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| Firefighters dispatched to Montana shown on "I am responding" program |
Let's say that the consolidation had a lot of problems. A criminal group with this knowledge would be emboldened. Even if things went off without a hitch, someone bent on criminal activity could test the new system by flooding with call.
Most criminals are pretty stupid, so the likelihood of this happening is rather low. But it is possible. Hence the secrecy.
Executive Lamont McClure reported on Monday that the consolidation occurred without any issues. He's basically correct. There have been no complaints from the public or first responders over the past two months. But according to dispatchers, there are some problems.
1) In response to a cardiac arrest call from East Allen Township, an ambulance was dispatched. Instead of going to the victim's home, the ambulance was sent to a cell tower. The heart attack victim died. This could be a problem with the new Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD). It could have been a mistake by the dispatcher, too. I doubt the ambulance was significantly delayed, but seconds count in an emergency.
2) One seemingly minor issue is the failure of the new CAD to give dispatchers an audible alert of an incoming call. "Tickets" have been written to correct this issue, but two months later, there's still no "dinger" or light. Seconds count in an emergency.
3) A group of kids had set a fire at an Easton park, and one of them may have been brandishing a firearm. When a firearm is involved, police should be notified to respond, but weren't. This may have been a CAD issue.
4) Firefighters responding to a call from South Delaware Drive was dispatched to Montana. You can see this on a program that EMS and firefighters use. It is called "I am responding." It interfaces with CAD and allows them to see where the call is and who is responding.
Did the city council know of this date? My understanding is that Northampton County Council was not informed of the Mach date. If true, both Donchez and McClure better realize that neither is Mr. Morganelli. McClure must realize he needs to run again while Donchez has own his second term.
ReplyDeleteOf course Northampton County Council was aware, as was Bethlehem City Council. This was manipulated by both sides of the equation. There is some unconfirmed talk that Northampton County may have received a sizeable financial kickback for proceeding with the merger early. You might want check out the legitimacy of that, Bernie.
DeleteBernie, keep digging. Dispatchers will share many horror stories. These are not a result of the merger but have been going on for years. The fact that the NC has been dispatching since March should come as no surprise to anyone that monitors the channels. Station 10 Fire and EMS have been live since March. The issue for years has been the 911 Center not acknowledging responded units after dispatch. Keep digging O'Hare, keep digging.
ReplyDeleteFrom hiring irregularities to mismanagement, the time has come for a full blown review of this operation by the county council. Do they not have a committee or liaison person? Seeing that McClure and Dertinger are involved it must come from another area. This has gone on for too long.
ReplyDeleteSounds like the county did its job if they got some money out of the deal.
ReplyDelete"There's even a rumor (unconfirmed) that a Bethlehem public safety employee with loose lips was terminated."
ReplyDeleteDo tell more, please.
Well, if they were terminated for loose lips' what makes you think she wouldn’t be singing to all who would listen from her firing date forward? If this even has a tiny bit of truth, we would already have know the merge was in process with those lose lips, don’t you think?
ReplyDeleteIt's a he, and I'm sure he'd talk if contacted. He's no longer a city employee.
DeleteAlso a few female employees also lost their jobs because of the consolidation.
DeleteWe are doomed with that character Goofy Todd Weaver in charge.. from hot doggy king to tail wagger to John Brown.....
ReplyDeleteUnqualified right at the twp... how can some loser on a volunteer fire company be anywhere near qualified to run an emergency system.
"Executive Lamont McClure reported on Monday that the consolidation occurred without any issues."
ReplyDeleteSo, he lied ... again. Why not just come clean about the problems and how a guy died? Because it's just not a part of his make up.
KEEP DIGGING BERN:tell us about the house fire in Bethlehem on Monday that went to 3 alarms 1st-because they dispatched Beth Twps (4 Min.delay) 2nd-ist in bethlehem city units could not get a response for a 2nd alarm ,3 min.later finally acknowledged forced to go to 3rd alarm......
