We have a new Maryland Incidents and Breaking News thread!

[ScanManQSL]

We have a new Maryland Incidents and Breaking News thread!

 

[Spleen]

Just caught the tail end of a lovely foot chase that ended with an ambo required down in the (I think) 1000 block of S. Caton Avenue....they had to go back and find a lost officer afterwards, too....

[copied from old thread below]

 

[JoeyC]

We have a new Maryland Incidents and Breaking News thread!

You also have an entire forum for this purpose. Continuing to post in a breaking news thread, kinda defeats the purpose.

 

[Spleen]

A sub-forum actually, and that's why I went back and put the incident here after I realized I'd used the old thread...

 

[ScanManQSL]

22:12hrs: Working house fire on MontCo TRS on 7C INC 10. Across from the church at 7408 Muncaster Mill Road (BoxArea 28-21) for fire showing on side charlie on a 2 story house...

Update @ 22:31hrs: It turns out to be a crime scene and someone tried to use fire to cover it up. This will it for tonight.

 

[troymail]

AA County - Beltway @ Rt 295 - unit on location reporting a possible object thrown from an overpass striking windshield of a vehicle... minor injuries.. requesting MSP.

 

[ScanManQSL]

I’m just throwing out an idea and carious what others think of it.

Lets put this Maryland Incidents and Breaking News forum into good use. Why don’t we have a new thread for: MontCo. Major Incidents, AACo Major Incidents, BaltimoreCo Major Incidents exedra and we just post under that county… Every time we receive an email alert we can tell what county is having an Major Incident/Event.

 

[ctrabs74]

That wouldn't be such a bad idea. However, I'd suggest that in the interim, each new incident should be posted as a new thread, as this is more designed as a sub-forum. Take a look at the Colorado Incidents/Breaking News sub-forum and you'll get an idea as to the intent.

http://www.radioreference.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=100

This thread, in particular, should be posted as a sticky as more of a FAQ/"rules of etiquette" thread as to how to use this sub-forum.

 

[baybum]

Keep it simple and factual

I like the idea of a separate incidents page but I don't think it should be broken up by county.
I can monitor many counties on the scanner, but don't want to jump to multiple forums to see what's happening in each county.
Also, I think the posts should relate to current working incidents and status updates. Un-necessary conversations and debates and nit-picking defeats the purpose and takes up time and space.

Mike

 

[ScanManQSL]

That wouldn't be such a bad idea. However, I'd suggest that in the interim, each new incident should be posted as a new thread, as this is more designed as a sub-forum. Take a look at the Colorado Incidents/Breaking News sub-forum and you'll get an idea as to the intent.

http://www.radioreference.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=100

This thread, in particular, should be posted as a sticky as more of a FAQ/"rules of etiquette" thread as to how to use this sub-forum.

I agree on each new incident should be posted as a new thread and should scarp the broken up by county idea. Whats should we put down as for the Maryland Working Incidents etiquetts?

My 2 cents.... I like Colorado's etiquetts but I think it should be more directed to anything that would jeopardize Personal safety not just SWAT incidents...

 

[baybum]

Etiquette (my recommendation for a baseline)

1- Keep posts factual. Limit personal opinions on tacticts or procedures used by public safety personnel.
2- Post NOTHING that would compromise the safety of the responders or the public.
3- Post NOTHING that could enable the criminal or enhance his activities.
4- Provide enough information so that others can tune in and monitor. (times, freqs., TG's)

5- Realize that we are a responsible group and that #'s 2&3 above require common sense.
If you don't think, for a second, something should be posted, don't post it.
There's no "right to know" here, or "obligation to post".


Mike

 

[TinEar]

The only problem with putting all this stuff up in a sub-forum is that it's like going to another state to read or post items. You have to leave the general Maryland thread and open up this section to see if there are any new posts or threads that have been added. When it's down below, you can see immediately if anything new has been posted or if a new thread has been started.

I also don't like the idea of a separate thread for each incident. The problem is that so many threads will be started that some of the current stuff will soon disappear onto the second or third page back in the forum.

What is the problem you guys see with the current Sticky Major Events thread that makes you want to change it? It gets enough posts added so it always stays on the front page and is easy to find when you want to add something to it. The only change I'd make to it is to make it a "real" Sticky so it stays at the top. I never could get the admins to do that like they've done in other states.

 

[Gary335]

The only problem with putting all this stuff up in a sub-forum is that it's like going to another state to read or post items. You have to leave the general Maryland thread and open up this section to see if there are any new posts or threads that have been added. When it's down below, you can see immediately if anything new has been posted or if a new thread has been started.

I also don't like the idea of a separate thread for each incident. The problem is that so many threads will be started that some of the current stuff will soon disappear onto the second or third page back in the forum.

