To the owner of the scanner feeds in Baldwin County, just wanted to give you a heads up about something you may or may not be aware of. There is a guy named Rick McCann who runs a public group on Facebook called "Paradise Protectors". He is using your feeds to post what he calls his "real time news". Using those feeds, he has posted on multiple occasions misinformation. I know he is using the feeds because he has stated so. He also apparently does not have a scanner due to a comment he made about police being encrypted and I told him that not all are and he asked me for the frequencies. Most recently was a post about Loxley Police crashing during a pursuit, when it was the person they were chasing who had crashed. He heard this information on the trooper scanner feed. Another incident where he posted misinformation was on the Mayday shooting in Stockton where he posted that a trooper was taking fire and pinned down, something that did not happen and was not said, he simply posted that for more likes and reactions on his post. The next day when the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office released a statement that no officers were involved in the shooting, that post was edited. He also will post addresses for calls like cardiac arrests and if the person dies, he will update the post that the person has died. Not illegal, but a really crappy way for a loved one to find out about a death. Rick McCann claims to be an active law enforcement officer, firefighter and EMT, but will not give answers to where he works, he simply will block you from his little group. Recently, he has also mentioned about charging people $39/year for his "real time news" that he is getting from your feeds. Just wanted to let you know what your feeds are being used for. Not saying you should take them down or anything like that, but honestly, if it were me I would take them down, or at least the trooper feed. But if you haven't seen this group, you should really check it out and see for yourself.
Baldwin County scanner feeds
- Thread starter mike36507
- Start date
I believe he is. He claims to be a cop and police chief, but when you question him or say anything he doesn't like, he just blocks you and bans you. He's been all over the place and I'm wondering if that's what brought him down here, that people kept calling him out and ran him off.
It wouldn't surprise me if it was someone from out of the area that got driven down here. The coast, for whatever reason, does seem to attract its share of charlatans. There was a family that ran a restaurant (first in Foley, later in Gulf Shores) that had been run out of Georgia over the problems they caused in their previous town. They pulled some of the same stuff here, mostly related to being belligerent on online forums when anyone criticized their restaurant or food.
Personally I wouldn't mind someone reporting basic fire call info to social media since our fire and police don't generally publish that information online, but it needs to be as accurate as possible and stripped of personal details. Something along the lines of "MVA unknown injuries US-98 and Whispering Pines Road" and leave it at that. Or "medical call, delta response, Kumquat Street Fairhope".
If this person was really in law enforcement, they'd most likely have an AIRS radio and would have access to a lot more information than what's on the analog repeaters the volunteer firefighters use, and wouldn't be relying on a web feed.
I don't foresee those analog fire repeaters going away anytime soon since those P25 radios are expensive, but if they do I could see the fire and EMS going 100% encrypted because of issues like this. I've traveled a bit and was shocked at how many agencies are all encrypted now beyond just the sensitive police tac channels.
Personally I wouldn't mind someone reporting basic fire call info to social media since our fire and police don't generally publish that information online, but it needs to be as accurate as possible and stripped of personal details. Something along the lines of "MVA unknown injuries US-98 and Whispering Pines Road" and leave it at that. Or "medical call, delta response, Kumquat Street Fairhope".
If this person was really in law enforcement, they'd most likely have an AIRS radio and would have access to a lot more information than what's on the analog repeaters the volunteer firefighters use, and wouldn't be relying on a web feed.
I don't foresee those analog fire repeaters going away anytime soon since those P25 radios are expensive, but if they do I could see the fire and EMS going 100% encrypted because of issues like this. I've traveled a bit and was shocked at how many agencies are all encrypted now beyond just the sensitive police tac channels.
Exactly. There is a page on Facebook called Mobile Traffic. They do a great job of reporting wrecks and traffic delays. But primarily the Mobile area. The fire departments feed always has several listeners, but the trooper feed usually only has one, which I would guess is that guy.
Hopefully he never will get a scanner, because if so I could see a lot of agencies going encrypted because of him.
Hopefully he never will get a scanner, because if so I could see a lot of agencies going encrypted because of him.
eddiemax
Member
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eddiemax
Member
Those are all websites he has. The Armour College doesn’t exist. The whole website screams fake. You can use Google lens to see where every image originated from. His instagram also has a picture of the patch, but it says Armor instead of Armour. Anyone can create a website and say they are whoever they want to be.
KV4PM
Member
I seem to remember years ago (and I mean YEARS ago, when scanners used crystals) reading that even telling another person about something you heard on a scanner was illegal. Maybe that was just my interpretation but I certainly can't see how charging others for the information is legal. But this bloke certainly sounds like a jerk. I am not a fan of E on dispatch channels but I would 100% be on board with scanner users being licensed on the condition that they are granted E keys. I strongly support LEO's but no one is above public oversight.
I absolutely agree. And I, too thought that was a law as well. I guess it's not anymore, or it's just not enforced. But trying to talk to him is liking talking to a brick wall, he just doesn't get it.
Roll Tide.
Umm ok lol
War Eagle
So now this bozo is wanting to charge people for his "news" that he receives from the scanner feed. A while back he was wanting $39 and now wants $50.
KV4PM
Member
Even if this was some legitimate news service with access to everything including police that are encrypted, $50 a year seems insanely prices when the major stories will always wind up on the local news for free.
I really just wish the feed owner would take the feeds down just for a few days because then he will have no "news" to report.
His recent post. I don't know what everyone will do with their life without Paradise Protectors posting every single thing heard, including lots of misinformation and posts about a little old lady fallen and can't get up. No no Rick...we can't make it without your posts
AB5ID
Member
I know this will sound harsh, but why do you care? I agree he sounds like a jerk but stupid is as stupid does.
Because he is taking advantage of gullible people who believe he is a legit news source and believe that he is a chief of police of a "college" that has zero physical campuses. Because he is using a free scanner feed to post his "news" and now wanting to make money off said "news". The list can go on and on
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