9-1-1 CALL RECEIVING/DISPATCH DOWN ON 01/13/2015. STARK EMA DIRECTOR SAYS "AT&T TO BLAME!"

UPDATED:  11:00 AM

VIDEO

STARK EMA DIRECTOR

TIM WARSTLER

GOING TO DIG FOR ANSWERS

ON

AT&T

9-1-1

BACKUP/REDUNDANCY FAILURE
===========================
NOVEMBER, 2013
VIDEO
ON
OCTOBER 6, 2013
9-1-1 PROBLEM

A second AT&T problem involving Stark Countians ability to use 9-1-1 emergency call receiving and dispatch services?

Back on October 6, 2013 (LINK to prior SCPR blog) there was an issue as to who was at fault on a glitch which disabled Stark County citizens to have their emergency calls received by Stark County's 9-1-1 entities, to wit:

And here is a video from the November 25, 2013 Q&A session which included AT&T officials as to who was at fault.



January 13, 2015 comes and perhaps it is "deja vu, all over again?"

A Stark Countian would not want to have any sort of emergency Tuesday evening into the early hours of Wednesday morning because the county's 9-1-1 system was unable to receive calls and, as the SCPR understands the situation, would be callers were unable to make calls.

One thing that the current Stark County commissioners do that in the SCPR's experience previous boards of commissioners did not do is to bring "in the know" county officials into the commissioners' meeting room for a public Q&A on the problem and solutions to the problem.

And that is exactly what they did yesterday in bringing Stark County Director of the Emergency Management Agency (LINK) into yesterday's regular commissioners' weekly meeting.

The problem was not just limited to 9-1-1 but was spread throughout a 11 state AT&T served area according to Warstler.

Media reports indicate that AT&T is blaming a burst steam pipe in the Akron area for the problem.

But as far as Warstler is concerned, having a problem like AT&T did is one thing, but is another when Stark County government paid for "back up/redundancies" did not kick in to give citizens with need to access the county's emergency services the ability to do so.

A main mission of the SCPR is to make Stark County government at all levels accountable.

Stark Countians should be pleased to see the commissioners and Director Warstler working hard to get answers "from the 'profit-making private sector" for the failure of taxpayer paid for services to function when needed.

Any government unit or private sector service can have a problem.

But it has to be "unacceptable" when government pays (meaning the taxpayers) the private sector for backups and redundancies and then they do not work when needed.

Here is the full video of Warstler's presentation to commissioners and answers to questions posed by The Stark County Political Report.



A service that the commissioners provide through Warstler's office, is to notify Stark Countians when there is a 9-1-1 outage.

The SCPR encourages citizens to avail themselves of this service.  Signing up can be done at this LINK.

Notification takes places through text messages and e-mails.

On its website (LINK, same as above), Stark's EMA describes the notification process thusly:

Again, The Report encourages readers of the SCPR to sign up.

9-1-1 MOVING FORWARD SERIES - SEGMENT 2: SHERIFF SWANSON REAFFIRMS HIS "OPT OUT" OF 9-1-1 CENTRALIZED DISPACTCH IN FAVOR OF STARK COUNTY COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS (SCOG) GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE

By Ohio law, the county sheriff gets first dibs on providing 9-1-1 centralized dispatch to all of the county.

All the sheriff does now is to take calls at the Stark Call Center and then pass the call on to one of ten existing dispatch centers scattered across Stark County.

In the accompanying video of Swanson speaking at the Canton dispatch center this past Thursday, the SCPR presents Swanson's core message on his decision to opt out of being the communications center for 9-1-1 centralized dispatch.

IS COMMISSIONER BOSLEY "SPOILING" FOR A FIGHT? IS SALES/USE TAX ISSUE THE BEGINING OF "COUNTY OFFICIALS" VERSUS "THE PEOPLE?"

Recently Stark Citizens for the Right to Vote told the Massillon Independent that he is ready to file the group's signatures to put the December, 2008 Stark County commissioners imposed 0.50 county sales/use tax to a vote of the people.

Of course, just the notion of a ballot box fight is exciting to those of us who follow Stark County politics.

But this fight has an added dimension.

