OEMC Radio System Failure?
Trying to find truth in a rumor coming through in comments that there was a complete OEMC radio system failure last night. We're hearing that OEMC finally got Citywide up and running, but that for several hours last night there was no police or fire radio up at all.
Information?
Information?
Labels: rumors, safety issues
posted by SCC at 10:08 AM
95 Comments:
GREAT CANT TALK TO CFD OR ANY OTHER AGENCIES ANYWAY SO JUST HOW OLYMPIC ARE OUR RADIOS??????
WE HAVE MEET THE ENEMY AND THEY ARE US!!-Sepmeer Fi
Zone4 was dead from 2230 to 0130, we were on CW6 in the interim.
maybe "radio ricky" got mad and sobotaged it after being spanked for overtime improprieties.
message sent over pdt stating radios were down. BUT, zone 9 never had any issues.
I just don't believe it. Chicago is on the leading edge when it comes to technology. We have all the best pod cameras and squad car cameras!
I worked last night and the dispatcher on zone10 came over the air he sounded more than a bit worried and said the zones are down. you could still hear some very garbled radio traffic but it was unclear if dispatch could hear us, then another dispatcher said they thought the problem might be the officers ability to hear each other ( possibly mobile relay )that was affected but that at any rate there was definetly a problem and that if you had an emergency try an alternate frequency. well if there was a problem with radio transmissions it would seem that not just the zones but the citywide frequencies would be affected as well thereby causing an extreme officer safety issue. but i'm sure someone from the city will say there was never a real safety issue involved just a minor malfunction if they even address the shutdown/malfunction at all. but from how crappy the radios sounded last night i would say that issue took at least 2-3 hours to be resolved. much to long if some copper was seriously in need of assistance and could not get any help because of a radio malfunction.
Gee there's a suprise!
Three of the Repeater voter systems went down causing overload to the remaining functioning towers. The hard line link(Phone line control) was still useable. fire side (main/englewood) was funtioning however they were utilizing back up systems. Insofar as the system being completely down there are 7 citywides(actually 8 if you count "five") that are in place when a zone or zones fail or are overloaded,however there is NO system in place as back up if citywide goes down.In all probabilty,this did occur and most to all Police Communication was done via PDT. Worst case scenario is if all systems fail,youre SOLE communication is car to car citywide 8 ("five") which is short range direct and non repeated.This will only get worse if/when the OEMC decides to incorporate the nifty 800mhz radios that rely SOLEY upon towers and 'cell areas' in order to function. A million years ago, CPD used 2 channels north and south (151.190 and 151.295) as dispatch channels. This is now the chicago Park District frequencies and aside from minor tweeking and PL tone changes IS STILL IN OPERATION. Remember Murphys law: youre equipment is provided by the LOWEST BIDDER.
Old Tube Radio Guy
Fire has been down at least one day a week for the last couple months not on a regular basis but as long as 12 hours at a time. Sometimes runing into another shift. They "the MFAO" have to revert to calling the firehouses on the telephone to dispatch apparatus.
We are so fucked if this is true! Another daley/corbett contract envelope deal! Please Patrick Fitzgerald take this guy before we have anything happen that cost people their very lives! (Sorry that is already happeneing due to lack of police,contract pulled by dopey daley and dumbass volpe)! Daley must go will be my mantra at OUR RALLY!
The system went down, but we still had communications. They were able to dispatch and we could hear them. Our mobile radios were a bit scratchy but still came through. If we had a worse failure we wouldn't have been able to hear from car to car though. It could have gotten very dangerous.
(OT) Just raed the scumtimes neil (wife beaters) pussy steinbergs column! This moron who beats women is talking shit about us! What a punk!
It didn't sound as bad as last time. Zone sounded as if dispatchers were using a regular portable radio instead of the whole setup. Mobile was working. The multi-million dollar installation is delicate at OEC, handle with care, it might break again.
This is true... the dispatchers were using hand held radios as there console radios were down citywide. I was chasing a guy and they were having a hard time hearing. Unreal!!!
