Lake Lanier Response Times

[Metrofire31]

OK, I've heard the excuses long enough about how long it took for emergency personnel to respond to the fatal boat accident on Lake Lanier. Two young boys were killed and they still are searching for one of their bodies. I understand the Department of Natural Resources may only have 10 rangers assigned to the lake. And I understand the accident happened close to or after sundown. But what about the response of Hall County Fire, Gwinnett County Fire or Forsyth County Fire? Don't recall whose territory it was in but since we have complete interoperability in Georgia, why could the agencies cooperate and respond multiple units? I don't believe it should have taken 40 minutes. I live in Smyrna and I can drive to Lake Lanier in LESS THAN 40 minutes.

Perhaps it's an indication that their old analog VHF radios don't work well in that area and they need to convert to digital - a P25 700/800 MHz trunked system from M........!!

Metrofire31
Smyrna

 

[Metrofire31]

One additional comment - I'd like to suggest that in light of the fact that the 911 caller and the 911 dispatcher couldn't explain location to each other, the counties bordering the lake and the DNR need to work together to number/name boat launch locations or areas of the lake. Somehow, they need to develop a way for boaters to tell 911 APPROXIMATELY where they are.

 

[b7spectra]

GPS? Oh, and don't forget, all agencies have interoperability.

 

[MTS2000des]

well, just a thought, but with Hall county and their Mussolini walled garden radio system, they have a policy of not even allowing mutual aid agencies and contracted EMS providers with access to their private radio system, so who knows....

I still say we didn't have this problem back when everyone was on VHF conventional. an MT1000 on LLI would talk to EVERYONE: DNR, NPS, Hall and Forsyth, and the boats themselves (on Ch16!)

 

[procopper7005]

well, just a thought, but with Hall county and their Mussolini walled garden radio system, they have a policy of not even allowing mutual aid agencies and contracted EMS providers with access to their private radio system, so who knows....

I still say we didn't have this problem back when everyone was on VHF conventional. an MT1000 on LLI would talk to EVERYONE: DNR, NPS, Hall and Forsyth, and the boats themselves (on Ch16!)

All fire agencies can still talk to each other on VHF mutual aid channels.

DNR is a tiny state agency and doesn't even begin to cover Lanier properly.

Last time I was out there on memorial day I saw 1 DNR boat, 2 Hall Sheriff's deputies on Jet Ski's and a Hall County fire boat.

The DNR should do a better job of having coverage on the lake and be heavily enforcing the BUI laws. They really only make a few arrests a year out there which is pathetic considering the thousands of drunks on the lake. Of course the state has cut their funding and they have even worse coverage in south GA where 1 ranger movers 1000 square miles or more alone.

 

[N8IAA]

The USACoE, DNR, Hall, and Forsyth have a presence on the lake. Considering the size of Lanier, they concentrate on the most abused sections/coves. At this time of the year, the boating is at a feeding frenzy. I live close enough to hear the power boats flying on the water. This incident happened, I believe at dusk. This is when they are concerned about getting the enormous amount of boat traffic off of the lake safely. The USACoE, DNR, Hall and Fosyth can and do interop. I monitor them daily. They believe to have found the young boy's body in a hundred plus feet of water. The FBI is going to help on Monday with better equipment. If you have heard the stress and fatigue in the divers voices, you wouldn't be posting nonsense. Instead of making this another wasted slam on interoperabilty, why not take a moment of silence for the parents and the deceased boy. I'm sure they would appreciate it.
Larry

 

[Metrofire31]

Lake Lanier

Larry,

In no way was my original post intended as a slam. Accidents always demand dissection and this one has caused unusual pain on the family because of the understandable difficulty in navigating murky waters at deep depths. My point was in the manner in which the dispatcher and the 911 caller weren't able to communicate with each other where this was. This and other such incidents demand a better system of helping boaters in distress identify a nearby landmark. It simply isn't enough to say everyone is doing their best. A 40 minute response time in today's world of interoperability and technology is inexcusable and until we declare it inexcusable, it will happen again. A 40-minute response time on land would have us all screaming "FIX-IT". The fact that it was on the water only helps us understand it but in no way should be tolerate that either. We should all put ourselves in this family's place.

 

[N8IAA]

It wasn't you my post was for. It was for Mike and Erik. I absolutely agree with what you posted. I wasn't listening at the time of the accident, so I can't say what happened. Last week the media reported so much that they didn't even have all the facts straight. You would think with all the technology that we have available, something would have been done. Hopefully before the week is out it will be resolved.
Larry

 

[kf4lhp]

One additional comment - I'd like to suggest that in light of the fact that the 911 caller and the 911 dispatcher couldn't explain location to each other, the counties bordering the lake and the DNR need to work together to number/name boat launch locations or areas of the lake. Somehow, they need to develop a way for boaters to tell 911 APPROXIMATELY where they are.

If there is one thing I don't miss from 911 calltaking it's people on boats.

Seems like they are either extremely intoxicated, or have absolutely no clue where they are at. Or both. The only way you can usually figure it out is to use the GPS coordinates from their phone and plot it on the map. Even then, waterways usually aren't in CAD like a street, and CAD wants the call built to a street address before it'll let it zone correctly.

Calls on the water are a challenge, period.

 

[Metrofire31]

Lake Lanier

We all say "thank you" for the extremely tiring work of recovering the body of the little boy who lost in his life in this accident. You could see it on their faces - many of them were thinking of their own children. Now, this poor family can hopefully find peace in the closure. We should all hope that this incident will inspire the jurisdictions that have to deal with the challenge of taking 911 calls from the lake and respond rescue personnel to find a solution so that 40-minute response times can be dramatically shortened.

Metrofire31