The leader of the Stark Citizens for the Right to Vote (Tom Marcelli) has a history, chronicled in local media, of challenging various county officials to "duke it out" over his differences with them over things such as the imposed tax (Bosley) and how various officials (particularly, Auditor Kim Perez and Treasurer Gary Zeigler) administrate their offices.

While not opposed to the ballot initiative, the SCPR has been skeptical of the Marceill-led group to pull off getting nearly 14,000 valid signatures.

A SCPR source tells yours truly that if Marcelli was the only person providing leadership to the group, the SCPR could be right. But, the source adds, there have been Stark County "heavy hitters" working sub rosa to make sure the Stark Citizens Right to Vote cohort is successful.

Could one of these sub rosa people be Stark County Board of Elections (BOE) deputy director and Stark County Republican Party chairman Jeff Matthews?

Readers are reminded that Matthews (who asks county commissioners, from time-to-time, in capacity with the BOE for more money for the BOE) appeared at "Tea Day, Tax Day - April 15, 2009" encouraging those assembled to support the petition drive.

What's more, his sidekick at Stark County Republican headquarters (Jason Wise) was the local leader of "Tea Day, Tax Day."

The SCPR believes Matthews has a huge conflict in interest on this matter.

So if the SCPR's source is correct, Commissioner Bosley is about to embark on a fight for his political life beginning August 20th.

The next date in what could be a "political Waterloo" for Bosley is November 3, 2009 should Round One go to the Stark Citizens for the Right to Vote.

Bosley worries a lot as to who will be running against him in November, 2010. The SCPR believes - that should "the repeal the imposed sales/use tax" make it to the ballot and then lose - Bosley will have an all out challenge from the Stark Republicans come 2010.

So it's not only Stark County financial solvency and 9-1-1 funding that is at state in this political fight, but it could mean the end of Todd Bosley as an elected Stark County official.

Bosley is already lining up county officials to take on the Stark Citizens for the Right to Vote. He presumes that the repeal issue will make it to the ballot. And, he is structuring the fight as an "us" against "them" tiff.

The SCPR believes that Bosley statements appearing in Stark County media that lend credence to a sort of "us" against "them" approach are "unthought" and could give the anti-forces the ammo they need.

To rephrase the point: Is it wise to make this issue one that appears to be county officeholders and their employees versus Joe and Sally Smith?

If they are on the ballot in November and the Stark Citizens for the Right to Vote can fix in the public mind that they represent the people and Bosley et al the established political order, then the odds favor the citizen action group.

From the county perspective, they need to frame the contest in the context of convincing voters that 9-1-1 is broken and voters' personal safety is tied to fixing it and that if the tax is repealed the county will be in a financial crisis that Stark has never seen before which could lead to draconian cuts in county government services.

It is beginning to look as if Stark Countians need to brace themselves for one of the biggest political fights this county has ever seen.

DISCUSSION: SCPR READER EVALUATES STARK COUNTY COMMISSIONER TODD BOSLEY - AGREE OR DISAGREE?

Stark County Commissioner Todd Bosley generates a lot of passion either pro or con in the Stark County political scene.

Witness this e-mail sent to yours truly in response to the blog: JACKSON TWP FISCAL OFFICER RANDY GONZALES "THE QUINTESSENTIAL - BACKROOM POLITICIAN?" PUSHING FOR HEALY "OUT-OF-TOWNER" NESBITT?

Now the e-mail: (from a person who identifies him/herself as "Stark Citizen")

while there certainly are politics going on behind the scenes, its much less about who they DO want than who they DON'T want. they do not want anyone tied to Bosley. Bosley is disliked (more by D's than Rs) and not trusted. He's not one of the D insiders. And frankly, he is seen as a hot head with poor judgment by just about everyone who knows him, has worked with him, or observed him as commissioner. CenComm is a disaster....huge debt, few communities it services...Bosley wants HIS guy in there, and that aint gonna happen.

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) understands the passion that Commissioner Bosley generates in Stark County politics. So that is why The Report set up this discussion on Bosley with the graphic "Hothead or Fire in the Belly.)

The Report take on Bosley is that he is a "fire in the belly" guy who is on quest to bring Stark County back to life after years of a string of mediocre at best commissioners.

But The Report understands the different perspective (hothead with a personal agenda who is bent on having his own way) and will, from time-to-time revisit this discussion.