******This just in to the news room*******************************
**********Failure of Lt Schmitz****
Another scandal Carroll is gone now he cannot be blamed! She has brought in leos swat guys to work bankers hours, and do absolutely nothing,answer no calls leave and go shopping but yet she continues! She has a 100% no confidence vote as a leader she has no respect,as a person she has no clue! Ahh but who is watching? Does she really think that TSA is that stupid? President Obama has talked about accountability, and how to report fraud best bet is ellyn leaves back to a district like 005 where she could work with her friend crumpy hales!
i work in 016 so i couldnt tell the difference!
Zone 12 had a little trouble last night.
around 2200 hrs or so the system went down. not sure what happened after midnight but could hardly understand the dispatchers.
oh yeah, the olympic commity will love to hear that
maybe the city can layoff more workers............
the city has so many damn boss's at 911, nobody knows anything.
this all goes back to the luberman regime.
quit putting political idiots in charge of something that obviously needs educated decisions.
Please follow the below posted link to the Chicago Tribune poll and VOTE on whether or not, the International Olympic Committee should be protested, by those who oppose the Chicago 2016 Olympics.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-daily-question-poll,0,7553162.poll
VOTE NO TO THE 2016 OLYMPICS!!!
VOTE YES TO SHOULD PROTESTERS PROTEST THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE!!!
ITS TRUE....
Glad ot happened couldnt stand another minute of the midnight dispatcher on CW1
Let me guess, Walsh Computing (division of Walsh Construction) has the OEMC contract?
Just a guess.
With "security being the number one important issue in the Olympics", this doesn't sound too good.
Lovely. Just lovely.
ummmm...can't say. I hit the hole early, I just figured it was a slow night.
wow--- But we are one of the most technological advanced departments in the country!
This is just terrific. The upcoming summer months promise to be brutal. OEMC is our lifeline; if the OEMC has a radio failure during a mass dusturbance, who is Mayor Daley going to blame?
The problems popping up at OEMC aren't going to disappear. Why isn't the mainstream media reporting this?
GUYS AND GALS JUMPING SHIP IN NEW YORK !!!
I wonder how many are leaving the CPD for better living conditions ?????????
Large numbers of NYPD officers have also migrated to the New York City Fire Department, where, even though pay is comparable with that of the NYPD, work schedules are more attractive and relations with the public more amicable. Contract changes in 2006, however, now forbid the prior practice of allowing police officers who join the fire department to transfer their seniority for compensation purposes. With all new firefighters now compelled to begin working at the same starting pay, the number of NYPD officers "rolling over" to the FDNY is likely to fall considerably.
Some NYPD officers charge that the department's leadership is seeking to stem the flow of officers to other jurisdictions by administrative means. In January 2006, 35 NYPD officers seeking to move to the Port Authority Police sued the New York department, claiming that it was refusing to make their personnel records available to PAPD background investigators. The plaintiffs won an injunction at the trial level, but the Appellate Division in January 2007 overturned that ruling and ordered the case to trial.
For its part, the NYPD claims its actions are merely in line with the personnel practices of other employers and that there is no "stealth" effort to prevent officers from moving elsewhere. Nonetheless, it is a fact that no NYPD officers have been included in the last two PAPD police academy classes as a result.
Despite these obstacles, there are signs that the exodus from the NYPD may be accelerating. In 2007, 990 officers resigned before becoming eligible for retirement, on top of 902 who left in 2006, 867 in 2005 and 635 in 2004, which makes for an attrition rate of around two percent. While Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly insists that figure compares positively with turnover rates in private industry, police union officials note that the proper comparison should be with prior years on the NYPD. In 1991, for example, only 159 officers left early, for an attrition rate of less than one half of one percent.
true
main system was down but they were working on the back up system, it went down about 930 or 10 and was out for hours... there was never a complete shut down of the radio, back up system was working fine.
Yes it is true, they had to use the back-up system and still continued to get unusual interruptions of a very high screeching noise during transmissions.
On zone 6 last night the dispatcher was using a short stem radio to dispatch calls
Not sure for how long it went on, but at one point a dispatcher on Zone 13 said they were on handhelds.
