ever did ! ).

Happy Fourth Of July, Please Don't Drive and Drunk !!

DECODED,
K3SAM
Sam W. Jacobs
FCC Licensed Commercial Communications Engineer

WARNING - Please HELP Westmoreland County !

2007-05-14T14:31:00.000-04:00

IN 2007, DO NOT VOTE FOR TOM BALYA FOR WESTMORELAND COUNTY COMMISSIONER !

(Of course he is smiling !)

For too long BALYA has "acted" the role of a County Commissioner when in fact all he has done is WASTE our tax money and make Motorola RICH at our expense.

Because of Balya, we now have a radio system that puts each and every one of our first responders in HARMS WAY each and every day. For more information please read all of my back issues of "the Blah-g".

VOTE BALYA OUT !
He offers NOTHING. No Leadership, No Accountability and only BAD RESULTS.

Please note, I am NOT backing anyone in this race for Westmoreland County Commissioner... I am just WARNING YOU of more wasteful spending and NO Improvements with our 911 system.

USE YOUR HEAD - VOTE RESPONSIBLY !

Decoded,

K3SAM
"the Blah-ger"

These are the PROFESSIONAL views of
Sam W. Jacobs - Radio Communications Engineer
and Backed by years of insider information and absolute proof.

SYSTEM IS DOWN

2007-02-23T16:44:00.000-05:00

23 Feb 2007

911 is not receiving District 5 PD on any channels. All dispatches are being made by

CELL PHONE !

What a Wonderful Friggin' Billion Dollar Radio Cyst-em (System) our Compissioners have given us, you can call Tom Balya at the court house and thank him personally.

Decoded,
K3SAM
Sam W. Jacobs CET

NEW FILE

2007-02-12T17:10:00.000-05:00

Greetings !

Nothing has changed, unfortunately.

The ( 911 ) Westmoreland County Department of Emergency Management's 800 Mhz radio Cyst-em is still full of bugs, glitches and digital mumble and nobody cares... so why should I ?

Check out the new audio file I just posted, it's a winner ! < click here >
Plus a lot more BS at the bottom of the Audio Clips URL page... enjoy.

Regards,

K3SAM
The Blah-ger

http://800.k3sam.com

VOTE vote VOTE

2006-11-06T23:49:00.000-05:00

Blah-ger Pre-Election Alert:

A normal Blah-g is in the making however I would like to leave you with something for Tuesday, Election Day in Pennsylvania.

Just as it would be a sin to put Tom Balya back into a County Commissioner position of unchecked power (or any position of power at all !), it would also be a sin to re-elect John Murtha.

I will not list everyone who I think should or shouldn’t be in office, but that weasel is worth singling out.

Until the next Blah-g, one which I think will open everybody’s eyes… get out and vote Tuesday.

DECODED,

K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com – website
http://www.k3sam.com – the other website
news@k3sam.com – tips / comments

MATASON'S MARTYRS

2006-10-21T07:10:00.000-04:00

OPERATION
TURBAN
BLUNDER

Yeah Right !

This Blah-ger has witnessed a Million Dollar Blunder by Home Land Security and the Westmoreland County (PA) Department of Emergency Management. What a joke and farce ( READ: A Ridiculous Phony Situation ) that (is) was on County Wide Tac 12 of our Emergency Radio Cyst-Em during the weekend of October 20-22, 2006.

After I get my thoughts together along with some audio I will make a more in-depth posting on this Blah-g, for now though I can't stop laughing. This "event" was as thrilling as listening to the Pennsylvania Live Stock report on radio.

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN, for he didn’t do that well as the Thunder King !

Decoded,
K3SAM

Sam W. Jacobs, CET
Certified Electronics Engineer and Consultant

http://800.k3sam.com – web
news@k3sam.com – send your tips and comments to this Blah-ger
AUDIO CLIPS – click to listen

OPERATION URBAN BLUNDER, Countywide Fart ?

2006-10-16T14:44:00.000-04:00

Let’s get right to the point, this Blah-g was started to get Westmoreland County PA a better radio system than the 800 Mhz Crap the County Commissioners and 911 Directors were able to regurgitate. If this is the best they can do, a crappy Motorola system that no one can understand with transmissions being missed left and right and the other ones being severely garbled, we are really in deep shit.

I haven’t written about this Emergency Radio System for more than a few weeks because there isn’t anything new to tell, just the same old crap with system failures everywhere... until the other day when Talk Group 394 was activated !

TG 394 is for the Westmoreland County Transit Authority, another NON-EMERGENCY carrier now hogging up space on an all ready over crowded trunked EMERGENCY radio system.

Lets now count the WASTE that is cluttering the FIVE available frequencies being used with our EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RADIO CYST-EM:

County Courthouse Maintenance: non-emergency, could be handled with the old VHF radio system or a large pair of lungs.

County Parks Maintenance: non-emergency, could be handled with the old VHF system or bull horns.

County Road Maintenance: non-emergency, could be handled with the old VHF system or cell phones.

County Public Safety: non-emergency most of the time. Matason, Brammell, Tantlinger and Stevens Love their PIZZA, but Tantlinger, Inc. found out it’s not a tax write-off. For Pete Sake, they all carry Blackberry Boy Toys so they don’t need to hog up the 800 Mhz Radio Frequencies with their PIZZA orders ! Use the damn Blackberries !!

Weights and Measurements: non-emergency all of the time. They don’t need radios, they need another job.

Mutual Aid Ambulance Service: Even though this PRIVATE COMPANY does a fantastic service saving lives, they also run a SHUTTLE SERVICE for patients. That Shuttle Service is all non-emergency and should be confined to their 155.715 Mhz privately FCC issued frequency they are licensed to use. Damn Man, use the 800 Mhz system for emergencies… transfer Mrs. Rash via your own VHF frequency !

And now…

Westmoreland County Transhit Authority: non-emergency. Use morse code on the air horns ! How did they manage to communicate before this 800 Mhz system ? After all, the county has had buses running for years ! You should hear these guys on the emergency radio system, using it exactly like CB’s Good Buddy, Pedal to the Metal, and Catch Ya On The Flip Flop.

If you (Moe, Larry and Curly in the Court House) have to have the above services running on an 800 Mhz system, BUY ANOTHER ONE FOR THEM, but keep them off the emergency trafficking network set-up for the Police, Medics and Firemen.

They need this radio system, as bad as it is, to handle vehicle chases, license checks, heart attack victims, vehicle accidents, house fires, etc…

Our county is just throwing away money by the fist full, paying for stuff we don’t need and creating 911 positions that are not really needed, Right Chris ?

At least if we are going to put someone in a position of authority, make sure they are qualified !! Chris Tantlinger does not have the qualifications to be in the position given to him. He is only there because his WIFE is the SECRETARY to our wonderful COMMPISSIONER PHIL LIGHT. And they both live in the Ligonier Area.Talk about GIVING A JOB TO A FRIEND !!!

Next…

OPERATION GARBLED MICROPHONE was held this weekend in Ligonier with the Million Dollar Command Center in operation. Just about everyone was there looking important and a good bit of the actual important communications were held over NON 800 Mhz radios. Da ! Many a times I hear the command center say “Go to your VHF frequency and call … “.

All in all only 2 scratches were put on the command center and one cup of coffee was spilled. Not bad. Next time maybe they will take enough radios. Fort Ligonier Days was not handled any better than in the past. In the past they didn’t have any problems.

The point is, dragging out that BIG BUS was NOT NEEDED.

Looks pretty but what a Waste !

And then next…

Next weekend should be really fun !! I understand the BEACH BOYS might even be performing as Rock ‘N Roll Fatalities. Please Read The Following, and for what it’s worth, the name URBAN THUNDER was thought up by Richard Matason as he was entering 911’s Bathroom…
- - -

Planning Underway for “Urban Thunder” Exercise

The initial planning conference for Exercise Urban Thunder was held on March 15 in Founders Hall on the main campus of the Westmoreland County Community College in Youngwood.

The county’s Department of Public Safety briefed more than 80 persons, representing dozens of departments and agencies on the exercise goals and objectives, required training, and exercise budgetary issues. Urban Thunder is the most ambitious and complex exercise in a series of full-scale field exercises conducted by the Department of Public Safety since 2001 that includes Mallstrike 2001, Crimson Lion 2004, Kopper River 2004 and Twisted Rail 2005.

Urban Thunder will comprehensively exercise and evaluate the participating agencies’ and jurisdictions’ capability to manage and/or respond to an all-hazard disaster emergency that may include act of weapons of mass destruction terrorism. Urban Thunder is a multi-jurisdictional, multi-hazard exercise conducted in a no-inspection, no-fault, learning environment and will include participants from throughout the functional spectrum (incident command, fire, bomb squad, law enforcement, HazMat, EMS, dispatch, hospitals, coroner, public affairs, elected officials, emergency operations centers).

Departments, agencies and organizations that have submitted their exercise registrations and paperwork as the end of March include Murrysville Police Department, Lloydsville VFD, Washington Township Emergency Management, Smithton Borough Emergency Management, Torrance State Hospital, City of Johnstown IEOC, North Huntingdon Township Emergency Management, North Huntingdon Township Police Department, the Regional Joint Readiness Center/University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Allegheny Energy, Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Western Area, Hazardous Materials Team 800, the Westmoreland County Commissioners and numerous county departments and agencies. Exercise planners expect dozens of additional departments, agencies and organizations to be submitting their exercise registration and paperwork in the upcoming weeks.

The exercise will cover a 24-hour period, beginning at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, October 20, 2006, and ending at 12:00 noon on October 21. Exercise participants will select the type of exercise they wish to play (BLAH-Ger Note: Wish we could do that in real life, eh ?), the scenario they wish to use, the time period during which they want to play, and the capabilities/tasks/outcomes on which they wish to be evaluated. Exercise types include both basic and advanced tabletop exercise and operations-based drills, functional exercises and full-scale exercises. Exercise scenarios include a terrorist/WMD event; a HazMat event; emergency operations center operations; LEA task force operations; a bomb squad event; an urban search and rescue event; emergency relocation of government services; a severe weather event (tornado, flood, etc); a mass casualty incident; or a combination of any or all.

The County emergency operations center will operate continuously throughout the 24-hour exercise period. All participating agencies will pick a time period during which they intend to play. It may be as short as an hour, as long as 24 hours, or any time period in between. The capabilities that will be exercised and evaluated during Urban Thunder include the following:

• Onsite Incident Management
• Emergency Operations Center Management
• Public Safety and Security Response
• Firefighting Operations/Support
• Citizen Protection: Evacuation and/or In-Place Protection
• Law Enforcement Investigations and Operations
• Emergency Public Information and Warning
• Triage and Pre-hospital Treatment
• Mass Care (Sheltering, Feeding, Related Services)
• WMD/Hazardous Materials
• Response and Decontamination
• Restoration of Lifelines
• Continuity of Government

Training classes for the exercise will be conducted during the May to September timeframe. An exercise working group has been formed to do the planning and organizational tasks necessary to make the exercise a success.

This group will meet monthly at the county’s emergency operations center. Any department, agency or organization wishing to participate in the Urban Thunder program may request these forms by contacting Rich Matason at 724-600-7301 or by email at rmatason@co.westmoreland.pa.us. Exercise Urban Thunder is sponsored by the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety and the Region 13 Counter-Terrorism Task Force.

--------

New Emergency Management Committee Plans for Catastrophes

The hospitals of the Excela Health System in Westmoreland County – Westmoreland Regional, Latrobe and Frick – have joined with the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety and numerous emergency response organizations to form an emergency planning working group that will concentrate on hospital and emergency management response to a variety of potential scenarios.

Members of the Emergency Management Planning Committee include the Department of Public Safety, Excela Health System, the Westmoreland County MH/MR Program, the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army Western PA Emergency Disaster Services, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Department of Health-SWDistrict, the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department, the Greensburg Police Department, the Greensburg Emergency Management Agency, the Mount Pleasant Police Department, the Ligonier Valley Ambulance Service, Excela Health Mutual Aid EMS, and the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit.

The committee is currently working on developing a series of contingency plans for a variety of “large scale” to “catastrophic” events that would result in mass casualties. Contingency plans will be “tabletop” exercised as they are developed and, when validated, will become the operational plans for specific types of incidents/events. Among the scenarios to be developed in the near future will be a contingency plan for a pandemic flu outbreak in the county.
---------
Drill to prepare crews for the worst
By Rich Cholodofsky
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, October 16, 2006

Weapons of mass destruction will be discovered at the Westmoreland County Courthouse on Saturday during the largest disaster drill ever conducted in Westmoreland County, officials said.

Called "Urban Thunder," the two-day event will involve about 50 agencies and more than 700 participants to assess the county's ability to handle a major disaster.

"The goal is to get as many activities as possible at the same time to see how we respond to it," said Rich Matason, Westmoreland County's public safety director.

The drill is scheduled to begin at noon Friday, when law enforcement personnel are called out to handle a situation at Westmoreland County Community College near Youngwood.

While officials haven't disclosed the exact script for the drill, Matason said much of Friday's activities will involve emergency workers and public safety officials searching for the location of what is believed to be weapons of mass destruction somewhere in the county.

The courthouse will be open to the public as usual on Friday.
On Saturday, the scene shifts to Greensburg and the courthouse, where those weapons eventually will be discovered, Matason said.

Meanwhile, county emergency workers will have to deal with severe weather scenarios in the Ligonier and West Newton areas, and a law enforcement situation in Murrysville. Torrance State Hospital in Derry Township will hold its own drill and act as a shelter for the disaster.
Rescue workers, police, hospital workers and hazardous material crews throughout the county will be dispatched during the drill. Volunteers will be used as victims.

Matason said all aspects of a disaster will be acted out, included media coverage. Students from the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and Seton Hill University will pose as reporters covering the disaster, he said.
"It's a very ambitious exercise," Matason said.

--------------
(Blah-ger note: This document will not post properly on the Blah-g. If you would like a copy of the actual form used by 911, download it by clicking HERE.)

Exercise “Urban Thunder”
Public Safety Agency Participation Form

RETURN THIS FORM BEFORE YOU LEAVE

Name of Agency:______________________________________________________

Primary Contact for Exercise:________________________________________ Title:_____________________

Phone # ( ) ______________
Cell Phone # ( ) ______________
E-Mail _______________________________

Level of Participation Desired (indicate the levels in which you expect your Organization to participate)

_____ Pre-Exercise Training Sessions
_____ Specialty Equipment Drill
_____ Tabletop Exercise
_____ Full-scale Local Field Exercise
_____ Functional EOC Exercise

The chart below contains scenarios and a 24-Hour schedule for the Functional and Full-Scale Exercises to be conducted in “Urban Thunder”.

 To facilitate Exercise planning, please choose a maximum of three (3) scenarios in which your Agency may be interested in participating.

 Choose a timeframe ( 2 hour, 4 hour, 6 hour etc.) between 1200 Hours Friday, October 20, 2006 and 0800 Hours Saturday, October 21, 2006 for participation (1200-1600; 1600-2000; etc). There is also a potential scenario that will occur between 0800-1200 Friday, Oct. 20. Please list at least two (2) preferences.

 If your Agency wishes to be involved with another Agency or Agencies for the purposes of Exercising Mutual Aid Responses in accordance with local Emergency Response Plans, please indicate which Agency or Agencies, and in which jurisdiction you would like to conduct the local Field Exercise.

 For each scenario, the participating agency or agencies MUST assign a minimum of two (2) individuals who will serve as Exercise Staff Members (Evaluator, Controller, Liaison Officer). These individuals are required to participate in all training and planning sessions that may be required of their particular Exercise function. If an individual is not able to participate in all of these sessions, please do not assign them to those roles.

Scenario Scenario Choice
In Order of Preference (Maximum of 3)

Preferred Timeframe in Order of Preference
(Please choose 2)

Other Agency or Agencies You Wish to Directly Participate With If Multiple Agency Exercise, Name Hosting Municipality Local EOC Activation Only

Pre-Exercise Law Enforcement Tactical
(0800-1200 Friday, Oct. 20)
Field Hospital Activation (Tentative)
Bomb Squad / Explosive Device
Mass Casualty Incident
Scenario Scenario Choice
In Order of Preference (Maximum of 3)

Preferred Timeframe in Order of Preference
(Please choose 2)

Other Agency or Agencies You Wish to Directly Participate With If Multiple Agency Exercise, Name Hosting Municipality
HazMat
Law Enforcement Tactical
Radiation Response
Fire Suppression
Urban Search & Rescue (Tentative)
Continuity of Government (COG)

If there is a scenario in which your Agency would like to receiving training but is not listed above, please indicate that scenario, preferred timeframe and preferred location. The “Urban Thunder” Planning Staff will make every effort to accommodate your request if it can be added to the Master Scenario Events List.

OTHER

Thank you for your interest in “Urban Thunder”! The Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety looks forward to your involvement.

----------

OPERATION URBAN BLUNDER

This should be some JOKE, just like the others. For those involved please don’t mis-understand this Blah-ger. Your work for OUR COUNTY is greatly appreciated and in NO WAY is this Blah-ger putting YOU down.

The JOKE is with the EQUIPMENT you are given to work with, ie... the RADIO CYST-EM.

I sure hope the county invested another Billion Dollars in backup batteries for all those portable radios. If you want to see how we would really come out in an actual emergency, half of the people involved should take radios that are in need of charging, as they normally would be.

What the hell good is an exercise if everyone is given advanced notice. Think about it. When was the last time you had a month warning that you were going to be in an accident, plus given the details of your accident including where it was going to happen. Really swift Mr. M.

If the users of this crap would like a better radio system in the 400 Mhz range for example like you keep telling me in your emails, YOU have to speak up. Let your voice be heard !! Call the Westmoreland County Commpissioners, YELL AND SCREAM at them as they are hard of hearing...

I had better go before Moe, Larry and Curly try and revive Shemp.

DECODED,
K3SAM
Sam W. Jacobs, CET
Licensed Communications Consultant / Communications Specialist

http://800.k3sam.com – website
news@k3sam.com – tips / comments
www.k3sam.com/800/AudioClips.html - new clips added

Testing... Hello... Testing 1,2,4

2006-09-27T14:31:00.000-04:00

TESTING, TESTING !
Fire Dispatching... Testing !

Aren't we past that phase ?

The Westmoreland County 911 Emergency Radio Cyst-Em was put on line way to soon and they shouldn't need to do any testing !

911 is requested "signal" reports from services from all over the county and they are receiving POOR reports back.

HOW MANY TOWERS SITES ARE OUT TODAY ?

WHY CAN'T THE POLICE / EMS / FIRE COMPANIES HEAR YOU ?

TESTING...

Tom Balya's pet project has turned on him and the dispatchers, biting them in the ass.

Come on Mr. Matason, Please Mr. Brammell... pick up the BAT PHONE and call Staley Communications or The Dollar Store.

Tell them they need more string to go between the tin cans we are suppose to call Radios !!

I guess I'm going to have to come back out of my cave and start bitchin' again. I was really hoping for a miracle, replacing the Three Stooges at the courthouse, a new 911 director and assn't director and new equipment but I see nothing has changed except we now have Phil Light's secretary's husband ( Mr. T ) working at the 911 center.

WOW ! Too bad I don't have a wife who is a secretary for someone in the White House, I might be in charge of NORAD or something.

Time for the Blah-ger to make some phone calls in hopes of finishing the JOB of getting some GOOD COMMUNICATIONS for the county. Time for another visit from the Department of Homeland Security and Senator Regola !

This Fisher Priced crap is getting old real quick.

DECODED,
K3SAM
Sam W. Jacobs
FCC 1st Class Radio Engineer

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

NEW AUDIO CLIPS ADDED TO MY WEBSITE ! - click there

PI ei ei O... ei Oh

2006-09-17T02:50:00.000-04:00

Ok, I have been a busy beaver so I’m going to make this Blah-g pretty much cut and dry.

I’ve been busy with putting audio clips together for your listening pleasure, I know 911 is depending on these… at least most of the dispatchers download them. You would think that they could pull these clips right off their own digital recorders but at this point only two people have access to them.

At least with the new digital recording equipment and phone system being installed the 911 Center should have a quicker access time to all the info that is needed both DURING an emergency call and later for reference.

I managed to get 3 new clips posted in the last few days so go ahead and listen, download and / or save them, they are free to all.

http://www.k3sam.com/800/AudioClips.html - click on the link and see what you think !

Next thing…

Too many irons in the fire for Dan Stevens ! I guess you could say that he has had a promotion within ranks now becoming the “Voice of 911” as their Public Information Officer (PIO). Perhaps that’s why we have been seeing more and more of his mug on TV. I’m surprised my TV Set still works.

Back to the point. Not only does he have that title but he has been dragging around the title of “Addressing Coordinator” for years and he is in HEAP BIG TROUBLE as of late.

The fact is (notice I said FACT) that Dan Stevens is suppose to be working with all of Westmoreland County Fire Chiefs and the Supervisors, Mayors, Police Chiefs and the like to make sure we have correct information in the 911 CAD Addressing System (CAD – Computer Aided Dispatching). If that information isn’t right then the fire, police and EMS first responders don’t know where the hell to go. Kinda like it is now.

Well, the information in the mapping program that Dan Stevens is in charge of is all F*)K’ed up !! He is getting tons of calls from these Chiefs and Supervisors and he is REFUSING TO TAKE THEIR CALLS.

His voice mail box is full of unanswered calls and the other employees are sick and tired of covering for him. When the TCO’s (Dispatchers), 911 Management and Secretaries take down messages for DAN he is REFUSING TO CALL THEM BACK.

HELL DAN, FORGET ABOUT MAKING A RADIO SYSTEM WORK, YOU CAN’T EVEN MAKE A PHONE SYSTEM WORK !

Call these people back so they stop calling and emailing me (not that I mind hearing from our fine first responders, but I would rather hear about other stuff… Lately it’s all been about DAN !).

Dan has one helper in his department, and she does a DAMN GOOD JOB however she can only take down the information, make sure it’s correct, then double check it for accuracy. SHE CANNOT MAKE THE COMPUTER CHANGES, ONLY DANNY CANNY !

This doesn’t seem right to me as she is DOING DAN’S JOB for him… might as well let Debby finish the job Dan can’t find time to do. ( You Go Girl ! )

Then, some more …

Again I find myself between a rock and a hard place. I have in my internal hard drive (brain) some information about someone inside 911. This is information that should be made public however I cannot say anything because that would “burn” my source. So hopefully look for some interesting news soon, perhaps someone else will expose this.

Lastly I just want to thank everyone again for the phone calls and emails. If it wasn’t for your tips I wouldn’t have anything to write about and the residents of Westmoreland County Pennsylvania would not be informed.

Keep in mind that just because I’m not writing about T1 phone lines and tower sites going down doesn’t mean they aren’t. This has to be THE MOST UNRELIABLE RADIO CRAP I’ve ever seen and nothing is going to change, so why write about it all the time.

DECODED,
K3SAM
Sam W. Jacobs - FCC License Radio Engineer

Thought for the day:
It is nice to be copied. It is a wonderful form of flattery. However copies are copies... always rely on the original.

http://800.k3sam.com – official website for 911 info
news@k3sam.com – send in those juicy tips, just make sure they are true and correct as I double check them all !
www.k3sam.com/800/AudioClips.html - Link to the Audio Clips

A Buoy named SUE !

2006-09-08T16:13:00.000-04:00

It is only a matter of time... MARK, my words (not yours).
----------------------------------------------------------
Firefighters' families file suit

The lawsuits allege that Motorola's faulty radios led to two deaths in a basement marijuana farm.
By Julie Shaw
Inquirer Staff Writer

The families of two firefighters who died after being trapped in a smoky fire in a Port Richmond basement where a man had been growing marijuana have sued Motorola Inc., claiming the company's faulty radio equipment led to the deaths.

Two civil lawsuits, filed in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, each seek more than $50,000 jointly or separately from Motorola, another communications company and Daniel Brough - the man who had set up the pot farm. The suits also seek a jury trial.

Philadelphia Fire Department Capt. John Taylor, 53, of Northeast Philadelphia, and firefighter Rey Rubio, 42, of North Philadelphia, both died of asphyxiation in Brough's basement on the 3600 block of Belgrade Street while responding to an Aug. 20, 2004, fire.