ReplyDeleteI can assure you that Bethlehem Twp was not dispatched to that call 1st. There have been plenty of mistakes in dispatching the correct town, but that wasnt one.
DeleteThe system needs an overhaul. And I mean everything. From the Admins of the county 911 down to their procedures.
Whoever wrote this is an absolute idiot and really didn’t listen to the call. I’m not sure where you got your information wrong or if you’re just that stupid but an engine was on scene in 5 minutes. There was no delay, there was no mistake. Zip your mouth if you don’t have proper facts you moron
DeleteBernie, while I think that there are issues that need be addressed, the Montana issue is not the fault of the county 911. I am responding and active 911 are third party apps that utilize data from the 911 system to route responders to a call. The routes are calculated with Google maps and have nothing to do with the 911 center.
ReplyDelete10:12, thanks for that clarification.
ReplyDelete7:09, This accusation is nonsense. Lamont McClure is an honest man. I believe he reported what he was told and that what he said is basically accurate. I understand dispatchers are unhappy but that’s no reason for attacking the integrity of people who are repeating what they have been told. I get there are some issues but have only heard from dispatchers. It appears that your real problem is Weaver, not the new system.
ReplyDeleteSo whatever McClure says you endorse, as he is an honest man and would never mislead anyone. Same for Dertinger? You approve of both councils being kept in the dark?
ReplyDeleteTodd Weaver went from being a part time EMT and Sheriff's deputy to supervisor then director. His former coucilman father got him the job. The dispatchers are not the issue. It is the lack of proper training and oversight. The center is chronically understaffed. And many field units and everyday citizens do not understand the job of a dispatcher or call taker. Add to that the general abuse of emergency services by the idiots of this world. The field units still cannit grasp that their own dispatch centers e.g. Palmer, Wilson, Easton, closed a long time ago. And tbe 911 management will not back the current dispatchers. Todd Weaver sells them out. He could care less. This government intervention never should have happened.
ReplyDelete"couldn't care less."
DeleteSo as I understand it, the issue is not so much the consolidation as it is Todd Weaver and the General impression among dispatchers that they are taken for granted. Morale sounds bad.
ReplyDelete”So whatever McClure says you endorse, as he is an honest man and would never mislead anyone. Same for Dertinger? You approve of both councils being kept in the dark?”
ReplyDeleteI have no idea whether Council was informed. I have read a comment saying they were. Also, I said what I said, not what you twisted. I have known both McClure and Dertinger for about 20 years. During that time, I have often been highly critical of either or both. But I have never had occasion to question their honesty. You obviously are taking this opportunity to smear them over what really has been a successful consolidation. You are almost without question a political hack and not one of the dispatchers who may have legitimate grievances and who certainly need bigger paychecks.
No common link between fire and police dispatchers at Norco. Way to many times there has been a 2 or 3 minute delay between dispatching fire to a fire/rescue call that the pd was already notified of. That cost property and lives. Ask and see if you get a truthful answer.
ReplyDeleteStating that there have been no complaints from first responders is a blatant lie. Numerous complaints and errors have been reported. Agencies have made reports of wrong unit dispatches, wrong municipalities, and sending another unit from a different agency while the primary unit is available. There's been some big delays in response due to preventable errors. They simply dismiss them and say "stuff happens". There has been no accountability for years at NC911. The new CAD is merely a scapegoat for all their screw ups. Monroe and Lehigh County have been using the same CAD with significantly less issues. The issues of failing to send appropriate units, not relaying information and not being able to dispatch correctly have been plaguing the center well before this CAD. The public expect Police, Fire and EMS to not screw up, and if they do to hold them accountable. Why is 911 not held to this standard? The admin of NC911 is responsible for this mess. They have some truly great dispatchers there that are being drug down by lack of training in their peers and equipment. Reach out to some departments, their leadership should be able to provide you with many examples of issues, contrary to McClure's comments. Hopefully you bringing it to light will get the public, dispatchers and responders the answers and actions they deserve.