I don't know about the entire system, and definitely don't know how long it was down for, but my partner and I were on a traffic stop. At least a minute previous, there was definite radio traffic. We exit the car, I grab the radio to put us down on it... nothing. My radio, my partner's, another unit on scene, nothing. Four bangers on the hood.
When we went in with one, the desk sergeant told us to switch over to the citywide frequency. We were on that for about 3-4 hours until they told us to switch back.
It was a weird feeling when the radio cut off during the stop though, I can't lie I didn't like it one bit.
It's true. Working in 011th and the dispatcher was communicating through a radio
I worked OEMC last night as dispatcher. The radios went out approximately 2230 hours on almost every zone all at once. However, the backup radio system was in place but it takes a few minutes to kick in and for everyone to "switch over". The result is that for a few minutes there wasnt any communications on the radio. Then there were some issues with getting them all back up again so that meant that individual zones might have experienced some additional communication "blackouts". The 911 lines were not affected and no incoming calls were lost.
So- did we hacked into again?
Big rumor was when Huberman was at OEMC and got on TV and said- oops-we forgot to include a backup transformer- some one (thankfully benign) had actually hacked into the system.
Citizens you have a choice- a big party for the world to see or get another mayor who will lead your city and provide you with more than adequate police, fire and emergency services-safeguards against those that would take your life/lifestyle away.
Don't be sheep!
That would be true. Zone 10's dispatcher was using a regular radio last night to communicate with the watch.
Hey IOC: Fuck our lil' stuttering mayor AKA Mayor Shortshanks. He's a bumbling IDIOT who is a thief and belongs in the penitentary with his wife, son and nephew. NOBODY in this f--ked up city wants the bullshit Olympics except the gangbangers who will feed off the visitors to Shitcago. I am the CPD and you should have seen last year's FIASCO at the WASTE OF CHICAGO. I was even embarassed as the bangers groped daughters of families attending "FREACKNIK" and tried to have sex with some of the girls. Totally out of CONTROL. I'm not lying.
>>>I worked last night and the dispatcher on zone10 came over the air he sounded more than a bit worried and said the zones are down. you could still hear some very garbled radio traffic but it was unclear if dispatch could hear us, then another dispatcher said they thought the problem might be the officers ability to hear each other <<<
I worked last night too...
LUPE and the rest of the ZONE 10 CREW did a Great Job!
I owe you all a very large beer!
Remember when the whole OMEC system went down years ago, and HUBERMAN went on TV with a sign that showed that OMEC had only one power supply.
The PC I am writting this has a battery backup.
But we will have the Olympics and more Flower Pots.
that is a hundred percent true. our dispatcher was using a hand held to communicate to us and it sounded like crap. nice to see everything up n running in the city that works
This happened several years ago and the entire system was DOWN FOR OVER 1 HOUR untill they got the backup system up and running...in the meanwhile...we could NOT talk to fire, dispatchers, other agencies etc...only to ourselves...we had to send cars to the fire stations to communicate with fire...REAL BAD situation.But....we are ready for the Olympics and a terrorist act...Right??? riiiiiiiiiiiiight....
Just got this Just Cause across the PDT from Cmdr Crunk-Hells. And I thought to my self: she's STILL a Commander??
any word on the jeff tap thing yet. i thought they had closings on friday? anyone hear anything
Has anyone heard about these new missions coming up? It's called Spring Break mission and they sound like Safe Summer.
There was a power outage in the area of the 911 center yesterday. The 012 district was on the back up generator for hours. Wonder if that had anything to do with the problems?
When they built the 911 center, we paid for the back up systems that they put in each district station. They had the hardware installed so they could go to each station and dispatch. The equipment is still humming in the 012 district roll call room. The people from 911 would come out at least once a year and test it.
I wonder if they put those back up systems into the new stations that they built or if the new, newer and newest people running the system even know they exist? Seems like everything else with this city, it's not what you know but who you know. If you know more than your boss they want to get rid of you, not learn from your experience!
"My radio, my partner's, another unit on scene, nothing. Four bangers on the hood."
2Years w/o a contract & you're doing proactive Policework?
What a Mush.
Cant trust the Eddie Burke-Richie Daley-Jesse Jackson Radio Co. at all.