The lawsuits, filed on behalf of Charlene Taylor, Taylor's wife, and Amelia Hyden, Rubio's daughter, contend that "the malfunctioning Motorola radio system prevented Capt. Taylor from communicating with other firefighters while he was in the basement" to let them know that he and Rubio needed assistance.

Taylor's repeated attempts to use his radio to signal for help were not heard by firefighters outside, the lawsuits say. Meanwhile, in the burning basement, Rubio, then Taylor, collapsed on the floor after each of their air supply packs ran out.

"Both men suffered agonizing and horrible deaths from asphyxiation, before they could be rescued," the lawsuits say.

Taylor's radio was part of the city's new $62 million emergency communications system, purchased from Motorola, for use by the police and fire departments.

Installed in 2002, the digital radios became the source of numerous complaints, many from firefighters whose calls were blocked by busy signals.

A Philadelphia Fire Department spokesman yesterday said he would not comment on the lawsuits because of the pending litigation.

Spokesmen for Illinois-based Motorola and Wireless Communications and Electronics Inc. of Philadelphia, a codefendant in the lawsuits, also said yesterday they had no comment because of the pending litigation.

At Brough's criminal trial last year, the prosecution contended that the fire was caused by the intense heat from the 1,000-watt lamps Brough used to grow marijuana plants in a small plywood basement closet.

Brough, 37, was convicted of two counts of involuntary manslaughter and other offenses and sentenced in December to 15 months to four years in prison. He is currently serving his time at the State Regional Correctional Facility in Mercer.
---------------------------------
MY QUESTION IS,
HOW SOON UNTIL WE SUE ?
CLASS ACTION ??

Decoded,
K3SAM
Sam W. Jacobs
Government Licensed 1st Class Communications Engineer

[BLAH-GER NOTE] Please see the earlier POST on this BLAH-G which included a letter to the Blah-ger by Rillton Fire Station 14 Fire Police Officer Joe Minkel concerning these same issues. I have been warning you for over a year now that it is just a matter of time unfortunately until we (GOD FORBID) lose one of our own ! My sourses say that we have already lost 8 EMS Patients due to poor radio communications and mapping problems ! [end NOTE]

http://800.k3sam.com - website
news@k3sam.com - dispatcher's comments / firemen, chief's comments welcome / policemen, chief's information wanted / EMS and IRP EMT, Director's Comments appreciated / 911 Supervisor's INSIDE INFO needed / Staley Technician comments welcome also !

2006-09-08T04:59:00.000-04:00

I am taking a break from castrating Matason, Brammell, The Three Stooges (Tom Balya and his two cronies Tom Two and Phil Light), Stevens and now adding a Light on, Tantlinger Lite.

A large number of people read my Blah-gs so I thought I’d throw up (geeesh) a personal note and see if it gets to the proper person. It is only going to mean something to ONE person because the rest of you weren’t there. Besides, if the following doesn't make sense to you then you can tell your friends. Perhaps someone else will understand it !
- - - - - - - - * - - - - - - - -

To the person that had to help drive the last few miles to the Poconos
The same person that was baptized into Christ in Greensburg
You were the magnet, I was the steel
The ’56 Chevy
The laundry chute and
Yes, same person who might remember some wild sex on New Years Eve back in the‘70’s

Is this meant for you ?

So it is written:

If you LOVE someone
You MUST let them go free
If they come BACK to you
Then they are yours FOREVER
If they don’t
They NEVER were…

Were you ?

CLICK HERE IF THIS WAS MEANT FOR YOU… SEND ME AN EMAIL
Otherwise… tell your friends. Will that mystery person see this ?
- - - - - - - - - - - -
I’m not starting a dating service here, however if you would like something like this posted here for yourself, perhaps directed towards a long lost love… just let me know.
NORMAL BLAH-GS TO RESUME SHORTLY...

Mo Money... 10-4 !

2006-09-07T15:09:00.000-04:00

Good Afternoon. I believe the following will interest all of the Blah-g's readers... so I will get right tuit !
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Overtime -- and then some

By Rich Cholodofsky
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, September 5, 2006

Michael Kalp, a 911 dispatcher with a salary of about $33,000 a year, is among the highest paid Westmoreland County employees.

That's because Kalp nearly tripled his salary last year by working overtime, earning almost $90,000 in base pay and overtime, according to a Tribune-Review analysis of county payroll records.

And Kalp is not alone. Dispatchers in the 911 center, nurses at Westmoreland Manor and guards at the county jail over the last three years have collected more than $6.1 million in overtime since 1994.

Last year, Kalp earned more than his boss, Public Safety Director Rich Matason. With his overtime, he collected more than each of the three county commissioners, who earn about $60,000 a year.

Only three county workers -- District Attorney John Peck, Chief Detective Michael Brajdich and Computer Information Systems Director Phil Svesnik -- earned more than Kalp in 2005.

Timothy O'Donnell has worked as a dispatcher for the last six years. The 54-year-old husband and father of three from Hempfield Township said he relies on overtime to pay his bills.

O'Donnell nearly doubled his $28,000 salary and last year pulled down more than $23,000 in overtime. He estimated he worked more than 1,200 extra hours last year.

"You do it to make a living. You can't survive on what the county pays you for a straight shift. I'm married, my wife doesn't work and I have three kids. I couldn't pay the mortgage without overtime," O'Donnell said.

In all, the county's overtime budget has steadily grown each of the last three years and is expected to top $3 million by the end of this year.

Since 2004, county taxpayers have spent more than $7.6 million in overtime payments to workers, a figure that reflects 2 mills of property taxes for each average homeowner. That translates to about $40 per county taxpayer.

It's a necessary and unavoidable expense, county officials say.

"Unfortunately, we have a lot of 24-hour-a-day operations around here," said Commissioner Tom Balya. "We can't leave posts unmanned, especially at 911, the prison and the nursing home. It just doesn't work that way."

Those three departments account for 81 percent of the county's overtime.
Department heads insist that overtime has become the only available method to ensure the vital functions of the county government are fully manned at all times.

Matason said he requires a full complement of 52 dispatchers to man 10-person shifts around the clock. For the last year, he has averaged just 46 dispatchers on the payroll.

"We have to maintain a certain level of staffing. It's just a matter of feeding the requirement," Matason said.

Training classes were conducted earlier this year, and more dispatchers are expected to be on the job by the end of 2006, he said.

Nursing shortages have plagued the Manor for the last several years. So much so that administrators have waived residency requirements for nurses to help new recruits.

Last month, the county officials authorized the Manor to contract with an outside agency to provide temporary nurses to ease the overtime burden on existing staff.

The Manor topped the list over the last two-and-a-half years in overtime expenses, at more than $3.3 million.

Overtime also has been increasing at the prison, where Warden John Walton attributed the growing employee costs to sick leave and holidays, leaving gaps in staffing levels that require some guards to work overtime.

"Certain individuals here will work it every time you call them. For a lot of guys with kids in college, it's a good thing. They need the money," Walton said. "It's not feasible to cut overtime."

County officials also appear in no hurry to curtail overtime costs, saying it is just the cost of running around-the-clock services.

"I'm never comfortable with overtime, but a reasonable expectation is that our managers are looking at personnel costs. I'm sure we have not been ignoring it," said Commissioner Phil Light.

Light said that in many cases it is cheaper for the county to just pay overtime than put on additional staff, for which health benefits and payments into the pension plan would increase the county's costs.

And for employees such as O'Donnell, overtime is a necessary tradeoff to avoid financial hardship and making ends meet.

"My family and home life suffers because I work most of my scheduled days off, and I work many 15-hour shifts. It doesn't allow you to have an outside social life," O'Donnell said.

- - - - - - - - - - - -
I only have twenty seven comments concerning the above article but I will limit it to just one.

"WOW"

In other news...

A while back I wrote that Bill Reese was going to be hired by the county to replace Bob Ceroni, 911's Deputy Director. Bill is more than qualified to hold any position at OUR 911 Center including Matason's Director Position however the Blah-ger has learned that when it came time to replace the retiring Ceroni, 911 bypassed Bill's very qualifing resume to hire Compissioner Phil Light's secretary's husband !

HOLY MONKEY PITS, talk about keeping it in the family !

Chris Tantlinger, who lives in the same area as Phil Light and who has no experience in running a 911 center, nor has any experience with HAZMAT was basically handed this job that Bill Reese should have gotten. It's that enough to make you throw up your lunch ?

( Prior to writing this article I spoke to two fire chiefs and a reporter concerning Tantlinger's qualifications. I placed a call into the 911 center for comments however it was not returned... lol, did you think it would be ? )

Like I said a long time ago, it's not WHAT you know, it's WHO you know !

That is scary... because if Terry Marolt were alive today, I would probably be the 911 Director ! Geeeesh !!

DECODED,
K3SAM
Sam W. Jacobs CET
Certified Electronic Technician and Chief Blah-ger

http://800.k3sam.com - website
news@k3sam.com - comments and other junk
911 Audio Clips are at www.k3sam.com/800/AudioClips.html

Congratulations !

2006-09-04T17:33:00.000-04:00

CONGRATULATIONS to the County Parks Police and Maintenance and Mutual Aid Ambulance Service for HOGGING UP the entire 800 Mhz Emegency Radio Cyst-Em with useless and / or non-emergency information.

I'm sorry but parking cars, cleaning up dog crap and picking up scheduled patients at Dr. Fungus's office are NOT WORTHY of being broadcast on this radio Cyst-Em.

Fire, EMS and Police Departments are trying to use the EMERGENCY RADIO SYSTEM and they cannot when you have it tied up.

I guess we should just be glad there isn't an emergency on the scales in the county being off by an ounce or we would have the entire Weights and Measurement team out there !! Oops, I think Danny just gained a pound !

DECODED,
K3SAM

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

A NEWS STORY and NEW AUDIO CLIPS !

2006-08-30T23:16:00.000-04:00

QUESTION ? (and my faithful readers will know the answer)

WHO AT 911 IS IN CHARGE OF ADDRESSING ?
In other words, when you call 911, a map is displayed to the call taker and dispatchers at 911 of your home or business location so the proper first responders can be dispatched. SOMEONE has to put all that information together. That job is called "Addressing". It is also a high paying job !

When you do not have a valid address, like RR5, then 911 has to assign you a new address like "911 Sohelpme Drive". That is called "Readdressing" and the job is handled by the same person.

So again, WHO AT 911 IS IN CHARGE OF ADDRESSING ?

Of course, the Blah-gers FAVORITE CLOWN,
DAN STEVENS...

Now, Read on.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Agency: 911 readdressing led to errant tax bills

By David Hunt
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Address changes to help dispatch emergency crews were the reason for a mix-up that led a tax-collection agency to seek thousands of dollars from Salem Township residents, the agency said.

Keystone Municipal Collections, of Irwin, sent notice to nearly 1,800 Salem residents last week that they owed Greensburg city wage taxes from 2003. The confusion caused a flurry of phone calls during tax collector Becky Maruca's normally slow season.

"It's been a nightmare," Maruca said. "We've had quite a few people calling. ... People were saying, 'Where am I going to get the money? I already paid this.' Some people were really irate. I would be upset."

Greensburg wage taxes are levied on city residents. Salem residents pay wage taxes to the township. Keystone issued a statement on Tuesday saying that some Salem names crept into the Greensburg database because of the county's 911 readdressing project.

County officials have been working since 1998 to change unnamed streets, rural-delivery routes and duplicated road names in an effort to correctly dispatch police, paramedics and firefighters to emergencies. Because Salem Township has a Greensburg mailing address, the new addresses were considered city addresses when they were placed in the tax collector database.

"A computer is only as good as the people using it," said township Supervisor Ron Martz, who was angry after receiving a faulty delinquent tax notice for $1,200. "It's not just the 911. This happened once before. Someone put the wrong information in the computer."

Martz said a similar problem occurred several years ago when Salem's rural delivery routes were given street names.

Keystone officials say Salem residents should ignore the recent mailing for Greensburg wage taxes. Martz said he hopes there are no repercussions.

"It's an old debt. If that screws up your credit, that could be a mess," Martz said.
Keystone asks residents with questions about the mailing to call 724-552-0150.

- - - - - - - - - - -
NO REPERCUSSIONS ? ! ? If the addressing (or readdressing) is screwed up for TAXES then they are SCREWED UP for the DIRECTIONS to your home or business. Same system. Dial 911 at your own risk !

Next Topic:

Normally when I write the Blah-g, I usually get between 5 and 20 emails thanking me for such a good job of staying on top of our 911 system. I just want to personally thank you for all the nice emails received, and also all the kind words that came during the passing of my Dad.

It's funny, even at the age of 88, even my Dad knew 911's communications system was screwed up... however he didn't use quite those words.

To that end...

DECODED,
K3SAM
Sam W. Jacobs - Chief Bottle Washer and Licensed Technician

FLASH - NEW AUDIO CLIPS POSTED ! CLICK HERE
http://800.k3sam.com - website
news@k3sam.com - tips / comments / hot leads

TOWERS DOWN - MANAGEMENT SLEEPING !

2006-08-26T04:19:00.000-04:00

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 ?
- - - - - - - -
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.
- - - - - - -
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 !

YOUR THOUGHTS...

2006-08-21T21:39:00.000-04:00

Blah-ger Note: Email From Someone NOT Afraid To Stand Up And Tell The County To Get Things Repaired. Note, the letter is signed !
--------------------

Dear Blah-ger,

I am a station 14 firefighter for Westmoreland county. Station 14 is Rillton VFD. My chief was one of the first contacted tonight when 911 notified us that the North Huntingdon dispatch tower (and others, by what I’m hearing) is down and that we will not have our tones activated by 911.

I see this as a serious problem. Since that time, I have heard MANY MANY MANY other fire chiefs told to contact 911 because of towers being down (I presume). I have also heard on the hempfield fire operations channel from chief 61 that they will have to have one of their own personnel on stand-by ALL NIGHT to listen for calls and activate their pagers from their OWN station.

My Brother is a firefighter at Station 8, Circleville VFD. He informed me of what I already knew. North Huntingdon Police are dispatching the fire departments in that township for the time being. I presumed this already because I had heard, and I quote, “North Huntingdon Dispatch to station 8, did your siren and minitors activate?”

I hope this issue can be resolved promptly and accurately. If not, I feel that major incidents will have major consequences, especially for major fires and major car wrecks. Lives could be at stake, and this needs to be solved NOW!!!

-Joe Minkel
-Fire Police 14-3
-A.K.A. “Down In Flames”
--------------------------------------
Blah-ger Note: Thanks Joe for the "signed" Letter. More people need to do this to WAKE 911 Management Up !

Decoded,
K3SAM
Sam W. Jacobs - Certified Electronics Engineer License #PA-291

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

FLASH FLASH FLASH this 911

2006-08-21T21:01:00.000-04:00

911 is down and crippled !

OVER HALF OF WESTMORELAND CO. IS DOWN DUE TO THEIR 800 Mhz RADIO SYSTEM. Tune to Hempfield Fire, 154.355 for some nice comments !

REPEATING:

911 IS DOWN !

MULTIPLE TOWER SITES, DOWN.
T1 PHONE LINES, DOWN.
AMBULANCE SERVICES CANNOT BE DISPATCHED.
FIRE COMPANY'S SIRENS CANNOT BE ACTIVATED.

GOD HELP US !

Who the F*)K IS in charge ? THEY MUST BE SLEEPING or FISHING !

NOT ONE CALL INTO RADIO MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN MADE.

DAMN !!!!

This information is both first hand (myself recording) and second hand from DISPATCHERS !

Hempfield Fire is even talking about dispatching their own services all night. ALL STATIONS WOULD BE ADVISED TO HAVE SOMEONE STAY THERE ALL NIGHT WHILE 911 IS DOWN, AGAIN !

DOES SOMEONE ELSE HAVE TO DIE FOR 911 MANAGEMENT TO GET OFF OF THEIR ASSES AND DO SOMETHING ?

Decoded,
K3SAM
Sam W. Jacobs - Retired Radio Maintenance Engineer
http://800.k3sam.com - website
news@k3sam.com - tips / news

2006-08-17T10:53:00.000-04:00

Good Morning.

It has been a while since I posted anything to the Blah-g and there are two good reasons for that, at least in my official Blah-ger opinion.

The first reason was the passing of my Father. Those that know me know of my bond that I had with my Father and his passing has had a very pronounced effect on my life. I also lost my Mother 11 months and 17 days prior to losing my Father, so both going in one year is a lot to handle, but handle we shall.

I would like to thank all those that sent me cards, emails and especially those that came to the funeral home to pay their respects to my Father. I will say one thing, as much as I put Staley Communications down for different reasons ( this is not the time to reflect ), two employees of Staley Communications came to the funeral home and met with me during this sad time. A special thanks also to Dan Stevens from 911 for not coming.

Ok, the second reason for not posting to the Blah-g in the last few weeks… Not A Damn Thing Has Changed !

That is sad.

I was listening to a district 4 police officer in a marked car (lights/sirens/emblems on the car) yesterday who was following a DUI driver but couldn’t pull him over because he was out of his jurisdiction. Wait a minute, a cop is a cop, right ? Anyhow, according to 911 Management the whole idea behind this NEW Piece of Crap 800 Meggy Hurts radio system is INTER-OPERABILITY. This district 4 car was attempting to get in touch with a State Police car and was unable to. 911 had to do the relays from OVER THE PHONE.

PRIOR TO INSTALLING THIS FRIGGIN’ Miracle Radio Cyst-Em, that same district 4 police officer would have been able to communicate directly with the state police cars. Now they can’t. IS THAT A STEP FORWARD or do you wear your underwear inside out ?

That district 4 car followed the DUI driver for almost 10 miles as he was weaving in and out of traffic before a state police car could stop it. That was a 10 mile CHANCE of the DUI driver killing someone. With permission, the district 4 car could have stopped the DUI driver 10 miles back instead of putting Mothers and Fathers and their kids at risk. Interoperability my ass.

GREAT RADIO SYSTEM MR. MATASON, NICE JOB MARK BRAMMELL.

Also I just finished reading Mark Brammell’s updated Q & A section on the official 911 website and I couldn’t stop laughing. One of the questions was “Will 800 MHz work in this area” and his reply was something to the effect of “Yes if…”. There was a lot of if’s listed and each one takes the reliability of the system down. He also stated that it was the BEST choice for us because we already had ten (10) 800 Mhz frequencies that belonged to us. What he failed to mention was that we are only using FIVE (5) of those frequencies. Ha Ha Ha ! Just because he might own 10 junk cars is that the best choice for selecting a county vehicle ?

The last laugh will be on the county residents when someone is smart enough to file a lawsuit against the 911 Management and MoodyRolla.

If you have found this website by doing a Google for the 800 Mhz system, and you have had a loved one DIE or even have had a slow response to a fire at your home or business, ANYTHING dealing with the response time of Ambulance / Police and / or Fire Departments feel free to contact me.

Chances are the mapping system for your area is screwed up ( a Dan Stevens project ) or your location falls in one of those dreaded DEAD SPOT areas ( a Mark Brammell – Dick Matason Production ).

Besides that I have one more email that I would like to post for you to read, it’s a dilly however I have yet to receive permission from the author to do so. Should I receive the ok to post, I’ll add it to my next Blah-g. Remember, you can feel safe sending me critical and sensitive material, you are always Anonymous to others although I need to know who you are to verify events, news@k3sam.com.

Keep checking my website for new audio clips and until next time or when the 911 Management Changes... ( wishing )

DECODED,
K3SAM
The Blah-ger
Sam W. Jacobs

PS: Should you see Judi Jacobs today wish her a Happy 39th Birthday !

http://800.k3sam.com – web sight
news@k3sam.com – tips / news / comments
CLICK HERE FOR THE AUDIO CLIPS

SPECIAL EDITION

2006-08-07T19:25:00.000-04:00

SPECIAL EDITION
Obituary Notice

Samuel L. “Sammy” Jacobs
Former Latrobe Clothing Store Co-Owner

Samuel L. “ Sammy “ Jacobs, 88, of Latrobe, the oldest active tailor in Westmoreland County, died Saturday, Aug 5, 2006 in Excela Health Latrobe Hospital.

He was born Feb. 13, 1918 in Mount Pleasant , a son of the late Jabur and Faye (Ghantous) Jacobs.

Mr. Jacobs, working out of his residence in Latrobe was still very active in clothes alterations for his repeat customers and flag restoration for the American Legion, VFW and other organizations. He was extremely proud of working with and restoring the U.S. flags for different veterans associations.

He moved to Latrobe to work for Kennametal Inc. of Latrobe, where he was responsible for inventing many carbon-based tools that are in use today by the mining industry. He later left Kennametal to join the family business.

Sammy, as called by his numerous friends, was former co-owner of the J. Jacobs’ clothing store in Latrobe with his father, Jabur, his two brothers, Ernest and John, and his sister Genevieve “Gen”, where he learned his alteration skills. They had two stores located on Ligonier Street and on store in Mount Pleasant.

After Latrobe’s downtown renovation, his store was purchased by the borough, and he consolidated his store located across from the library in downtown Latrobe. After the death of his father, Jabur, and brother John, he and his sister Gen ran the business for many years, serving the Westmoreland County residents and providing uniforms for nurses, the many school districts and clubs in the area.

He was a graduate of Ramsay High School in Mount Pleasant and was a life member of the Tony Angelo FOE Aerie 01188 in Latrobe.

Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his wife Coral Atkins Jacobs, two sons, Robert T. and David R. Jacobs, a brother, John Jacobs, and tow sisters, Ida Yesbak and Betty Donnelly.

He is survived by three sons, John A. Jacobs and wife, Elaine, Daniel J. Jacobs and Sam W. Jacobs, all of Latrobe, a brother Ernest Jacobs of Mount Pleasant; a sister, Genevieve “ Gen “ Sopcisak of Latrobe; six grandchildren, Scott A. Jacobs, Jodi L. Groba, Mathew C. Jacobs, Jennifer Alexander, Michael Jacobs and Mark Jacobs, two great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

His sons would personally like to thank his nieces Nancy Betz and her daughter Tina Girt and Phyllis Sheehy for making his last days comfortable.

Family and friends will be received 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 PM Tuesday in John J. Lopatich Funeral Home Inc., 601 Weldon Street, Latrobe.

Services and interment are private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Latrobe Volunteer Fire Department Communications Fund, 1 Main Street, Latrobe, Pa. 15650

Shame.. Shame.. Sham ... !!!

2006-08-01T18:54:00.000-04:00

Radio Towers Down
911 Testing All Day
Sirens Not Going Off

Isn't this Radio Cyst-Em Wonderfuk Commpissioner Balya... ? What's The Matter With The Other Two Commpissioners, Can't They Vote... Override... Or Order A Working Radio System ?

As I Type This, Fire Pagers Not Working and Sirens Failing (18:55 Hours 01 Aug 2006)

Oh How I Remember When Things Were Simple.

Before Big Contracts When ONLY Motorola Could Bid On A Radio System And One Would Think... Big Kick-backs !

NO INTEROPERABILITY WITHIN THIS DAMN COUNTY. Today It Took EMS Over 5 Minutes To Get A Message To A Fire Department Using 911 As A Relay... What The F*#K Happened To County-Wide TAC Channels ?

DAMN !

DECODED,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com - website
news@k3sam.com - email
CLICK HERE to listen to real 911 audio clips !

New Audio Clips For The Taking...

2006-07-25T11:35:00.000-04:00

Good Morning to all the Blah-g readers !

I don’t know how many of you are “ care takers “ however I would like to say God Bless You !

These last few weeks have been very trying for this writer as I am now Care Taker of my 88 year old Father whom I love dearly. Being new to the world of Care Taking, most of my days and nights are devoted to caring for him and even though these are trying times they are also very rewarding times too. I am almost always in ear shot of one of my scanners and I could write about so many things that are going banans with our Emergency Communications Cyst-Em, the Blah-g now has to take a back seat.

I was able to put together a few new audio clips for you and they can be found on my website… so please check them out. I also received an email worth posting and with the email authors permission I am going to post it at the end of this short Blah-g.

I now have two more Westmoreland County Dispatchers emailing me and I want to express my thanks to them… they know who they are, and with the information that I am now receiving from them along with the information from the other dispatchers who have been sending me emails for the last year or so I am really being kept informed !

I have to be careful about what I print here in the Blah-g because I do not want the mafia style bosses at the 911 Center to find out who my informes are. I know soooo much about 911 and the management and can only print so little. Damn that picces me off !

