Southern California Monitoring Association Breaking News

Fallen Culver City Firefighter

2006-09-07T13:12:00.000-07:00

An off-duty Culver City Firefighter suffered fatal injuries when his motorcycle crashed in Culver City on the evening of September 5. Charles "Chuck" Baird, 44, was transported by his colleagues to UCLA Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.Baird was an active member of the Culver City Fire Department for 12 years; beginning his career as a Firefighter in 1994, then advancing to the

2 Die in CDF Plane Crash

2006-09-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

SPRINGVILLE - A California Department of Forestry “spotter” plane crashed deep into the Sierra Nevada Wednesday morning, killing the two men on board.CDF Battalion Chief Robert Paul Stone and DynCorp pilot George “Sandy” Willett were killed when their plane went down in the Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest shortly after 10 a.m., CDF spokeswoman Becky Redwine said, holding back tears.Fire

In Terror War, Phone Sales Raise Alarm

2006-08-17T02:11:00.000-07:00

The arrests and release of five young Arab-American men who bought hundreds of cellphones in the Midwest show broader concerns about wireless technology in an era of global terrorism. •In February, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security sent a bulletin to law enforcement agencies around the country warning that people who buy cellphones in bulk quantities could have links to terrorist

Firefighters' Families File Suit Against Motorola

2006-08-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

The families of two firefighters who died after being trapped in a smoky fire in a Port Richmond basement where a man had been growing marijuana have sued Motorola Inc., claiming the company's faulty radio equipment led to the deaths. Two civil lawsuits, filed in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, each seek more than $50,000 jointly or separately from Motorola, another communications company

MARS to Support TSA in Emergencies

2006-08-11T16:21:00.000-07:00

Amateur Radio operators who are members of the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) will provide back-up communication for the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) under a formal agreement announced in July by Army MARS Chief Kathy Harrison, AAA9A. Protecting airports during the hurricane season will be the immediate focus, she said, adding that the new MARS-TSA collaboration "is

FBI'S "InfraGard" Program Courts Amateur Radio as Ally

2006-07-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

Amateur Radio's value as one component in a cooperative effort to protectcritical national infrastructure was the focus of an InfraGard"Communications Interoperability and Ham Radios" summit this week in NewYork City. An FBI program, InfraGard is dedicated to promoting dialoguebetween the private sector and the federal investigative agency "concerningcritical infrastructure protection issues."

Santa Monica Police Chief Steps Down to Head Airport Security

2006-05-26T19:49:00.000-07:00

After 15 years on the job, Santa Monica Police Chief James T. Butts, Jr. is stepping down.Charismatic and at times controversial, Butts will be reporting for duty in late summer or early fall to help oversee security for four Los Angeles area airports, including LAX, which combined serve 68 million passengers a year, according to a statement released by the City.As the Deputy Executive Director

Point Mugu Air Show Canceled

2006-04-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

The Point Mugu Air Show — plagued recently by inclement weather, scheduling issues and a deadly crash four years ago — has been canceled once again, the second time since 2003.The event, used as an open house and a recruitment tool for the military, was scheduled for Oct. 7-8. But when an acrobatic flying team could not be lined up, the organizers decided to ground the show.The air show has been

Marine Corps Awards Contract for 60,000 Infantry Handheld Radios

2006-04-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

U.S. Marine Corps leaders, are set to buy 60,000 secure handheld infantry radios in attempts to meet emerging battlefield requirements while waiting for the badly delayed Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS).The Marine Corps Systems Command at Quantico Marine Base, Va., awarded a $76 million contract to Motorola of Columbia, Md., April 6 for 60,000 Integrated Intra Squad Radios, otherwise known as

Volunteers Love Their Beat: an LAPD Station

2006-04-01T00:13:00.000-08:00

The following article appeared in the Los Angeles Times on Friday March 31, 2006 and features SCMA's Gene Costin (aka Gene Hughes) in the lead photo. Billie Mae O'Donnell just wants to help. She certainly doesn't want to get in anyone's way.SCMA 105, Gene Costin (aka Gene Hughes of Police Call fame) answers the phone and fields questions at the front desk of the LAPD's Wilshire station.Photo

