9:13AM announcement 'subject is detained, in custody'. Lots of confusion out there. No weapon found. I never heard a 'shots fired' call. Seems paramedics were called out as a precaution. Have not heard a medical call out. No casualties ever mentioned. Beginning to get the feeling that hysteria played a big part in all of this. Call just went out to drop perimeter and lift lockdown. Suspect taking officers to wooded area where he was hiding (maybe to show them where the gun is?) But... made for an exciting couple of hours and allowed me to test my equipment and navigate the communications flow here at my desk. Big question here - where is the media?? They are
there, but they seem to be the silent majority in all of this. I have several lists/banks dedicated to media frequencies and not a single peep out of any of them. They used to be a big part of the chase in scenarios like this, but I guess those days are gone. I need to rearrange some programming, me thinks. While in the midst of monitoring the scanners and pulling up Google Maps when addresses were mentioned, I also had several local news networks websites on Safari tabs and they were making announcements in tandem with what I was hearing, so I guess they were on top of it. After all of this scanner action, WHIO condenses it all down to a simple 'suspect arrested after making threats' header. Happens everyday, oh well. It's the
reception that counts
So, this is the 2nd all out 'active shooter' incident I have caught on my scanners in 6 months - ok, the Wright-Patt incident turned out to be a botched training snafu - and this Xenia High School there was never actually a shot fired - (thank God for both!) but both incidents were full coms callouts involving multiple agencies, SWAT teams, command post hierarchy, medical trauma standby teams, and mutual aid communications coordination. Both times I was able to test the abilities and capabilities of my communications station, and also the limitations and restrictions, and successfully follow the information to my own satisfaction. Both times I was satisfied with the performances and abilities of my radios, and both times I came away from the experience with the confidence and knowledge that I am sufficiently equipped to handle any emergency that should arise. That's a good feeling, in my book.
I rose early and made coffee and turned on the radio desk, still infatuated with my R8600, and settled in for a good morning of monitoring and reading and waiting for my friendly UPS man to hand me my new Uniden SDS200, when all of this happened.
Let me catch my breath here and start a new pot of coffee. YoWza.
So, how was
your morning?
JD
kf4anc