Now and then though someone who is not a dispatcher will send me an email that exposes some of the problems 911 has and with that persons permission I will publish the info. Just like the email I'm about to post is stuff that I've known about however couldn't post until it was confirmed by a third party.

EXAMPLE: If a dispatcher emails me and tells me that the EMS ( ambulance) Desk’s communications stopped working for two hours at 5PM and they could not talk to any of the medics… I couldn’t write about that because R. Matason and M. Brammell would know that it was the EMS Dispatcher that emailed me. However if a Medic would email me with the same info and give me permission to use his email, then I could report it.

Am I making sense ? I only get about five hours of sleep a WEEK now... it's hard to think and write at the movie theater, ya know. But the popcorn is sure good !

But if it’s something as simple as the MAIN GATE at 911 being broken then I can write about it because it could have come from anyone at 911, or even the pizza or beer delivery man.

Just the things I KNOW ABOUT DAN that I haven’t published would probably get him fired in a heart beat !

Then there is Richard Matason. He has me stumped. I’m still wondering how he got his job. His last Harrisburg trip that we paid for was suppose to be for “learning”. The only thing he learned was how to use his new Blackberry ! I can say that because I have witnesses that sat and watched him. During critical classes he attended all the others were taking notes, he was entering phone numbers in his Blackberry !… zzzzz

IMO, Mark Brammell is another wild bird. I think he could do a good job if he wouldn’t PLAY UP TO the commissioners, he just might be a good Assistant Director if he would do the things he is suppose to and use his own brain instead of relying on others. For example, each and every FIRE RADIO is suppose to have SIMPLEX FIRE TAC CHANNELS however he insists on making them DUPLEX… in English, instead of talk-around like they are suppose to be they are Trucked through the repeater system. That is a NO NO. If the repeater goes down then all communcations at the fire grounds are lost, gone, finished, KAPUT !!!

And who is in charge of having everything go through those DAMN PHONE LINES ? That’s also a NO NO. If Joe Tech decides to run a FULL system test which would include the dedicated 911 lines... ALL 911 COMMUNCATIONS ARE LOST for the whole county !

These are things NOT APPROVED by the Department of Homeland Security AND NFPA. If I were the director of our Department of Public Safety, THINGS WOULD CHANGE ! In fact, if I were director the first thing I would do is HIRE A GOOD DIRECTOR, then step down or become 911’s technical advisor.

Of course I would replace myself with someone qualifed to run our county ! I'm not qualified, nor are the people that are there now ! I am qualified on how to set up and properly maintain the radio system, something Westmoreland County lacks now. Damn, there I go blabbering again...

WE ARE IN SERIOUS NEED OF GOOD 911 DIRECTORS !

Well again I am repeating myself. If you are new to my Blah-g, please go back and read the previous posts and catch up ! There is a YEAR of reading to go back on, download them all and make a book !

Well, as promised, here is the email I received. The only thing edited out was the authors name and his EMS station affiliation.
= = = =
I didn't know if you heard about the counties new policies for EMS. In a memo we received from Sandy Smithe on all MVA's (Blah-ger Note: MVA = Motor Vehicle Accident) EMS is to request a County Wide Tac channel. Also for Fire Stand-by's we are to monitor the FD TAC channel, but as you are aware those cheap XTS1500 radio's that the county gave everyone we aren't able to listen to the FD TAC channels so I guess instead of being at the actual scene we are suppose to stay inside our rigs and listen to the FD TAC channel as well as our EMS Tac channel. And 2 days after the memo was issued to the EMS departments we had 2 MVA's and both times when asked for a County Wide channel the dispatchers seemed like they had absolutely no clue what we were talking about (Imagine that). Oh well, and if you have noticed listening to this BS with the new response levels Omega-Echo I think 911 has one of those carnival wheels that they spin to see what the call is because they send diabetic emergencies and other ALS responses as Alpha calls and vehicle accidents with unknown injuries are per protocol a Bravo response (non-emergency). And now county seems to think they run EMS services when the call should have a paramedic on-board sometimes they aren't always available to respond and you have to run the call with 2 EMT's but county wants to question us about what we are doing. Last time I checked they were suppose to dispatch not be the law of EMS like they are trying to become.
= = = =
This is absolutely NOT a made up email, it is from an honest to God EMT who cares enough about saving lives that they took the time out to share their thoughts with me.

911 is so screwed up that sometimes I wonder why they aren’t playing music over that damn radio system and dispatching all of there emergency calls by messenger pigeon. Ah, stupid me. They wouldn’t play music over the 800 Mhz system because the quality would be so poor, it wouldn’t be in stereo and there would be so many DEAD SPOTS that only 50% of the county would be able to receive it.

Lets see, if we did convert that 911 radio Cyst-Em into a Music Station we could have the following line-up:

Brammel’s BeBop from 6 to 10 AM
Matason’s Melodies from 10 AM to Noon
Fleming and Steven’s Swap and Shop from Noon until 8 PM
Pat and Glenn’s Polka Show from 8 PM to Midnight
Tony and Ed’s Underground Sound from Midnight to 3 AM
Clayton and Sally’s Cooking By Numbers from 3 to 5 AM
From 5 AM until 6 AM Staley Communications would have to come in and jump start all the towers that have gone down during the previous 24 hours. During that time Elevator Music would be heard hosted by Joe Poinski, Motorola’s Polka Man.

HEY, I MIGHT BE ON TO SOMETHING HERE!

Ok, the main reason for the Blah-g this morning was to share that email with you and to let you know there are NEW AUDIO CLIPS now on my website ! One audio clip is so small that even dial up customers can listen to it and it happens to be the BEST audio clip I’ve managed to CAPTURE so far !

BREAKING NEWS:

Last night there was a fire at my old house in Derry. Why is that important ? Well, that house is now the residence of (Millwood - Station 92) Eastern Derry Township's Fire Chief !!! There was a fire in one of the Bedrooms and he managed to put the fire out but not before receiving major burns to his face and back. Life-flight flew him to the Pittsburgh Burn Center. The Blah-g wishes him a very speedy recovery.

BREAKING NEWS:

Ligonier and Ligonier Twp Police Departments are getting their Mobile Data Terminals programmed and installed in their police cars today. (MDT as they are commonly called,to allows the police to look up information on their own without waking up Management at 911)

I hope it’s not “what’s his name” from Staley Communications that installs it. The last installation I saw him do, the microphone was connected backwards. Anyhow, that area is so full of DEAD SPOTS I’ll be surprised if it works at all. Perhaps if Motorola loads Donkey Kong on it they will have something to do in their spare time.

BROKEN NEWS:

911.

Until the next Super Duper Pooper Scooper Blah-g…
DECODED,

K3SAM
Sam W. Jacobs CET

http://800.k3sam.com – website for all your grocery needs
news@k3sam.com – regular tips what-ever email address

PLEASE CHECK OUT MY AUDIO CLIPS OR I’LL SICK GOMER ON YOU !

MAP THIS !

2006-07-16T03:30:00.000-04:00

Good Morning Blah-gees !

Your Blah-ger has been very very busy behind the scenes although you wouldn’t know it by reading the Blah-g… it has been over a week since I made a posting here.

I will say one thing, just when you are about to throw in the towel… a few “new” VIP’S Email me and tell me to keep it up, they say I'm doing a good job and for me to continue on until 911 is set up properly. I just want to thank them for the kind words !!! It sure does mean a lot !

It is because of you, the reader, that this Blah-g continues on. To be specific, it is because of the 911 dispatchers, police officers and PEOPLE IN HIGH PLACES that keep me up to date with HOW POORLY 911 IS RUN, AND ALL THE EQUIPMENT FAILURES that I keep writing !

Ok, some meat.

You have to understand something. PHONE LINES are not the way to send the control data and digital audio to the remote tower sites on an Emergency Radio System. I have been saying this for a long time so I wont get into it in detail again here, however SEVERAL TOWER SITES HAVE BEEN DOWN as of late AND IT’S WORTH REPORTING, again !

Does anyone care ?

It is a daily happening. So if you wish to catch up on the telephone line issue, scroll back over the back issues of the Blah-g.

Also, I have had THREE Westmoreland County 911 DISPATCHERS tell me in the last day or two that DAN STEVEN’S is really SLACKING on the ADDRESSING PROGRAM. This is one of the MAIN reasons that I am making a post today.

Listen up FIRST RESPONDERS and CITIZENS of Westmoreland County PA… When you call 911 and call-takers or dispatchers type in your initial information, a MAP pops up on a computer screen at the 911 center. This map shows the dispatcher where you live. This is how the dispatchers know the proper AMBULANCE, POLICE and FIRE Services to send to your house, business or a wreck on some road. It’s the MAPS that count.

IF THERE IS A F(#K-UP, IT’S NOT THE DISPATCHERS FAULT, IT’S THE MAPPING PROGRAM AND DAN STEVENS !!

WHEN THIS MAP IS WRONG the wrong emergency services are dispatched to your house.

Most recently there was a local FIRE DEPARTMENT assist here in my City of Latrobe. When the home owner called in for HELP the 911 MAP showed the person living in New Alexandria, a totally different town about 6 miles away. DAN STEVENS gets paid to make sure THIS INFORMATION IS RIGHT, and IT'S NOT !

NO ONE DIED over this incident however in the past year my sources tell me the EIGHT Westmoreland County Residents have died because of the MAPPING PROGRAM not being maintained correctly. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE DAN ! PLEASE, FOR ALL OF OUR SAFETY, STEP DOWN AND FIND A JOB AT WALMART !!

Dan is also the person I wrote about before. WE gave him a brand new specially equipped TRUCK so that he could go to all the HAZMAT CALLS. The Blah-ger found out that he was using it for personal use and did not go to ANY HAZMAT CALLS !

After reporting that, he began to respond. Why is it that it took PRESSURE from the Blah-ger for him to begin to respond to the calls he was suppose to be at and where he was NEEDED ? Actually they didn’t need HIM, they needed the TRUCK… STEP DOWN DAN, PLEASE, others can drive that truck… HELL, EVEN I CAN DRIVE IT !

Other news…

Recently the Blah-ger had the chance to USE the new Pennsylvania State Police Radio System, commonly referred to as OPEN SKY made by Tyco.

I must say that I was impressed.

What the State Police have for an In Car Monitor (screen) most likely cost more than most people would pay for a good second car ! The keyboard is slick and well designed and for the most part the software is excellent.

The Monitor is a TOUCH SCREEN MONITOR. Wow says the Blah-ger. Just touch the label for PSP Car 15 and send an Email.

It's That Easy !

All PSP cars are running Microsoft’s Mobile version of the Internet Explorer to launch these programs so their computer screens look just like yours and mine. Any PSP car can look up where the other cars are, just by touching the screen a few times ! What a mapping program in those cars, I KNOW DAN STEVENS didn't have his hand in that program because IT WORKS !

NO WONDER ALL THE PSP CARS ARE SEEN EATING AT THE SUBWAY AND WE DON’T HEAR ABOUT IT ON OUR SCANNERS ! Sweet !! Of course I’m kidding however it is possible, because one car can send out a single EMAIL to all the cars currently out on patrol to say "Meet everyone at Subway at 10". Again, Sweet !!

Another thing that impressed this Blah-ger… almost NO DEAD SPOTS. The only bad spot is Sleepy Hollow which is understandable, however everywhere else where our Westmoreland County 911 System has dead spots, the Open Sky System does NOT !

The county needs to find out what the Pennsylvania State Police is DOING RIGHT and incorporate that system into theirs !

Anyhow, to make a long story short, AND the old saying… a picture is worth a gazillion words, here are a few photos for my Blah-ger Readers.

Just like those that email me anonymously, the Trooper that allowed me
to take those photos wishes to remain anonymous... So to that end, I will
just thank him for allowing me to take the photos, for the time spent educating
this Blah-ger and for his friendship !

Just a note for Westmoreland County’s Commissioners and the Westmoreland County 911 Management:

JUST BECAUSE I HAVE TAKEN AN INTEREST IN THE NEW OPEN SKY STATE POLICE SYSTEM DOESN’T MEAN YOU ARE OFF THE HOOK.

Please, if you are a new reader to my Blah-g… take a few hours to go back and read all the back issues. I hope I didn’t spend hundreds of hours writing these for nothing (although Rich, Mark, Tom-Tom and Phil would have you think otherwise) !

DECODED,

K3SAM – the one and honest
Sam W. Jacobs
FCC 1st Class Licensed, Certified Electronic Technician,
Amateur Radio Extra Class, and full of the TRUTH about
This Radio Cyst-Em And Why It Has FAILED.

website - http://800.k3sam.com
email me at - news@k3sam.com

Come see all the photos and listen to the new audio clips !! Everyone is invited except for my second and third ex-wives !

Oh it's the same... old song

2006-07-02T22:34:00.000-04:00

If my memory serves me correctly, it was July 5th, 2005 that OUR new Motorola Junk that is connected to an "on again / off again" Verizon Data Line system went down for over 24 hours due to a thunderstorm.

Deja Vu.

Today, almost a year to the date, the Westmoreland County 911 Radio Cyst-Em went through a series of "quirks" causing multiple problems for the users of this Cyst-Em and at the 911 HQ.

Helter Skelter.

It got so bad that several times 911 had to tell fire departments to go to Channel 16, which is their talk-around frequency. That way all transmissions bypass the 911 computer equipment (in other words, the radios work just like radios... not some computerized piece of crap) and the 911 dispatchers and the Motorgola Radio/Computer Equipment doesn't have to do any work.

In fact, most fire departments were on Channel 16 most of the day for fire ground operations. Actually, this is how it is suppose to be set up. Now someone has to tell Mark that.

At this writing, operations are still not back to normal but that is to be expected... in Mayberry RFD but NOT IN WESTMORELAND COUNTY Pennsylvania after TENS of MILLIONS of DOLLARS have been spent for the purchase and maintenance of this BEAST.

No Excuse deCommissioner Balya, No Excuse Deputy Matason, No Excuse Ass Instant Deputy Brammell !

I'm sorry, I showed disrespect to two of the above. It should have been all three.

Listen folks... and listen carefully.

WE, THE PEOPLE had NO SAY SO in what these people did with MILLIONS AND MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS of TAX PAYER MONEY, We TRUSTED THEM to ACT ON OUR BEHALF IN PROVIDING OUR FIRST RESPONDERS with the very BEST COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM SO WE COULD BE PROTECTED.

They did everything but. Just listen to the AUDIO CLIPS, they don't lie. And if that isn't bad enough, they rub the whole thing in our noses by driving around in COUNTY VEHICLES, CARRYING COUNTY CREDIT CARDS and using COUNTY BLACKBERRY CELL PHONES ! They even carry around the MOST EXPENSIVE MOTOROLA RADIOS while most of our police and fire chiefs carry the cheapest radios. WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU SAW COMMISSIONER BALYA FIGHT A FIRE ?. They have outragous work hours (when they show up) and fantastic paid vacation packages.

It almost appears as if these people are above the law !

RESPECT IS EARNED !

I leave messages for the above 3 people to call me, and they don't. This has been going on for over a year. They are afraid to answer simple questions about the CONTRACT they made with the DEVIL ... er I mean Staley Communications and Motorola... over this 800 Meggy Hurts Cyst-Em... and why they continue to waste taxpayer money on equipment that is not needed and service contracts on an older system no longer in use.

I THANK GOD THAT SENATOR REGOLA IS NOW INVOLVED. Not only is Senator Regola deeply concerned about getting the BEST communications system for our first responders, he is also an active member of a Westmoreland County Fire Department ! He knows that we got the shaft and HE WANTS TO KNOW WHY !

No need for me to go any further with this. I've said it all before. If you are a new reader it might be wise for you to sit back and read and read and read my past Blah-gs.

Everything I write about is also "backed up" by actual audio clips that are posted on my web site, http://www.k3sam.com/800/AudioClips.html. If you hear an audio clip you like, go ahead and download it for yourself. They are all in .mp3 format and they are all free.

I have well over 100 audio clips showing examples of;
* Digi-Crap
* T1 Phone Lines Down
* 911 Consoles Broke
* Open Microphones due to faulty equipment
* 911 Receive Out
* 911 Transmit Out
* Car to Car communications down
* Incorrectly programmed radios
* Police Encryption Mode not working (sorry guys)
* 800 Digital Siren Decoders not working
* Tac Channel Confusion ( oh man ! )
* Most commonly used word on the Cyst-Em is "What"
* Second most commonly used word used is "Repeat"
* and that's just for starters...
* Lot's of comedy too...

That's it for now however just a note... in the next few days or even perhaps a week or two I will be preparing my biggest Blah-g yet. It is going to be my most important Blah-g to date so please keep checking the audio clips daily for audio updates and keep an eye open for my next Blah-g !

DECODED,
K3SAM
(the one and ...)

http://800.k3sam.com - website
news@k3sam.com - tips / comments
www.k3sam.com/800/AudioClips.html - listen for yourself !

(the above comments are those of the Blah-ger and shared by a multitude of Westmoreland Co. first responders and County Citizens - as well as a few no name dispatchers !!)

PS: Those of you that know me personally know that my father just came home from the hospital. THANKS for all of your kind words, emails and prayers. He is doing much better now that he is at home and gaining strength each and every day ! THANKS AGAIN !! k3SAM

NOT DAN !

2006-06-19T09:06:00.000-04:00

Good Morning Gentle People ! It’s another Blah-g !

With summer here and other things going on at Blah-ger Central this will be a short Blah-g, however guaranteed to be full of meat, so relax and unbuckle your belt.

AUDIO CLIPS: New ones added regularly, keep checking daily. I should be posting another one later on today.

RICHARD MATASON: Off work and recuperating at home after surgery. Mr. M, you know this Blah-g is very critical about the way you run Westmoreland County’s 911 Center… in fact it SUCKS however I do wish you a speedy recovery. I will not mention the type of surgery that you had here with respect to your privacy however I will say that modern technology is wonderful and I’m glad all is ok now.

You might want to take a hint from this writer to either change things at the 911 center when you get back to work OR think about a new job. Mr. M is due back at work in July… the latter half.

MARK BRAMMELL: Is on vacation. Also critical of Mr. B’s work at Westmoreland County’s 911 Center, Mr. B may take the rest of the year off with the Blah-g’s permission.

DAN STEVENS: Is now in charge with Mr. M and Mr. B off work. GOD HELP US ! Being in charge of “addressing”, sometimes I wonder if Dan can find his own house after what he calls "work".

JOE N: Back at work after a long medical leave. I don’t normally write about Joe as he is a friend of mine and I refuse to let him talk “911” to me. I would rather get my 911 tips through the dispatchers themselves. When Joe and I speak it’s usually about gardening, fly fishing and NASCAR… none of which this Blah-er knows a damn thing about. (BTW, Joe is next in command after Danny… so if Dan would only go on about 3 years of personal days we would be ok. I would even be ok with leave with pay for Dan, hell we blow money on stupider things than that !)

SANDY: New secretary replacing Saundra Singer, the old Executive Secretary (not that you are old Saundra…). The Blah-g wishes you the best in your retirement Saundra and I still wonder how you made it all those years training Mr. Matason on what it means to run a 911 center. Too bad he didn’t listen. But that’s ok, it took Mr. M a paid trip to Harrisburg just to learn how to operate his county purchased Blackberry Phone !

Good Luck Sandy in this new promotion… the money will be great, just keep that bottle of Ass-burn close at hand, especially now that Danny is in charge !

WELCOME: We now have six new Dispatchers out of the last 911 class, 6 new people I can pick on… Sorry, 6 new Graduates to the level of DISPATCHER !
Wear the patch proudly ! (not on a lime green jacket, please!)
With these six new dispatchers our county now has a FULL 52, that would be one dispatcher on duty each week ! Just do a good job and your name will NEVER appear here on the Blah-g, like when you see Pat’s name pop up here.

Just remember, you can’t sleep on the job… or at least sleep lightly. Those 12 hour shifts are murder, the 16 hour shifts are killers.

BLAH-GER TIPS CONTEST: Getting back on the regular schedule of picking a name at random for their fine tips to the Blah-g, we have a winner for June.

The winner is a Westmoreland County 911 Employee again and I have been in contact with this “person” and they do not want their name mentioned, not even initials. So I have to respect that.

Out of the last 8 winners, 2 have been 911 employees, 1 is an insider, 1 is employed in the EMS field and other 4 are firemen. So far no policemen have been selected as winners in the Blah-g Tips contest, probably because they turn in the fewest tips and have less of a chance of winning. Come on WC Cops, send in your tips ! news@k3sam.com

The next drawing date for a FREE BLAH-GER CD of AUDIO CLIPS from our 911 system is July 17, 2006.

MOTOROLA: Well, it appears as if this same system we are using WAS LAUGHED out of GERMANY ! No shock to the Blah-ger. Germany went for the TERA system which is made by Nokia, and is a TRUE interoperability communications system.

If you would like to read more about this, it is on the Batlabs Batboard, sponsored by Batwing Laboratories. http://batboard.batlabs.com/viewtopic.php?t=57676

Thanks for that anonymous tip (see, that’s how you get on the Blah-ger Tips Contest List !).

That’s it, enjoy this wonderful (yuk) 90 degree weather, thunderstorm season is upon us.

DECODED,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com – website
news@k3sam.com – tips
Don’t forget to listen to the audio clips, the AUDIO DOESN’T LIE !!

All those FIRE radios STILL need reprogrammed, Mark my words !

2006-06-15T16:28:00.000-04:00

I have not forgotten all of my faithful readers, nor have I stopped in my efforts in junking this Motorola Radio Cyst-Em for a better system, one that will offer every "new" feature this one is suppose to have and then some.... like the new system will ACTUALLY WORK ! That would be a nice feature, eh ?!

A new Blah-g is being worked on, but it will be pretty hard topping the last one with my details of how Senator Bob Regola is NOW INVOLVED !

Stay tuned for the newest Blah-g, and if you have any information you would like included in the next one please forward it to news@k3sam.com. 911 Dispatchers especially need to check in at this point for their latest updates for me.

The Blah-ger Tips CD Contest is still active, this month will make the 8th winner, whomever that may be... could be you if you have sent me a comment, tip or some other juicy inside information... a firefighter from Derry was Aprils winner and a firefighter from Rillton was last months winner, both have their action packed 911 audio CD's now and are enjoying all the radio screw-ups caught live !

Until then...

DECODED,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com - web
news@k3sam.com - email / tips / comments / 911 logs / etc...

KILLED

2006-06-08T05:07:00.000-04:00

AL QAEDA IN IRAQ TERROR CHIEF ABU MUSAB AL-ZARQAWI KILLED IN BOMBING ATTACK

US military officals have reported to the international media that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of Al-Qaida in Iraq, has been killed.

THANK GOD !
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Totally unrelated to the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety, but worth posting.

We will get back to the Romco Radio System Motorola sold us in the very near future.

DECODED,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com - web
news@k3sam.com - email (911 dispatchers, use this email address please !)

SHAME ON YOU MUTUAL AID

2006-06-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

Working House Fire in Derry, Derry Fire and surrounding Departments using Fire TAC 3 for main ops and TAC 4 for interior... fighting for two of the open 5 frequencies we have on the 800 Mhz Trunking Cyst-Em... and Mutual Aid, Greensburg has to use this SAME SYSTEM for "TAXI SERVICES" !

If Mutual Aid Greensburg is going to send Vans back and forth through-out Westmoreland County for patient pick-ups and drop offs, they should use their FCC Licensed Frequency of 155.715, PL Tone 103.5. Otherwise, use your Friggin' Cell Phones ! Perhaps I should file an official FCC Complaint if the County Doesn't have the Balls !!

This is CRIMINAL and SOMEONE OF AUTHORITY should begin an INVESTIGATION IMMEDIATELY !

DISGRACE !

Decoded,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com - website
news@k3sam.com - email
... da, I would do something about it but I don't wanna make enemas. Has anyone seen my 911 jacket, I need to feel important today ! Hey Pat, I have Balls don't I ? Get Balya on da phone and see if I still have a job...

M.A. GO AWAY - USE 800 ANOTHER DAY !

2006-06-02T08:23:00.000-04:00

It should be a Good Morning for most of us, it is for the Blah-ger.

