Heavy Snow Brought Downed Power Lines, Injuries, and Deaths

by Nick Markowitz Jr.

Here in western Pennsylvania heavy, wet snows--as much as 36 inches deep in some places--have brought down trees and electrical wires, This adverse weather brought with it the question “Who is it that owns this power line?”

Typically, during storms the fire department will respond and clear the trees and the wires if they are cable TV or telephone as these are considered safe to move, at least most of the time. The local utility is then notified so they can do a follow-up repair.
This can often bring with it trouble when the cable or Telco provider arrives. Many times it's found that someone has strung a cable, security, data, or telephone wire across a roadway to get to another structure they own. Unless permission has been previously granted by the utilities that own these poles as well as the State Department of Transportation (DOT) which regulates the roadway, these wires have been put up illegally. This brings with it a considerable amount of legislation and costs, including fines and the cost of damages that may have occurred when the line pulled free.

Many times because the act was illegal, there is no insurance coverage and the persons responsible for it become 100% responsible for the bill(s), which can be in the thousands of dollars. And if vehicles and/or telephone or power poles, even structures are damaged, then in addition the utility companies that own the poles involved can collect a monthly rent--all because someone didn't want to go through the correct process to legally cross a roadway. This can include engineering studies, permits, and having the proper insurance rider.

In addition to the lines being illegal, they are often installed improperly. Such cables must be insatlled to National Electrical Code (NEC), Article 900. NEC sets the standards by which wires must be set, such as 20 feet over a roadway. Another must is proper surge/lightning protection where the wire enters a building. So all in all, when illegal wires are finally discovered by either a survey crew or utilities as they respond to calls concerning downed wires during adverse weather or accidents, someone will pay.

All of this could have been avoided in the first place if wireless technologies where deployed to get the signal across. But since the cost of a wire is a lot cheaper, and since most people would rather deal with later, things can get really sticky. The problems of lines suspended in midair in general can be cause for concern, even when they're on privately-owned poles on private property, and this is because codes are not always followed.

I responded to an electrical emergency at a car dealership several years ago where wiring and shiny streamers where strung from pole to pole to pole to building. An employee backing up with a car struck a light post and brought down all 8 of them simply because these poles weren't properly installed. Frankly, it looked like the three stooges when I got there. Luckily no one was hurt, although some of the cars and the building where damaged to the tune of $50,000—no small sum for any business.

In this case, if NEC had been followed, damage would have been minimal. Needless to say, the insurance representative was not happy over the situation and the contractor who put up the poles is now facing litigation.

Light poles and power poles falling over from deterioration has always been a problem in this end of the State where it's often difficult and expensive to bury wires. So when traveling through western Pennsylvania during a storm, it's always a good idea to keep a close eye ahead when driving so you don't become the next victim of falling trees and wires.

And lastly, if you should ever have a wire drop on top of your vehicle during a storm, never ever get out of your vehicle. Stay put until emergency services arrive. Stepping out could get you electrocuted, but if you must exit, do so by jumping clear of the vehicle with both feet. Never do so by planting one foot on the car and the other one on the ground. This could be enough to seriously injure or kill you. Consider any wire found on the ground as energized, even if it looks like a low-voltage wire. This is because low-voltage wires can be hot with power from a high-voltage lilne comes into contact with it by falling across it.

