Omar Gonzalez incident at White House

[railtrailbiker]

At least three (3) mentions in this news article about radio communications issues associated with the Omar Gonzalez incident.

1) "The officer did not have his radio earpiece in, and had left the second radio he was supposed to have in his locker." - Why do they carry two radios?

2) "That officer “was unable to hear any comprehensible radio communications about alarm breaks or Gonzalez” until he had gotten close to the North Portico entrance." - P25/digital audio issues or something else?

3) "An officer stationed at the North Portico door could not hear on the radio what was occurring and had an obstructed view." - Could not hear on the radio because?

I have no knowledge of the SS radio system at the White House - simplex, repeater, encrypted, trunked? Can anyone help us understand what might have gone wrong with the radios?

Thanks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/14/u...n-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

 

[karldotcom]

I read the K-9 officer on the phone didn't know anything was up until he saw a uniformed officer running across the lawn...then probably put his earplug in.

 

[jonwienke]

It's kind of hard to hear a radio call if you don't have the radio in your possession. Or if you don't have the earpiece in. Technology can't fix stupid on the part of the user(s).

 

[signal500]

At least three (3) mentions in this news article about radio communications issues associated with the Omar Gonzalez incident.

1) "The officer did not have his radio earpiece in, and had left the second radio he was supposed to have in his locker." - Why do they carry two radios?

2) "That officer “was unable to hear any comprehensible radio communications about alarm breaks or Gonzalez” until he had gotten close to the North Portico entrance." - P25/digital audio issues or something else?

3) "An officer stationed at the North Portico door could not hear on the radio what was occurring and had an obstructed view." - Could not hear on the radio because?

I have no knowledge of the SS radio system at the White House - simplex, repeater, encrypted, trunked? Can anyone help us understand what might have gone wrong with the radios?

Thanks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/14/u...n-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

The Uniformed Secret Service that protects the White House have two P25 AES standalone (non-trunked) encrypted repeaters on 162.075 (Operations) and 163.3125 (Tactical). The K9 units have there own simplex channel on 164.100. Each officer carries two radios, one to communicate with the outside perimeter security operations and the other to monitor the interior security (Presidential Protection Detail and Crown Control).

No issues with the P25 digital radios or radio systems just with the officers that were using them. One didn't have his earpiece in at the time, and another that didn't have his second radio to hear about the security alarms that were being activated by Gonzalez.

So one radio is used for security operations outside the fence of the White House and the other for grounds and interior. Not to mention, if one radio fails, you can always use the other one. Both radios have the same channels/frequencies in them.

The men and women of the Secret Service are highly trained to expect the unexpected, but they are human and made mistakes here.

 

[SCPD]

Yeah, they're human all right. Bunch of drug using booze hounds partaking in the pleasures of prostitutes. All in the secure area of a hotel where the Commander in Chief was during his visit to Colombia. Something as simple as not having an earpiece in their ear is tantamount to forgetting to reporting for duty without a sidearm. It's all part and parcel to being responsible for their actions... they know what's required of them when reporting for duty yet, they still failed to know how to use their equipment properly? Things that make 'ya go... hmmmm.