[Source: Get Fuzzy]



posted by Tracy Justus at 10/13/2001  

In wake of terrorist attacks, an increase in sales of scanners, short-wave radios
[Source: Associated Press]

By JAMES HANNAH
The Associated Press
10/12/01 2:11 PM


CENTERVILLE, Ohio (AP) -- Alarmed by the terror attacks, Brad Smith has a new living room fixture near his TV set and aquarium: a police scanner.

"I do think we'll have more terrorist attacks. And I'll be the first to know where it is. I'll hear it on that scanner before the TV and radio stations come on," he said.

The day of the Sept. 11 attacks, amateur radio operators were able to pick up transmissions among New York police, fire officials and dispatchers and listen in as the disaster unfolded.

Smith, 37, said early word from his scanner might enable him to evacuate or otherwise react quickly to word of a gas attack or terrorist bombing nearby.

Around the country, sales recently have increased of both scanners and short-wave radios.

The Radio Shack chain, based in Fort Worth, Texas, has reported an increase in sales, along with such dealers as Scanner World USA, a mail-order business based in Albany, N.Y., and Uniden America Corp. of Fort Worth. Some places are reporting that sales are up 10 percent to 30 percent compared with the same period last year.

Norm Schrein, president of the Bearcat Radio Club in Dayton, said he went to a trade show in Peoria, Ill., four days after the attack and was all but cleaned out.

"They were buying the scanners and not the cheap ones. The high-end ones that you can listen to military aircraft and all the other wide coverage," he said. "They think it's necessary rather than being interesting."

The lure of shortwave radios, which can cost up to $5,000, is that they allow for listening to broadcasts from around the world, including airline, shipping and military communications, said Larry Van Horn of Monitoring Times magazine. Broadcasts in foreign nations can also be tuned in.

"You're going to hear things that other people just don't hear," Van Horn said. "You're going to hear it from the countries themselves -- Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq -- and get their point of view."

Bill Gayton, a psychology professor at Southern Maine University, likened some scanner buyers to people who built bomb shelters during the Cold War in the 1950s and '60s.

"People's lives have really been shaken," he said. "Security is a very basic human need, and this is probably the first time it's been threatened to this extent."

posted by Tracy Justus at 10/12/2001  

Raising fire station flags on October 11th
[Source: International Association of Fire Chiefs]

Chief John M. Buckman, President of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, has recommended that all fire stations who have recognized a 30-day mourning period for the fallen firefighters of FDNY collectively raise their flags Thursday, October 11th, 2001 at 12:00noon Eastern Time / 9:00am Pacific. Those departments who have recognized the formal mourning period may remove the shrouding from their badges on the 11th as well.

Departments may choose to recognize the event in other specific ways such as a moment of silence. However, such elements are up to the discretion of each department.

The timing of the flag-raising will coincide with the kickoff of a special fundraising drive sponsored by Nike which is a "Run Across America" called "the Promise Run". The Promise Run will begin at 9:00am PDT at the main fire station in Astoria, Oregon and will conclude on November 22 in New York City. In all, 45 fire departments in small towns across the nation will become "stops" for the teams of Nike runners who will be raising funds to benefit both the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and C.O.P.S.- the law enforcement family charity.

posted by Tracy Justus at 10/10/2001