ReplyDeleteI am unaware of any complaints from first responders about the consolidation. I am well aware of the numerous complaints they have made in the past about dispatchers themselves and the 911 administration. Once again, I am interested in complaint nuts about the merger. I have several friend who are first responders and have heard nothing from them. Calling this a “blatant lie” is just divisive and is unhelpful to this discussion.
ReplyDeleteThat is absolutely true about delayed FD dispatches. They give fire call to the PD and then a "long" delay before the FD is dispatched.
ReplyDeletePlease be clear. Is this a problem that only started AFTER the consolidation or was it a pre-existing problem.
ReplyDeleteHow long did it take them to get out to Montana?
ReplyDeleteWhen a public safety center has an issue, the root cause is not the software. It is either training, policy & procedure, or staff. If you look at these three areas, they all fall under the responsibility of Leadership. If the leadership is not qualified, doesn't instill synergy into the system, or just doesn't care these results will follow.
ReplyDeleteIf we look back to an earlier comment about the skillset of the leadership running NorCo, it brings into question the debate that was on here a few years ago. The county identified three qualified candidates to lead this county (D. Fenton, K. Mattson, and some guy from the midwest). Mr. Weaver sat on the board to interview all three, each of which outranked and out qualified (education & experience) Mr. Weaver. Under his direction, the selection for the out of state candidate was selected. This individual never stepped foot in the state of PA as part of the interviews and clearly had no intent to take the position. After this decline of position, how did the two remaining candidates not come back into contention? Rather the county promoted Mr. Weaver (who did not meet the minimum requirements for the job as identified by the advertisement) to the position.
Mr. Fenton has left Public Service in the Lehigh Valley to work in a management role with the Port Authority of NY / NJ and Mr. Mattson moved his family to become a director at the largest transit agency in the South.
I think the issue at hand is leadership, not equipment. Under the correct Leadership, a county communications center will thrive despite mergers. Look at Montgomery County who became a true countywide operations under the direction of T. Sullivan, look at Chester County who did the same under E. Adkins, and also Bucks. All these models surrounding our fine county, and we want to sit back and blame a piece of software for the continual failures in the county.
Time for someone to do some true digging and root out the BS.
Just my two cents!
Outstanding response, and I remember the hiring debacle as well. I do believe that it was deliberately manipulated so the county would be able to promote from within and preserve the Northampton County Good Ol' Boys Method of Promotion. Following the departure of Bob Mateff, Weaver served as Acting Director while the county dragged its' feet to fill the position. Eventually, as you stated, 3 candidates were chosen, with Weaver sitting in on the interview process. When the gentleman who was offered the job declined, Weaver was given the job instead of reopening the search or offering one of the remaining 2 candidates. It is important to understand that Weaver worked in the systems side of the communications center and not management prior to Mateff's departure. BUT...and here is where the Good Ol' Boys network comes into play...he is the "chief" of Washington Township's Volunteer Fire Company. His father was very involved in fire service...and coincidentally, his father provides the continuing HAZMAT education classes for the dispatchers at the center. Hmmm...I wonder if he does that for free? Sorry, I digress. Weaver, along with the remainder of administration, are primarily interested with the Emergency Management side operations, and could care less about the 911 side. Frankly, he wouldn't be able to do the 911 side of the job now, not at the volume that is coming into to center anymore. It is doubtful that he could have done it before. When Northampton County chose to forego a qualified candidate with relevant management experience in emergency services, they became complicit in the mess that they are having to deal with at the moment.
DeleteTodd Weaver is just unqualified and incompetent for this position period. His daddy hooked him the job and no one has any respect for him cause he is unqualified. He never met the qualifications and couldn't get a job at waffle hut.Do a professional review and see how gone.
ReplyDelete1:21 DIDNT HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE CALL i WAS ON THE CALL YES IT WENT JUST THE WAY i STATED SO yOU ARE AN IDIOT..I AM IN THE 1ST OPUT ENGINE COMPANY ISIOT AND WE DELAYED AT LEAST 4 IF NOT MORE MINUTES...SO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT BEFORE SPOUT OFF...