What is the problem you guys see with the current Sticky Major Events thread that makes you want to change it? It gets enough posts added so it always stays on the front page and is easy to find when you want to add something to it. The only change I'd make to it is to make it a "real" Sticky so it stays at the top. I never could get the admins to do that like they've done in other states.

I agree with you. I like having just that one single thread, like we have now. I think its much more convienent. I don't reallylike the idea of having to navigate to a seperate forum either.

 

[freqhopping]

How will you know about a new incident without actually looking through the forum? Sure you can subscribe to this subforum to get daily or weekly updates, but not instant notification. That won't necessarily notify you in time to listen in the way instant notification of replies to threads does. It seems far easier to me to subscribe to one thread regardless of where it is.

 

[ctrabs74]

I also don't like the idea of a separate thread for each incident. The problem is that so many threads will be started that some of the current stuff will soon disappear onto the second or third page back in the forum.

That really all depends on how active this forum chooses to be. I actually prefer the separate threads, because you can have discussions on that particular incident without "breaking up" the thread. Say a house fire happens in Baltimore City, and you have 2-3 posts on that, then a serious MVA w/multiple injuries takes place on I-70 in Frederick County with no comments on that job, followed by 2 or 3 more comments on Baltimore; it breaks up the continuity of discussion on the Baltimore job. Separate threads allow uninterrupted discussions of incidents without someone breaking into that discussion with a completely unrelated incident.

What is the problem you guys see with the current Sticky Major Events thread that makes you want to change it? It gets enough posts added so it always stays on the front page and is easy to find when you want to add something to it. The only change I'd make to it is to make it a "real" Sticky so it stays at the top. I never could get the admins to do that like they've done in other states.

The problem I see is the scenario I described above. After a while, it gets hard to keep track of every incident that takes place when in a single thread (not to mention having to scroll through 20-30 pages of comments to try and refresh one's memory on a particular job that occured 3 weeks ago).

I guess time will tell how this new sub-forum works out. So far, some of the other posters in this group seem to have gotten the hang of it...

 

[bear105]

FYI....you can get an email with the latest threads started in a forum. This works like the email subscription that comes when a new post is submitted in a thread. Go into the "Maryland Incidents and Breaking News" Sub-forum. Then clik on Forum Tools and Subscribe to this Forum. Then you can choose Daily or Weekly notifications.

You can then do this for the full Maryland Forum and other states if wanted. It'll list the new threads posted in your timeframe....

Cheers, Denis

 

[baybum]

Question for admins

Is it possible to modify the email notifications to allow instant emails in addition to weekly and daily?
That would be a definate asset.

Mike

 

[TinEar]

That really all depends on how active this forum chooses to be. I actually prefer the separate threads, because you can have discussions on that particular incident without "breaking up" the thread. Say a house fire happens in Baltimore City, and you have 2-3 posts on that, then a serious MVA w/multiple injuries takes place on I-70 in Frederick County with no comments on that job, followed by 2 or 3 more comments on Baltimore; it breaks up the continuity of discussion on the Baltimore job. Separate threads allow uninterrupted discussions of incidents without someone breaking into that discussion with a completely unrelated incident.

The problem I see is the scenario I described above. After a while, it gets hard to keep track of every incident that takes place when in a single thread (not to mention having to scroll through 20-30 pages of comments to try and refresh one's memory on a particular job that occured 3 weeks ago).

I guess time will tell how this new sub-forum works out. So far, some of the other posters in this group seem to have gotten the hang of it...

I guess it all comes down to how you use the information given in the various "major/breaking events" thread - wherever it's located. For instance, I only use them to be able to quickly tune to the same event and listen to it. That's the beauty of the instant email. However, that often gets foiled because people breathlessly post an event without telling us where it is or which systems/talkgroups/frequencies are being used. Telling someone there's a "fire on Main Street" - no matter how huge the fire or how much damage is done to buildings and people - doesn't tell me anything to add to my scanner listening hobby if I don't know the radio assignments. I can get the news info from the newspaper or TV and it will be much more complete. I never assumed these threads would be a news outlet, at least for my purposes. Others may see it completely differently.

As far as going back to a thread, I can't say I've ever done that with a thread that's about a specific news event. I do it plenty of times with technical threads though that present radio information such as frequencies/talkgroups used for specific purposes.

So, to me anyway, it all comes down to the reason for a thread to exist. If you want it to be a news source, these threads aren't very good at that, but it's personal prerogative. If you want radio assignment information, it can be fantastic for that purpose if it's given in the thread and if you can be notified via email the item exists on a timely basis.

Personally, I don't care where the major events thread is located as long as it gives me direction where to listen to the same event on my scanners. If I don't get quick notification and it doesn't contain the frequencies/talkgroups, it's a totally worthless thread....to me.

Alan