by The Sage
Oops!: I was nabbed by a reader, who pointed out that I obviously didn't attend the APCO conference closing banquet, because I didn't know that association big-wigs came to their senses and repeated the Telecommunicator of the Year awards they performed after the opening day luncheon to a group of just 125. Seems the bosses of the agencies where the award winners work complained loudly, and APCO listened.
Dear Sage,
A friend watched a recent X Files and noticed some strange coincidences
in the story line? What was she talking about?
Al Ien
Dear Al,
She was right--something very strange going on, when the episode opens at
an "electronics" trade show at Baltimore's convention center!
A strange woman shows up at the FCC booth and convinces the straight-arrow
government type to hack his government-connected PC to help find a relative.
I watched as closely as I could, but couldn't make out anything recognizable
from last year's NENA convention.
Sage
Dear Sage,
Will El Niño affect your weather?
Adm. Bigawind
Dear Adm.,
Weather doesn't come where I live, buster! But it sure has scared
a lot of people in southern California. The IMPACT Disaster Response Unit
is running ads wherever it can, looking for volunteers to help staff a disaster
response unit that serves area police, sheriff, CHP and others. "We
utilize all types of communications, including CB, Amateur, GMRS, FRS, VHF/UHF
Commercial Bands, Cellular and more," says their plea. In fact, "You
do not need any special training or equipment to be part of this unit."
Well, so much for national dispatcher training standards. Anyway, if you
can help, send them e-mail at
sct_impact@bigfoot.com
Sage
Well, I'm not the only person to think Baltimore is pulling some wool. Ted Rufledt Jr. out in South Dakota writes in the very-informative state APCO newsletter points out, "some facts that Baltimore PD did not include in their report" about 311. He said BPD failed to point out the "huge increase in call takers" that they managed with light-duty officers, and concluded that if you added 50 call-takers and $700,000 to any comm center, "you will see phenomenal improvements."
Dear Sage,
I'm trying to follow the AMR moves and keep you step ahead. Any inside scoop
on where they will strike next?
Stocked
Dear S.,
I presume you're talking about their continuing acquisition binge. Well,
my contacts in Florida say that state is fertile ground for both AMR and
Laidlaw, as they try to bring diverse ambulance companies together to reap
economies of scale--and a profit.
Sage
Dear Sage,
I have a Uniden trunked scanner and am trying to get it to work. I can't
figure out what type of fleet codes are needed. Any help?
Trunked
Dear T.,
Absolutely none! I'm strictly a one-frequency, one-channel type of person.
On the other hand, in Calgary (up there), the news rooms there that have
loaded up on Motorola XTS-3000 radios to monitor the mixed analog-digital
trunked system the police are using. What I'm not sure of is what
the fire and EMS agencies will do: switch from their older GE analog trunked
system to the new digital system, or build a new one. Any help out there?
Sage
Dear Sage,
I've figured out the technology that carriers will use to comply with the
FCC's requirements. But I don't have any idea how it's going to be
funded. Any chance that the federal government will step in and make all
this techno-stuff work?
Compliant
Dear C.,
Given the priorities of the feds, I'd say there's no chance anyone
at the federal level will hand over money to put wireless callers on your
comm center map by 2002, or any other year. In fact, you may have
to fork over some money to hobnob with wireless execs and equipment gurus
to find out how to implement Phase I and II "at minimum cost,"
at a two-day Strategis Group seminar in Washington, D.C. They teamed up
with NENA and Wireless magazine, and flew in all the GTE, Bellcore, Lucent,
Xypoint, CTIA, PCIA, SCC, Geotek, FCC, AT&T and TIA people they could
find. Price tag? $2,095 for the conference and two workshops. Oh, and you'll
also fork over money for the hotel room. On my agency's budget, I'll pass.
Sage
Limb Time: I rarely go this far out, but...Michael Amarosa, deputy commissioner of technology and communications at NYPD may be on the way out, headed for some wireless technology company that does business with the city. Amarosa pretty much engineered the new 911 center and is/was working on other computer and technology projects. Is this another example of private industry stealing away our best government officials? Ah, what do I know?