I woould suggest all officers on all watches exchanging cell phone numbers. If it is well thought out real emergencys and control can ge done from the station desk. Anything would be better than no communication.
Four bangers on the hood.
When we went in with one,
**********
See??? That RIGHT THERE is your problem.
Maybe this was just a practice hack by terrorists getting ready for the Olympics.
Ok, who kicked the plug out of the walk?
Admin Fax out today.
All personnel below Capt. will report to work with 10,000 feet of string and 2 soup cans (empty).
***planned picket information***
please if you are planning to picket please bring warm clothes and some type of rain gear. it is supposed to rain, many of us are planning on stopping and bringing a few gallons of coffee and hot chocolate to keep people warmed up. hopefully some will follow the same and a few pitch in to get something(especially if family members and childeren show up as mine are planning to do). please everyone, lets make this a success with a good show of force.
Ok, so they are dispatching via portable radio and PDT's. Some units don't have working PDT's or any PDT's at all. Public phones are non-existent and it seems that my lifeline might be my own cell phone to call a co-worker or the desk for help. That's real encouraging, especially with the number of one-man cars working first watch. Shame on us for letting THAT happen.
Anonymous said...
WE HAVE MEET THE ENEMY AND THEY ARE US!!-Sepmeer Fi
3/30/2009 10:23:00 AM
I hope this is a joke. How pathetic is this?
Too Many Dummies said...
This is just terrific. The upcoming summer months promise to be brutal. OEMC is our lifeline; if the OEMC has a radio failure during a mass dusturbance, who is Mayor Daley going to blame?
The problems popping up at OEMC aren't going to disappear. Why isn't the mainstream media reporting this?
3/30/2009 01:31:00 PM
############################
This is sooo funny, OEMC is our lifeline!
It seems to me that the Dept. said yrs ago that the PDT was going to replace the radio and that the radio would only be used as a backup. Ha Ha Ha
zone ten went out around change time. the zone was using a handheld radio for about 20 minutes.
JISC GRIEVANCE COURT AWARD 03/30/09
In 2006 the Dept opened the Juvenile Intervention and Support Center and opened it up for bid to Detectives. No one bid and the Department filled it "at the Department's discretion". These officers soon bid out of the JISC and the Dept then involuntarily detailed a different group of officers to the JISC. After their details ended they were then involuntarily assigned to the JISC based upon the "valuable experience" they had obtained during their involuntarily detail.
The Lodge went to arbitration and the arbitrator found the original transfers were OK because no one had bid, however the subsequent Detail and reassignment violated the contract. He awarded the officers time and one half for each day they were improperly detailed
The City took the rare move to file in court and ask a judge to set aside the arbitrator's award. Our attorneys fought the City on this. On today's date Judge Peter Flynn rejected the City's arguments and confirmed the Arbitrator's award of time and one half to these officers.
Hey "Old Tube Radio Guy" you know your stuff. Our system would be fine if it was maintained. For basic reliable voice communications the current 460 Mhz system is fine. No need for expensive computer based stuff that the vendor won't support in a few years down the road, requiring a new system upgrade. (planned obsolescence!) OTRG if you have the original CPD "10" codes would you please post them.
The Analog Police.
Typical of this department. Everything is fucked up. If the public only knew the truth and thanks to SCC, they get a little flava flave taste of what really goes on.
Everybody better go down to Wal-Mart and buy a CB radio.
We'll be communicating by cell phone soon, our own phones.
Isn't this the same OEMC who had no power a couple years ago because the backup generators were never tested, and failed when they were switched in? Im just sayin'
OLD TUBE RADIO GUY:
U ARE MY HERO ! Nice to have someone technical chime in, are u a ham? Anyone remember listening to dispatches on their AM radio with a converter box rubber-banded to it??
This happens a lot. Thanks Ron!!!!
Tell Mealer that is what happened when he called for another car and no one came.
just watched the news,there was daley telling us how he is using our stimulus money for o'hare runways! Just a couple months ago the thief stated he would never use that money for o'hare! In the background was the laughing hyena rosie andolino laughing at daleys stupid talk! You see rosie kept quiet while she was victor reyes valet taking his clothes to the cleaners,fetching him starbucks etc.. Now her dumbass is rewarded with a job paying over 300K+ cars and drivers! Wdrk What does rosie know? Wait until Fitzgerald sends his ace men after her crooked ass! Hope her and victor are on the radar!
