![]() They knew that they needed to inform the Chief of Training and those at FDNY Headquarters about the serious problems they had encountered. Also, when one of them transmitted, officers with radios far away could hear, but those much closer could not.Ĭaptain Joyce and the other training officers formed the opinion that these radios would be unsafe for use on the fireground. With the volume low, it was hard to hear someone speaking. Because the voices sounded mechanical and robotic, it was often difficult to tell whom you were talking to. The voices on the Motorola digital radios simply didn’t have the same impact. If a certain firefighters is screaming a warning, they know the urgency of the situation. They know them and their nature and they can tell by the excitement level of their voices, to some degree, a great deal about what is going on with them at a particular time. In a fire scene, typically the firefighters know the voices of the other firefighters. The result was the absence of emotion even when transmissions were received. In addition, the digital radios made their voices into flat monotones. These problems, coupled with the fact that they knew not all transmissions were being received or fully received, meant on the fireground the radios were going to be a huge liability. “Don’t take the window!” would come out as, “Take the window.” If they yelled, “Stop!” or “Mayday!”, nothing was heard because the single word was cut off. When they spoke into the radios they discovered that their first few words were cut off. The training officers duplicated those situations with the Motorola XTS3500 digital radio. They are excited in such a situation where someone might die and they can see it coming. This was a serious problem because in an emergency, when an event could result in death or injury to a firefighter, a firefighter will grab his or her radio, press the transmit key and scream, “Stop!” or “Urgent!” or “Mayday!” and there is no luxury of time. It was as if one radio canceled out every other radio. They found that when two or more radios were keyed to transmit at the same time, nothing came out of the radios. Then when someone else talked, they would see his or her mouth working, but no sound came from the radio for a few seconds. ![]() In a fire scene that would be very distracting. When officers talked, after a second or two, they would hear their own voice coming out of the speakers of the other radios around them. The training Unit tried out the radios, simulating various conditions, and it was quickly obvious that those radios had serious problems. This book is a “must read” for every firefighter and police officer who may be required to use a digital two-way radio system, as well as public-safety executives who are involved in the selection and purchase of such equipment. The radios were withdrawn from service just a few days after they were deployed and FDNY’s old analog radios were reissued. The authors expose the technical problems that were well-known before the radios were deployed as well as Motorola’s sales strategy leading to the purchase. Why would any fire department executive make questionable judgments about radios and technology when reliable information about critical performance deficiencies is available? FDNY Captain John Joyce and Bill Bowen tell a dramatic story of politics, high finance, and blatant impropriety with the City of New York’s purchase of millions of dollars of Motorola digital radios in their bookĮntitled “ Radio Silence FDNY“.
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