This will be a short Friday Blah-g as I there are only two things that I want to discuss with my readers today and I’m really not in the mood to review how bad this 800 Mhz emergency radio Cyst-Em (system) is that Motorola dumped on the Citizens of Westmoreland County Pennsylvania.

If you wish to read how the County got the Shaft from our Commissioners and Motorola, just review this Blah-g… it’s good reading.

In my last Blah-g I said:

“TALKING TIME IS OVER
over a year of polite suggestions and error tracking...
911 Management hasn't taken the hint...
The County Commissioners (Moe, Larry and Curly) haven't taken the Blah-g seriously;”

I have been ask to elaborate exactly what I meant by that from a few readers and although I would love to, at this time I believe by doing so I would upset the Turnip Truck. I for one hate to pick Turnips up so I am going to fall back on a photograph. They say "a picture is worth a thousand words".

Senator Bob Regola and yours truly after our May 31st Meeting

My afternoon meeting with Senator Bob Regola proved to me how dedicated the Senator is to our First Responders. Our hour long plus meeting was one of the best hours I have ever spent and you will definitely hear more about our meetings in future Blah-gs however today just isn’t the day.

The second item I would like to touch on this morning is Mutual Aid Ambulance Service’s use of OUR 800 Mhz Emergency Radio Cyst-Em. I have already pointed out on many occasions that they HOG up valuable 800 Mhz frequency usage with their “Taxi Service”, carting patients from point A to point B when all of this should be handled by either their cell phones or on their own VHF Frequency of 155.715 Mhz.

The use of the 800 Mhz system for this purpose is CRIMINAL !

However that is not the angle of Mutual Aid that I want to comment on today.

I was told by someone very close to that BUSINESS (Mutual Aid, Greensburg) that they are very upset with me for exposing what they are doing. Unfortunately that is what this Blah-g does, expose flaws within this system whether it be equipment problems or problems using the equipment.

HOGGING the frequencies by dispatching VANS all over Westmoreland and Allegheny Counties for the purpose of “Taxiing” patients is NOT AN EMERGENCY and should be kept off of the 800 Mhz Frequencies.

THIS MORNING at 07:30 AM there was a fully involved house fire in Vandergrift Borough. The transmissions from the fire departments were fast and furious… all the while Mutual Aid Ambulance Service was DISPATCHING THEIR VANS.

This is CRIMINAL !

If you are the Vandergrift #1 (Fire Station 51) or Vandergrift #2 (Fire Station 50) Fire Chief and you had problems using your radios during this WELL INVOLVED WORKING HOUSE FIRE this morning, you can BLAME MUTUAL AID AMBULANCE as they were HOGGING THE 800 MHZ SYSTEM with their TAXI SERVCIE !

That is MY OPINION, and I’m sorry if I ruffled the feathers of any Mutual Aid Employee, but this is NOT directed towards you, this is directed to YOUR MANAGEMENT. They should STAY THE HELL OFF THE RADIOS unless they are using them for EMEGENCY DISPATCH ONLY.

That is what an EMERGENCY RADIO SYSTEM IS FOR, DA !

Now if you have a different opinion than I do on this subject, or you think I am wrong, the way I look at it is you have two choices. First Choice is to start your own Blog and tell the world why you are using this emergency radio system to dispatch Vans that will take Mr. Gooberhopper from Dr. Fungus’s Office to Frick Hospital for his annual toe jam removal… or your Second Choice is to STOP using this system for NON-EMERGENCY TAXI SERVICES.

If you are an OWNER of Mutual Aid Ambulance Service, Incorporated (it is a business after all) or a responsible spokesperson in Management for them, I will publish ANY response from you here on this Blah-g should you disagree with this Blah-ger’s findings. Just send a signed email to: news@k3sam.com.

Again, my two points for today… the ball is rolling and you can consider this a starting point where words have ended and action has begun. If you are in 911 Management, if I were you I would begin to purchase the Greensburg Tribune Review and keep your eyes fixed on those jobs and positions that are open. And if you with Mutual Aid Ambulance Service AS AN EMPLOYEE these comments are NOT directed towards you… UNLESS YOU ARE MANAGEMENT.

GET OFF 800 !

Decoded,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com – website
news@k3sam.com – news stories, emails and tips / comments

Tick... Tick... Tick...

2006-05-31T17:34:00.000-04:00

TALKING TIME IS OVER...
over a year of polite suggestions and error tracking...
911 Management hasn't taken the hint...
The County Commissioners (Moe, Larry and Curly) haven't taken the Blah-g seriously;

LOOK FOR SOME SERIOUS ACTION SOON !
this is like a game of chess, however the pieces are alive,
and it's not a game !
Lives are at stake;

HEADS WILL ROLL
just a figure of speaking, but who do you think will be left ?

much
more
to
come,
and that's a promise !

DECODED,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com - website (look for the "new" photo section and updated audio files)

http://www.k3sam.com/800/AudioClips.html - direct link for the WC 800 Mhz audio clips or CLICK ---> [LAZY LINK]

news@k3sam.com - tips / comments / everything and anything, Always Anonymous

Well Said...

2006-05-22T00:55:00.000-04:00

THANK YOU !
---> begin

To whom it may concern,

I no longer live in Westmoreland County. However my parents still do and I will again most likely after my military service. I am a former Westmoreland County 911 employee and frequently keep up with the news around the county's emergency services. I was appalled to read the following stories concerning the new 800 mhz emergency radio systems in Westmoreland County from this gentleman's website. As far as I know this is all true, but has not come to light. Someone should bring this to the attention of the residents of Westmoreland County.

Why is this information being ignored by the Pittsburgh area media?

These problems are all documented on this site. You can't argue with the audio evidence here. I have no affiliation with this man or his website. I am a concerned temporarily displaced resident of Westmoreland County. Will it take a mass casualty incident when this system fails to change things? Does a policeman have to get killed during a traffic stop because the system fails when he calls for help. Does someone's house have to burn down because the fire dept can't communicate with 911 or each other.

Does someone's family member have to die of a medical problem because 911 cannot dispatch the medical agenices? This is all deeply disturbing and unsatisfactory. Do something now before it is too late. Help me get the ball rolling.

Here is the link : http://k3sam.blogspot.com/

V/r,

MA3 Borland, Brad A., USN
NAS SIGONELLA MILITARY POLICE DET - OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT - CHARLIE SECTION

"A man does what he must - in spite of personal consequences, in spite of
obstacles and dangers - and this is the basis of all human morality."
John F. Kennedy
---> end
Blah-ger note: Posted as received, only the phone numbers were removed.

Again I thank you. This is EXACTLY what I have been saying... nothing more, nothing less. This coming from someone who knows, and someone who is not afraid to have their name posted.

WESTMORELAND COUNTY 911 IS A MESS ! AND THEY ARE THERE TO SAVE OUR LIVES ?

I'm not saying the dispatchers are bad, but they can only go as FAR as the EQUIPMENT will let them. If they CAN'T HEAR a CRY FOR HELP from a COP in a DEAD SPOT, the CYST-EM IS WORTHLESS, PERIOD !

Who is in bed with Motorola tonight ? Whoever it is, get them up and tell them they sold this county a bucket of nuts, bolts, transistors and integrated circuits that do not work ! WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK, WE NEED A SYSTEM THAT WORKS !

Decoded,
K3SAM

Sam W. Jacobs CET

http://800.k3sam.com - website w/audio clips
news@k3sam.com - email me
DIRECT LINK to the Audio Clips (911 horror, or is that 911 whore ?)
I hope I don't lose my job... I like the pretty lights, who cares if the equipment works or not ! And all my perks, my car... vacations, petty cash and spending accounts... free pizzas, my Blackberry all gone ?! And those damn pretty lights !

RESIGN NOW - TOO LATE TO SAVE FACE !

2006-05-19T01:36:00.000-04:00

YOU GOTTA BE FRIGGIN' KIDDING ME !

Let me start out with a few analogies:

If you are a electrical utility company and you must shut down electrical power for an hour for high voltage maintenance, would you do it at 11 AM, 3 PM or 3 AM ?

When is the best time to wash your car, 4 PM or 4 AM ?

Would you wrap Christmas gifts in December or March ?

IF YOU WERE GOING SHUT DOWN A 911 COMMUNICATIONS CENTER FOR RADIO MAINTENANCE TO DO A QUICK UPDATE (right), AND ALL POLICE / FIRE AND EMS COMMUNICATIONS WOULD BE TERMINATED FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME, WOULD YOU:

A: Shut down the system at 1 AM on a WEEKDAY EARLY MORNING or;
B: Shut down the system at 2 AM on a WEEKDAY EARLY MORNING or;
C: Shut down the system at 3 AM on a WEEKDAY EARLY MORNING or;
D: Shut down the system at 4 AM on a WEEKDAY EARLY MORNING or;
E: Shut down the system at 5 AM on a WEEKDAY EARLY MORNING or;
or
F: SHUT DOWN THE SYSTEM AT 10 AM IN THE MID MORNING WHEN THERE IS HEAVY TRAFFIC BETWEEN POLICE AGENCIES, when MEDICS are responding to LIFE AND DEATH “Delta and Echo” EMERGENCY LEVEL CALLS, FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE FIGHTING FIRES, AND GOD FORBID MUTUAL AID AMBULANCE SERVICE HAS TO PICK UP MR. TINKLEBREATH AND PROVIDE HIM WITH A ROUTINE TRANSFER BACK TO WALMART FOR HIS FISHING SUPPLIES !

Who in Management at the Department of Public Safety would allow Motorola / Staley Communications access to the EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CYST-EM to…

SHUT IT DOWN ! ?

WHO would give Motorola / Staley Communications access to, or turn our 40 Million Dollar ( that’s about how much we have into it now ! ) Emergency Communications System over to them to TURN IT INTO just a bunch of pretty looking equipment that doesn’t do anything ?

On MAY 17th, 2006 at around 11:00 AM that’s exactly what happened… BECAUSE 911 COULDN’T TRANSMIT OR RECEIVE EMERGENCY RADIO TRANSMISSIONS and THE FIRST RESPONDERS WERE IN THE FRIGGIN' DARK !! ALL THOSE RADIOS OUT THERE... DEAD DUCKS IN THE WATER.

NO ONE WAS EVEN GIVEN PRIOR KNOWLEDGE TO THIS UPDATE !

The Police were calling 911 over and over, same with the other services… and getting NO RESPONSE AT ALL. They could talk to each other but NOT to 911. Oh how wonderful… oh how marvelous…

By the way, the correct answer is NOT posted. YOU SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO SHUT DOWN A 911 SYSTEM FOR MAINTENANCE, THAT IS WHAT A BACK-UP SYSTEM IS FOR ! SOMETHING WE DON'T HAVE MR. MATASON and MR. BRAMMELL... I don't blame the Commissioners as they get paid to Not Know These Things.

It is my honest and completely serious opinion that Richard Matason and Mark Brammell do not belong in 911 Emergency Management Positions in Westmoreland County or any other county for that matter. They have clearly shown in more ways than one that they haven’t a clue on how this type of a system should be run.

I base this opinion on the numerous documented issues I’ve followed over the last year, such as…

911 Radio Crashes, whether it be a fault of the equipment or in the Verizon T1 / T3 phone lines. The proper design of an emergency radio system does NOT include the use of phone lines. This is against BOTH NFPA and DHS guidelines.

Being warned that there is NOT a backup radio system in place and still not doing anything about it. Westmoreland County does NOT have a BACK UP RADIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEM IN PLACE. ( Did I say that twice ? I just wanted to BACK UP my statement ! ) If the 800 Mhz system goes down like it does frequently the cops, firefighters and EMT’s are screwed with their pants on;

By continuing to allow 800 Mhz as this county’s main communications frequency band when thousands (yes thousands) of DEAD SPOTS were documented (by 911 Management) in this county as places where this radio system will not function;

Letting this county switch to a radio system where they were clearly warned by several independent electronic engineers that 800 Mhz would not function properly in an area with our type of terrain;

Letting important dispatching equipment stay in “broken condition” while the cars and trucks that MANAGEMENT drive ( given to them as perks ) always get timely oil changes and run in tip top shape;

Allowing Mutual Aid Ambulance Service’s non-emergency transmissions / Westmoreland County Maintenance Department’s lunch orders / Westmoreland Weights and Measurements Department’s idle chit chat / Adult Probation’s non-emergency transmissions / and other services like voter registration technicians tie up the very system they are suppose to be supervising;

I HOPE WITH ALL MY INTER BEING THAT ALL OF THE CURRENT 911 MANAGEMENT WILL RESIGN AND LET SOME NEW BLOOD TAKE OVER. PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND THAT BASING A COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM AROUND PHONE LINES IS INCOMPETENT.

PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND THE TERRAIN WE LIVE IN.

PEOPLE THAT UNDERSTAND WHAT “BACK UP SYSTEM” MEANS.

PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT SO ONE SIDED THAT THEY REALIZE THERE ARE OTHER COMPANIES BESIDES MOTOROLA, A COMPANY THAT STARTED OUT MAKING RECORD PLAYERS FOR CARS.

PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO FIX PROBLEMS WHEN THEY APPEAR.

I hope that a petition is NOT needed to revamp our 911 system however if it comes to that then so be it. A petition for giving our 911 system a total facelift ! One that would be presented to our Governor and State Senators, presenting it to our County Commissioners would be a waste of time.

One last item and I’m sure I am going to lose some readers over this statement as many of my readers ARE Chiefs of either a fire department, ambulance service or police department, but it has to be said.

I have been here for OVER a year exposing not only all the equipment problems our county has, but also tons of INTERNAL problems at the Department of Emergency Management (as reported to me by a handful of trusted 911 employees) and NOT one damn thing has changed NOR has anyone of any type of authority come out and backed me publicly.

YES YOU ARE THERE ! You send me emails about how BAD this system is and then tell me I can’t use your name or report on a certain issue as it would ultimately expose you as being the person who disclosed the information to me in the first place. Or you stop by and we talk about these issues, but at the end I’m told to keep that information under my cap.

I HAVE, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO, BUT IT’S DAMN TIME YOU CAME OUT OF THE CLOSET AND STUCK UP FOR YOURSELF ! BE COUNTED !!

Get those letters out to the commissioners, send the Blah-g a copy as well as a copy to David Hunt at the Tribune Review in Greensburg. SIGN THE DAMN LETTER.

Let the commissioners know about the DEAD SPOTS in your area, about the Booooops on your radios when Mutual Aid is hogging up the small amount of frequencies our management has decided we are going to use. Tell the commissioners that five radios for your department were NOT ENOUGH and you are DAMN TIRED of SUB SALES…

I hear that almost every week, 2500 subs need to be sold in order to buy ONE STUPID MOTOROLA XTS-2500 RADIO !!

Tell them you would like to use another brand of radio besides MOTOROPOLY, right... talk about a friggin’ MONOPOLY !! Tell them about the CANCER ISSUES of having an 800 Mhz 35 Watt Mobile Antenna just a few inches away from your BRAIN !!

Damn it, you have told me these things over and over and over again… NOW TELL THE COMMISSIONERS ! SIGN YOUR NAME – ANONYMOUS just isn’t cutting it anymore !!!!

DECODED,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com – web
news@k3sam.com – email the Blah-ger
LISTEN TO ALL THE AUDIO CLIPS – CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS CYST-EM’S AUDIO CANCER

What a waste !

2006-05-16T19:17:00.000-04:00

the BLAH-GER can now confirm that Richard Matason, Mark Brammell, and the County Commissioners authorized the use of our excess portable radios to be used by VOTING PERSONNEL on Talk Group 5, ALL FRIGGIN DAY !

Why in the name of DEAD SPOTS would they do that ?

Our system is already up to it's antennas in overloaded communications with only 5 frequencies in use out of 10. So today we ran on 3 if you figure Mutual Aid is always hogging at least one with their TAXI service.

The Voting People SHOULD HAVE USED THE TELEPHONE, DA ! Someone wasn't thinking...

So if you happen to be at the wreck in New Alexandria, or the Fire in Marguerite... or any of the incidents today and you had radio problems... you can thank the higher ups, the people coordinating the voting polls, Mutual Aid, Weights and Measurements, the Court House Maintenace First Responders, the Park Maintenance First Responders and the COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ( I don't consider them higher ups..., just people who hog up our tax money and don't do anything ).

Unsure of.......Friend of Motorola...........Grumpy

That's it...

DECODED and SCRAMBLED,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com - webby
news@k3sam.com - emaily

Booooooop

2006-05-16T09:32:00.000-04:00

Nice Radio Day… someone is receiving Busy Booooops.

A new Talkgroup – Public Safety 5 and at least 7 new radio ID’s have been HOGGING the Westmoreland County Dept. of Emer… hell 911’s Radio Cyst-Em all morning !

This is all Super Secret to the Blah-ger as I’m unclear why 911 would need another Talk Group to use (TG 5) when they have so many others already established.

However when I remember HOW we got this CRAP for a RADIO CYST-EM, and think HOW we are SPENDING tax payers money and knowing how POORLY all the radios were installed AND knowing all the EQUIPMENT BREAK-DOWNS… I guess this doesn’t surprise me.

DON'T FORGET THE DEAD SPOTS !!!

Anyhow, if you are a fireman, police officer or EMS medic attempting to use your radios this morning and all you got was a BUSY BOOOOOP (like Betty Boop), then you can BLAME this new 911 Talk Group PLUS Building Maintenance, Weights and Measurements AND 2 fire departments on Fire Tac 11 who are using the Cyst-Em for Mic Clicks and Echo Checks. PLUS ALL THOSE DAMN TAXI RIDES MUTUAL AID IS PROVIDING, Van 2 to here, Van 5 there, Van 4 pick-up..., Van 3 drop off...

DECODED,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com - web
news@k3sam.com - email

An Open Letter To The Blah-ger...

2006-05-15T00:22:00.000-04:00

Kind of a short Blah-g this AM as I received a nice letter from a fireman that can offer prospective on this 800 Meggy Hurts Cyst-Em from BOTH sides of this county. It’s a very interesting letter that I think is worthy of the eyes of Richard Matason, Mark Brammell and Especially the Westmoreland County Commissioners.

Although it is published as an ANONYMOUS letter, the Fireman is known to me, otherwise I wouldn’t publish it. That goes for anyone that might wish to answer his letter with a letter of their own. I will also publish yours as ANONYMOUS, but I must know who your are and what fire department you are with. If you are not with a fire department just say so, but as policy I will not publish letters from those who withhold their identity from me. Letters from the Police and EMS also welcome.

I would have thought that in the YEAR or more that I’ve been publishing the Blah-g I would have received some sort of official response from the Top Cat or Deputy Dog by now however nothing. I did however ( as most know ) receive an official response back from the Commissioners Office. Not from the commissioners, just their office. Their stance was that everything is perfect and for me to quit rocking the boat.

We all know better, it’s the COMMISSIONERS that are blinded by their own Light. Admitting problems would be admitting their own fault ( by bringing this 800 Meggy Hurts Cyst-Em into our lives ), on a lighter note MOTOROLA AND MR. STALEY SURE LOVE THE MIGHTY THREE $$$ !

next...

Ok, just a few notes… if you have an 800 Mhz digital scanner and you are listening to our finest there is new activity on Police District 2 which is reserved for Murrysville, Delmont and Plum Borough Police. Delmont which is now with Police District 5 (temporarily) has been using TalkGroup 52, District 2 PD to talk back and forth to Murrysville.

For their own police operations, Murrysville is still on VHF and will stay there for the most part of their new 3 year contract. Murrysville PD is under the fine guidance of their most competent Chief Thomas Seefeld.

next...

New audio clips should be posted by Monday afternoon if they aren’t there already. Check ‘em out !

next...

And did anyone record the last episode of the West Wing last night ? If so please send me a copy. I missed it as I was on a secret mission… I’ll tell you about it later.

That’s it and here is the open Letter to the Blah-g:

** BEGIN **

Dear Mr. Blah-g’er,

I am writing to you today to address some of the problems I have come across in the 800 “mega hurtz cyst-em”. I myself am a firefighter in a rural area of western Westmoreland County. My station and I have not come across any issues with the system in our area. When we operate on an incident, we have very clear signals and are able to communicate with everyone on the fire ground and fire dispatch. This doesn’t surprise me in the very least, because according to your maps, we have a total of 22 towers covering the central/western areas of the county. The problems I have encountered have been when I was traveling through the eastern part of the county.

That having been said; let me tell you about some of the problems I have encountered personally with this system. I, myself, carry a portable 800 radio. The radio model is a Motorola XTS 1500. I receive 12 fire channels, 4 county-wide channels, and one talk-around channel. That makes a total of 16 channels, all of which become useless when I encounter a “dead spot” in the county.

This is why I am writing to you today. I like to take trips throughout the countryside and enjoy the more serene parts of Westmoreland County. The other day I was enjoying a nice look at some beautiful landscape by long bridge on route 30 in Darlington by Idewild Park. My beautiful landscape was interrupted by a long “BOOOOOOOOP” noise from my portable. The only 2 times I get this noise is when I have no service on the radio OR when all 5 frequencies are tied up and I try to key up my microphone, but more on the latter later. I was stunned to see that near a major entertainment area / recreation area that there was such a large dead spot. I began thinking immediately that any of the houses I had seen there would be in terrible danger if they were to have an incident in that area. If the communications system is down, we could lose emergency personnel, civilian life, anything could happen when nobody can talk to one another.

This was a major concern of mine, and would like it to be brought to attention that 4 towers in the eastern part of Westmoreland County is not enough to cover what is needed. I myself do not know how many it would take, but seeing as how the western part of the county has 22 towers and great coverage, then the eastern part, with all those mountains, would probably need several more towers. I find it disturbing that if an incident were to happen, the emergency personnel would be without communications. I say build more towers. It’s a simple solution to a complex problem.

One of the other major concerns I have is about the number of people who can talk at the same time. I don’t even mean on the same channel, on the same talk group, I am talking about the entire overall system. I have come to find that if two police officers, on two different channels are talking, one EMS is talking to a hospital with a patient, and two fire personnel are talking on two different channels, I cannot key up on my channel, even if it is free. That means the two officers are on dispatch and Tac 2, EMS is on Tac 2, and the fire personnel are on Tac 5 and Tac 10, and I go to key up on Zone 3 Fire Command, I will get a busy signal “system in use”. This is because of the number of free “frequencies” we have with this system. We have a total of 5. This means that only 5 people can talk at any given time. If a 6th person tried to talk to 911 to report an incident, or give a command to evacuate the building, the message will not happen until someone else stops talking. I find this a bad situation waiting to happen, because when a snow storm during winter times and a severe thunderstorm during spring come across the county, several departments, including fire, police and EMS are all activated to attend to certain situations. If this system stays the way it is, we are in for a world of hurt.

This is because we get several thunderstorms across the county, usually from April to September. When one moves across the county, usually the western part of the county is dispatched first, seeing as they are always first hit, then the activations move across the county with the storm as more incidents happen. What happens if it gets icy out during winter, and we have several accidents throughout the county? What if the 5 open slots are filled? Let’s say for instance a fire chief gets on scene of one of the simulated accidents here, and calls for his rescue truck to expedite (hurry up). But when he keys up he hears the “BOOOOOOOOOOOOP” noise because the system is busy, or he is in a dead spot? Innocent lives could be lost and guess who it comes back on? You guessed right, Westmoreland County 911 and the WCDPS, Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety.

These are just a few of the problems I have personally encountered with the 800 system. Not saying they always happen, but the happen enough to be a cause for concern.

Thank you for taking the time to read/post my letter. If I come across any more problems or can think of anything else wrong with the system, I will submit another letter. Thank you again.

Sincerely,

“Down in Flames”

** END **

I leave you with this. If a car was built that would get 300 or more miles per gallon, looked like a million and came in every size with very option available, plus it would go from 0 to 60 in 3 seconds, and it only cost $1,500… would you buy one ? The dealership would also give you at least $2,000 for your trade-in, making this virtually a free car as you would get at least $500 back just to own one.

Of course you would, or at least most of you would.

There is only one draw back to having this car. You have to promise the manufacture that you will not live in the same county for more than one week, then you must move on and you cannot live in the same county twice. Gee, 60 some moves and you are out of our state ! Does the car still sound like a good deal ?