Firefighters Deny Go-Slow Charge

2006-04-01T00:07:00.000-08:00

An Orange County firefighters union official on Friday denied charges made by a Yorba Linda couple this week that firefighters deliberately took their time putting out a fire that destroyed their dream house.Firefighters responded quickly to the blaze on Dec. 7 at the $1.1-million, 5-bedroom home, according to a summary released by the Orange County Fire Authority. Firefighters brought in extra

L.A. Anti-Terror Plan Could Jam Cell Phones

2006-03-16T23:27:00.000-08:00

Cell-phone use could be blacked out at Los Angeles International Airport, the Rose Bowl and Universal Studios under an anti-terrorism plan being formulated by L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca and other law enforcement authorities. Baca is exploring the use of jamming equipment -- already used widely in foreign countries and to protect President Bush -- to interrupt cell-phone signals if a terrorist

Another Analysis Requested For New LAPD Radios

2006-03-15T11:54:00.000-08:00

The Los Angeles Police Commission asked Tuesday for another analysis before asking the city to foot the bill for new police radios."We all feel very strongly that this is an important tool that police officers need to carry out their work," commission President John Mack said. "But the real issue is boiled down to cost. We fully support this, but we're in a budgetary climate where things are very

Need for Fire Dispatch Center Is Questioned

2006-03-15T10:58:00.000-08:00

City Controller Laura Chick called Tuesday for a halt in the building of a $100-million dispatch center for the Los Angeles Fire Department, saying that plenty of space may be available in two new police dispatch centers.Although $7 million has been spent on design and foundation work for the center, Chick told Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa that one of her private auditors has raised questions about

A Mystery Police Department - But a "Cool Idea"

2006-03-05T19:55:00.000-08:00

Investigators looking into the high-speed crash of a Ferrari Enzo in Malibu last week have turned their attention to a tiny transit agency in Monrovia that, according to its own Web site, aspires to be a cutting-edge antiterrorism squad.With five buses, a headquarters that doubles as an auto repair shop and a police department without police officers hidden in a nondescript strip mall in Arcadia,

Ham Radio Hero

2006-03-05T19:42:00.000-08:00

It was the fourth night after Hurricane Katrina, and something like a thousand patients, doctors and staff were trapped at Medical Center Louisiana in downtown New Orleans, surrounded by floodwaters. Outside, reports were grim. People were drowning in their attics. Inside the hospital, there was no running water, no power, no phones and no Internet. Cell phones didn’t work. Each day the

Police Panel to Pursue LAPD Radios Upgrade

2006-03-01T12:08:00.000-08:00

The Police Commission agreed Tuesday to challenge a city administrator's decision not to provide money to upgrade LAPD radios. The administrator blamed a budget shortfall exceeding $200 million.The issue arose as the commission considered use-of-force cases, including some where officers said they radioed information to others, but transmission tapes show nothing from them.Tim Riley, LAPD chief

Officials: New Radios For LAPD Would Cost $51 Million

2006-03-01T12:03:00.000-08:00

It would cost $51 million to purchase new radios for Los Angeles Police Department officers, who are coping with an outdated system that has spotty reception, two department officials told the Police Commission Tuesday.Officers have used the Astro radios by Motorola since 1994, and often run into "dead zones" while on patrol, meaning they are unable to communicate on the system -- particularly in

The End of TV as We Know It - Bush Signs DTV Bill into Law

2006-02-13T18:17:00.000-08:00

The DTV transition is nearly over — this time for realOn Feb. 8, President Bush signed legislation establishing Feb. 17, 2009, as the official date for the shutdown of analog television broadcasting in the United States. Now, the end of the endless transition is set in law.Finally having a date certain is expected to give consumers better confidence to make television-purchasing decisions. The

LAPD to Test GPS Device to Avoid High Speed Chases

2006-02-07T17:51:00.000-08:00

It would seem that the era of high-speed chases across the US highways is about to come to an end, as the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) will become the first law enforcement agency to outfit cars with a device that propels and sticks a Global Positioning System (GPS) onto a fleeing car. According to Laurie Sullivan for TechWeb News, the department will mount the StarChase LLC device in

SuitSat to "Launch" Feb 3

2006-01-31T19:24:00.000-08:00

Did you ever want to participate in a International Space Station mission? Starting Friday, February 3rd, you may get your chance. An old, used Russian spacesuit has been transformed into a most unusual earth orbit satellite. Just add one Kenwood TH-K2AT handi-talkie transceiver, a battery pack, a sensor for temperature readings, a compact voice synthesizer and telemetry device and a small