Forget tried and true radio systems, let's get some fancy unconventional shit so Motorola can get their grimey hands deeper in our pockets.
400 million bucks (or so) for the OEMC....I guess 400 million bucks just doesn't buy what it used to...
Admin Fax out today.
All personnel below Capt. will report to work with 10,000 feet of string and 2 soup cans (empty).
LMAO!!!!
Sounds like Philly. They have had many radio problems since getting their new system.
You all be safe out there.
Hey Old Tube Radio Guy I didn't want to put your whole post back up but you were wrong with your last statement.
Remember Murphys law: youre equipment is provided by the LOWEST BIDDER.
It does not go to the lowest bidder.
It goes to the bidder with the most clout and who is willing to give the biggest kickback to the mayor. And they are ALWAYS allowed to sell us the most outdated product that they can find.
OLD TUBE RADIO GUY:
U ARE MY HERO ! Nice to have someone technical chime in, are u a ham? Anyone remember listening to dispatches on their AM radio with a converter box rubber-banded to it??
That would be the Clark 450!
Old 20th Dist. Ranger.
Very true.We were notified at 2240 hrs that system was down.
the current 460 mhz sytem is fine.
what we need is a REDUNDANT backup
system.
a way for each district to be it's own dispatch w/ dedicated radio, power supply, tower and antenna.
each portable could have 1 channel that p.o.'s would switch over to and be in direct communication w/ their desk crew.
while we are at it....how about a vhf rig in each wagon w/ freq's for fire, streets, ISPERN, ESMARN, IREACH, etc.
THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE FOLKS !
Keep It Simple Stupid.
Four bangers on the hood.
When we went in with one.
The only way they should
have been on the hood was if they ran in front of you and hit them.
That last comment was a little too technically proficient to put out there. We don't need a play-by-play on how to take that down. Sorry.
You think that it was bad this time, wait till Obama, I mean Osamas people strike again.
Old retired tube guy, I remember the old trick of attaching a converter to a AM radio and picking up calls. Does anybody remember when 020 was a fast district? Seems like a million years ago.
Thank God I still have my call box key.
Maybe it's time to retire?
OLD TUBE RADIO GUY:
U ARE MY HERO ! Nice to have someone technical chime in, are u a ham? Anyone remember listening to dispatches on their AM radio with a converter box rubber-banded to it??
That would be the Clark 450!=======================
OTRG--Thanks for the memories! Is it my imagination or is the CPD "trunking" system under-used? Ditto for the OEMC trunking system?
(And I do remember the converter boxes.)
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/648161.html
Wonder what could happen when you're out w/o communication?
Be careful.
Not a cop.
Yup- we were told to send messages via PDT if we had an emergency. The city that works-huh
I'm not sure about the CPD side due to the amount of dispatch points they have.
The fire side has 2 back-up freqs for each of its 4 dispatch positions (MAIN fire, MAIN EMS, ENGLWD fire, ENGLWD ems). Portables can also be used if the power goes out again.
There have been some proactive changes in how to dispatch if the OEMC goes comepletly down.
I hear the old City Hall and Englwd offices are still operational...amazing how something built in the late 1800's is still working after not being used for 12 yrs but the latest technology fails on a regular basis.
LD TUBE RADIO GUY:
U ARE MY HERO ! Nice to have someone technical chime in, are u a ham? Anyone remember listening to dispatches on their AM radio with a converter box rubber-banded to it??
Not a ham Sarge,I still have a Motorola HT-200 From 1967 that WORKS FINE..As far as trunking goes,its garbage. I field tested a preliminary UHF trunking radio intended for CPD in 2001. The Radio DID NOT work in many areas and yu had to wait for the "talk beep" that sometimes never came. While the system in place now is OK,it COULD use some tweeking.If you note EACH new CPD radio had a white dot and a clear dot on a ring near the channel selector.This is for encryption (that isnt programmed in) the technology is there but not activated. Trunking is a great idea to alleviate congested channels but true also is a competent dispatcher. I Miss Ken Little. THAT was a TRUE radio man.