###

When Fire Service instructors Give bad advice

When Fire Service Instructors get it wrong, Firefighters will become their own victims by Nick Markowitz Jr. Having been an active firefighter I attended many different classes over the years to hone my skills. Too many times certified Pennsylvania fire service instructors have given bad and dangerous information. Many have also omitted necessary information to firefighters. These men and women should have known better than to make certain statements during training sessions. Take a friend of mine who recently took several courses on rope rescue and additional high plus angle and tower rescue courses. He told me he was now qualified to climb towers and asked me to use his new climbing rig on my 2- 185 ft. directional radio towers I maintain for WAVL Praise, 910 KHz on the AM dial, located in Apollo Pa. I agreed as there had been a bad wind storm and appreciated the inspection. Upon getting to the site and discussing the mandatory safety and lockout briefing before he started climbing, he asked me where on the tower to avoid high energy radio frequency (RF) fields. Looking at him, I ask what antennas, this is an AM broadcast facility. The entire tower is the antenna as the entire structure is hot with RF power feeding at 5,000 Watts. That's 10 Amps of electrical power going through it. If you step over and touch it, you will get a powerful zap as it knocks you to the ground. His eyes went wild with amazement, then he said that the tower instructor never told us this could happen. Well at this point I had to go through the whole lesson in how AM is broadcast and describe the different types of setups on them including towers which switch power levels and directional arrays. We covered how signals are sent, in what pattern, and I explained Duplex AM towers where two AM radio stations run through the same tower structure. We have two such arrangements here in Pittsburgh: 1550 AM and 770AM. Both run on a single stick set up in the Braddock area. We also have 1320 and 1360 on a directional in the Swisshelm section of Pittsburgh. So then we also had to go through the various precautions you must take before even grabbing onto and starting up an AM Tower. This includes making sure that power to the transmitter is totally turned off. When contract tower climbers come to the site to change beacon bulbs they want them off totally. The power must be locked out so no timer etc can start the transmitter by accident. We followed all the protocols and he was able to inspect the towers for me. Luckily no visible damage was found, but then I have to wonder who is teaching this class. Is this individual a professional tower climber that knows about these radio broadcasting towers, or is this someone who only works on a particular type of tower or someone who works on them for a cellular carrier. Obviously I made a phone call to local fire academy and of course no one ever answered my questions on this course. I have since made the Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner aware of this incident. Then take the incident where I am sitting in class and the topic is Sprinkler Fire Suppression Systems. The Instructor makes the erroneous statement that stand pipe connections for Fire hoses are a separate piping system from the building's sprinkler system. As a matter of fact, they are not. The 2 ½ inch hose fittings on each floor level that firefighters tap into in order to fight fires are on the same piping system as the sprinklers. If firefighters are not properly told this they could easily over pressure the FDC or Fire Department Connection on the outside of a building and blow the sprinkler pipes apart when providing an assist from a fire engine pump because they think they're supplying just the stand pipes. There are dry stand pipes, but these are found mostly in non sprinkled buildings. Then this same instructor, when it came to safety around electrical items in a building, made the very dangerous statement that all electrical capacitor banks have shorting bars which safely discharge them. Wrong again! Many, but not all, capacitor banks have resistors which slowly discharge the power to the bank after power is turned off, but it takes 15 to 20 minutes, and personally, I do not touch them until one hour has passed as an added precaution. I do this just in case something goes wrong inside. Then I attended an Elevator Rescue Course where the instructor never worked in the elevator industry, and again bad information was being given out and OSHA rules and regulations where not being followed. When I brought up about OSHA regulations, you get this entire lie from instructors that fire departments are exempt from OSHA as Pennsylvania is an EPA-enforced State. Wrong again! It is OSHA that comes in and enforces laws. In fact, the Charleston, S.C., fire department was cited by OSHA after several firefighters died in a furniture warehouse fire, and they're an EPA state. Now the worst part of these instructors giving bad information is one of them now actually was promoted to be the director at one of the Fire Academys. So now any questions or concerns go into file 13--the circular trash can. As the saying goes here in Pennsylvania for the fire service, "Everyone goes home." However, this is not going to be the case as more than one may not because of fire service instructors that give out bad advice.

Winter Travelers Who Fail to Follow Common Sense

Winter Travelers failed to follow the rules when it came to travel during the great winter storm of 2010. Instead they relied on 911 to help them.

by Nick Markowitz Jr.

