Katoomba Comms

[Garry]

there is lots of talk in the ranks of FRNSW that Katoomba Comms is to close. I wonder which ComCen would take over ??

[ivahri]

It is a matter of public knowledge that Wollongong & Katoomba are closing some time in 2012 being replaced by upgraded centres at Alexandria & Newcastle. These will not be geographically based any more- each centre will be the mirror image of the other capable of doing anything the other can.

I'm not buying in to the political/industrial aspects or stating a view- just answering your question with a straight bat.

Cheers,

Richard

[Longreach]

Hi all, would that mean the xxxxxx comms callsign would go too, ie Wollongong comms, and be replaced by something more generic like Comcen?
cheers
Matt

[ivahri]

I guess it will but I think there are bigger challenges still in front of them...

[cokebottle]

There was a story in this weeks Blue Mountains Gazette about this, the council is fighting closure citing the recent storm events in the mountains & the need to retain local knowledge etc...

http://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/ ... 39582.aspx

I agree that each area should have its own regional communications facility, what's the use of having a call centre in Newcastle etc when the links are down due to extended power outage/broken infrastructure?

Michael

[rustynswrail]

There was a story in this weeks Blue Mountains Gazette about this, the council is fighting closure citing the recent storm events in the mountains & the need to retain local knowledge etc...
http://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/ ... 39582.aspx
I agree that each area should have its own regional communications facility, what's the use of having a call centre in Newcastle etc when the links are down due to extended power outage/broken infrastructure? Michael

And of course the rare earthquake that took out all radio comms, albeit VHF at the time.

R

[ivahri]

I'm not going to buy into this but the whole issue of "local knowledge" is a furphy- the local knowledge resides on the appliance, not in the Comcen. Besides that the technology that a modern CAD system provides gives even a remotely located operator more information than could ever be provided to a whole lot of little Comcens. That technology costs money. I doubt many of you ever saw what existed before the existing 4 centres were built- at Turvey Park, Albury, and Lismore. You talk about local knowledge... an operator sitting behind an Omnitronics console & a telephone. If the phone went down the guy may as well go for a smoke... they were a total joke, an embarrassment- but they were local!

FBEU + the left wing Blue Mountains Council vs the Liberal State Government... kind of predictable ain't it? I'd be surprised if they didn't pick a fight. It doesn't mean that they have a valid argument...

Cheers,

Richard

[ivahri]

There was a story in this weeks Blue Mountains Gazette about this, the council is fighting closure citing the recent storm events in the mountains & the need to retain local knowledge etc...
http://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/ ... 39582.aspx
I agree that each area should have its own regional communications facility, what's the use of having a call centre in Newcastle etc when the links are down due to extended power outage/broken infrastructure? Michael

And of course the rare earthquake that took out all radio comms, albeit VHF at the time.

R

Rusty,

If it took out the VHF it would have done so via the copper wire. The radio up at Sugarloaf & Cabbage Tree were simplex in those days. The base sites themselves didn't die. If it happened today even if one centre was taken out the other centre will take over, and none of that precludes use of ICV's, local EOCs and the like if needed. They could operate from at least three EOCs around Newcastle if such an event happened.

Cheers,


Richard

[system_tech]

I doubt many of you ever saw what existed before the existing 4 centres were built- at Turvey Park, Albury, and Lismore. You talk about local knowledge... an operator sitting behind an Omnitronics console & a telephone. If the phone went down the guy may as well go for a smoke... they were a total joke, an embarrassment- but they were local!

Cheers,

Richard

Not to mention Fire 000 in the Macarthur area (ie South West Sydney towards Southern Highlands) going to the watchman at 88 Station Campbelltown. If the appliances were out he had no back up, going for smoke, a leak etc became problematical if it was a busy day. If the radio and the phone were busy, no back up.

Realistically,the Police has become more centralised with comms also. The Govt is looking for savings everywhere. Closing a couple of shiftwork centres helps meet that goal. Unfortunate as it may be to some, it is the way things are.

S_T

[Bigfella237]

~ Realistically,the Police has become more centralised with comms also. The Govt is looking for savings everywhere. Closing a couple of shiftwork centres helps meet that goal. Unfortunate as it may be to some, it is the way things are. S_T

With RFS going the same way, ie all operational comms eventually moving to Homebush, it will be interesting to see how individual districts justify having so many paid staff once that happens too?

Andrew