Perhaps you would rather have a free first class seat in the newest Shuttle going into space. It is like riding in a will oiled car and as big as a hotel with lots of room for you. It's called the Motoshuttle. The only problem is that the space agency can only launch the vessel, there is no way to bring it back to Earth.

Kind of sounds like this Radio Cyst-Em… it only works where it has a signal, in all other places it is a DEAD DUCK in a DEAD SPOT. What good is a few thousand dollar radio if it doesn’t work EVERYWHERE ?

And we have thousands of these DEAD DUCKS !!

Someone ask your favorite Commissioner that, AND remember all of this when the Commissioners are up for election.

DECODED,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com – web
news@k3sam.com – email

Let's all say this together... INTER-OPERABILITY... again...

2006-05-08T10:33:00.000-04:00

Greetings from your Westmoreland County 911 Insider, The Informational Blah-g.

I wanted to touch bases with you on a subject mentioned in the Blah-g a few days ago. I had reported that Westmoreland County’s 911 Radio Cyst-Em (system) had gone down, out of service for approximately an hour on May 2nd, 2006 and I gave my thoughts on how it might have gone down.

As it happens, a UPS ( Un-Interruptible Power Supply ) had burned up at one of the remote tower sites and that caused that tower site to go down. Like a domino effect, it took down the rest of the system too. That left 911 in the dark with NO COMMUNICATIONS along with all fire departments, police and EMS stations in the entire county.

How many more ways can I say that ?

911 could not talk to a single firefighter, police officer or medic in the county of Westmoreland – Pennsylvania for over an hour because of a lame radio system.

Police cars in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania could NOT talk to each other for over an hour on May 2, 2006 !

Thank God there we no reported or working fires around 5 PM on the 2nd of May, 2006 in Westmoreland Co., Pa. because the firefighters would not have been able to communicate with each other due to the multi-multi Million Dollar Radio System Crashing again. Last heard over $30,000,000.00 dollars has been poured into this system and in some cases it is impossible to talk to a co-worker in the next room.

Motorola has failed to deliver in performance, service and maintenance bringing shame to it’s name, although they were smiling the whole way to the bank when the Westmoreland County Commissioners signed the original $14,300.000.00 Radio Contract.

Since then the county has spent another $10,000,000.00 + in updates in order to correct problems that radio engineers have told the commissioners are uncorrectable.

On May 2nd, 2006 Emergency Ambulance Services could not call the hospital emergency rooms of any hospital in the Westmoreland County Pennsylvania area on their new 800 Mhz Radio System as it was broken. With no back up system in place the ambulance medics and EMT’s had to fall back on cell phones and their old “trusty” VHF radio systems.

Some services installed these radios with much resolve and hesitation however the director of the Westmoreland County 911, Richard Matason assured these services that 800 Mhz was the way to go with uninterrupted and expanded services. In one case an Ambulance Service bought into this idea as the equipment was free and they could use this system as a taxi service, moving most of their mundane transmissions over to this new service. As all of the Ambulance services found out again ( as this was not the first time the system has taken a crash ) this system is about as trustworthy as a sex offender working in a day care center.

It’s 5 o’clock in the afternoon, traffic is at it’s highest and the police as always are there to protect and serve. However on May 2nd, 2006 they were unable to live up to their promise because calls coming into the 911 center for police protection and services could not make it to the policemen out in their police cruisers and on foot patrol because their radios went silent. Seems a small problem at one of the costly under planned tower sites cause a major chain reaction within the entire 911 system shutting it down completely.

Several police officers through-out Westmoreland County Pennsylvania attempted to get in contact with their base stations and other police officers within their districts but received only an annoying beeping sound from their portable and mobile radios. Should there had been an actual emergency, or should a police officer had an emergency themselves which would have required the push of their “emergency button” on their radio nothing would have happened nor would any help have ever arrived.

The small partner that these fine public servants carry on their belts was disabled. The radio to some smaller police departments becomes a police officers patner, something that talks to him/her and something that he or she talks to. A police officers direct connection to the 911 center, the heartbeat of MOST counties.

OK OK, so I thought of a few more ways to say it.

911 HAD BETTER GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER AND PLAN ON A BACK UP SYSTEM FOR THIS ONE, OR A BETTER SYSTEM.

You have to realize that this SHOLD HAVE IN THE ORIGINAL PLANS… in the WHAT IF stages.

Next…

EXPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT, STATION 22 is now the PROUD FATHER of a Made In Japan Digital Siren Activator ! Just like a baby, this little critter will KEEP YOU UP at night and cry when it feels like it. Unfortunately when the siren is suppose to call you (911 activation) it goes on strike like a baby that you are trying to spoon feed. When in doubt, just as someone from Herminie Fire Department.

I’m in touch with several DISPATCHERS from Westmoreland County and all but one of them are reporting an excess of FALSE ALARMS. The one that that isn’t reporting any false activations just wanted to let me know that they are following all the Blah-gs and to keep up the good work.

Next…

Speaking of dispatchers, I do work closely with a few of them and within my chats I do hear the horror stories of the inter-workings of 911, who does what and who doesn’t do anything at all. Once last year I did do a story on a few of the dispatchers who were not doing their jobs, instead they came into work late, read the paper all morning, and didn’t really do all that well operating the equipment.. things changed quickly after that.

It has been quite a few months since I did any reporting on the dispatchers and it appears that since then things are going back to the same old same old.

I think it’s great that there are GOOD dispatchers out there that CARE enough about their job and the CITIZENS of Westmoreland County to tell me about those “dispatchers” who ride on the hard work of others.

I won’t go any further with this issue for now because I really am trying to keep this Blah-g dedicated to EQUIPMENT PROBLEMS and MAMAGEMENT STUPIDITY and normally just mentioning dispatcher problems here is enough to get the “lazy ones” to wake up.

Next…

INTER-OPERABILITY MY ASS !

Call it a Woods Fire, Major Brush Fire or Forest Fire… the Chestnut Ridge area had one whooping SOB fire Sunday afternoon. Besides Westmoreland County’s Finest Fire Departments we also had units come in from Indiana County, The Department of Forestry, Westmoreland County Search and Rescue Team 211, the State Police Helicopter and Orville the Fire Finding Fido.

You want to talk about INTER-OPERABILITY !

At first when the Big Massive Fire was just a baby fire it was ok. Then as more and more companies began to show up less and less radios were available, Indiana County only had a small amount of radios, the State Police obviously didn’t have any of our 800 Meggy Hurts Radios (inter-operability), Indiana Co. had Fire Fighters out there with only Low Band Radios which can’t receive the 800 Meggy Hurts Transmissions (inter-operability) Team 211 requested Radios (why weren’t they issued radios when the Commissioners have them ?) and Fido… well, he was happy just playing with his bone.

So you had a hundred or more firefighters out there with limited communications between each other.

Here is a question for you.

WHEN DO YOU STOP FIGHTING A FIRE ?

Answer.

WHEN THE BATTERY GOES DEAD ON THE RADIO BEING USED AS COMMAND !

More than once I heard the transmission, and I am paraphrasing here “Stop the water, my radio’s battery is dead, someone get me a new battery”. So that gives the fire a chance to recharge itself. Get it, recharge !! Another fine mess you got us into Tommy.

Tommy, can you hear me ?

The fire was in Ligonier Township.. you know, the area where they only put ONE TOWER SITE as opposed to the New Kensington Area which is covered by FOUR TOWERS. Remember, the Western Half of our county got 22 TOWER SITES, the Eastern Half received FOUR.

Hmmm, I finally figured out how the 911 Manager Richard Matason decided where the towers went. Theory: One night after a boring Commissioners Cookie and Bake Sale everyone went to the nearest Tavern and put a MAP of Westmoreland County on the wall, then they threw darts.

13 darts to start with (as that’s how many tower sites Richard Matason said we would need to more than cover the county with 800 Meggy Hurts) and that is where to towers were put up. They had to return to that tavern several times when a new tower had to go up. Of course that is just my theory. Send in your theories to news@k3sam.com.

Anyhow because they were in Ligonier Township the DIGI-CRAP was running amuck ! People repeating just about everything twice, people repeating everything twice, 911 had problems hearing about 25% of all the transmissions and the portable radios had trouble hearing 911.

Looking back on the whole mess, about one year ago today everyone would have been on low band, 33.52 Mhz and NO TOWERS WOULD HAVE BEEN NEEDED. Everyone could have talked to each other and there would have been more than enough portable radios to go around… Plus Indiana Co., the State Police and the Forestry Department already has 33.52 Mhz.

Someone forgot about those days.

I’m not saying 33.52 is better than 800 Meggy Hurts… well, YES I AM. In this case and with our terrain low band is definitely better. Now is 33.52 Mhz the system we should go back to ? NO !

Again, for about the Five Hundred Twenty Second Time 400 Mhz would have worked just fine for our area with properly place antenna towers. No DARTS THIS TIME, a topographical radio study should be done with FCC 1st Class Engineers deciding where the tower sites should be, not the Three Stooges and Laurel and Hardy.

HEY, I only wanted to write a small Blah-g and look what happened ! Damn, just so much wrong with this Motorola Junk and the Junk we have on the Greensburg Hill that once I get started it’s hard for me to stop.

Listen to the un-altered audio clips on my website anytime you wish to see how bad our Radio Cyst-Em Really Is ! Over 100 Audio Clips are there now and I have been adding a few new clips each week so check it out often.

Decoded,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com – web
news@k3sam.com – yo commentos
GO TO THE AUDIO CLIPS [INSTA-LINK]

I Can't get no, no Siren Activation... NO NO NO !!! Hey Hey Hey !

2006-05-04T11:43:00.000-04:00

FAST AND COMPLETE:

Issue: 911 – the RADIO CYST-EM. Down Again on May 2nd.
Quick: No Control Signal on the system for about an hour.
Item: My screen logs as well as GMans show NO SYSTEM ACTIVITY from around 16:20 to 17:20 Hours. Plus NO Audio Received from the Cyst-em.

The Radios in Westmoreland County could not possibly have worked because the 25 Million Dollar System we bought from Motorola was BROKE.

Of course we don’t have a back up system so…

AGAIN, WESTMORELAND COUNTY DID NOT HAVE AN EMERGENCY RADIO SYSTEM FOR AN HOUR, AND NO BACKUP.

Why ? I could take several guesses. First, this Trunked Radio System Requires a Control Signal to Make The Radios and basically the whole system work. If the Main Brain is down ( and I don’t mean R. Matason ) then nothing happens. Kind of like turning off your computer at home, if it’s off nothing will happen.

Then there is the issue of the T1 / T3 Telephone Lines. That is how each of the 26 tower sites get their information, via the phone lines.

Very STUPID, NOT NFPA approved, NOT DHS approved, but true.

This did not involve just one tower site, it involved ALL the tower sites so that would narrow the problem down to VERIZON’S MAIN CENTRAL EQUIPMENT OFFICE having problems sending the signal received from 911 to all the tower sites OR receiving the main signal from 911 to send out to the 26 towers sites or EQUIPMENT FAILURE AT THE 911 CENTER.

Either way, no signal was sent. Don’t attempt to blame anyone in particular as it really doesn’t matter who was at fault, the SYSTEM was DOWN.

When are the COUNTY COMMISSIONERS GOING TO WAKE UP ?

When is Richard Matason going to admit he is WAY OVER HIS HEAD IN THIS RADIO “ DEAL “, One that did not benefit the county What-So-Ever ! ( I do believe someone benefited from this whole deal, cash wise however I can’t prove it yet )

I know Motorola and Staley Communications made out like a bandit !!

I can understand if a few years back someone pulled the wool over R. Matason’s eyes telling him that this system would be the PERFECT thing for this county and he would come out smelling like a ROSE. Same thing with the commissioners, UNFORTUNATELY that’s not what happened.

This system is junk, Motorola for once has NOT produced it’s own product rather subcontracting the radios and siren activation modules to an outfit in Japan. ( If you have been in EMERGENCY RESPONSE for a few years you will remember the Motorola Radius Portables... again, NOT MADE BY MOTOROLA and a piece of junk but displayed the Motorola Name on them... this is the same thing ! )

Sirens going off when they want to BUT NOT WHEN 911 ACTIVATES THEM, COMMUNICATIONS DOWN FOR HOURS, people CAN’T TALK to each other, T1 phone lines going down, Equipment at 911 BREAKING and in a few cases CATCHING FIRE… and I haven’t even touched on the HORROR STORIES I’VE HEARD !

Mr. Matason has come out smelling, but NOT like a rose !

If Matason and Brammell would only tell the TRUTH about this Cyst-Em perhaps then the County Commissioners would have to do something, like INSTALL a system that DOES work. One that WILL HAVE ALL THE FEATURES WE HAVE NOW, but this time the DAMN THING WILL WORK. ( did someone say 400 Mhz ? )

Next…

Issue: DIGITAL SIREN ACTIVATION
Quick: Not Working
Item: Fire Station 15 in Herminie has had several calls in the last few days ( weeks, months ) and their FIRE SIREN alarm has FAILED TO ACTIVATE.

I will say that this particular digital fire module HAS sounded the siren on other occasions, but usually NOT when 911 sets it off… it just has a mind of it’s own. WHY does Herminie let that damn thing stay connected ? I don’t know, I’m not the chief. However if I were I’d definitely yank it out !

I have posted an Audio File on my website today for you to listen to. I am not here to WRITE LIES and make people LOOK BAD. The Audio File is the PROOF that I am NOT a liar and as far as the people ( 911 management and the commissioners ) looking bad, they are doing a good enough job making themselves look bad and they do not need my help !

Next…

Issue: Blah-gs
Quick: Guest articles
Item: Several people have promised to write articles for the Blah-g however I haven’t seen them yet. I don’t consider this a promise broken as they made the promise to themselves, not me. If you would care to drop me a note on how this Cyst-Em has screwed up when you were on duty I will gladly publish it, anonymously or using your name… that is a decision that I leave up to the person that emails me.

Next…

Issue: Activation
Quick: Medic Station 516 is dispatched by phone.
Item: After many attempts and many days, Medic Station 516 still cannot be dispatched by 911. In order for their ambulances to MOVE on a call, 911 has to CALL THEM BY PHONE. Very primitive and very confusing ! After sinking around 40 Million Dollars into this 911 radio system on UPGRADES, 911 can’t dispatch an ambulance station except by phone ?

Someone needs to jump on the Commissioners HEADS to wake them up !

And…

That’s it, I just wish WESTMORELAND CO. COMMISSIONERS AND 911 MANAGEMENT would get their collective heads out of their collective asses and install a new radio system for our first responders !

Decoded,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com – website
www.k3sam.com/800/AudioClips.html - direct link to the audio clips
news@k3sam.com – email me with your tips / comments / etc..

UPDATE:
Archie, you are long overdue... please phone home.
Meathead is hungry !!

Taxi !

2006-04-28T01:50:00.000-04:00

On this being a slow night I thought I'd share an open letter to the "other" taxi services within a stones throw of my area, but first announcing the winner of the Blah-ger Tips Contest for the end of the month.

CONGRATULATIONS to a firefighter who only wishes to be called "Down in Flames". Some may know him by his nickname he says, however besides that he wishes to remain anonymous.

I can only guess how he got that nickname... but a free audio CD is shortly to be in his hands and I'm sure he will enjoy (and worry) listening to some of the greatest audio clips in Westmoreland County 800 Meggy Hurts Radio History.

Finally, an open letter to the "other" taxi services in Westmoreland County.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - begin - - - - - ->
To:

Manor Valley Taxi Company (724) 864-7005
9756 Broadway Street, North Huntingdon, PA. 15665

Mt. Pleasant Yellow Cab (724) 547-0530
2 South Church Street, Mt. Peasant, PA. 15666

Veterans Cab Company (724) 537-7708
RD 6, Latrobe, PA. 15650

Yellow Cab of Greensburg (724) 838-0700
961 W. Pittsburgh Street, Greensburg, PA. 15601

From:

The Blah-ger
http://k3sam.blogspot.com – BLOG
http://800.k3sam.com – WEBSITE
news@k3sam.com - EMAIL
- - - - - - - - - -
For Your Information:

Mutual Aid Ambulance Service (MAAS) in Greensburg, Pa. was included in a grant by the Department of Homeland Security and several other agencies for the purpose of acquiring new radios for their Transport Vans (and ambulances) to use on a brand new County Wide Radio System.

At present, MAAS is only using these new, very expensive radios for patient transports for paying customers, the same type of service that you provide. In a nutshell, they are taking business away from you and doing so using FREE radios on a FREE County-Wide Radio System.

Your services apparently were not included within this grant, or perhaps this was an oversight.

This grant MAAS received covered new radios, antennas, installation and maintenance on these brand new radios. This letter is to inform you that you may also qualify for brand new radios, antennas, installation and maintenance on a package for your businesses too, along with FREE air time on this new County-Wide Radio System..

The radio system that you would be using, just as MAAS is using now, offers 26 tower sites around Westmoreland County, digital trucking, unit identification, emergency buttons in case your taxi drivers are held up, plus other features too numerous to mention here.

What you would receive at the minimum for FREE would be One Base Radio, One Portable Radio for Each Taxi, One Mobile Radio for Each Taxi, Antennas for your Base and all your Taxis, all Coax, Hardware and Man Labor to Install Each Unit.

The normal cost for a system like this using a small business with 6 taxis would be somewhere in the neighborhood of between $52,800.85 and $69,800.36.

But under these Grants, you would pay NOTHING and have UNLIMITED FREE usage of a County Wide Radio System with Multiple Frequencies.

To see if you qualify for these radios and your Grants, contact the Westmoreland County Department of Emergency Management at 911 Public Safety Road, Greensburg, Pa. 15601 or call them at (724) 600-7300.

An audio demonstration of how MAAS is using this radio system as a Radio Dispatched Paid Taxi Service on the new Westmoreland County Radio System is available at the following URL: http://800.k3sam.com and scroll down to the clip called Mutual Aid Taxi Service, or the direct like is here by clicking on this... http://www.k3sam.com/800/audio/MAASVanService-28Mar06.mp3.

Regards !
The Blah-ger
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - end - - - - ->

Have a good weekend and…
DECODED,
K3SAM

other audio clips found at: www.k3sam.com/800/AudioClips.html
send in your tips and comments to: news@k3sam.com
website: http://800.k3sam.com

Welcome back...

2006-04-26T19:41:00.000-04:00

WELCOME BACK ARNOLD EMS
The Blah-g and your many community residents missed you !

ARNOLD EMS up and running
By Michael Aubele
VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH

The new Arnold ambulance service is up and running after getting its operating license from the state on Friday.

Service officials said in recent days that they expected to assume operations this week. Officials didn't want to comment publicly until they had the license in hand.

The nonprofit service, Arnold Fire-EMS, is run by Arnold No. 1 fire company and replaces the for-profit Arnold Volunteer Ambulance Service, which went out of business in July.

Ambulances will be housed at the fire department at the bottom of Drey Street. The service currently has one ambulance stationed there.

Pennsylvania Department of Health spokesman Richard McGarvey confirmed that a license was issued and said the service eventually will run a second ambulance, which needs minor repairs and an inspection before it begins service.

Ambulance service offices are located in the old firemen's club along Fifth Avenue. Alle-Kiski Medical Center spokesman Phil Grove said the service went live at 3 p.m. yesterday. AKMC employs the service's full-time staff: four EMTs and two paramedics, Grove said. Six part-time EMTs and paramedics are employed by the fire company, he said.

Grove said the service will run around-the-clock.

Mayor John Campbell said the service will be the city's primary responder. The city agreed more than a month ago that the service would be designated as the city's primary responder once it had its license. "I think it's wonderful to have the ambulance company up and running," Campbell said. "It's been sorely missed. It's an asset to the city.
"New Kensington and the surrounding communities have done a good job of helping us out," the mayor added.

Campbell said the fire company will operate the ambulance service without financial support from the city. The ambulance will be dispatched through Westmoreland County's 911 system.

Grove said that as of last night the service had responded to one call. Service official Dave Madeja said Arnold Fire-EMS would serve as backup for surrounding communities and currently is working on mutual-aid agreements. "Whoever needs us, we'll back them up," Madeja said.
Madeja said the service will support itself from revenue generated from responding to calls. The service will bill insurance companies, he said, and will offer a subscription plan.

Cost figures for a subscription were unavailable yesterday. Madeja said the service will honor subscriptions from the former ambulance service in Arnold as long as residents have proof of payment.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
WOW ! About time something NICE gets put in the Blah-g. Thanks to GMan who emailed me the Valley News Dispatch article !

Decoded,
K3SAM
http://800.k3sam.com - website
news@k3sam.com - email your tips / comments / inside info

Looky Mommy, Pictures !

2006-04-26T02:16:00.000-04:00

Short one today but like my old menu’s, this one has some meat !

Not only did Rillton (Fire Station 14) get the new digital siren activation set up on Monday but so did Westmoreland City (Fire Station 3), Shafton (Fire Station 5), and Fairmont-Hahntown (Fire Station 6). At least they were in STALEY’S log book under "things to do".

Coming up for digital siren activation are the following Fire Stations: Hartford Heights (Station 4), Larimer (Station 1), Strawpump (Station 2), Circleville (Station 8) and Herminie (Station 15) HAS had the decoder for some time but word has it that several fire members have attempted to flush it down the toilet due to false activations and not activating when it is suppose to… AND I UNDERSTAND those things go for about $1,000.

Another $1,000 blunder by the Blunder Boys. I was asked the other day if I could say anything nice about the current 911 management. After thinking about that over the weekend I can honestly say ONE THING popped up.

THEY DO A GOOD JOB OF THROWING AWAY OUR MONEY ON NEEDLESS PROJECTS AND TOYS FOR THE BOYS AT THE TOP.

I use to give out Bad Boogie Awards however I used the last of them when Richard Matason announced ANOTHER A-TEAM VAN with high tech toys. No one has ever answered me when I ask the question “If this new van is suppose to act as a relay in areas where there are DEAD SPOTS” like R. Matason said, WHERE ARE THE T1 LINES going to connect to the van and where are we going to find a LINE LONG ENOUGH that will connect to the van that will enable it to go all around the county.

Oh course I'm kidding about the long line, however you see all the towers are connected together via ONE single T1 line to each ( NO BACK UPS ), so if this new $600,000.00 Van is going to act like a MOVING TOWER then it NEEDS a T1 Line.

Plus the van isn’t going to have much of a signal coming from it sitting on the ground, you know. We are going to have to tie the van to a Hot Air Balloon… something else that needs to be put in the budget alone with a new fishing reel for Mark.

Ok, that’s it. I leave you with PHOTOS of the NEW DIGITAL 800 Mhz Siren activation module and the Installation there-of, there-for, and there-goes-more-money-down-the-drain.

That's it folks, $1,000 radio add-on that takes the place of a 33.70 Mhz tone activation. Look CLOSELY for the words "MADE IN AMERICA" stamped on that module !!

Ahh, how much is the LABOR to connect this baby up. Notice it's huge size !

Do the fingers stay with the siren module ? Let's see, which wire gets cut first ?

Couldn't pass this one up... a RARE VIEW of the inside of a STALEY TRUCK !
Can you find the 800 Mhz Radio we bought them ? (HINT: Near the 2x4 used to knock sense into unwilling customers who hate 800 Mhz.)

Tinted windows are NOT legal in PA. How many "L" are in Stalley ?

Rare photo of a radio technician !

Decoded,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com – website
news@k3sam.com – email you comments / tips / hot inside gossip from the above-ground-bunker
CLICK HERE FOR THE NEW AUDIO CLIPS

DOGS ARE SMART ! PROOF: They aren't carrying 800 Mhz Radios For Protection !

BOATS 0 - RADIOS 0 / Not much of a tie...

2006-04-23T18:58:00.000-04:00

WTF !

Someone was stupid enough to jump into the river in Monessen today and they picked the perfect spot if they really were serious about suicide knowing how BAD our communications system is !

The person jumped in from the Monessen Bridge and of course all the local police departments got involved and the fire sirens started to sound… but Chief 31’s (Webster Command) radio didn’t work, transmissions were SHOTTY, Washington County got involved and they had no communications with Westmoreland… the police were not able to talk to the fire departments ( NO ONE THOUGHT TO GO TO A COUNTY-WIDE TAC CHANNEL BUT ME ), boats were put in the water, one from Westmoreland County ( as soon as they could find a radio to put in the boat ) and one from Washington County ( with no radios compatible with Westmoreland County ).