God bless ya Old Sarge. Sorry you have to see what this Dept is going thru now.
Mobile Out
Old Tube Radio Guy
Hey "Old Tube Radio Guy" you know your stuff. Our system would be fine if it was maintained. For basic reliable voice communications the current 460 Mhz system is fine. No need for expensive computer based stuff that the vendor won't support in a few years down the road, requiring a new system upgrade. (planned obsolescence!) OTRG if you have the original CPD "10" codes would you please post them.
The Analog Police.
Well there are SEVERAL '10 codes" in use and there is really no Universal Police codes. APCO has a current list of 10 codes posted on Radio Refference.com BUT the ISP uses their own codes for assignments and details. Example: 402= end of shift(mirrored from 10-42) while we ALL know the ONLY code needed in Chicago dont we......... 19-Paul.
OTRG
he current 460 mhz sytem is fine.
what we need is a REDUNDANT backup
system.
a way for each district to be it's own dispatch w/ dedicated radio, power supply, tower and antenna.
each portable could have 1 channel that p.o.'s would switch over to and be in direct communication w/ their desk crew.
while we are at it....how about a vhf rig in each wagon w/ freq's for fire, streets, ISPERN, ESMARN, IREACH, etc.
THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE FOLKS !
Keep It Simple Stupid.
3/31/2009 03:15:00 AM
Heres food for thought. Each Station DOES have a UHF antenna on in( newer ones) this was intended to be used on CityWide 7 as a "commanders net" and/or station to station communications BUT TMA's Glommed onto that channel. ISPERN was installed in collar cars bordering the suburbs.ISPERN is State funded and provided equipment that the city would NOT have to buy. Another alternative would be low cost xmitters on 155.370 (point to point) which is STILL in heavy active use AND monitored by CPD.ESMARN and IREACH would be useful as well but there is no known command center for ESMARN or IREACH in Chicago that I know of.IREACH (155.055) is useful in the burbs as a BS channel again not monitored by OEMC.Your best bet would be ISPERN for police emergencies and NIFERN for communications with fire.
OTRG More to follow please scc
OTRD continuing,
If you like you can purchase for around 190.00 a 32 channel UHF portable from Smartcomm that runs circles around Motorola. I have several WIDE AREA COVERAGE repeaters both on Sears,hancock and a 300 ft tower at the old Mokena/frankfort airport.You are welcome to use them any time and they are 24hour monitored. I will program whatever you like Including your zone (with Button and ID) at no cost to you. Youof couurse must forget where you got that radio programmed. Im NOT in this to make a dime I am in this to make sure you all go home each night safely.
OTRG
That is state of the art in a corrupt city for u... Pay to play all the way... Where are the indictments??????????????????????
So I see in this morning's ST that there is a back-up for OEMC under construction at O'Hare. It's so secret that nobody can talk about it. The article does say that the powers that be considered putting it in a tent so it would be mobile. Feds didn't go for it.
Also, dispatchers would not be assigned to an individual console, but would be seated four to a table. Presumably, that would allow them to play Texas Hold 'Em when there was a lull in the action.
Also, dispatchers would not be assigned to an individual console, but would be seated four to a table. Presumably, that would allow them to play Texas Hold 'Em when there was a lull in the action.
4/02/2009 08:56:00 AM
youre Killin me sarge....hahahahahaha
Once AGAIN Zone 2 went down forcing everyone to Citywide 4. Ive had it. Im buying my own shit. Fuck this city.
Once AGAIN Zone 2 went down forcing everyone to Citywide 4. Ive had it. Im buying my own shit. Fuck this city.
4/05/2009 11:37:00 AM
Well if your planning on buying your own stuff get back to me. I have a few suggestions. But remember if the repeater (mobile) goes down what ever you buy WONT WORK. There is a way around trhe mobile but Ill tell you THAT in person.
At LAPD we've been using our personal FRS radios for car to car comms for years now; pathetic.
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