In a white house on a quiet, leafy street in Takoma Park, Md., lives a man who listens to nothing but mayhem. He is remarkable not because of his appearance — tall, thin, black hair — but for what he has around him at all times: scanners. On this day, the scanners of Alan Henney — whose […]
It was a particularly chilly cold case. At 1 am on November 18, 2010, officers from the Los Angeles Police Department responded to reports of gunfire in a leafy cul-de-sac near Universal Studios. They found Jong Kim lying in front of his home and shot at least five times. Kim, a 50-year-old liquor store owner,
If You Drive in Los Angeles the Cops can Track Your Every Move Read Post »
A team from NBC News’ digital news unit Left Field was in Hawaii to visit with some radio amateurs to produce a report when the false nuclear missile alert happened on January 13. Left Field’s report points out how much we rely on cell phones and 21st-century technology…and what we would do if these
NBC News Report Says Hams “Could Save Our Lives” in a Disaster Read Post »
By Rich Carlson, N9JIG So what does Signal Strength really mean? Most scanners these days have a Signal Strength indicator, usually with up to 4 or 5 bars to indicate a strong signal. How are these calibrated? Is 4 bars twice as good as 2? Do I need a full-scale signal to hear my local
Signal Strength – It Is All Relative Read Post »
Drill rigs and concrete trucks crawl up mountaintops at the break of dawn, forming silhouettes along LA basin and northern desert hillsides. Delivery trucks loaded with tower steel and heavy earth moving machinery mark the start of 2018 in grandiose fashion for the Land Mobile Radio (LMR) construction throughout LA County. “Construction activities over the last month have picked-up
LA-RICS Radio System Construction Update Read Post »
Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) firefighter flight paramedic Greg Sanderson has retired after 32 years of service, with 18 years assigned to the Air Operations Section. During Sanderson’s time at Air Operations he interrogated many skills, equipment, and rescue techniques from his time as a U.S. Navy CSAR Corpsman. When asked what some of his
Senior Los Angeles Fire Department Aircrewman Retires Read Post »
In a continuing effort to efficiently work with partnering governmental agencies, on Tuesday, January 16, 2018, through January 22, 2018, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) will be providing resources to assist current mudslide recovery and clean-up efforts in Santa Barbara County as part of a mutual aid request from the California Governor’s Office
LASD Prepares to Assist with Mudslide Operations in Santa Barbara County Read Post »
It looks like they are getting encryption right in Nebraska. We hope the So Cal PD’s will follow suit and not lock out scanner listeners from all PUBLIC safety communications. COLUMBUS NE — Columbus Police Chief Chuck Sherer is changing course when it comes to restricting the public’s access to information shared between officers and dispatchers.
Police Department Changes Course, Will Use Both Public and Private Radio Channels Read Post »
The nation’s Wireless Emergency Alert system (WEA) needs improvements that are long overdue, according to a coalition of public safety organizations that are pushing for action by the Federal Communications Commission on the issue. In a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and the other commissioners, six leaders of regional and national public safety organizations are urging the government
FCC Must Upgrade Wireless Emergency Alert System, Public Safety Organizations Say Read Post »
The Sonoma ridgeline was a sunrise of flame as Sgt. Brandon Cutting led deputies up country roads to pound on doors, hollering “Sheriff’s Office!” Thirty minutes later, with Cutting huffing from exertion and choking in thick smoke, the evacuation of Redwood Hill was still playing out one door at a time. He followed the sound
California Wildfires Highlighted the Failures of Emergency Notification System Read Post »