Democrat Bosley started out his political career being elected trustee in Nimishillen Township over incumbent and fellow Democrat Arthur Lynch. This was a signal that Bosley was not going to be a party loyalist. And if there was any doubt, it was eradicated when Bosley took on fellow Democrat Russ Goffus in a dispute in which Bosley questioned Goffus' ethics in his circuitous purchase of a township vehicle.

From the perspective of The Report, Bosley's challenge of Goffus took someone with a lot of political nerve. Mind you, Bosley sat next to this guy in Nimishillen Township meeting after meeting after meeting and conducted township business until Goffus was defeated in November, 2005. Was the Goffus defeat a vindication of Bosley?

In 2006, Bosley decided to take on the son of the then Congressman Ralph Regula, Richard Regula. No other Democrat in Stark County was ready to take on this fight. Bosley was little known in Stark County outside of Nimishillen Township.

No one, including yours truly, thought Bosley could win. But Bosley did and he ran a superlative campaign focusing on incumbent Regula's failure with fellow Republican Jane Vignos to fix 9-1-1.

Here is a graphic of Bosley's Nimishillen/Stark County electoral prowess:
Bosley defeats Regula who had the notorious Stark County political consultant (D&R Consulting) and Mount Union political science professor Jack DeSario managing his campaign.

Shortly after being elected, Bosley, feeling full of himself, announced to astounded Stark County Democrats that he was ready to take on Congressman Ralph Regula two years down the road.

Yours truly's take on this political egoism was to say in print (via the comments section of The Repository) to Bosley: "do a job as Stark County commissioner first, then think of other offices to seek."

That in the judgment of The Report is exactly what Bosley had done.

Let's just tick off some the things Bosley has generated and/or worked upon since he became commissioner (not in any particular order and not intended to be an exhaustive list).

* for taxpayer efficiencies:

• pushed to have the health departments of Canton and Stark County merge.
• pushed to have the Stark County sanitary engineering/county engineer functions merge.
• pushed to sell Molly Stark
  

* for fixing 9-1-1:

• introduced and gained passage of the imposition of the county sales/use tax to provide funds to create a true countywide, state-of-the-art, 9-1-1; all to the astonishment of the likes of Randy Gonzales and at great political risk to his chances for re-election
  

* for bringing 5,000 jobs to Stark County as promised in is 2006 campaign:
(which The Report thinks is the least impressive part of the Bosley track record to date; the question - has Stark County realized any net gain in new jobs due to a Bosley/county commissioner initiative?):

• worked to get VW to Stark County and now is working to get Fiat to come here.
• is setting up a program with Chevron to replacing "on their last legs" Stark County jail heating boilers with alternative energy "wood fired" boilers.
• is working with Stark State College of Technology solar energy folks to devise a solar energy collection system on the expansive roof of the jail.

* efforts at conciliation among Stark County political subdivisions and
departments:

• worked out a deal with the Stark County Veterans Commission to provide more of county budget monies as required Ohio law even in the face of a very tight county budget.
• worked with Lawrence Township officials and Summit County's city of New Franklin to solve an roadway access dispute.

* efforts to solve county's budgetary problems:

• voted, in the face of countervailing pressure from then fellow Commissioner and fellow Democrat Gayle Jackson (now with the Lottery Commission) to approve an increase in the Stark County license plate fee which provides the County Engineer Mike Rehfus with the resources to maintain Stark's highway system.
• as part of the imposed 1/4 of 1 percent (net) sales/use taxes took Stark County off the brink of financial insolvency.

Now it comes to what you think of Bosley.

Make your view known by participating the the following vote and/or make a comment on this blog.

DISCUSSION: 9-1-1 RESTRUCTURING MARCHING RIGHT ALONG - PROJECT MANAGERS ABOUT TO BE HIRED?

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) has learned that project managerS (yes "capital S") will be hired within two to three weeks as part of the reformulation of how 9-1-1 calls are to be handled in Stark County.

Apparently, the thinking is that rather than hire one manager, the Stark 9-1-1 Governing Committee will take the salary for one and split it into two. The idea is that as 9-1-1 will itself have redundancy, so should the management. This way, it was explained to The Report, there will always be a manager on hand to oversee the proper functioning of Stark's 9-1-1 operations.

Any comments on this plan?

