FOPs file complaint against new 911 radio system By RICK LEE Daily Record/Sunday News
Posted: 02/02/2009 08:35:54 PM EST
Citing safety concerns, three York County police lodges filed a complaint in Common Pleas Court Monday seeking to have the new 911 radio system shut down and the old analog system reinstalled.
At issue for county police is reported failures of the $36 million P25 radio system installed by M/A-Com last year and the county's Computer Aided Dispatch, or CAD, system installed in 2005 by New World Systems.
According to the complaint, the P25 radio system has had "periods of total failure of both mobile ... and portable ... radio units." The problems reportedly include "delayed signal connection" and "distorted or unintelligible communications" between county control dispatchers and "officers in the field."
The CAD system also has had problems with connections and uses computer screens in cruisers that "do not clearly and easily display information ...," according to the complaint.
"We want it to work, all of us do," said York Area Regional Police Sgt. John Fishel, president of the Fraternal Order of Police -- York County Lodge No. 73. "But we don't want to get hurt while we're waiting."
Along with Lodge No. 73, FPO Hanover Lodge No. 69 and White Rose Lodge No. 15 are asking the local court to order the county and Eric A. Bistline, York County Director of Emergency Services, to remedy the situation.
County solicitor Michael Flannelly said Monday the county and emergency services are well aware of the complaints.
FOP representatives met with Flannelly,
Bistline and M/A-COM representatives on Jan. 20 to voice their concerns about the emergency dispatch systems. The FOPs set a Feb. 1 deadline to have the P25 system fixed.
At that meeting, according to the FOP complaint, M/A-COM reps admitted the company had not installed a system as large as York County's with the particular *radio bandwidth *that is being used.
Flannelly said M/A-COM representatives are in the county working to fix the problems.
"It's my understanding, talking with Eric, is that (M/A-COM) is making good progress," Flannelly said. "It's unfortunate (the FOPs) didn't leave us much time to move forward,"
Flannelly said he has not seen the FOPs' complaint but conceded "they were very clear about their unhappiness with the system. I'm not aware of anyone who is happy. We understand what they want."
According to the filing, the county and Bistline "have failed or refused to perform their public duties" to "remedy the existing deficiencies with the P25 radio system and CAD systems."
"Any further requests asking the defendants to perform their official duties would be in vain," the complaint states.
Bistline did not respond to a message seeking comment.
"Obviously, it's safety issue," Fishel said. "We are not able to communicate. You press the button and you don't know of you are going to get a response."
Fishel said under the analog system, officers were aware of the dead spots in the county and could prepare for them. He said under the P25 system, dead spots could be anywhere, at any time and not in the same place twice.
He said M/A-COM representatives were in his department Monday reprogramming radios.
"It's not fixing the problem," he said. "*It should have all been fixed before we switched over. Now, we're driving the car while they're trying to fix it and somebody's going to get hurt."*
Attorneys for the FOP lodges did not seek a temporary injunction Monday which would have brought the matter immediately before a county judge for a ruling.
Parties seeking emergency injunctions can be required to post bond to cover any possible damages to a defendant. In this case, the bond required could be as high as the total amount of the radio dispatch systems.
Posted: 02/02/2009 08:35:54 PM EST
Citing safety concerns, three York County police lodges filed a complaint in Common Pleas Court Monday seeking to have the new 911 radio system shut down and the old analog system reinstalled.
At issue for county police is reported failures of the $36 million P25 radio system installed by M/A-Com last year and the county's Computer Aided Dispatch, or CAD, system installed in 2005 by New World Systems.
According to the complaint, the P25 radio system has had "periods of total failure of both mobile ... and portable ... radio units." The problems reportedly include "delayed signal connection" and "distorted or unintelligible communications" between county control dispatchers and "officers in the field."
The CAD system also has had problems with connections and uses computer screens in cruisers that "do not clearly and easily display information ...," according to the complaint.
"We want it to work, all of us do," said York Area Regional Police Sgt. John Fishel, president of the Fraternal Order of Police -- York County Lodge No. 73. "But we don't want to get hurt while we're waiting."
Along with Lodge No. 73, FPO Hanover Lodge No. 69 and White Rose Lodge No. 15 are asking the local court to order the county and Eric A. Bistline, York County Director of Emergency Services, to remedy the situation.
County solicitor Michael Flannelly said Monday the county and emergency services are well aware of the complaints.
FOP representatives met with Flannelly,
Bistline and M/A-COM representatives on Jan. 20 to voice their concerns about the emergency dispatch systems. The FOPs set a Feb. 1 deadline to have the P25 system fixed.
At that meeting, according to the FOP complaint, M/A-COM reps admitted the company had not installed a system as large as York County's with the particular *radio bandwidth *that is being used.
Flannelly said M/A-COM representatives are in the county working to fix the problems.
"It's my understanding, talking with Eric, is that (M/A-COM) is making good progress," Flannelly said. "It's unfortunate (the FOPs) didn't leave us much time to move forward,"
Flannelly said he has not seen the FOPs' complaint but conceded "they were very clear about their unhappiness with the system. I'm not aware of anyone who is happy. We understand what they want."
According to the filing, the county and Bistline "have failed or refused to perform their public duties" to "remedy the existing deficiencies with the P25 radio system and CAD systems."
"Any further requests asking the defendants to perform their official duties would be in vain," the complaint states.
Bistline did not respond to a message seeking comment.
"Obviously, it's safety issue," Fishel said. "We are not able to communicate. You press the button and you don't know of you are going to get a response."
Fishel said under the analog system, officers were aware of the dead spots in the county and could prepare for them. He said under the P25 system, dead spots could be anywhere, at any time and not in the same place twice.
He said M/A-COM representatives were in his department Monday reprogramming radios.
"It's not fixing the problem," he said. "*It should have all been fixed before we switched over. Now, we're driving the car while they're trying to fix it and somebody's going to get hurt."*
Attorneys for the FOP lodges did not seek a temporary injunction Monday which would have brought the matter immediately before a county judge for a ruling.
Parties seeking emergency injunctions can be required to post bond to cover any possible damages to a defendant. In this case, the bond required could be as high as the total amount of the radio dispatch systems.
