[Scan-DC] Man monitors Frederick through scanner service

[Alan Henney]

The Associated Press State & Local Wire

July 21, 2013 Sunday 2:56 PM GMT 

Man monitors Frederick through scanner service

BYLINE: DANIEL J. GROSS, The Frederick News-Post

SECTION: STATE AND REGIONAL

LENGTH: 599 words

DATELINE: NEW MARKET Md.

During the historic snowstorms that rolled through the East Coast in 2010, some would say Pete Raumann had too much time on his hands.

Raumann would simply reply, "It was maddening to be stuck in the house. I just wanted to know what was going on."

During those storms, Raumann created what's become his most prized hobby, and one that's gained droves of followers from Frederick residents. 

The staging of computer servers, antennas and a radio scanner formed Frederick Scanner, a website and mobile application to provide streaming audio from the Frederick County Sheriff's Office, Maryland State Police, Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services and Highway Services radios. The stream does not include the Frederick Police Department's encrypted radio. The service, now in its third year, also shows live traffic webcams of major Frederick roads.

His intent, he said, has been to provide the public with as much emergency response information as possible, so that they know what's going on when "a fireman is running down the street. That's why it's there."

Raumann, 45, is a software engineer who works from his home office for a California-based software company. He said Frederick Scanner stands out because it provides nearly instant information solely about Frederick and Frederick County.

"You have Frederick police and Frederick fire and rescue. It has everything. If you're wondering what's happening down the street, you turn it on," he said.

Raumann is from Montgomery County but moved to the city of Frederick in 2000 because of his love for the area.

For the past two years, he's lived in New Market with his wife and three children.

Fire Chief Jerry Dorsey, of Frederick's United Steam Fire Engine Co. 3, said when he stumbled across Frederick Scanner online about a year ago, he contacted Raumann. Dorsey has since posted a link to Frederick Scanner on the fire company's website.

"Especially today where not everyone has the ability to listen to a digital scanner, (Frederick Scanner) is another avenue to let people in the community have an opportunity to listen to what's going on," he said.

Dorsey said Raumann's service is a great way to provide emergency information to the public.

Twitter and Facebook accounts are linked to Frederick Scanner so that posts will automatically appear when incidents come through the radio or when Raumann logs on himself to make a noteworthy posting.

The (at)FredScanner Twitter profile has more than 2,600 followers, and the Frederick Scanner Facebook page has more than 1,100 "likes." He also said that, during major events, his feed will spike to nearly 500 listeners.

The social media profiles are laden with comments of appreciation.

Raumann typically receives notifications of posts about anything from "Large brush fire behind Westview shopping center. Heard anything?" to "Thank you for keeping us informed!"

All of Frederick Scanner's services are free for users, but they can be costly for him since he's spent hundreds of dollars on servers, scanners, antennas, data usage, site maintenance and other costly items.

"(Frederick Scanner) is not what I get paid to do, but it's what I enjoy the most," he said. "I run it not expecting to get paid, but because I like being a part of Frederick."

While his service is running smoothly, Raumann said he's looking to expand by finding residents to help run his feeds and post timely updates to Twitter and Facebook.

That way, he said, he can ensure residents stay aware of what's happening in their city and county.

Information from: The Frederick (Md.) News-Post, http://www.fredericknewspost.com