One of the most reliable roads one can travel in the Mid Atlantic area when winter weather is bad is the Pennsylvania Turnpike, especially when you need to get from Ohio to Philadelphia or Washington, D.C. It's well known for its famous snowplow trains--multiple plow trucks lined up like a train. These trucks are able to bust through the toughest of snow storms when winter weather gets worse than bad. However, like all roads, one must still take precautions because you're still traveling through the infamous Allegheny Mountains. With names like Tuscarawas and Blue Knob, part of the famous Appalachians Mountain chain has as many as three tunnels.

This weekend once again proved that even with the best road maintenance available things can go wrong, and they certainly did when two tractor trailers wrecked between the Donegal and Somerset exits. This brought west-bound traffic to a stop for 12 hours. The accident was bad enough that local Fire departments had to bring water and food to travelers who where unprepared. Most of them didn't bring even the most simplest of precautions, such as filling their gas tank up before they left, or a simple blanket, water, snacks, or small food items.

After all, you're traveling through mountains in the 2000 foot range and the snow and ice can be heavy in this region. Many travelers didn't even have proper winter clothing with them either, such as a heavy parka and gloves.

Today, too many people don't plan or think ahead for one minute. They automatically assume by dialing 911 that all their troubles will be taken care of. Luckily for them the first responders in the area are equipped and trained to handle the terrain, but while the turnpike travelers took up the first responders time, they had to leave their own towns unprotected while they dealt with the mess on the turnpike.

Once again a hand full of idiots put thousands at risk because they couldn't be bothered to take the simplest of precautions. There's an Old saying "Fail to Prepare, then Prepare to Fail," and everyday it's proven out by those who will not use their god-given brains to think even one step ahead.

To further illustrate my point, there where people in the turnpike mess who wore their shorts with a thin hoodie. Many of them didn't have long pants with them because, like the rest of these ill-prepared people, they thought they where only going the distance of one or two exits. They figured that the car heater would aptly keep them warm and safe. Never once did they think they could be trapped in a wreck or behind one.

As long as people keep relying on our Nanny State and they continue to think it will not happen to them, 911 will be busier than ever as idiots call whose very actions place others at risk. With things not getting any better in our society, as more and more people rely on the Nanny State, you can expect to see more and more idiotic and dumb things done by people on TV this winter.

###

Killer Winter Storm Proves Digital Flaws

The Killer Winter Storm of 2010 has proven the lack of foresight and planning when it comes to using digital technology

by Nick Markowitz Jr.

The winter of 2010 has been a real challenge for Power Company's and there crews With snow amounts of 36+ inches plus temperatures in the single digits and lower. But one thing which has been a real headache is the ability of individuals to communicate.

The problem is the continued increase in the use of digital technology for phone and 2-way radio communication along with remote control. When the power is on, everything works fine, but lose power anywhere along the signal path and all chaos begins. Analog technology gets its power from only one end, such as POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service where digital requires power at both ends, such as T1, DSL, Cable, FIOS and other Broadband services.

While some of these services provide an 8-hr battery back-up, which is fine for most minor power outages,a but when it goes over 8 hrs and it heads toward 24 or more, this is when real problems start setting in. The problem with broadband signaling when power is lost, you lose signaling and phone communication altogether.

Okay, you say "no problem, we have installed bigger back-up batteries at our location to make sure the phones stay on," but not so fast my friend. Digital broadband services require several repeaters along the route before it gets to your location. This means that broadband providers must provide back-up power (batteries) in boxes on telephone poles or in underground vaults along the way. This is done to insure the signal stays on. Lose one of these repeaters anywhere along the path and everyone beyond this point also loses service.

Well, "no big deal," you say. "Our employees have cell phones they can use." That's fine and dandy if the cell towers are working and not overloaded and they have power, but while some towers have back-up batteries and generators, some do not. This does not mean they'll come on and operate properly either.