Firefighters' Families Can't Sue Over Faulty Radios

2006-01-18T13:58:00.000-08:00

Families of New York firefighters killed at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, failed Tuesday to persuade the Supreme Court to allow them to go forward with a lawsuit against New York City and Motorola for supplying the rescuers with faulty radios.The high court let stand a decision by a lower appellate court that dismissed the lawsuit, which had blamed the city and Motorola for supplying

City Can't Bar Cell Towers on Looks Only, Court Says

2006-01-18T13:31:00.000-08:00

Cellphone towers may be ugly, but that's not reason enough for cities to block their construction, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.In the nation's first appellate ruling on an increasingly contentious local issue, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down parts of a La Cañada Flintridge law that had allowed the city to withhold building permits on public rights of way for purely

Swap of 800 MHz Airwaves Encounters Snags

2006-01-18T13:24:00.000-08:00

A long-awaited swap of airwaves aimed at eliminating cellphone interference with emergency-service radios across the USA is in turmoil, prolonging communications problems and risking public safety, law enforcement officials say.Public-safety officials and consultants largely blame cost disputes with Sprint Nextel, which is bankrolling the $2.8 billion project. They fear the spectrum transfer,

Hawthorne Police Chopper's Wings are Clipped

2006-01-13T22:55:00.000-08:00

One of the most sophisticated crime fighters in a city battling vice and violence has been called off the chase and sent to wait in a plain Hawthorne hangar.Police call it Air Five-Five, a sleek helicopter that can race to the scene at 140 mph and spot suspects hiding in shrubs or shadows. It has a Hawthorne badge painted on its fuselage, but it answers calls across the South Bay.Hawthorne has

LAPD Starts Receiving Cell Phone Calls

2006-01-13T22:34:00.000-08:00

Thanks to "Radio Lady" on the SoCalScan Yahoo! Group who wrote the following:Today (1/12/06) at 0900, LAPD Communications will begin taking cellular 9-1-1 calls, beginning with Verizon cell sectors in Central Division. If all goes well, Cingular will go live next week. Central Div was chosen because it is surrounded by LAPD Areas (no outside agencies border) and has the I-5, I-10, US-101, and the

Divers Find Explosives in Hunnington Beach Harbour

2006-01-11T17:05:00.000-08:00

Commercial-grade explosives discovered on the ocean floor south of Los Angeles prompted authorities to ban cell phone use Wednesday to prevent accidental detonation. Environmental divers hired to check on algae growth in the Huntington Beach Harbour found the cigarette-sized blasting caps late Tuesday. At least eight of the volatile explosives, which often are used to trigger

Wild LAPD Chase in Van Nuys

2006-01-11T16:56:00.000-08:00

A police cruiser crashed into a tree in Van Nuys while pursuing a stolen pickup truck, injuring an officer, authorities said today. The police vehicle slammed into a tree at Hayvenhurst Avenue and Sherman Way just before midnight last night, said Sgt. Robert Marino of the Los Angeles Police Department's Van Nuys Station.Two men in the stolen pickup truck were later arrested, Marino said.The

Compatible Radio Systems Would Cost Billions

2005-12-29T11:04:00.001-08:00

By Paul Davidson, USA TODAY As chaos engulfed New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina struck, emergency responders traded urgent information in a way that was hardly a model of 21st-century high technology.With floodwaters surging, they scurried on foot to ferry messages among city police, state troopers and the National Guard. It's not that the agencies' radio systems didn't work. They just didn't

Senate Approves DTV Transition Deadline

2005-12-28T14:14:00.000-08:00

The Senate Dec. 21 passed the conference report on the budget reconciliation bill with a provision establishing Feb. 17, 2009, as the hard cut-off date for analog TV transmission.By a vote of 51-50, with Vice President Dick Cheney casting the decisive vote, the Senate approved the measure, which the House had passed days before. However, a parliamentary procedure used by Senate Democrats changed

