[Scan-DC] D.C. Zello Notification Net

[Alan Henney]

We’re still anxious to add people interested in real-time incident notification in the D.C. area.

This was from the Jan. CHM.  Once you join, please let us know who you are so we can approve you to transmit.  So many of the screen names are hard to verify.

Also, does anybody have some advice what type of smartphone has an easy-to-use PTT that could be used with Zello?  I need something that would be easy for my mother to use.  The old Nextel was great.  If you have any advice, kindly e-mail me directly.  Thanks.

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JOIN THE ZELLO SMARTPHONE D.C. AREA NOTIFICATION NET!

Zello is a push-to-talk (PTT)-style application for computers and mobile devices, much like the old Nextel Direct Connect.  The Zello app allows groups of people or individuals to use a walkie-talkie-style communication method without having to deal with complications such as establishing conference calls.  Inspired by the Scan-DC e-mail group, Kenny Lorber created the "National Capital Region Public Safety" group on Zello a couple years ago, but it is being re-launched in 2016!

We hope this group will allow urgent information and emergency events to be shared with interested parties in real time.  The channel is running 24/7 but may not be continuously moderated.  If a person is cleared to transmit, they may do so at any time.  Those seeking to join must be approved to transmit by an admin or moderator but anyone with the password may listen.  The password for the group is "scandc2016" without the quotation marks.

Keeping in mind that many leave their phones on at all times, we should be conservative in the types of incidents we choose to broadcast to minimize interruptions.  Types of events we'd like to have transmitted and shared over the channel include: fire/rescue incidents that lead to extended operations, damage or cause significant travel or living disruption; significant police incidents including critical shootings or acts of violence, homicides, felony manhunts, terror incidents, barricades or anything that impacts a major highway; missing persons (amber alerts, silver alerts); local emergencies and transportation incidents that may impact many people… pretty much the type of incidents one might find on a local newscast including abnormal weather events, such as tornados.

Please avoid transmitting small incidents (non-life-threatening shootings, fires that are quickly extinguished and accidents that have little impact on commuters or are not critical) unless there are larger implications to the area as a whole.  The coverage area is D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

Beyond broadcasting the initial incident if somebody has a question or needs the original broadcaster to elaborate on the incident this is okay as long as messages are kept brief and related to working incidents.

The Zello app can be downloaded from zello.com for the commonly used operating systems.  You will need to register an account with a valid e-mail address. It is also helpful if you designate a profile picture.  The service is free to download but keep in mind that it will use WiFi or mobile data - so plan accordingly if you elect to leave it running at all times. Be sure to change the settings of your app to your desired state once you download it. You can set everything from volume to PTT functionality all the way down to how the app should behave on a phone reboot.

Of course we'd like to remind users not to transmit sensitive information such as tactical positions in the event of a barricade, active shooter or similar situation, or people’s names or specific residential addresses.  Best to keep the details and addresses more general.

The moderators are Kenny Lorber and Alan Henney and either can provide assistance with the app if needed.

http://zello.me/k/MjsP