OEC "Upgrade" Debacle
- The operations floor at Chicago’s 911 center is getting a $31 million upgrade stalled by contract irregularities, but it’s turning into a nightmare that threatens to slow response times to 911 calls, employees contend.
Dispatchers and call takers describe a host of problems, ranging from dropped 911 calls and a new answering system that demands more manpower to computers that no longer allow call takers to monitor radio communications at fire scenes.
They also complain about a new floor plan that moved fire and EMS dispatchers assigned to handle 911 calls from Chicago’s North Side away from call takers who do the same, preventing the two groups from communicating in a way that could speed response times.
Gee, what could possibly go wrong? Nothing involving a high-rise fire or plane crash or building collapse we're sure. Or on the police side, during a pursuit where a call-taker might be on the phone with someone who isn't on-duty or isn't the police attempting to assist in the apprehension of a fleeing suspect.
The single bright spot in the article is it says that the contract to revamp everything is a "single source contract" to Motorola. That might bring about an end the incompatibility problems that endanger all first responders, every single day, since that $300 million monstrosity opened.
Labels: 911
posted by SCC at 12:05 AM
23 Comments:
Chicago is famous for non-maintenance.
They'll build the best system, run it into the ground, then hold it together with coat hangers, duct tape and chewing gum.
Look at when COS was at 11th & State. It was state-of-the-art at the time. Years passed and the city failed to keep up with maintenance and technology (not wanting to spend the necessary money), until the equipment was so far gone, no technician could fix it correctly.
Then came lots of federal and state money and OEC was born. A few year later, it became OEMC, but the philosophy hasn't changed; half-assed maintenance because they didn't want to spend the money to do it right.
Fire got a fancy new radio system that the city had been playing with and testing FOR YEARS. Can't wait to see how long it lasts.
Everybody gripes about how "bad" our radios are, but as long as the city doesn't follow the recommendations of the communications contractor, and as long as they want to cheap-out on things, this is what you'll get.
"Or on the police side, during a pursuit where a call-taker might be on the phone with someone who isn't on-duty or isn't the police attempting to assist in the apprehension of a fleeing suspect."
Oh, right.
Especially not with cell phones where caller has freedom of movement.
"I'M FOLLOWING THE GUY. YOU WANT ME TO STAY ON THE LINE?"
"Uh, no."
They the po-lice. They can figger out whichaway he gone.
*
How many millions for this again?
And what was the matter with the old layout of the floor? I'll give them the equipment upgrade, but computers are simpler than ever to run and program, so why the compatability problems?
Sounds like tens of millions pissed away is in the offing.
Does this mean there might be a chance that my PDT will actually transmit and receive data!?! That would be some kind of miracle.
Anyone else besides me remember all the promises given for the current 911 system when it was going in? Very little of it ever came to pass when the system went live.
That noted computer expert, Bill Corbett, (he had a PC once) former commander CPD and former head of Fleet Management and former holder of massive clout, was the construction project manager during the 911 center's construction.
Then problems came to light and they moved Corbett out and some other schmo in. And remember what the punishment for Corbett was for supposedly screwing up the 911 center? Why they made him construction project manager for the new CPD Headquarters at 3510 S Michigan! That went well, right?
Andy Shaw completely missed the sagging floors at the leaning tower of 35th & Michigan and all the othjer problems over there. The old CPD HQ is now the Chicago Public Safety HQ. It has been open enough to now need a total rebuild.
But Andy Shaw is too busy investigating police blogs because maybe some police officer was accessing the blog on company time. Damn. At least shaved wasn't building huge public buildings in the grand shoddy tradition of one Richard M Daley.
Remember the sagging concrete block walls inside of the 1st District building? Foundations and walls settled so much that you could reach through the mortar joints into adjoining rooms and grab something from that room. Not one word was ever printed or made public about the fiasco of all the building problems at the 1st or any of the other "new" police stations.
And why did the companies that built each station go out of business right after each station was completed? Dummy corporations that liquidated after the last check was cashed on each project? Naw, couldn't be that. Still, no one to sue for the many problems in those buildings. Those companies mysteriously went out of business right after completion of each building. Hmmmm. Better get after those pesky blogs Shaw, you imbicile. Better Government my fucking ass.
Same company that bribed city employees during "Joe D's" reign.
Wasn't it Joe D's bro that did the bribing?
Zone 2 has had a defective console for about 6 months now. In the middle of a dispatch the Zone will go quiet and there are constant requests to rebroadcast the message. Their repair people have addressed it several times but it still happens. Thankfully, so far, no one has gotten hurt because of it.
