2007

April 2007 - Virginia tech massacre - possibly someone with a scanner helped prevent deaths - in addition, the school website geared up after hearing of the shootings via scanner

August 29, 2007 - approx - <http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6967467> - 11 days after crajacking - perp is caught in Indianapolis. Scannerist alerts the victim who goes to scene and positively IDs perp.

Sept 2007 - <http://www.kvnews.com/articles/2007/09/12/news/doc46e8328691217985389022.txt> - Ellensburg Washington - after capture, man confesses to lewd behavior - scannerist helped police track down the man

2007 - Buhl Idaho - Robber hits the local bank. 2 scannerists see him fleeing, and alert police with a vehicle description. A 3rd scannerist hears the BOLO, spots the fleeing perp, and leads police to him.

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from radioref 11/9/2010

2007 - San Diego wildfiresOctober 2007 firestorms in northern San Diego County.

Local residents using table top and hand-held scanners to keep abreast of the fires’ progress, evacuation areas, and road closures help keep their neighbors informed.

http://www.sandiego.gov/mayor/pdf/fireafteraction.pdf

Breakdowns and delays in interdepartmental communications, command and control communications, limitations in available radios, batteries and personnel put the public at risk.

The use of legally owned and used scanner radios tuned to local police and fire frequencies can save valuable time in the publics notification of impending threat without relying on the timely implementation of public safety notification services like Emergency Alert System (TV), reverse 911 (telephone), door to door, community access phone systems, etc...

Individual preparedness is a right and duty, remove the ability to monitor police and fire and you remove individual preparedness. One person with a scanner radio can be an information source for an entire community of people.

Example...

October 2007 California wildfires - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nate Ritter, a citizen journalist that famously used twitter, flicker and online scanner feeds to inform the public.

Read some of the blogging he did here, and note the use of scanner feeds...

San Diego Fire Resources __________________