[Scan-DC] Scan-DC Digest, Vol 115, Issue 13

[Paul Bowling]

Alan,
When I first began monitoring it was because I was a volunteer EMS (1968)
then it grew into a hobby. (My first monitor for the department was the
standard Plectron Box and my first monitor was a Regency with a dial, much
like the old AM-FM radios)!
I don't see the need to encrypt all of the TGs only the tactical ones such
as fire investigation, bomb squad, surveillance, police tactical etc.
What they are really doing is taking away more transparency of the
government and avoiding the "watchers". It seems that the government
agencies want more "transparency" on the private side of business and it
citizens however the transparency of the government is becoming much less. 
Do you have any ideas? I guess we could write our congress representatives
and complain and mention that it will "hide" many of the facts

Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2013 23:24:04 -0500
From: "Alan Henney" <alan at henney.com>
To: "Scan DC" <Scan-DC at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: [Scan-DC] D.C. Fire/EMS: Planning for ENCRYPTION !!!
Message-ID: <95792E52F2ED42CBAE91691A19B6ADDE at OptiplexGX520>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"


We have heard from a couple different sources who are telling us that when
D.C. Fire/EMS switches to its new Motorola APX radios in early 2014, the
radio system will be encrypted!

This will be another tremendous loss for the scanner community and another
horrible precedent.

No doubt the embattled fire chief has taken some hard knocks the past year
and perhaps a few of those incidents could be attributed to what was
monitored on the radio.

Specifically cited by one source was the Navy Yard shooting.  Audio
recordings from that incident were downloaded by the local media from
RadioReference, much to the anguish of fire/EMS officials.  

While I don't think it made the department look bad at all, it demonstrated
how they have lost control of who monitors and shares what is broadcast from
FEMS radio channels --- but not for long?

I'm frustrated by the continuing erosion of our hobby and the inability of
the public -- and especially the once mighty D.C. press corps -- to make
change.

If anybody has the ability to change things in the D.C. government, now is
the time!

Alan