Plane Makes Emergency Landing At LAX After Blowing Tire

2005-12-19T23:18:00.000-08:00

Officials said an Air India flight with 273 passengers and crewmembers aboard made an emergency landing Monday evening at Los Angeles International Airport after blowing a tire upon departure and dumping fuel over the ocean.Airport spokeswoman Nancy Castles said Air India Flight 136 departed from Los Angeles International Airport at 8:33 p.m. for Frankfurt, Germany, and safely landed back at LAX

DHS seeks Interoperability Viewpoints

2005-12-19T22:58:00.000-08:00

The Homeland Security Department today (December 19, 2005) invited the general public to comment on the department’s program to coordinate public safety communications and interoperability, known as SAFECOM.In a Federal Register notice issued today, DHS noted that SAFECOM is intended to oversee all federal projects related to interoperability and that the department had worked with the public

House Passes DTV Measure

2005-12-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

The U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the digital TV rules today (December 19, 2005), setting the stage for a struggle over a final, reconciled budget bill in Congress possibly before the weekend.The House passed its version of the budget reconciliation bill that contained the DTV provisions, among a host of other things, early this morning. The proposed rules would establish

Last-Minute Legislative Push would Force Broadcasters to Give Up Spectrum Early

2005-12-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

A legislative proposal that would force some television broadcasters to give up their analog spectrum early for emergency use has gotten a last minute year-end push in Congress. Reps. Jane Harman (D-CA), and Curt Weldon (R-PA) urged House Speaker Dennis Hastert, (R-IL), to schedule a

Los Angeles Fire Chief Gets Support for Tsunami Evacuation Plan

2005-12-18T02:35:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles County Fire Captain Larry Collins spent seven years pushing officials to plan for a tsunami that could swallow Malibu and cripple the biggest U.S. shipping terminal. A state report this week agreed with him. The state Seismic Safety Commission paper said tsunamis "pose a significant threat to life and property in California'' and urged officials to establish evacuation routes

Recommendations from 9-11 Panel Target Analog TV Switch-off

2005-12-16T12:17:00.000-08:00

The “Final Report on 9/11 Commission Recommendations” released Dec. 5 chastises Congress for dragging its feet on switching off analog television transmission.The first item in the section of the recommendations, entitled “Emergency Preparedness and Response,” gives federal government a grade of “F” for not having brought the analog switch-off to a conclusion to free radio spectrum for first

Sprint Nextel Asks for More Rebanding Time

2005-12-12T00:39:00.000-08:00

Citing Wave 1 complications outside its control, Sprint Nextel asked the FCC on December 1st to reset the clock for 800 MHz rebanding, which would delay completion of the monumental engineering endeavor by at least seven months.Sprint Nextel—the merged wireless carrier that assumed Nextel Communications’ obligations for rebanding—made the filing with the FCC in response to the quarterly progress

Jack Gerritsen Convicted on All Counts and Sent to Jail

2005-12-10T23:23:00.000-08:00

A US District Court jury has found Jack Gerritsen of Bell, California, guilty on six counts that included transmitting without a license and willful and malicious interference with radio transmissions. Gerritsen, 69, who briefly held the amateur call sign KG6IRO, will face sentencing March 6, according to the office of Debra W. Yang, US Attorney for the Central District of California. He could

Jack Gerritsen Trial to Start December 6th

2005-12-05T16:35:00.000-08:00

Jack Gerritsen (once licensed for a short period of time as KG6IRO) is now scheduled to go on trial in Federal court for his latest alleged jamming escapades. According to reliable sources, jury selection is set to begin on December 6, 2005 at 9:00 AM at the Roybal Federal Court Building, downtown Los Angeles, Room 850. Gerritsen of Bell, CA, has recently been issued two Forfeiture

FCC Grants Waiver for New Surveillance Tool

2005-12-03T16:14:00.000-08:00

The FCC has granted a Request for Waiver filed by the Law Enforcement Technologies Division of the Remington Arms Company seeking to certify and market its Remington Eyeball R1 Transmitter. The Eyeball R1 imaging sensor is designed to be thrown like a baseball into a remote or confined location to broadcast real-time images and sound from the surrounding area, and may be sold only to eligible law

Uniden BCD396T

2005-06-28T20:41:00.000-07:00

The newest Uniden APCO-25 digital scanner has hit the streets and initial reviews are good. This scanner features: - Compact Design with dynamic memory - APCO-25 Digital reception - Close Call RF Capture technology - 12 Pre-programmed service searches - Trunktracker IV