From spy planes to rogue Wi-Fi networks, journalists and artists are using new technology to reveal a hidden world. One day this fall, in an old factory in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood, a row of ’90s-era phone pagers chirped and buzzed. Alongside their dimly-lit displays sat a receipt printer—like the kind you might find in a […]
How to Explore the Hidden World of Radio Waves All Around You Read Post »
LTE-connected drones hold a lot of potential for FirstNet-subscribers. Exploring the capabilities of this technology in wake of Hurricane Maria’s devastation will help temporarily restore connectivity and assess how first responders can use the drone in the future. AT&T has developed a drone that can function as a flying cell phone tower and helped restore
AT&T Flying COW Deployed to Puerto Rico Read Post »
Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS) board members approved an agreement that would transfer the LA-RICS public-safety LTE assets to AT&T, so they can be integrated into the FirstNet system if California Gov. Jerry Brown makes an “opt-in” decision. LA-RICS Executive Director Scott Edson tweeted today that the LA-RICS joint-powers authority board this morning voted unanimously in favor
The massive Thomas Fire in Southern California has consumed more than 230,500 acres, and the emergency has caused residents in fire-threatened areas to evacuate. Amateur Radio volunteers remain active supporting communication for American Red Cross shelters in Ventura County. More evacuations are likely, although the need for Amateur Radio assistance remains dynamic. Cal Fire said
Amateur Radio Volunteers Active in Latest Round of California Wildfires Read Post »
The Los Angeles Fire Department deployed its drones for the first time to survey the Skirball Fire near Bel-Air on Dec. 7, 2017. Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas announced the move in a Thursday morning press conference, and by late afternoon two drones had conducted reconnaissance at the north end of Moraga Drive for about 30
LAFD Deploys Drones for First Time to Survey Damage, Patrol Hotspots in Skirball Fire Read Post »
When cell coverage goes down, it’s all ham radios and sirens to the rescue. Wildfires that killed nine people in a remote Northern California county last month also crippled landlines, cell phones, and internet service, the local sheriff said Thursday, saying the disaster shows old-fashioned sirens and ham radios have a place in emergencies. Failures
California Wildfires Show the Value of Old Tech Read Post »
The following article is from the SystemWatch Newsletter published by the Orange County Sheriff Department Communications and Technology Division. As all of you know, we are in the midst of a major upgrade to our 800 MHz Countywide Coordinated Communications System (CCCS). This upgrade provides several key enhancements to the current system. First and foremost, it
Orange County Project 25 Upgrade Report Read Post »
Angel is watching over the city as the sun sets on a hot August day. Anaheim PD’s Air Support Bureau is cruising at 1,200 feet above it all, and below, the streets are a safer place because of it. Tactical Flight Officer Jay Poland monitors current calls and a mapping system on a laptop-sized computer
Anaheim PD Keeps an ‘Angel’ in the Air Read Post »
The woman’s screams were terrifying. The anguished wails were all that Anaheim PD Dispatcher Heather Champlin heard when she took the 911 call. Hamplin wondered if the woman had been violently attacked. Since she had called from a landline, the caller’s address popped up on Champlin’s screen. After several seconds that seemed to stretch into
Dispatchers Take Heat as the ‘First First Responders,’ So this Week, Show Them Some Love Read Post »
Verizon IndyCar Series drivers are used to sharing race feedback with their team engineers, but Wednesday they worked together with the Los Angeles Police Department to discuss police pursuits and driving techniques. Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay and four-time Verizon IndyCar Series race winner James Hinchcliffe visited the LAPD’s Davis Training Facility, where officers
IndyCar Drivers Put Their Skills to Test at LAPD Training Facility Read Post »