T3 circuits also run between towers so they can get signals to land lines. If they're out of power, guess what, you can call cell phone to cell phone but not to a land-based line. Now what are you going to do when you need 911?

Keep in mind also, cell phones need charged, so do your employees have their charger with them, do you have power to charge them, and if there is no power, do they have a car charger they can use. And what happens to those employees who used public transit in order to get to work?

"No problem, I'll just send everyone home," you say. But what if you're a nursing home, hospital or some other type of facility--how are you going to move patients now that you have no power, no alarms, and no communication?

"No problem, 911 will get a bus or other transit here so we can evacuate to a warming center," you say. Really?

Remember, with all that snow out there, emergency responders will be lucky if they can get to you at all. In fact, the emergency responders are having their own problems since those same T1 and other broadband services allow remote 911 dispatchers to get radio transmissions out to fire and police. So in some cases they cannot use their 2-way radio systems properly and those departments using trunked digital, 2-way radios are surely having their own problems, and let's not forget the fact that the duplex repeaters may be out as well. Thus communication may be equally bad for them as well since many digital radios do not have simplex channels which allow radio-to-radio communication. Thus they must got through the repeater tower which is not working.

So now you find yourself sitting in the dark: no phone, no power, no heat, no help is coming and you have 20 patients to deal with. What are you going to do? Think digital is worth getting rid of all the POTS lines. Is it really worth all the money you're going to save? Better think it over again.

Analog is a sure technology--it works. Analog was the technology behind those little red public boxes many towns once had that worked no matter what. But all of them are gone now. Now you're going to let phone companies do the same to your sure-working POTS. Yes, analog technology may appear to be a dinosaur in today's modern world, but without proper back-up and planning, today's digital is not a suitable substitute for yesterday's sure-working analog.

1st Blog Entry- Fire alarm dialers

Are Two Telephone Lines Still Needed for a Fire Alarm Digital Alarm Communicator Transmitter?

By: Nick Markowitz Jr.

Have the days where two phone lines hooked up to a fire alarm Digital Alarm Communicator Transmitter (DACT) become numbered? Personally, I do believe so.

As more and more phone lines go digital--feedeng either a T1 Channel Bank or some other digital technology, like Verizon's FIOS--redundant phone lines are really pointless. In the true analog POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) days, having two numbers asured that the signal would get through since the chance of both numbers going out at the same time where slim to none.

When we talk about modern digital phone lines, or what is known in the NFPA 72 Code as Managed Facilities Voice Networks (MFVN), when we loose one of them, we loose them all. When the broadband signal that tells the interface device to put out the individual voice paths is lost, all signal paths are lost. This of course includes voice circuits, Internet and phone. So at this point what sense does it make to require two phone lines?

My answer, there is no point.

Ultimately AT&T and other communication corporations want POTS to go away altogether by 2014, and yes this will cause a burden to many devices which require true dialtone to dial out, but luckily there are alternatives available, such as cellular and two-way radio, along with dialer capture units that retransmit the signal over the Internet, known as Internet Dialers. But the bigger question has still not been answered and that is how to safely back-up most digital systems. Most of these systems have no battery back-up to keep them operating. And when they do, it's only for a couple of hours, which will does not comply with NFPA 72. On the other hand, good-old POTS will keep on working.

You say, "No problem, when digital goes out we know its not working as Internet dialers are supervised." But what good does that do when you cannot tell what's going on at the unattended premise when it's a long holiday weekend? Are we really willing to take this kind of chance? More so, will the client be willing to sacrifice the safety of his or her facility and those who work, play, and visit there? Not if they're told--and will you tell them?

This is the price we're going to pay for digital convergence and this weekend of Feb. 6^th 2010 is really going to prove out all the disadvantages of digital with snowfalls of 20 to 30 plus inches of snow along the East Coast. Better get out the cell phone and hope it works. And where's that car charger, you may need it to keep the battery in your cell charged so you can stay in communication with critical services if you should need them.