Lifeflight was in the air and volunteered to FLY OVER the scene to help locate the jumper and they were on 33.98 Mhz, which the Monessen Bridge Command COULD NOT communicate with… in fact only one unit was in touch with Lifeflight ! WOW !

HEY MR. MATASON – HEY MR. BRAMMEL

Congratulations on INTER-OPERABILITY !

In one instance I heard Washington County’s boat contact Washington Co.’s command with a message for Westmoreland Co.’s boat. Washington Co. had to contact Westmoreland Co.’s 911 who contacted Monessen Bridge Command who then relayed the message to the boat. THE BOATS WERE ROUGHLY ONLY A FEW HUNDRED YARDS AWAY FROM EACH OTHER !

Then it took 3 relays for Monessen Fire Station 81 to get the message to the Monessen Chief that THEIR BOAT was out of service.

The whole thing is still going on at this time and I will attempt to add a finish to this later. In fact I could end with this, MATASON – You SCREWED UP. This is much bigger than just what I wrote above… such as it was told to me that MARK BRAMMEL REFUSED TO ALLOW WASHINGTON CO. ON OUR SYSTEM !

WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO GET IT, THIS SYSTEM ISN'T FOR THIS COUNTY... IT ONLY SERVES TO PAD THE POCKETS OF CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES !

Isn’t that special….

DECODED,
K3SAM

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

IS HOW MUCH 800 HURTS !

FIRE ! (not) FIRE ! (not) FIRE ! (not)

2006-04-23T11:20:00.000-04:00

FYI, in case you were wondering what was going on... on some different fire tac channels this morning and afternoodles, see below (don't miss the last posting of the Blah-g, also posted today).

DECODED,
K3SAM

hot hot hot

Area firefighters will be battling blazes at a vacant Jeannette house this weekend. It's part of a structure-burn training class scheduled for 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The first day will include about five hours of classroom work. Firefighters also will travel to 113 17th St. to perform under several different fire scenarios. The building had been scheduled for demolition by the city."We'll give people a hands-on in fire scenarios," said Randy Dubich, Jeannette fire captain. "We'll actually do a one-room fire, two-room fire, depending on the size of the building, maybe we'll do a second-floor (fire) and maybe a basement (fire)." Most of the hands-ontraining at the building is expected to take place Sunday. Dubich said the foam system from the department's new engine will be deployed Sunday afternoon.

Other firefighters joining Jeannette will be members from the Grapeville, Grandview, Penn Borough and Greensburg No. 1 fire departments.

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

Should you choose to remain Silent...

2006-04-22T21:50:00.000-04:00

Just a quick update:

The VHF communications end of 911 has been going down left and right, no specific areas as I’ve heard New Kensington VHF go dead as well as the entire Ligonier Valley. Unknown reason and from the sounds of things the dispatchers are totally flumixed. I haven’t heard Staley Communications or 911's Management doing anything about it either. In other words, S.O.P.

Tone dispatching has been affected, it’s been “back to the cavemen days” for a few services like the one you will hear on my next audio clip that should be posted in the next day or two.

The “first responders” were getting so upset that 911 was not able to set off their pagers and sirens that they ORDERED 911 to call them by phone if there was any calls in their areas.

THAT’S PISSPOOR, PERIOD !

Millions and millions of dollars dumped into a communications system and 911 still has to call a first responder by telephone when they have a call ?

NO EXCUSE !

Next we will find out that 911 has to CRANK the telephone and wait for Sarah to answer before the call can be connected !

next

On the other hand, the garden type fence leading into the 911 center is now fixed. It only took them about a year to get the damn thing fixed after a lightning strike took out a few electronic boards in JULY of 2005. Oh well, it’s fixed but the radio Cyst-Em isn’t. Go figure.

next

Station 14, Rillton is the next guinea pig to have their sirens to be set off by an 800 Meggy Hurts digital signal. Harrison City, Fire Station 87 ( Mark Brammell’s Station ) was the first to have this uniquely flawed feature. Now Rillton can join Harrison City with all their problems ( half the time the sirens don’t work ).

STALEY COMMUNICATIONS will be at the Rillton Fire Station on Monday to install this unique electronic gadget so you can expect some testing to be preformed. Oh boy, Oh boy ! I wonder what that cost us ?

911, can you please email me a copy of the bill for that item. Plus I would like the following;

The price of the unit along with the part number.
The total cost of labor to install the unit.
The number of tests run on that device before putting it in service.
Along with…
The projected date ALL fire stations will have the digital encoder installed along with,
The price of all the encoders once this little project is finished,
and
The price of installing the encoders (labor) at ALL fire stations on the 800 Mhz system,
And Mark and Rich’s favorite meal at Dennys ( I know how much you tip already ).

AS A RESIDENT OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY AND SOMEONE WHO HELPED PAY FOR THIS SYSTEM, I DEMAND TO KNOW. YOU KNOW MY ADDRESS, JUST MAIL ME THE REPORT.... PLEASE (errr).

When will they come up with a digital box that wakes up certain dispatchers… ?

Oh, last comment on the DIGITAL ENCODERS.

Why do we need them ?

The tones are now, and for the last 30 years been set off on low band without a problem. Who is it that thinks that should be changed, the part of the system that isn't broken unless someone tries to fix it ?

Who is it that will pay for another D And M Nifty little project ?

next

OH, and WHY ARE WE STILL PAYING STALEY COMMUNICATIONS to maintain the OLD VHF system when everyone is off of it and the frequencies sit idle, equipment unused… but Staley’s still get hundreds of thousands of Rubles a year to maintain it.

next

The Westmoreland County Commissioners HAVE YET TO CALL ME BACK ! As I mentioned BOLDLY in my last Blah-g, Senator Bob Regola went to meet with the 3 Stooges in Greensburg and the head Stooge, MOE-TOM and the other two REFUSED to meet with the Senator UNDER ANY CONDTIONS OR CIRCUMSTANCES.

Talk about letting POLITICS get in the way of saving lives, apparently the commissioners don’t give a damn about your life, whether you are a First Responder OR a Citizen of this fine county. At least Senator Regola DOES CARE and he is going to continue with his attempts to get the Stooges to talk. Perhaps 2 fingers to the eyes ?

Lets see now, a little checking shows us that …

SENATOR BOB REGOLA – Republican
Commissioner Tom Balya – Democrat
Commissioner Tom Ceraso – Democrat
Commissioner Phil Light – Republican

Well, as least Commissioner Light and Senator Regola are of the same blood type, so maybe someone can turn the Light On to be an ice breaker, HOWEVER the one and only time I ever spoke to Phil he was under the impression that this system was SO PERFECT that NASA was going to adopt the same system and use Westmoreland County as a Role Model for the space program ! (perhaps a slight over statement)

Phil told me that "NO ONE" had ever complained about the system to him including his relatives who are using this system as first responders. "Everyone loves it" he said, "NO dead spots" and Ligonier Township is completely covered.

I’ll agree that Ligonier Township is covered, but not with good radio reception. It’s covered with cow-do-do if you are going to believe that ONE TOWER is enough to cover that area and FOUR TOWERS are enough to cover the EASTERN HALF of this county ! HELL, the Western Half of this county has TWENTY TWO TOWERS !!!

And residents of the Ligonier area, please don’t take that as a negative comment about your beautiful area as I worked in Oak Grove for over 5 years and loved it ! Just ask Steve at Curry Chrysler Plymouth of all the fun that went on in and around that area… ops, long time ago and most people won’t remember that place !

next

OK, LETS GET ON TRACK HERE:
- who would be interested in meeting to discuss this 800 M-Hurts Cyst-Em in, like a town hall type meeting w/ yours truly ? You don’t have to be a first responder or even a resident of Westmoreland County… just have an interest in wanting to know how the system works and what it should do and why it doesn’t ?

Drop me an email and we will attempt to set up a date where we can all meet and talk. news@k3sam.com

- Lets all get a letter out to the commissioners expressing an interest in them meeting with Senator Bob Regola. Tell them it’s time to cut out the politics and start saving lives ! If you don’t want to write them, at least call their office with your concerns. Call them at (724) 830-3100 or (724) 830-3106, their FAX number is (724) 830-3029 but sometimes it doesn’t work.

- Let set a goal for FALL of this year to make sure all the first responders either have this system fixed by October 1st, 2006 OR get a commitment from the WC Department of Emergency Management to replace the whole damn thing with a proposed 400 Mhz system on that date.

- IF you are a first responder, 911 dispatcher or someone in a similar position – MAKE SURE you keep in touch with me so I can keep the COUNTY in touch with what is going on. The County residents and first responders READ THIS BLAH-G, so what better way of getting the message out !

As always, to verify your tips I need to know who you are however to the public you will remain anonymous.

IF YOU REMAIN SILENT YOU ARE ONLY HURTING OTHERS.

Decoded,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com – website for WC info
www.k3sam.com – main website for all other info, amateur radio related and other
news@k3sam.com - email me privately with your tips and comments
www.k3sam.com/800/AudioClips.html - direct link to the system screw ups captured “on-the-air”

Dead Spots and Happy Trails...

2006-04-17T10:54:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone had a very safe and peaceful Easter weekend. With that, let me get started with the latest news.

You might remember I mentioned a few months ago that there was going to be a “BIG MEETING” coming up in Greensburg. Well, half of that meeting as taken place.

What I attempted to do was arrange a meeting between Senator Bob Regola and the Westmoreland County Commissioners along with our 911 Director, Richard Matason.

Senator Regola DID go to Greensburg on my request to see first hand the problems the 911 center is having with the 800 Meggy Hurts equipment ( 800 Mhz ) and did meet with Richard Matason...

HOWEVER THE WESTMORELAND CO. COMMISSIONERS FLAT OUT REFUSED to meet with Senator Regola under any circumstances.

These 3 Commissioners are suppose to be representing YOU and ME. They sure as HELL are not representing me by refusing to meet with Senator Regola !

I called the commissioner’s office and spoke to Linda last week and she said she was "unaware" of the meeting that was suppose to take place. She said she would call me after speaking to the commissioners to explain the reason why all three commissioners refused to meet with Senator Regola.

Linda never called back. Gee, I wonder why ?

Matt at Senator Regola’s office told me that the senator WOULD COME TO GREENSBURG AGAIN to meet with the commissioners should they change their minds.

The senator has been very interested in finding out why this system was put in service when it isn’t nearly completed and was expecting answers from the commissioners. Maybe that’s why the commissioners refused to meet with Senator Regola ?

A copy of the letter the good senator sent Richard Matason (copy to me) is located here, or if clicking there didn’t work, cut and paste this address into your browser.

http://www.k3sam.com/800/Regola1.html

If Senator Regola does make the trip to Greensburg again just to see the Westmoreland County Commissioners, I will be there. I am very curious as to how the commissioners will answer some of the questions both the senator and I have for them !

In other news: New audio clips have been posted on a fairly regular basis. If you haven’t checked for new audio clips in the last few weeks then you have a surprise coming. Several new clips with some new voices are on there… is yours one of them ?

KDKA in Pittsburgh got a camera inside of the Westmoreland County 911 center and they did an interview with Dan Stevens. Dan was talking about what the county plans on doing about the drought.

My friends, DAN IS IN CHARGE OF ADDRESSING, NOT RAIN CONDITIONS OR THE WEATHER ! Dan’s answer to conserving water in Westmoreland County was not to use it ! Hmmm, that makes sense. Oh, unless you are planting NEW GRASS, then you can use the water.

Perhaps someone forgot to tell Dan that Grass is illegal in most states…

Besides, Dan has enough trouble with addressing... no one knows where they live anymore , 911 is confused when they dispatch ambulances and incorrect fire departments are dispatched to fires because the street addresses are wrong ! Dan need not concern himself with the lack of water in Westmoreland County !

I think KDKA just wanted to get some inside photos of 911 !! Thanks to GMan, he converted the KDKA video into .jpg photos and I have those posted on my website. ( at this time there isn’t a link for this on my home web page, so cut and paste this link for future reference )

http://www.k3sam.com/800/Inside911.html - Photos, inside 911

APRIL 18th is LOVE YOUR LOCAL FIRST RESPONDERS DAY. Please DRIVE with your LIGHTS ON and TOOT your HORN when you see a local first responder ( Police / Fire / EMS-Ambulance ).

On the other hand, should you see someone that has one of OUR 800 Meggy Hurts portable radios that shouldn’t have one, like the Commissioners, Park and Courthouse Maintenance, Road Crews, etc… feel free to wish them a happy first birthday.

I AM WAITING ON how the latest winner of the Blah-ger Tips Contest wants his/her name to appear in the Blah-g. A name was pulled and I’m waiting on a reply. Remember, YOU could win a CD filled with audio clips from OUR 800 Mhz just by sending me a tip or comment about OUR 911 center or the Radio Cyst-Em.

Each month a name is pulled from all the tips / comments sent in to the Blah-ger via news@k3sam.com. Once I find out how this winner wants their name to appear on the Blah-g it is announced and a CD is then sent out to the winner unless they wish to pick it up in person. THERE IS NO CHARGE WHAT-SO-EVER to the winner. Not even shipping or the price of the CD !!

Until next time… Happy Trails To Hue !

Decoded,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com - web site
news@k3sam.com – send in those tips and comments
http://www.k3sam.com/800/Regola1.html - letter from Senator Regola to Richard Matason
http://www.k3sam.com/800/Inide911.html - inside the 911 center, PHOTOS !
http://www.k3sam.com/800/911Past.html - Older 911 stuff ( please send in your older stuff for display ! )

Happy Easter !

2006-04-14T23:05:00.000-04:00

Westmoreland County's Blah-g

This weekend is EASTER and I would like to wish each and every CHRISTIAN reading this a very safe Easter Weekend.

Some of you may go to church to celebrate the glorious and wonderful fact that God gave us Jesus Christ to walk on this Earth some 2006 years ago, others will gather together and break bread with your own families and I’m sure some will just pause and thank God for Jesus, for His Birth, Teachings, His Death on the Cross and His Continued Daily Guidance.

No matter how you Celebrate the Birth, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord, I want to wish you a very safe most Holy Holiday.

For my friends of other faiths and the unbelievers, may you at least have a wonderful weekend doing whatever you may do.

AND

For those of you that I consider to be the back bone of Westmoreland County Pennsylvania: the Fire Fighters, Police Officers and those Medics, EMT’s and Ambulance Drivers… may your Holiday be extra special as the extra special Men and Women that you are.

Happy Easter !

Sam W. Jacobs
The Blah-ger

http://800.k3sam.com

(next regular Blah-g to be posted soon as well as new audio clips - thanks to all those who help)

Just another DAMN day !

2006-04-12T17:13:00.000-04:00

MULTIPLE RADIO TOWER SITES DOWN !

FIREMEN, MAN YOUR STATIONS.

NO TONE ACTIVATION, NO VOICE ON THE PAGERS !

Thanks to Vandergrift Station 50, they were able to set some sirens off from their station.

Bell Twp., Bear Caves and Multiple Other TOWERS ARE DOWN, DEAD, OUT OF SERVICE. BOTH LOW BAND AND 800 Meggy Hurts !

Oh hum... just another day for this Cyst-Em !

Ask a Commissioner if they care... or the Brammell / Matason Team ? Oh, but Dan Stevens will tell you how to save on water... DON'T PLANT NEW GRASS !!

Decoded,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com
news@k3sam.com

T1 Line Alert, Going Down... Down... Down...

2006-04-10T20:33:00.000-04:00

Greetings From My Planet !

The Blah-g – Part One

I was thinking the other day and THAT is ALWAYS dangerous, at least for me. I have logged more individual radio numbers for Mutual Aid Ambulance Service ( MAAS ) in Greensburg than any other agency. I just did a very quick glance at my radio list and can CONFIRM they have at least 52 radios however GMan has his count at well over 75.

I would bet the underwear I just took off that MUTUAL AID has closer to 100 / 150 of the new 800 Mhz radios.

I am trying to understand how a service that is MAKING A PROFIT is even allowed on the Westmoreland County Emergency Management Radio Cyst-Em ?

What kind of a deal did they make with the county that gives them this special privilege ?

The firemen are volunteers, the police are paid however their departments do not show a profit, county ambulance services are volunteer to my knowledge ( perhaps paid EMT’s and Medics now ) and then there is MAAS.

$500 or more for a two mile / one way trip from your favorite wreck to the hospital inn. Somehow that just doesn’t sound right, but I’m getting off track here.

They should have their own frequency ( which they do ) and should be using that frequency only ( which they don’t ). Mutual Aid Ambulance Service is a business, just like Dick’s Sporting Goods, Kmart or Frank’s Artificial Rubber Testicles, Inc.

I have no problems with MAAS using the 800 Mhz trunking radio Cyst-Em for EMERGENCIES BUTT they continuously use it for VAN TRANSFERS.

According to Richard Matason, Director of OUR 911 Double Standard Circus, the 800 Mhz Cyst-Em is to be used for EMERGENCY TRANSMISSIONS ONLY ! ( Van 6 pickup one at Dr. Zoro’s at 10, Van 5 pickup two at LAH South and take them to LAH North, Van 2 pickup lunch and Van 4 just pickup and leave )

And I’m not talking about one or two transfers a day, MAAS probably has somewhere around 100 to 250 Transfer related transmissions or more each day. I’ve even posted an audio clip on my website showing the ABUSE.

What gets my goat is that we only have 10 usable 800 Mhz frequencies associated with this trunking system and we are only using 5 of them at most tower sites. So in layman’s terms only 5 people can be talking at one time and if 911 and MAAS are talking, that only leaves room for 3 other people to talk.

If you are saying “so what”, let me throw this at you. Westmoreland County Weights and Measurements are now on this system as well at the County Courthouse and Parks Maintenance and STALIES COMPLEXICATION and a bunch of other NON-EMERGENCY Services / People that have NO RIGHT to even carrying a radio INCLUDING THE WESTMORELAND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS are BLABBING on and on about lunch menus and dog do-do ( don’t confuse the two ) while FIRES are going on.

IMO, those 3 Stooges do not need a radio and just by them having one in their possession is taking a radio away from a POLICE OFFICER, FIREMAN or EMS Paramedic. Same thing with the Courthouse and Park Maintenance, those radios SHOULD BE ON THE BELT OF A FIREMAN OR COP !!

Some might think I am showing DISRESPECT towards our County Commissioners HOWEVER RESPECT has to be EARNED and to that end as far as I am concerned they are just 3 people with attitudes, sit in better chairs than I'll ever own, have an enormous amount of unchecked power and they have shown this Blah-ger absolutely no respect and deserve none in return. This is not a war, I am just telling it like it is.

Anywho, what all this leads to is a TIE UP of the few frequencies we have… and then there is a FIRE, or a POLICE CHASE. What happens is “someone” is going to get a BUSY TONE on their radio and there is a good chance it will be the people who need to use the radio the most. Not Weights and Measurements where Kathy is requesting a hamburger without pickles for lunch, or Matt at Parks Maintenance who can’t find the oar to his boat, but it will be a Fire Chief trying to give orders who gets the SYSTEM BUSY SIGNAL.

Well if the Fire and Police Chiefs in Westmoreland County do not care if they have a dependable radio system, perhaps I shouldn’t. If your company or department would like a guest speaker and you are only a few miles away from Latrobe I would be more than happy to come and sit down with your group.

Give the whole damn Cyst-Em back to Frick and Frack, I liked it much better that way.

That also brings up the use of this Cyst-Em by STALEY COMMUNICAITONS. Who knows what they are using the system for because all of their transmissions are ENCRYPTED. In my opinion the only reason anyone would use ENCRYPTED TRANSMISSIONS is to HIDE stuff from the general public, just like Mark, Richard, Bill, Dan and the other STAR TREK COMMANDERS do every morning on Public Safety Talk Group 1.

IMO, they are either discussing ways to set each others hair OR top secret ways of screwing the county out of more money for more MOBILE COMMAND CENTERS for EACH OF THEM to go CAMPING AND SHOPPING IN.

I will have to check with the FCC, but in some cases what Westmoreland County 911 is doing MIGHT just be ILLEGAL. For example, if the head honchos at 911 are setting up a dinner for staff members that will be PAID FOR BY THE TAX PAYERS and they are trying to COVER THAT UP by ENCRYPTING those transmission, then 911 IS BREAKING THE LAW !

The police are allowed to encrypt their transmissions as information like social security numbers they might need over the air SHOULD be encrypted, hidden from the general public.

A very long time ago when 10 codes were created, the meaning of those 10 codes were kept hidden from the general public and the usage of each of those codes could change daily UNTIL a citizen sued a county for attempting to HIDE information.

Needless to say how the outcome went as we all know what 10-4 and 10-45 now means. YOU CANNOT USE CIPHERS TO HIDE INFORMATION THAT SHOULD OTHERWISE BE PUBLIC. ENCRYPTION IS A FORM OF A CIPHER. ( a cipher is also a little critter that crawls in the night looking for addresses, it can be spotted by using a standard flashlight as it’s bright green coat is very shiny )

ps: Again, the reason why this System is referred to as Cyst-Em is because of the way it was slapped together with Elmer’s Glue and T1 phone lines that continuously go out-of-service. It ( the Cyst-Em ) is a cancerous countywide growth that keeps getting bigger and bigger, filled with DEAD SPOTS with NO FIXES planned, talked about YES, but nothing is planned as we are OUT OF MONEY.

Oh there is plenty of bull floating around and promises being made by “politicians” and “directors” about updating the Cyst-Em to get rid of the thousands of DEAD SPOTS, but no plans are in the works. Just BULL.

The Blah-g Page Two

Piss: Passing this on from the GMan…

Close to home

By David Hunt
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, April 6, 2006

There was no fire, no heart attack, no shooting, but the call was no prank.
"911, do you have an emergency?" the dispatcher answered.

Jerry Feret, 68, who's had four addresses in as many months, explained he just wanted to know if the 911 center could find his Hempfield Township home of almost 40 years. Anymore, he's not even sure where it's located.

"I did it, but I don't know if it makes me feel better," Feret said.

Feret is one of thousands of Westmoreland County residents whose addresses were switched to more efficiently dispatch police, fire and ambulance crews.

In December, his rural route turned into "Mt. Pleasant Road." Since then, he's received mail addressed to house numbers 87, 1380 and 1384. He missed a cable bill and threatened to switch to satellite TV to avoid a late charge. He got two garbage collection bills, both in his name, listing two different addresses.

But he worries more about emergency crews missing the house.

The dispatcher pulled up Feret's address on a computerized map, saying it was located near a number of streets, such as Sunny Drive, that Feret had never heard of.

He took walks to study street signs and reassure himself that everything would be all right.

"You want to have people find you," he said.

In 1998, L. Robert Kimball & Associates, of Ebensburg, was hired to canvass the county's 1,032 square miles for unnamed streets, rural-delivery routes and duplicated road names. Each was a threat to emergency response, said Dan Stevens, the county readdressing coordinator. The 911 surcharge in telephone bills paid for the $1.8 million program.

Stevens expects to be done by the end of the year. He admits to flaws in the process involving local municipalities, post offices and the county.

"No matter what happens, there are humans involved," Stevens said. "We make mistakes. We try to go through enough checks and balances."

"I think Dan's worked hard at it," county Commissioner Chairman Tom Balya said.

"He's been the lightning rod often for people who have been upset, but in the long run, he's trying to do what's right."

In spite of good intentions, the program's fallout has irked many.

Hempfield Township Manager Rob Ritson said his staff logged calls itemizing nearly 1,000 problems with 11,000 address changes in the township.

Many residences, especially in Feret's area, were skipped during an initial canvas, Ritson said.

When Sam Calo, 47, moved from Laughlintown to Ligonier in 2002, his moving man asked if the truck was headed for Ramsey Street in the borough or Ramsey Road in the surrounding township. Calo, who has muscular dystrophy, wondered if ambulance drivers would have the same question.

He told the moving company to go to 108 Ramsey St. in the borough, an address that several months later became 108 Hadley St.

Deliveries were delayed to his home accounting business because drivers couldn't find the new address. Cards and letters went back to friends marked "address unknown."

"It's just been ridiculous," Calo said. "They changed Ligonier in 2003 and here we are.

It's 2006 and I still have a phone book in front of me that has an incorrect address. ...

It was a great plan that was so poorly executed."

