Funds on way for county radio system
[Source: The Daily Breeze]

By Toby Eckert
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON - Los Angeles County will get $1 million to start developing a uniform radio communications system for its numerous emergency response agencies.

The money, contained in a spending bill sent to President Bush on Tuesday, will allow Sheriff Lee Baca's office to study ways to overcome problems posed by the myriad communications technologies now used by the agencies.

"It's a critical situation," said Capt. Robert Sedita, commander of the department's communications and fleet management bureau.

Members of Congress from the Los Angeles area initially requested the funding in July. The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks added urgency to the issue.

According to Rep. Jane Harman's office, the lawmakers wrote to the House Appropriations Committee, pointing out that safety personnel in the county use many radio frequencies and formats, hampering coordination during emergencies.

"Fifty-two L.A. County law enforcement agencies which serve and protect our citizens have very little ability to communicate with one another. It is literally easier for officers from different departments to yell out of their cars to each other than it is for them to dial up on their radio frequencies," Harman, D-Redondo Beach, said in a written statement.

A year ago, the Sheriff's Department developed a standard communications hub with the county Fire Department and the California Highway Patrol.

It wants to expand that to include other county agencies, adjacent counties and federal entities, Sedita said.

"We scratched the surface, but we still have a long way to go. As these agencies evolved, they just built up their own unique communications systems. That's how we got into the situation we're in today," he said.

The department plans to hire an outside consultant to do the study, which is expected to take a year to complete.
© Copyright 2001 The Copley Press Inc.

posted by Tracy Justus at 11/15/2001  

Los Angeles county wide Emergency Operations Center Exercise "BIOEX 2001"

This years county wide Emergency Operations Center (EOC) exercise involves bioterrorism. The exercise will begin at 9:00am on Thursday, November 15th 2001.

The County Emergency Operations Center will have a briefing for attendees at 8:00am with the exercise beginning at 9:00am and concluding at 4:00pm.

All cities in the county operational area have been invited to open their EOC's as well as all county departments and participating agencies.

All Los Angeles County Sheriff stations are invited to activate their EOC's and participate in the exercise. The exercise will enhance the County's ability to respond to a bioterrorism attack.

posted by Tracy Justus at 11/13/2001  

When shots fired, police hop to action
[Source: Ventura County Star]
[Audio source: Freq Of Nature]

Listen to the incident

By staff reports

Shots were fired early Saturday near the neighborhood where Rep. Elton Gallegly and Ventura County Sheriff Bob Brooks live. In response, the Simi Valley Police Department and Ventura County Sheriff's Department turned out en masse.
The call came in at 12:15 a.m.

Once he got there, an investigating officer heard 15 to 20 shots himself, possibly on Vista Lago Drive, which is across Madera Drive from Sinaloa Golf Course, Simi police Lt. Andy McCluskey said.

Vista Lago is the street where the congressman and sheriff live.

Simi police responded with almost a dozen units, including a K9 patrol, plainclothes officers and two supervisors, police said. They called Ventura County sheriff's deputies for help.

The search was on.

Before deputies arrived, Simi police saw a man walking on Madera Road. Questioned, he fessed up.

He was arrested on charges of negligent discharge of a firearm in a gross negligent manner, a spokesman at the East Valley Sheriff's Station said.

In his statement, the gunman, whose name was not released, admitted his role, the spokesman said: He had been shooting at rabbits in his back yard.

posted by Tracy Justus at 11/12/2001