DISCUSSION: WHAT SOME POLICE CHIEFS, FIRE CHIEFS AND EMS CHIEFS ARE TELLING THEIR AGENCIES TO DO IN TERMS OF 9-1-1 CALLING ADVICE?

The Regional 9-1-1, Dispatch Radio Study, and Recommendations (9-1-1 Study) reports that the advice being given by some local emergency force locations include the following:

During our research we found several Stark County agencies admitted that advice they give their constituents is along these lines: 'Do not call 9-1-1 if you have an emergency. Call our seven digit number.'

The 911 Study then goes on to detail possible scenarios where this kind of advice could be a personal catastrophe for a 9-1-1 caller. The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT believes the errantadvice is well-meaning but extremely ill-advised. One has to wonder if the chiefs are checking with legal counsel on the potential legal fallout from such advice.

Why is this advice being given anyway? To protect the agency's turf?

DISCUSSION: WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE 9-1-1 SET UP DEBACLE?

Drum roll, please.

Announcing the names of the public officials who created the 9-1-1 mess Stark County is in.

First, recently retired mayor of Canton Richard D. Watkins (Republican). Second, Jerry Patrick (Republican). And, last but certainly not of a lesser responsible person, Norm Sponseller (Democrat - now deceased).

Stark Countians need to pay attention to the lack of vision demonstrated by these three. Not that their mistake can be rolled back and the damage undone.

The lesson to be learned is to quiz current candidates for county commissioner: Ferguson, Hagan, Harmon and Secrest and know what their vision for the future of Stark County is.

On 9-1-1 we know the views of Secret and Harmon. Secrest fails the test. In a press release a few weeks back, Secrest takes the position we need to go slow. Go slow for what! So more people lose their lives (perhaps) or do not get timely critical care (say like in the case a stroke where a few minutes can make a huge difference).

Normally one shouldn't hold it against the likes of a Secrest who is 22 years of age or so. But his age is against him on the 9-1-1 issue. He probably feels young and invulnerable. Most Stark Countians are older and know better. Harmon has a big leg up on Secrest on this one.

One wonders if there isn't a lose confederation of stance on the 9-1-1 issue among Republicans running for county office. Is it just happenstance that Larry Dordea (candidate for sheriff) and Secrest have virtually the same position. We will know more when we hear from the remaining Republican candidates for county wide office.

9-1-1 is not a partisan issue. Republican Commissioner Jane Vignos is a staunch proponent of fixing 9-1-1 and fixing it now (or, at least within the next two years).

New Stark County Republican Party Chairman Jeff Matthews is from Alliance. Larry Dordea is from Alliance. Are the two of them making 9-1-1 a partisan issue in the November election?

Is Travis Secrest merely following marching orders from Jeff Matthews?

DISCUSSION: (DAY 1) WHY STARK COUNTY'S 9-1-1 IS SUCH A MESS. WHO'S TO BLAME? WHAT POLITICAL LESSONS DO WE LEARN FROM OUR HISTORY?

According to the "Regional 9-1-1 Dispatch Radio Study, and Recommendations (911 Report), "Stark County is served by a non-standard 9-1-1 call processing and answering environment ... '

What's wrong with being "non-standard," isn't Stark County unique?

The problem: Non-standard "results in the need to transfer well over 70 percent of the 9-1-1 calls."

So what? Delay, my friends, delay!

If it's your life on the line and that extra call or two has to be made before aid is on the way - it could be a matter of life or death! Only if you live in the city of Canton, does a 9-1-1 caller get immediate call receipt and dispatch.

All other Stark Countians experience at least one more call before dispatch is made. In 2006, the delay affected 130,000 Stark Countian calls.

The original set up by the 1986 set of Stark County commissioners initiated the onset of Stark County's "non-standard" 9-1-1 configuration. From the get-go, only Canton city residents go one-step 9-1-1 services.

Many times voters do not know what criteria to use to determine which of the commissioner candidates.

Well, "vision" is one criterion for sure, and, perhaps, gumption. Gumption? Yes, gumption!

Because of entrenched interest in the "status quo" system, it takes commissioners with the will power to resist and more forward for the good of all citizens against the established political interests (fire department chiefs, police department chiefs, and EMS leaders and their patron mayors, city/village councils and township officials).

More than 20 years later Stark County is dealing with deficient decision making in 1986!

Agree or disagree?