In the 20 years Darlene Vukovich has been a real estate agent, she's seen nothing like it. When she leaves her Jeannette office to look at a property, it can turn into a scavenger hunt because she is unsure how old addresses relate to the new.

"No one can find anything," Vukovich said. "There needs to be a published, cross-referenced list. I'm not asking for anything that should be any secret. It's public information."

Stevens said he disagrees because the address database includes sensitive information like unlisted phone numbers. "The information is gathered for 911 purposes," he said. "The county can't sell it. I can't distribute it."

Somehow, junk-mailers prevail.

Penn Township Commissioner Chairman Charles Horvat said he gets various bulk mailings at his home, listing an address the township has yet to make official. Junk-mailers found the address in U.S. Postal Service databases that were updated prematurely, he said.

Post offices have their own problems.

Murrysville Postmaster Pamela Abbot's district got about 800 new addresses. But some residents neglected to inform the people who send them mail, slowing down the sorting process.

Same goes for Unity Township, where more than 5,000 addresses were changed in November 2004. "We still have some folks using their old RD addresses," Emergency Management Director Pete Tenerowicz said.

One person who's been able to find people's homes: pizza delivery driver Nancy Burkholder, who drives for Fox's in Ligonier.

"A lot of people haven't changed their mail box numbers and house numbers. It's a headache for some of the new (delivery) people," she said. "For me, it's not much of a problem because I've been here for so long and I'm from this area."

Yukon Fire Chief Larry Mencer said firefighters use a cross-referenced address list to study changes made nearly a year ago. Just outside the fire hall, the same number is assigned to two separate homes, but the department is trying to correct that, the chief said.

He thinks the project has reduced response time. "I think they wanted to make sure everybody's safe," Mencer said.

Maryann Phillips' address is literally etched in stone. A large chunk of granite on Harrison City Road in Level Green, Penn Township, says "718." That's where she lives, next door to her monument business marked by a stone pillar.
Whatever happens to her address, Phillips said, the markers stay.

"I'd have to get a crane in to get those pillars," she said. "You're not talking a few dollars here."

Harrison City Road, the local name for Route 130, is destined to drop its name to be known only as a state highway, Phillips said.

"As long as I've lived around here, it's been Harrison City Road," she said. "It will be 20, 30, 40 years until it's not Harrison City Road."
----------------------------------------------------
Who's next?
East Huntingdon Township: Readdressing complete. Letters informing residents of the changes went out in March.
Mt. Pleasant Township: Expected to be complete with letters to residents due out this month.
Penn Township: Expected to be complete by the end of May
Still under construction: Rostraver Township, Irwin, North Irwin, New Kensington, Lower Burrell, North Huntingdon Township, Mt. Pleasant Borough

Is Your Address changing?
The Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety offers the following tips to aid in the transition to a new address:

Keep a copy of the 911 center's letter informing you of the address change with important home documents, such as a deed or mortgage.
Contact your local municipality if it appears there is a problem with the new address.
Start using your new address immediately; make changes as quickly as possible.

Decoded,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com – website
news@k3sam.com – tips / comments / insider information

PSS: DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU SEE ON TV !!

CAN YOU MOVE A MOUNTAIN ?

2006-04-04T01:56:00.000-04:00

Greetings and Salutations Oh Westmoreland County Blah-g Readers !

I just wanted to pass on that new audio clips were posted to my website and I just finished another one that will be posted later. (it’s posted !)

Also after many hours of study, and some inside information from a kind Westmoreland County Dispatcher, I have some District 5 Information for you.

In the District 5 Police Division, you have:

Car 5-4 in Bell Township ( 1 vehicle )
Car 5-5 in Avonmore ( 1 vehicle )
Cars 5-10, 5-11 and 5-12 in Vandergrift ( 3 vehicles )
Cars 5-50, 5-51, 5-52, 5-53, and 5-54 in Washington Township ( 5 vehicles )
Cars 5-60, 5-61, 5-62, 5-63, 5-64, 5-65 and 5-66 in Allegheny Township ( 7 vehicles )
Car 5-70 in Hyde Park ( 1 vehicle )
Car 5-80 in West Leechburg ( 1 vehicle )
And
Cars 5-90, 5-91, 5-92 and 5-93 in Delmont ( 4 vehicles – District 2 converts )

I live in District 4 and I don’t have that good of information on my district, damn ! Any District 4 Dispatchers care to email me please, pretty please with Moose Milk on it ? news@k3sam.com

In other news, 911 and Stal… er Radio Maintenance have been TESTING THE HELL out of the cyst-em and it’s still not working. What's the use of testing when ya know it's not going to pass, eh ?

Communications to Ligonier and Ligonier Township Police were scrappy to say the most this evening.

WHAT, HUH, REPEAT, SAY YOU DID OR DIDN’T, HUH, WHAT !

Oh well, I did all my PREACHING months and months ago and Tom Balya, Richard Matason and Sir Mark Brammell ( I just knighted him ) will NOT LISTEN. This Cyst-Em WILL NEVER get any better in this TERRAIN.

SO GUYS, UNLESS YOU PLAN ON LEVELING ALL THE MOUNTAINS AROUND HERE, YOU MIGHT AS WELL BEGIN PUTTING THOSE 800 MEGGY HURTS RADIOS ON EBay AND BUYING 400 Mhz OR VHF RADIOS.

Decoded,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com – website
news@k3sam.com – send me those tips / 911 photos / internal memos from Mark / Log sheets / everything !!

ps: March’s winner of the BLAH-GER TIPS OF THE MONTH contest to be announced soon !!

Talk-Around / Smok-Around, My Hiny !!

2006-03-30T14:45:00.000-05:00

Hello again.

We have to stop meeting like this, someone might talk !

WINNER of the CD in the Blah-gs Tips Contest for February 2006 was CG, a firefighter from Derry's Fire Station 41. Way To Go CG !! Keep those tips coming - March's winner to be selected soon !!

From December 1, 2004 to November 30, 2005 we had the following:

163,345 Police Calls
18,176 Fire Calls
and
41,201 EMS calls

Totaling 222,722 calls on 800 Meggy Hurts.

Out of those calls we had 222,722 calls where there were transmission problems !

I can’t say that for a fact, however each and every call I listen to I hear at least once where the dispatcher or the responding agency has to ask for a repeat because of DEAD SPOTS and Digi-Crap !

In an email that I received from a concerned fireman, he advised the Blah-g of another problem that goes back on Mark’s programming. He said that when different fire companies are working together and they go to their talk around frequencies, they are different ! This is in Westmoreland County folks !

All fire companies are suppose to be on the same talk around channel as all police have their own talk around frequency. Same with EMS. But if a Zone 1 fire company would attempt to talk to a Zone 3 fire company, they can NOT.

How’s that for interoperability ? Good work Mark.

For those of you that know and like Mark ( I’ve never met the man nor will he talk to me, so I don’t know him. Mark may be a nice guy but I can only report what is sent to me and the facts as I know them. ) please have him begin to reprogram the fire radios so I don’t have that to write about. It would make it easier on me !

The system, and I’m speaking of OUR 800 Meggy Hurts Radio Cyst-Em would not pass NFPA standards, nor does it pass DHS standards. That’s sad !

On another quick note that has nothing to do with our Cyst-Em… I was speaking to a trooper today and I mentioned what a “funny guy” Trooper Maloy was and that I enjoyed listening to him on the State Police TAC channels. This trooper I was speaking to told me that Trooper Maloy was the PENNSYVANIA TROOPER OF THE YEAR last year. The Blah-g would like to congratulate Trooper Maloy for a job well done !

That’s it, PLEASE listen to all the new audio clips I’ve posted on my website. I hope that all those hours put in to creating them is not going to waste. Yesterday only 200 people listened and downloaded the newer audio clips. We can do better than that !!

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO CLIPS FOLKS, I DO THIS FOR YOU.

Decoded,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com - website
news@k3sam.com - send me those tips, photos and trip sheets. Everything is welcome ( 911 logs welcome too ! )

It's only a $200,000 option !

2006-03-23T17:20:00.000-05:00

It has been a fume dayz since I have added anything to this Blah-g so I figured I'd better give you an down-date.

Years ago the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) REQUIRED anyone making adjustments, installing, programming or repairing public safety radios HAD TO BE FCC LICENSED. No If’s, Ands or Butts.

The FCC Dropped all those regulations and I guess they figured NO ONE WOULD HIRE ANYONE that wasn’t licensed. That would make the FCC's job easier and they wouldn't have to police the public safety radio frequencies any more. The FCC would leave that job up to the end user.

Most end users like the Allegheny County Department of Public Safety and the Fayette County Department of Public Safety HIRED FCC First Class License Technicians and gave them a regular position of keeping the radio system up and running correctly.

BUTT, apparently the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety (WCDPS or something like that) decided that it was not necessary to keep their system operating properly ( or even working half the time it seems ) and did not hire a technician to be on their staff.

Because the WCDPS has such a large Parks and Recreation Maintenance Crew they should be able to handle that job, after all they hog up the frequencies a good part of the day so they should know how to fix 'em when they goes down. They gots toolz ya nose.

Boy what a FRIGGIN’ MISTAKE !

I am going to go out on a limb at this point and guess that probably only ONE technician that is working on the WCDPS’s Radio Cyst-Em is an FCC Licensed Radio Technician, and that person ONLY has an FCC 2nd Class License, NOT A FIRST CLASS which was Required To Make All Of The Adjustments and Repairs in the past… the good old days when radios WORKED and the radios weren’t a PIECE OF CRAP !!

The Technician that I am referring to grew up with me, we went to the same school and graduated the same year. He went for his FCC test and came out with an FCC Second Class License. I went and passed my First. I ONLY POINT THIS OUT TO SHOW THAT THERE IS A LICENSED TECHNICIAN working on the Cyst-EM. ONLY ONE !!

When I called Staley Communications ( under contract to repair our Cyst-Em ) a while back and ask how many of their technicians are FCC Licensed I was basically told to eat worms.

I DO NOT KNOW OF ANY OTHER LICENSED TECH’S that are working on our LIFE AND DEATH - FIRST RESPONDER COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM !

If that is the case then that would be like having your Grandmother Maintain The System... which IS perfectly legal now, and that is BASICALY HOW OUR SYSTEM SOUNDS. That would also explain HOW POORLY the Cyst-Em Is performing !

By pointing out that I have an FCC First Class License and the other guy only has an FCC Second Class License I am by NO MEANS saying that I know more than he does or that I am better in electronics than he is. It is my guess that this guy truly wants to have this emergency radio equipment work properly but perhaps due to understaffing at Staleys or maybe they have him doing other duties where he cannot get his hands on the Cyst-Em to repair it properly. Afterall, someone has to keep track of all those metal grounding washers they are collecting and using during radio installation jobs. The more holes they drill in the floor boards and firewalls of fire trucks the more washers they have !!

Again I’ll will point out that Motorola Radios used to be the INDUSTRY STANDARD in radio communications, however IMO these radios that were pawned off on our Fire and Police Departments and the EMS Crews are NOTHING MORE THAN CHEAP FOREIGN-OUT-SOURCED JUNK.

They couldn’t have been made in America because American’s take pride in their work and this WHOLE CYST-EM sure as HELL isn’t anything I would want my name printed on.

For the last few days AND nights, the Motorola Crews have been at 911 tweaking knobs and adjusting different setting, guessing and hoping… moving this and that and that and this and I’m here to tell you AS AN FCC 1st CLASS LICENSED TECHNICIAN, These Tech’s Just Don’t Understand Radios or How They Are Suppose To Operate !!! If they did the system would be working properly !

Even IF the technicians did understand how the equipment works, the equipment is SO BAD that I am impressed each and every time there is an actual transmission where both parties can hear each other.

That is very upsetting to those of us that know how a radio system should work and to sit back and listen to the DIGI-CRAP and DIGI-ECHO EFFECTS, the BREAKING UP OF TRANSMISSIONS and the 911 operators continuously repeating “I DIDN’T COPY THAT CHIEF” or “PLEASE REPEAT EVERYTHING FROM THE TIME YOU BEGAN TO SPEAK !”.

During high speed police chases I sit back and cringe as I hear “5__ Car ___ In purs___ of a Red _____ uck Westbound on __4__” ! Then I hear “Hey Hutch wher__________
Ance on East S_______erkdadadadadadadadadadaa____” !

Or 911 will dispatch Fire Station 281 (example) to a fire and the Dispatcher will say “Two vehicle accident, no injuries with entrapment… operations are on Fire Tac 4”. Chief 281 will answer with “911, did you say no entrapment ?”. 911 will reply “Chief, there is entrapment but no injuries”. Chief 281 will reply “10-4 Matt, all units proceed non-emergency… no entrapment. Switch to Fire Tac 6”.

Either Chief 281 is on drugs, WHICH HE ISN’T or the Radio Cyst-Em is phucked up !

Gee, I wish all examples were that EASY.

But I have been blowing my nose over this for well over a year now… I keep getting emails from Fire and Police Chiefs telling me that I’m right on the money, keep it up but I’ve been keeping it up and it’s about time someone else took a HARD stand ON this !

Isn’t there ONE FIRE CHIEF (excluding C42) or ONE POLICE CHIEF that will go public, or at least write a short email explaining their station problems and put their name to it. I’ll publish it word for word.

^^^^
I don’t know when you checked the audio clips on this Blah-ger’s website but there are some new ones posted. If you haven’t done this yet, when you are on the audio clips web page, click on the different audio clips and when you are asked if you want to open the file or save it, Save It. Make up your own collection of these clips for future reference or when you need a reason to get pissed, or laugh.

When I am review the digital audio clips I may find a 911 screw up at the beginning of a 1 hour audio clip however at the end I might one cop telling the other one where to put his light bar. I can usually make an interesting audio clip using both the serious side and the comical side without losing track of the theme.

Download them and have fun. They are copyrighted and there is a reason I say that. NONE OF THE AUDIO CLIPS on my site have been ALTERED unless I specifically mark it as such, so I do not want anyone editing the files I have posted. That’s not much to ask now is it ?

/…
This and that and other crap… for some strange reason earlier this AM 911 was testing on Fire TAC 11, the dispatcher was making grunting noises as if he was constipated and would continuously click the microphone on and off as if he was sending Morse a Coed. I have the audio and when I can get tuit I’ll post a few seconds of it… but it’s really boring.

After I reported 911’s Bear Caves tower being down and the Ligonier Area being without proper police and fire protection, Mark and Rich’s Public Safety Talk Group #1 started a buzzin’. Unfortunately I chose NOT to listen into the encrypted conversation, but I can guess what was being said !

I have inside information that the conversation went something like this…

Official 1 – “what the F_uck is happening with the Bear Cave tower site now ?"
Official 2 – “T1 line is down again and Verizon’s repair line is out of order again”
Official 1 – “Do you think we can fix it ourselves ?”
Official 2 – “Sure, we have done it for over a year now ! I have the toaster ?”
Official 1 – “Good, I bought a new fork to go in the toaster”
Official 2 – “Oh yea, that was a shocking experience”
Official 1 – “You told me it wouldn’t hurt and the Cyst-Em would reboot”
Official 1 – “You just wanted to shock the monkey, didn’t you ?”
Official 1 – “Are you there ?”
Motorola – “Is that thing down again”
Official 1 – “Yeh and Official 2 isn’t answering me now”
Official 2 – “I’ve been calling but I must be in a DEAD SPOT”
Motorola – “Where are you at, where is the DEAD SPOT ?”
Official 2 – “Erk blit fern dadadadada bawa wa”
Motorola – “There’s that Digi-Crap again… I like to call it extra encryption !”
Official 1 – “Extra encryption ?”
Motorola – “Yeh, when the Digi-Crap is turned on, NO ONE can understand you !”
Official 2 – “Did we pay extra for that Digi-Crap feature ?”
Official 1 – “Yes, around $200,000 but it’s worth it”
Motorola – “Most people like it, You know your Transmissions are secure when NO ONE CAN UNDERSTAND YOU”
Motorola - "So where is that new DEAD SPOT ?"
Official 2 – “Oh, the DEAD SPOT is at the 911 Center in the John. Well we better plug in the toaster now for the master reboot, the Cyst-Em has been down for a few hours already. Who is going to hold the fork this time ?”
Official 1 – “Where’s Dan ?”

Decoded,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com – website for the pros (and cons too)
news@k3sam.com – report all the inside information you can fit in one email !
AUDIO CLIPS – Direct Link to the Sounds of Confusion

Blah-ger note: If you are a 911 dispatcher reading this… and I know you read these, please don’t take the above as being directed towards you and your dispatching abilities. The management over you is who decides who gets to sleep during what shift and who gets the free meals with the Top Dogs... and it’s the Westmoreland County Commissioners who decides which 911 management official gets to monitor the hall each day. No one monitors the Commissioners… what a wonderful chain of command… too bad the missing link isn’t around !

R.I.P. TM

Do You Hear Me, Ogar Ogar ?

2006-03-17T07:04:00.000-05:00

Oh boy, Oh boy !

New Audio Clips of Westmoreland County's New 800 Meggy Hurts Rodeo Cyst-em in Crashaction !

BTW, these clips are copyrighted by the Blah-ger however feel free to download them, burn them on a disc, and use them for FREE during any presentations your fire / ems / or police departments might be holding.

I say FREE because legally I cannot charge for these audio clips, nor would I want to. They are there for you to see HOW BAD this radio system is. The would CRAP does not even come close to describing it ! I have been sent money in the past for copies of my audio CD's... ALL MONEY WAS RETURNED !! ( there is a location or two on my website for "website donations" as the website space that holds these clips cost lots of money... but I will NOT accept money for the audio clips ! )

If you have one of these 800 Meggy Hurts Rodeos you just might find YOUR VOICE in these audio clips !

YOU MIGHT BE A STAR !!

In other newz... GMan sent me this for all to read:

Just an FYI...
hope these new weather sirens aren't radio-activated... ;^)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Emergency tests planned in Valley
By Tamara Simpson
VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Emergency organizations across the Valley will participate in statewide weather emergency tests Thursday and Friday, which could mean anything from tornado drills in schools to disaster sirens being set off in communities.

According to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), the tests are set up every March to assess "all the procedures necessary for an adequate reaction to an emergency situation."

The tests will vary by county and municipality.

In Westmoreland County, Lower Burrell is planning to set off six weather sirens at 10:10 a.m. Friday.

Residents voiced concern about the sirens at the city's council meeting Monday night. They're worried if residents and emergency workers are not properly notified in advance, some people could mistake the drill for a true emergency.

That's one of the reasons Brozenick said Armstrong County officials decided against setting off sirens.

The other is the fact residents are desensitized to fire whistles.

"All the sirens in Armstrong are set for fire response," he said. "Our concern in using the sirens for weather emergencies is that (fires are) an everyday occurrence, and how many people will pay attention?"

But the sirens in Lower Burrell sound different than regular fire whistles.

"It's a very distinct, different sound," City Clerk Edward Kirkwood said.

Kirkwood said the sirens are located at the No. 3 fire department near Hillcrest Plaza along Leechburg Road, No. 1 fire department in Kinloch, Huston Middle School, Trinity Church along Garvers Ferry Road and by Arthur's Restaurant along Leechburg Road.

The special sirens were installed last summer and were paid for by a $30,000 state grant, Kirkwood said.

Lower Burrell Emergency Management Coordinator Mark Ciesielski said the sirens could be tested monthly.

"Once (officials) see how the sirens work, they'll maybe have a drill once a month at a certain time so people can get more familiar with what it is," Ciesielski said.

He said testing weather emergency plans is important, especially with the flooding local communities have encountered in the past few years.

A Westmoreland County official said the drills are mostly for school districts, nursing homes, day care centers and other facilities.

"(These tests) are not geared to the public at this point," Dan Stevens said, the public information officer for Westmoreland County. "This is geared to places with specific infrastructures that need to practice their emergency plan at least once a year."

"once a year, yup... that would be like every other Tuesday, right ?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks GMan... and in fact, these sirens COULD be set off by digital means over the 800 Meggy Hurts Cyst-Em ! Mark Brammell's fire station, Harrison City Fire Department 87 has the equipment to have their fire siren set off that way, NO TONES.

To my knowledge, they are the only ones to receive this SPECIAL EQUIPMENT. Everyone else's fire sirens are still set off by the old VHF tone system.

ENJOY THE NEW AUDIO CLIPS, They are there for you to hear our TAX DOLLARS WASTED !

Decoded,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com - website
news@k3sam.com - feedback / news / more inside photos / good stuff !
DIRECT LINK TO THE AUDIO CLIPS !

Just 4 Fun...

2006-03-15T16:31:00.000-05:00

Did ya hear...

Two men were driving through Washington Township when they got pulled over by a Washington Township Police Officer. The cop walked up and tapped on the window with his nightstick.

The driver rolled down the window and "WHACK," the cop smacked him in the head with his nightstick.

"What the hell was that for?" the driver asked.

"You're in Washington Township, son," the officer answered. "When we pull you over in Washington Township, you better have your license ready by the time we get to your car."

"I'm sorry, officer," the driver said, "I'm from Latrobe and didn't know your laws here."

The officer runs a check on the guy's license - he's clean and gives the guy his license back. The officer then walks around to the passenger side and taps on the window.

The passenger rolls down the window and "WHACK," the officer smacks him on the head with the nightstick.

"What'd you do that for?" the passenger demands.

"Just making your wish come true," replied the officer.

"Making WHAT wish come true?" the passenger asked.

"Because I know you Rolling Rock types," the officer says, "two miles down the road you're going to turn to your buddy and say, I wish that asshole would've tried that shit with me!"
--------------------------------------------------------------
Just for fun 5-0... and Decoded,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com - website
news@k3sam.com - comments / tips / 911 horror stories ! / More photos of the 911 center !!

No Disrespect !

2006-03-15T08:22:00.000-05:00

Good Morning !

I really don’t have the time to post a Blah-g this morning however I received an email that I just had to comment on.

First off I will not say who the email was from, only that it was from a ranking member of the Harrison City Fire Department, Station 87. That is the same fire station that Mark Brammell belongs to, and Mark is the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety "911" Deputy Director.

The email basically told me to Stop Dragging the Harrison City Fire Department into my Blah-gs. He also implied that I was showing disrespect towards the firemen at Harrison City.

If you are a follower of this Blah-g you will know that I only report the favoritism that is shown to that fire station ( as reported to me ), due to the fact that Mark is, I think the Assistant Chief.

What you have is a top officer of a fire department who is also a top official at 911. OF COURSE HIS STATION WOULD RECEIVE MORE PERKS, just like Mark receives Perks at 911 like a free vehicle to drive around in, free trips, free meals, etc... It is because that station receives more perks than other fire stations that I write about it.

In NO WAY have I been disrespectful to any fire fighter at the Harrison City Fire Station. PERIOD.

I only report… you decide !

I can’t really say anything good about the person that sent me the email except he signed it. He accused me of being involved in a “Pissing Contest” with the county. How can this be a pissing contest when it takes TWO ( at least ) to have a contest. So far the COUNTY HAS REFUSED to participate with any response to my accusations, so NO CONTEST.

Maybe that’s where the court system gets the term “NO CONTEST”. The Blah-ger says the 800 Meggy Hurts System was not worth installing and my Audio Clips PROVE how BAD the Cyst-Em really is AND the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety cannot prove otherwise… so in effect “NO CONTEST”.

To me this was like Motorola saying to a group of people “if you install our system we will give you cars, vacations, free gas, dinners, clothes, and free money to spend”.

Who else bid on the contract ? Who has seen the contract ?? I attempted to get a copy of the contract from Westmoreland County and what they gave me was an OLD contract for the repair of our VHF system.

That is a joke in itself. WE STILL PAY TO HAVE THE OLD RADIO SYSTEM OPERATIONAL. The joke is on you and me because the only one that benefits with that is Staley Communications… It is OUR MONEY INTO THE BANK ACCOUNTS OF STALEYS FOR A SYSTEM WE DO NOT USE !!

Getting back to Harrison City Fire Department… I repeat, this Blah-g has NEVER shown any disrespect to that department or any of it’s members.

The people that tell me that Harrison City Fire Department gets special treatment ARE members of that fire department, 911 dispatchers AND Technicians at Staley Communications.

I DON’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP FOLKS !