OMFG! Single-source to Motorola? Has everyone forgotten how Motorola fucked the City out of millions of dollars with the CFD's first dispatch system? Apparently the ensuing lawsuits were settled to Motorola's benefit.
There's a good reason why Motorola gives money to the memorial - so people look the other way when they do this with the City. This stinks of Huberman.
Someone should check the millions of overruns when this pit was built. Connected companies made tons of money and donated to the Democommie party. Now we are going to get raped again.
Ten bucks and some change for every man woman and child in the city. For upgrades.
Wasn't the system functioning pretty well already?
Vanecko Computer Repair
Just Press the "Pay Me" Button
i work at the oemc, they are upgrading the equipment and the software, they are doing NOTHING with the radio's, nothing...
Remember when the whole OEMC system went down some years ago because of a power failure.
Hubberman stood in front of a graphic that showed that OEMC DID NOT HAVE A BACK UP POWER SUPPLY.
Did they ever fix that?
The LIES that come out of SKANK-ELS mouth are never ending!! From the 911 lay offs and demotions earlier this year, to this cluster-fuck of a project. This prick makes my blood boil!!
Fireground is 'nice to have' he says?!!? Fireground is an ESSENTIAL part of our job for both dispatchers and calltakers. I'm not a fire fan by no means, I hate my job from the deepest of my core, but I go there, I do my 8 (for the 1st and the 16th) and when I'm there I do my job well.
This jag has never had a chill run down his spine at the sound of a fireman yelling into their radio "MAYDAY! MAYDAY! MAYDAY!", nor has he ever seen fire ops fly into action upon hearing those words because we know what's coming next over the fire radio and we are already making our move.
The clueless former marine knows absolutely nothing about the operations floor and that goes for both fire and police ops! He knows how to sneak up on us, look at my name tag and nod with that goofy smile, and stroll around all self important for 5 hot minutes!!
That article is so full of lies, I couldn't even finish reading it. There is NO fireground at all, no more, nada, we're as clueless now as he is about what's going on on the outside. Main dispatch is CLEAR across the ops floor over by the police CW dispatch, with a 10' partition between us, 911 calls are dropped, calls cannot be transferred. The only truth told in that article came from the anonymous source.
I've always said 'those who can't manage those who can' and this is proof positive of that! They took us 2 steps forward and 5 steps back!!
Thanks for letting me vent :)
In the end it's more about the dullards running the place and the personnel than about physical equipment. But as long as they keep voting democrat, it's all ok
Never heard an echo-chamber act like I heard the other night.
"SQUAD QUAD WE E CAN'T NT HEAR ER YOU OU."
>gabrawww<
>sssummafzzzzt<
Seen the nice OEMC 4WD takehomes?
http://www.lvrj.com/news/police-dump-radio-system-176220091.html
give ya one guess who shitcago went with ....
and the cluster fuck just got bigger!
Ever since Campbell's Soup closed it's doors on the southside in 1988, Chicago's 9-1-1 Center has been without reliable "string-in-the-can" radio communication technology.
Those were the days my friend.
What was the amount of fictitious billing Huberman was responsible for back in 2005...$2 million???
Don't worry, another $3 will be added to your phone bill to make up the shortfall. It's not a tax.
"Those companies mysteriously went out of business right after completion of each building."
11/13/2012 05:57:00 AM
This is what an "LLC" is for. How many aldermen were flipping apt. buildings, displacing people on illegal 30-day notices, fast buck on condos during the Big Up? You know who you are.
One big fat one I can think of...
Gp Gary Schenkle next SUPT
http://www.lvrj.com/news/police-dump-radio-system-176220091.html
give ya one guess who shitcago went with ....
and the cluster fuck just got bigger!
Chicago is buying Harris radios? I think you're wrong.
what do you expect when you put people who are technically clueless in charge of a very technical project?
this is the story of 911 call centers all over the country. it is just worse some places then others.
maybe it is time to outsource it to some company who will run it from India. That seems to work pretty well, but you have very astute people running the show that actually understand the technology involved. maybe there is a lesson to be learned there. if there is, you can bet that lesson will be ign ored.
Chicago is buying Harris radios? I think you're wrong.
11/14/2012 12:38:00 AM
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I think he's right !! Not only have the words 'switching to Harris' been used, but I am at this time at work sitting at a console reading CAD mail which reads "... on all issues concerning Harris radios, Vesta phones and CAD functions, ..."
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