Anderson delays possible SHASCOM merger » Record Searchlight Mobile
I dont know if this will cause any change in radio freqs or not
I dont know if this will cause any change in radio freqs or not
Anderson CA PD might switch to SHASCOM
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"Might switch BACK to SHASCOM", that would be.
SHASCOM says Anderson would be welcome back, and they recommend the "best coverage at the lowest price" would be to staff a dedicated APD dispatcher/console on an existing APD frequency from 0700-0300 for about $382,000 per year. From 0300-0700 Anderson would share a frequency and dispatcher with another agency, most likely Shasta SO since they're both on VHF high. If APD wanted a dedicated dispatcher 24/7 it would cost them about $90,000 more.
Anderson would incur other expenses if they make the move, including increased records staff to handle non-dispatch clerical work their current dispatchers do, and probably contract with the Sheriff's Office to process some specific records and warrant information for about $15,000 per year. They would have to reactivate the "Police Station Closed, Use This Phone" at the front door, which would connect anyone needing help to SHASCOM.
Anderson was one of the original members of Shascom, but dropped out in July of 1996, citing the expense per call, slow 9-1-1 response time and "lack of voice recognition between Anderson Police officers and dispatchers." They had retained and resumed their own use of their prior 156.03 frequency. It appears that once again they would keep, and keep using, their existing frequencies, except for that dispatch freq for the 0300-0700 period.
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According to the newspaper and City Council, things at Anderson PD dispatch have gone downhill fast since the 12/6/2011 decision not to make a decision . On January 17 the council voted to go ahead with the transfer of dispatching to Shascom, and apparently it's too urgent to wait for a new City Manager to be hired.
From the City Council agenda report (pdf), :
"Since the December 6, 2011 City Council meeting, staffing issues continued to plague the dispatch center. One dispatcher resigned on December 13, 2011, and a background investigation by an allied agency is underway on another dispatcher (indicating a possible loss of a dispatcher). A new dispatcher was hired on January 11, 2012, and she must now undergo at least three months of training. Current staffing in the dispatch center is three fully trained dispatchers and two trainees who cannot work without a certified dispatcher present.
The Redding Record-Searchlight reported that City "Councilwoman Debe Hopkins said the move to the Shasta Area Safety Communications Agency was necessary to protect public safety.
"There are three dispatchers employed at Anderson's 24-hour dispatch center. The city had budgeted for six but for years has been unable to hire qualified candidates to staff the positions.
"Hopkins said that this week two dispatchers were forced to work 18-hour shifts since there weren't enough people to keep the center functioning."
The same article quoted the Interim City Manager as saying that the move to Shascom will take "at least a few more months." (Council Motion says "This Resolution shall become effective immediately, with the understanding that actual transfer of responsibility for 9-1-1 call processing and law enforcement radio communications be conducted as soon as practicable").
As far as frequencies go, Anderson currently has two applications pending with the FCC. One is just to add narrowband (analog) to their existing police frequencies, and the other is to add another mobile frequency, 156.03; no other specific use is shown.
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While nobody was listening, or at least reporting it here, Shascom took over dispatching for Anderson PD the evening of May 31, 2012. A separate report that I recently found but now lost, there was mention that during the 4-hour early morning period there was a minor technical glitch for the console which was handling Sheriff's Dispatch and APD dispatch each on their own frequencies. It sounded like they were supposed to be patched but the patch wasn't working reliably. Anyway, excerpted from the City Council Documents:
EDIT:I found the note about the radio patch issue from a couple weeks before Shascom took over 24/7 service, it's the second memo below.
EDIT:I found the note about the radio patch issue from a couple weeks before Shascom took over 24/7 service, it's the second memo below.
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