911 is still having 800 Mhz problems ( listen to my audio clips ), 911 is still having problems with the LOW BAND FIRE DISPATCHING, 911 is now having problems BREAKING IN new dispatchers so if you get a dispatcher that does seem to know what they are talking about… just remember they are learning. I hope it doesn’t cost anyone their lives due to an incorrect ambulance service or fire station being dispatched. Can’t have errors like that !

DECODED,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com – website / audio clips and more
news@k3sam.com – feedback / comments / 911 horror stories
AUDIO CLIPS - DIRECT LINK - CLICK HERE - new clips added often
"My Radio Works Fine ! HONEST ! I also live in a glass house, wear green underwear, smoke bananas, like to dress up goats and burn money to stay warm... Come and Visit sometime "

Testing 1, 2, ahhh... ummm 4 ?

2006-03-13T11:43:00.000-05:00

Repair Schedule for today, 13 Mar 06:

Seward Fire Department
Fairfield Fire Department
New Florence Fire Department

All Ligonier Township areas that were affected by the BEAR CAVE OUTAGE yesterday and the last month / year.

Possibly the police departments will be looked at too but for sure the fire departments. The boys with the toys are on the road... do it right this time !

Decoded,
K3SAM

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

PS: Don't miss the new audio clips just posted on the website !!

WTF

2006-03-12T20:07:00.000-05:00

OK, the Blah-ger has to report this AGAIN.

BEAR CAVES TRANSMITTER SITE IS OUT. AS IN BROKEN - NOT WORKING !

To the FIREMEN, EMS and POLICE in Ligonier and Ligonier Township that means that MOST of their communications with 911 is CUT OFF.

NO FIRE SIREN ACTIVATION, NO PAGERS, NO LOW BAND COMMUNICATIONS plus 800 Mhz is ONLY HALF WORKING.

WTF Mr. Matason… WTF Mr. Brammell ?

At this point I would have to say a MONKEY could do your jobs. In fact the Monkey might be over-qualified in comparison.

And that goes for the Westmoreland County Commissioners AND Staley Communications !!

I was sitting at my desk 3 days ago when Joe Poe from Staley Communications reported back to 911 that everything was repaired. Again, God Bless you Joe and anyone that looks like you.

THE SKINNY:

There was a vehicle accident with multiple patients and entrapment in Ligonier Township at approximately 19:15 hours ( 7:15 PM ) on March 12, 2006 and the FIRE SIRENS did not work, FIRE PAGERS did not activate… Communications was lost in the hills PLUS 800 Mhz was shotty to say the best.

The Fire Departments seems ticked off enough to possible file a complaint however Pat, the 911 dispatcher seemed like it was just another tiny problem, as long as it didn’t affect his lunch break. Then again I doubt it if the Fire Department would complain, after-all the Dispatcher and one of the Fire Chiefs up in the Ligonier Twp. Area are Father / Son.

So why would the Father complain against the Son ?

And if it doesn’t affect Fire Station 87, Mark Brammell’s Fire Station then it doesn’t get TOP PRIORITY !

If I were the ones involved in that accident I would SUE the county because the county HAS BEEN WARNED of the RADIO PROBLEMS and with the communication systems DOWN, valued minutes were added to the response of ALL EMERGENCY VEHICLES.

WTF !

Decoded,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com – website
news@k3sam.com – your HORROR stories… like today !

DRAMATIZATION Ditty, by the Blah-ger

2006-03-12T13:26:00.000-05:00

Remember... KISS !

I was sitting here the other day thinking ( can be very dangerous ! ), what would it sound like if the Big Boys in Greensburg happen to need this poor excuse for an Emergency Management Radio Cyst-Em and the Cyst-Em started to act up like it usually does.

For whatever reason, T1 lines going down... transmitter hanging up... digitial echo effect... the digi-crap effect... just plain old system failure - BUT this time the Boys in Greensburg NEED the system and it isn't working, just like it fails all the time when our fine firefighters, EMS and policemen are using it.

So I got out my trusty audio editing programs and a put together a dramatization of exactly that... The Big Boys Needing The Emergency Radio Cyst-Em and the Radio Cyst-Em not really giving a damn.

Give a listen when you get the time, especially if you happen to wear a HAT at the 911 Center.

Nothing else new or should I say nothing has been fixed. 911 made an announcement that 33.70 Mhz Fire is back up however there are still fire stations that are reporting siren and pager problems.

Go figger Uncle Wally. In fact, Joe Poe was the Motorola Tech working at Bear Caves... GOD Bless him and anyone that looks like him.

That's it, the puppy is running me ragged. My brain feels like it is twenty two again but my body feels like a hundred and twenty two ! I'm past the point of it turning black and falling off...

God Save The Queen... wherever he may be !

DECODED,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com - site the web
news@k3sam.com - email me with your 911 horror stories !

LINK TO THE AUDIO FILES, JUST CLICK HERE YA'ALL

Hungry !

2006-03-07T09:40:00.000-05:00

Two new audio files were posted on my website since my last Blah-g. Ya might wanna check 'em out.

Nothing new, and that is still scary. I want to report something new, like MARK BRAMMELL Said he will resign if the radio system isn't fixed, but THAT NEVER HAPPENED.

Or how about ALL THREE Westmoreland County Commissioners found guilty of spending Millions of tax payer Dollars on a radio system they knew was a piece of Crap ! But that never happened either.

News, the Blah-ger needs news !!

Send all comments, tips, stories and other items to news@k3sam.com.

Hungry for new news and will keep on reporting until this Cyst-Em is FIXED !

DECODED,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com - web
news@k3sam.com - tips

Amn-Day Hame-Say

2006-03-03T07:19:00.000-05:00

Nuttin' to say, isn't that a shame.

NEW NEW NEW AUDIO FILES POSTED.

http://800.k3sam.com

email with your comments / tips to: news@k3sam.com

Have a great day. If you are someone in POWER - CHANGE THINGS, DAMN-IT !

Decoded,
K3SAM

The Orange Lemon

2006-03-02T07:58:00.000-05:00

WTF, it is a rainy Thursday and we are looking for ice pellets to start falling. What-a-day ! For those users of our Westmoreland County Emergency Management 800 Meggy Hurts radio Cyst-em look out for “changing radio conditions” which will happen when we have major events such as SLEET.

Honest !

Have I EVER LIED TO YOU ?

Ok, time to KISS !

I have a few items that must be posted today as they are Breaking News stories. Both deal with the 911 equipment and dispatchers. No one ever gave me a full tour of the new equipment so I don’t know who to blame, just read on please.

FIRST, Slickville Fire Capt. 59 was involved in a traffic accident Tuesday night when all the roads were a shite of ICE. Since he is a user of this Radio Cyst-Em AND he had a radio with him AND his wife was injured… HE PRESSED THE EMERGENCY BUTTON on his radio.

GREAT, finally a purpose for those damn buttons and it was used properly !

The bad part is 911 didn’t do anything about it !

After the button press, and a few moments of tense PAIN for his wife, he called the accident in himself. He was very calm and gave the directions the best he could under severe conditions.

911 ask him several times about the accident. Like where it was, how many vehicles involved, how he received the information… FINALLY CAPT. 59 SAID THAT HE AND HIS WIFE WERE THE ONES IN THE ACCIDENT AND THAT HIS WIFE WAS INJURED !

911 ask again if there were any injuries ? Huh ??

THEN, 911 ASK CAPT. 59 WHY HIS EMERGENCY BUTTON WAS PRESSED !

Give me a damn break. Capt. 59 said the whole thing over again… he and his wife were in an accident and his wife was injured.

911’s answer was “CAN YOU RESET THE EMERGENCY BUTTON” ….

Holy Bullfarts Batman !

The next issue deals with someone in the Medical Profession. This person, who happens to be a “ Professional Medic “, was being chased by a CRAZY person.

An ambulance call that went haywire !

While this person was running from HARMS WAY, he pressed the EMERGENCY BUTTON on his radio.

GREAT, finally another purpose for those damn buttons and it was used properly !

911 NEVER ANSWERED THIS PERSON, NOR DID THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT THE BUTTON WAS EVER PRESSED.

This incident is now being REVIEWED at the HIGHEST LEVEL at 911, or in other words people are talking about it at lunch-time and in the John.

Eventually I will tell you who this person is ( yes I know who it is and THANKS to all my insider contacts ) but I am withholding that info for now until the incident is reviewed by 911.

This Blah-ger can tell you what happened, or at least what my PROFESSIONAL GUESS is to what happened.

When this Medic pressed his EMERGENCY BUTTON, he was in a DEAD SPOT. The radio was NOT receiving information from ANY TOWER SITE, nor was it able to send any information to ANY TOWER SITE.

Thus, his radio was a worthless piece of super expensive crap.

So, what good are these radios with all their great features. Wouldn’t it be better to give OUR FIRST RESPONDERS radios that work instead of PRETTY ONES that don’t ?

Ok, those are the two BIG items I have as breaking news for you.

I did want to alert SCANNER LISTENERS that Stat MedEvac has a new Frequency you might want to program into your scanner.

The frequency is 159.480 Mhz. (see, a non-800 Meggy Hurtz system that I bet works... Richard Matason and Mark Brammell could take a lesson from STAT ! IMO, those two could take a lesson from Betty Crocker and nothing would improve... not even their cakes !)

The new frequency information was provided to me by Scotty J., remember him ? He is Westmoreland County’s # 1 available bachelor ( I will soon be # 2, but that is another subject ). THANKS SCOTTY J.

Oh, oh, OH !!!

Since no volunteers offered to HELP pick out a winner for the Blah-ger Monthly Tips Contest, now in it’s sixth month… I put all the names in my PA LOTTERY HAT from January 17th until February 28th and pulled a WINNER myself (new drawing date will be the last day of the month).

I will be sending the winner an email this morning and will post his or her name on the next Blah-g. I always do it this way because some people do NOT want their name mentioned, after all most tips come to me ANONYMOUSLY you know.

I know who they are, but you don’t.

That’s why I say all your tips are reported to me anonymously … THEN and only then will I use your name if YOU wish.

That’s it for now except NEW AUDIO CLIPS are being posted regularly ! Keep checking !!! You just might hear your voice if you are a Dispatcher, Cop, Medic or Fireman.

Have a glass of Moose Milk on me, keep your Johnson where it belongs, count your calories before giving them away, Mutual Aid Ambulance has been tripping out too much lately, remember to always look to see if there is enough toilet paper in the stall before opening up your internut connection, camping in the middle of the ocean without matches might make rescue impossible, AND finally… DO NOT ACCEPT RIDES FROM STRANGLERS !

Decoded,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com – web slight
news@k3sam.com – send me your tips / comments / phone numbers (women only) / and other secret stuff

Vomit, that's it !

2006-02-26T16:23:00.000-05:00

K.I.S.S.

A phew things on my list to write about… while it’s 6:00 AM and Boomer, the wonder puppy has one eye closed and the other cautiously watching me.

Yesterday ( Saturday February 25, 2006 ) morn’ at about 07:34:58 AM the Westmoreland County 800 Megga Hurts system must have blown a tire patch as it went into critical shutdown. Not that you could tell anything on the air however something happened that threw up a RED FLAG at 911. I hope my informants come through and tell me what that was so I can report it to you as I only have a way to tell something happened, but not what.

Next:

On Friday night I believe, there was a fire that required activation of Harrison City Fire Station 87, the fire station where Mark Brammell is an officer. Mark is also our 911 Deputy Director under Richard Matason.

Remember now folks, I am NOT picking on the Harrison City Fire Department… so I guess that means I’m picking on Mark, eh ?

My point is that MARK got on his radio and talked back to 911 on Talk Group 200, Fire Dispatch as a fireman. In fact I believe another officer of the Harrison City Fire Department also got on Talk Group 200, Fire Dispatch and was talking back to 911 !

Not a word was said by 911 about MOVING OFF OF THAT TALK GROUP… WHY ?

Talk Group 200 on the 800 Meggy Hurts Cyst-Em IS THE FIRE DISPATCH “Channel”. The same channel that ALL THE OTHER FIRE CHIEFS get YELLED AT for using.

The same Talk Group that I have MULTIPLE AUDIO CLIPS of on my website of 911 Screaming “GET OFF THE FIRE DISPATCH CHANNEL”.

One and the same Talk Group where many a wrecks have been called in on ONLY TO HAVE 911 NOT TAKE THE REPORT and FORCE others to MOVE to another Talk Group and REPEAT the details of the wreck ALL OVER AGAIN ! EVEN OTHER FIRE CHIEFS.

THE VERY SAME TALK GROUP that you now find Mark and other Harrison City Firemen using WITHOUT getting yelled at for using !!!

What is this, some people get special treatment ? There is a reason people other than 911 dispatchers are suppose to stay off that Talk Group ! Reason: to keep it open for OTHER fires to be dispatched ! More than one fire or wreck can happen at the same time, and usually does SO STAY OFF Talk Group 200… unless you are a Harrison City Fireman, I guess.

Oh, I forgot to mention that other firemen from Station 87 also hold positions at 911.

So, if you work at 911 and are a Harrison City Firefighter too, you are allowed to CLOG UP the Fire Dispatch Channel without getting YELLED at.

Sorry, I’m just trying to clear this up in my head.

No one can use that Talk Group except Dispatcher’s AT 911 who are currently DISPATCHING a FIRE or WRECK… and any Harrison City Fireman. Ok, I’m starting to understand.

I do believe they call this SPECIAL TREATMENT.

Similar to giving a public servant CASH under the table, then EXPECT him or her to do you SPECIAL FAVORS. There is a word for that… hmmm. VOMIT, that’s it.

Next:

Also on my list of things to comment on is the use of FIRE TAC channels. Who controls those, the Dispatchers or the Dispatcher’s computer ?

On Saturday night, early Sunday morning there was a vehicle accident in Larimer, Fire Station #1 and an ATV accident in Slickville, Fire Station #59 and they were BOTH ASSIGNED FIRE TAC 5.

Actually if I remember correctly, Station #59 had the TAC Channel and were ALMOST done with it, not quite though… and on comes Larimer, Station #1 going IN SERVICE while Station 59 was still waiting on a MediVac to lift off.

YES, THERE WAS CONFUSION !!

So was this a dispatcher error or computer error, and who’s on first ?

BLAME It on Joe N., after all he is on personal leave. But who is that sitting at Joe N.'s desk ? DAN STEVENS !! Where have I heard that name before ?

Isn't he the one that got the brand new COMPANY BIG Truck to do his grocery shopping in. The same one that is to go on all Hazmat calls and other calls that require a command set-up because in his truck are special tables and chairs and a lime green coat ? But has failed to go to ANY CALLS AT ALL until it was exposed in this Blah-g !

Isn't he the one that is in charge of the mapping program that sends our fire and ambulance services to the wrong addresses all the time ?

Isn't he the one providing FREE TAXI SERVICE to Verizon Employees ?

And now he is "acting" 911 Coordinator for Joe N. ?

Has he ever taken Acting Lessons ?

God save the queen, wherever HE is today !

Next:

I had mentioned a guest Blah-g is being written for you. Update: the guest Blah-g is still being written, it’s just that it isn’t just going to be a bunch of words thrown together… this is going to be a Blah-g that even the Blah-ger would be proud of.

In due time… in due time.

No more nexts, only a last.

I have come to the conclusion that This Radio Cyst-Em that WE were FORCED to USE is only as good as THOSE IN POWER. For example, if the commissioners would get off their duffs and get together with our 911 management, and then management would get together with radio maintenance… things MIGHT work.

Things just are not getting any better after the first YEAR and if the people talk to each other at least there is a chance it will work a HELL of a lot better than it is now, just LISTEN TO THE NEW AUDIO CLIPS I POSTED ON MY WEBSITE for the horror stories in sound.

Of course REPLACING THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS and 911 MANAGEMENT MIGHT BE A BETTER START, then have them talk to each other.

Lack of communications. That is why I was pushing for a “work group”, so that everyone could get together and talk. I wanted to include the Police, EMS, and Firemen in this “work group” along with a few concerned citizens of Westmoreland County and the Media.

To date the Commissioners have never called me. Not even to take me out to dinner or offer to give me one of those COUNTY OWNED VEHICLES to drive around in for free like Dan Steven's, Mark Brammell and Rich Matason drive around in.

They haven’t even offered me $50,000 to STOP writing about this crappy radio cyst-em and it’s poor management. Damn !

DECODED,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com - website for those in the NO
news@k3sam.com - send your tips / comments / inside info / lunch menus

KISS - ME !

2006-02-23T05:51:00.000-05:00

Just a short note to let the Firemen know that 33.70 Mhz is back up and in service at the 911 center.

Still unexplained is why 33.52 is NOT.

In my area, when Stat or Lifeflight has to "crossband" communications to any firegrounds they use 33.52 Mhz to do so. They cannot do this now which is a major down fall.

Last I heard the only thing wrong with 33.70 and 33.52 was the antennas at Bear Caves. Since 33.70 is up and 33.52 is not, my guess is that there are two separate antennas and Staleys only had TIME to change one.

Not bad for being out of service off and on for a YEAR !

/ / /

Apparently my reporting on Mutual Aid Ambulance Service in Greensburg hogging up one of the five site available frequencies on the new 800 Mega Hurts Trunked Radio System (TRS) has just made them mad as they are using the TRS even MORE since I first reported this.

It isn't so bad at 5 in the morning when there aren't any fires, but once last week there was an on-going fire and Mutual Aid continued to dispatch NON-EMERGENCY VAN TRANSFERS. This caused a HANG-UP in the system and many firemen got BUSY BEEPS on their radios while attempting to report EMERGENCY INFORMATION back to their fire chiefs and 911.

But WHAT THE HELL, you that use the radios don't care... I guess I shouldn't either. Eh ?

/ / /

K.I.S.S.

The old saying will apply here on my Blah-g.

KISS, or Keep It Simple Sam has now kicked in. With the Boogerette gone ( for many good reasons ) that leaves only this Booger Blah-ger to man the fort. With my LOVE OF ANIMALS I have taken the Puppy to care for and make sure he grows up properly. The Boogerette wanted to give the puppy ( named " Boomer " ) up to strangers and that just wasn't in my deck of cards.

To see a photo of the pupply, which will be 2 years old next month, visit my home web page at www.k3sam.com and scroll to the bottom. If I get enough feedback I'll post other photos and maybe a video of us running around in the nude. (btw: I've had a lot of people ask so I'll just tell you that he is a COMPLETE DOG, NOTHING REMOVED. She wanted to have his balls for super but that didn't happen - thanks to this Blah-ger ! Ouch !!)

So, not only do I have household chores, taking care of my father, keeping my website as current as possible and handling everything else that comes with life, I have a little PUPPY running around at my feet 24 hours a day.

Not that I don't love this, which I do... however being disabled and barely able to walk myself has thrown a cog into the Blah-g ( poet and didn't know it ). That just means my updates will be fewer and more to the point. I will still have the tips of the month CONTEST to resume shortly however I can't make it to the post office, so the winners will have to stop by the HQ should they want their discs... or something to that effect. Still working on it.

Remember - this 911 Radio Cyem-Em can KILL ya, watch your back !

So, KISS !

DECODED,
K3SAM

PS: updated today at 18:20z July 16, 2003 - new audio file posted on the Blah-gers website, http://800.k3sam.com or you can access it directly by going to www.k3sam.com/800/AudioClips.html. Check it out - !

PSS: I am now accepting donations for my divorce fund. Please make them in increments of $4,000 or more, or you can purchase the deluxe package for just $25,000 in five easy payments of just $10,000. All donations are appreciated and names of the donators will not be posted on the Blah-g as my thanks !

http://800.k3sam.com - the web
news@k3sam.com - the email
www.k3sam.com - Boomers photo is there with other useful info

Turn out the lights... the potties ogar

2006-02-20T14:49:00.000-05:00

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.

http://800.k3sam.com – your one stop shopping mall
news@k3sam.com – send me your tips / comments / extra table scraps, liquefird flees, etc...

Dead Spots, dead spots, rolly polly dead spots...

2006-02-19T04:23:00.000-05:00

Good Morning !

Boy, I wish I could write everyday however I just can’t anymore. There is SO MUCH WRONG with the Westmoreland County Department of Emergency Management’s Radio Cyst-Em that I should be writing from Sun up to Sun Down ! Or would that be from Tower Up to Tower Down.

From what I understand from my 911 inside sources, 33.52 Mhz Low Band Fire Backup and Pager / Siren Dispatch Frequency at Bear Caves (their main tower) is still OUT OF ORDER, DOWN, BROKEN, BEFUNGLED, or whatever else you want to call a broken down tower site.

FUBAR is another good term !

It has been out of service for a month or so, give or take a repairman ! UNBELIEVABLE. Someone has to hold Richard Matason or Mark Brammell responsible but who ? The commissioners ? Ha, what a friggin’ joke !

With that said I have a “GUEST BLAH-G” coming from a faithful reader soon. He said that “someone beside me” has to do some speaking up so he is in the process of writing the Guest Blah-g which I will post when it’s received, uncut !

You would think that things would be getting better after a year of testing and playing around with the lives of our FIRST RESPONDERS and the CITIZENS of Westmoreland County (WC). But they aren’t.

I posted several new audio files on my website that YOU should listen to. Seems we have EVEN MORE DEAD SPOTS than we did a year ago ! I just finished another audio file and it’s still in the .WAV format, I will reduce it to a an .MP3 later on Sunday and post it with the other new ones already there.

Seems that 75% of all the audio files posted now show one thing very clearly. DEAD SPOTS ! They are increasing in numbers which leads to Missed Calls… information being “guessed at” because 911 can’t hear the cars out in the field and the cars out in the field can’t hear 911. What good is a radio system (ops… Cyst-Em) if cops, EMS and firemen can’t hear and vista vergo.

I had made a CHALLENGE to the WC Commissioners to have a “Talk Out” and as of this date none of them have contacted me. What Chickens !!

Cluck Cluck

The “Talk Out” Challenge would have brought residents from WC together with members of the fire, medical and law enforcement as well as representatives from the commissioners, 911 Emergency Manglement, Radio Maintenance and ME. About 30 people in all in a BIG room with the Media present.

That way we can talk about the system and I BET everyone would walk away from this event with a better understanding of how the 800 Mega Hurts Cyst-Em is suppose to work and WHY IT DOESN’T.

Read my last Blah-g for more information !

WINNER OF THE “Blah-ger Tip of the Month Contest” has been delayed by a few days… usually the Boogerette pulls the winning name from the magic PA Lottery Hat but seems that she is no where to be found anymore.

Yes, the Boogerette left the Booger Blah-ger.

I am alone, single, ONE, UNO, 3 Dog Night type deal (sob). So I guess I’ll have to pull the winners name myself unless some sweet thing wishes to volunteer to come to Blah-ger Central and help me do it. Email me should you wish to see how this sacred contest selection process works. Males need not apply. news@k3sam.com

Anyone have answers to the following questions ?

Who is Medic 940 ?

How many new 800 Mhz radios does Mutual Aid Ambulance Service have total ? I have logged probably 20 today alone on 800 Megga Hurts, I’m thinking they have around 75 at this point. Who bought them, DHS, the Tax Payers or MAAS ?

How is it that Mutual Aid Ambulance Service runs Van Pickups on the Emergency Frequencies when Richard Matason clearly has on the “official website” that 800 Mhz is only to be used for emergency information now. Van Transfers are NOT emergencies.

How much does Richard Matason make a year to do nothing as I don't see him doing anything that would benefit the county ?

How much does Mark Brammell make a year to confuse things ?

How much does “my 911 Supervisor Informer” get paid to straighten things up ?

Why is it that the Booger Blah-ger is all alone. Not only in life but in my stance against having this 800 Meggy Hurts Cyst-Em still in operation while Motoroldla gets away with selling crappy equipment to our County and the County Commissioners do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about it.

Why, why, why ???

Ok, I’m done for now. Keep checking the audio clips section for new updates as I have tons of audio to go through and that’s what I’ve been doing. Why else would the Boogerette have left me ? Can't be because of my looks, geee I'm good looking, not like 911 Management. Anyhow, keep those tips and comments coming… without something to write about I usually don’t.

God save the Queen, cheerio !

DECODED,
K3SAM

http://800.k3sam.com – website for those as confused as I am.
news@k3sam.com – email address for tips, comments, dates, insider info and all that neat stuff (is Tammy married ?)