ReplyDeleteThen i feel Bad for Achey knowing he’s hiring people who can’t read. Provide the rip and run that says they were dispatch to the call because I’m looking at it right now and E6 was on scene in 5....once again you’re an idiot who can’t read
DeleteWaffle hut won't want him. He knows his time is limited as he has shown what incompetence truly is. Todd buy a hot dog cart your qualifications are perfect doing that. Hot Dog Weaver
ReplyDeleteMcClure needs to get a qualified department head. Not the mismanagement and unqualified individual we have not. The county staff and the citizens deserve a qualified management.
ReplyDeleteAnother delayed response this morning. A mobile unit reported a vehicle accident with entrapment on a RT 378 ramp. Took at least 4 minutes before another dispatcher sounded the tones for Bethlehem City. Wake up Bethlehem Mayor. Wake up Northampton County officials. It appears that the management of the NORCO 911 center learn their trade by watching reruns of the 70s TV show "EMERGENCY" on their VCRs. When I think of that press conference earlier this week I just want to throw up.
ReplyDeleteLet’s look at the main issue....
ReplyDeleteTHE ADMINISTRATION
We’ll start at the bottom and work our way up.....
The supervisors. Most can give two shits. Their so busy with work that should be the Operation and Training Managers but gets passed down to them that they can’t actually do their job. When dispatchers ask them to do things that are their job (like out tickets in for problems with the system) the dispatchers get blown off. The supervisors are also tired of putting tickets in, having them closed out, and the problems never getting fixed....
The operations and training manager.... Well let’s just say new employees spend an average of 24 hours a week (of their 40 their at work) watching other employees do the job instead of actually being training. Employees have “observed” others for upwards of SIX FULL MONTHS already before becoming so frustrated that they went to work for Lehigh County. The training program is absolutely horrendous and the person in charge of it can give two shits.
Deputy director of 911:
To be honest no one is really sure what he does. A new CAD has been in place for months, there are still tons of problems, nothing gets fixed, and policies haven’t been updated in YEARS. The current policies don’t even reflect the current system in place. He doesn’t hold the managers under him accountable or even himself.
You can keep working up to every position on how they don’t hold people under them accountable or themselves and when you reach the top, you see the problem.... Todd Weaver.....
Morale is currently well past the toilet and currently in the shit plant. The center is drastically understaffed and the admin isn’t doing shit to fix the problem. Until the county finally grows a set and does a complete overhaul of the administration the 911 center will continue to be a disaster.
On the note of the new hire who sat for over 6 months doing nothing until they were put through proper training. It’s worth noting that since then there have been at least 5 others who have left NorCo for the other 911 center that was mentioned and personnel from Bethlehem who were given the option to keep dispatching for bethlehem and NorCo would rather jump ship and start over at another 911 center as well. I think some people in the hallway need to take a long and hard look in the mirror and figure out why people would rather leave then stay there.
DeleteTodd Weaver- INCOMPETENT! Upper Mount Bethel bounced him down the road long ago for his incompetent ways and then daddy (the councilman) snags him a job with the county where it continues. Rid us of this unqualified man before someone gets seriously hurt of the taxpayers are sued. The county knows he is incompetent so why keep him? Arrogant, cocky and narcissistic are his traits besides "Weasel Weaver" does not have a clue about emergency communications.
ReplyDeleteRumor has it he was shown the door Friday. Isn't he a career service employee?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete3:48, Weaver is career service. I have not heard that from anyone.
ReplyDeleteWhat did NC pay Bethlehem for as rumor has it obsolete communications equipment
ReplyDeleteI am no expert on CAD and have no idea whether what you say is true. If it is, where the hell were you? This purchase was in front of county council several times and no one had anything negative to say. You should have been there or contacted someone if this is so. That is not on the council. That is on you. Democracy is not a spectator sport.
ReplyDeleteTodd Weaver... maybe Hot Dog Johnnies is hiring?
ReplyDelete