Why we Have the FCC and Other Alphabet Agencies

There would not be a need for the FCC if businesses behaved themselves?

By Nick Markowitz Jr

Believe it or not we would not need an Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and many other government agencies if people and businesses would learn to behave themselves. But since we can not, we allow government to get out of hand and grow bigger everyday.

So how did the FCC come into being? It was because in the early days of AM Radio Stations individuals would put up their own radio stations where ever they wanted on the radio band and they'd run them at whatever power they felt like. In particular with the night time atmosphere issues, which allow the signal to travel many miles, cites on the west coast were unable to listen to their local stations because east coast stations would not reduce their power and vise versa.

There was even a daytime problem where two stations on same band were over powering each other. So instead of the people who owned the stations sitting down and working out a way everyone could be happy  instead they kept fighting and arguing because of the almighty buck and no one wanted to give an inch because of greed. This is what allowed the FCC to be established--and now no one has been happy since.

It is the same old story you see it all the time. Someone opens up a business and starts making great money then others get into the same business until the market saturates and then no one makes money. Be it Laundromats, mini storage facilities etc.

And of course since the first ones in want to be the only ones doing what they do so they can charge whatever they want, they try every dirty trick they can use to stop the others from fairly competing. And then the government and the courts are the only ones you can call on to keep big business in line. There is no one else to call.

Time and time again business has proven it can not behave it self and another regulatory agency comes about. OSHA, EPA, MSHA, USDA, FDA, NIOSH, CPSC, NIST have all come about because big business can not behave it self.

A small handful of individuals are responsible for all the rules and regulations we now follow. It is  not getting any better as corporations continue to turn out products no one wants and corporations keep doing what they well please. This same problem is now playing out over in India with an electric car manufacturer who will not recall their vehicles for repairs even though a number of them have experienced ignition problems which have caught the cars on fire.

And the same thing has happened here in the USA with the big 3 until CPSC with court order stepped in and forced a recall. A responsible company would have realized they had a problem and recalled the cars and fixed the problems and come out of it smelling like a rose. Instead they sat there and denied it and smugly ignored everyone until the courts ordered it. Then they sit there and wonder why their stock price has bottomed out.

Until Big Business gets its act together and starts acting responsibly just get use to more and more regulations and bigger and bigger government. It is what we deserve when we can not behave ourselves. When we do not complain, when we do not hold individuals accountable for their actions.

When we reward bad behavior we leave the door open for over regulation and bigger government and eventually a Nanny State because we can do nothing for ourselves and this leads to Socialism and then Communism, which is exactly what we have allowed to happen.

We now have a government that tells us what to do, when to do it, and where to do it. Because we could not take a stand as citizens and do the right things.
Think I am wrong? Then name me 10 things you can do which there is not some type of government regulation.

Counterfeit Dangers

The Fire just waiting to start in your home Counterfeit and Knock off Electrical Items By Nick Markowitz Jr. Fire Investigator You find yourself on a nice sunny spring day deciding to go for a walk what better way to enjoy it than a stop at a local Flea Market. All the great smells from food vendor's carts and the busy activity everywhere make this a special time. Unfortunately you do not realize that the choices you make this day may well result in the destruction of your home and possibly your family. You see a vendor selling all kinds of new, cheap dollar stuff from many different boxes he has laying on plastic sheeting on the ground. You find he has some plug strips you have been needing for your computer system and kitchen, very cheaply priced at $3.00 each. Anywhere else they would cost you $12.99. And so you buy a couple of them, totally unaware that what you think is a good deal on a legitimate item is actually a dangerously-built counterfeit or look alike, also known as a Knock Off. You go home, plug one of these power strips in your computer system and start working with your new laser printer. You get everything set up and ready to go. It's getting late and it's nearing your bedtime. You leave your computer and printer on because it also works as a fax machine. You go to bed to later awaken to the sound of your smoke detector. Your house is filling up with smoke and you instinctively get everyone up and out, just in time as flames come out of the family room where the computer is located. Luckily tonight everyone is safe and firefighters arrive in time to stop the fire in the family room, but there's water and smoke damage everywhere. The Fire Marshal arrives after the fire is out and he begins his investigation. He traces the fire's origin to just about where the plug strip was, but it's almost totally destroyed. Luckily, you have the duplicate strip from the kitchen to give him. On closer examination, he finds that it's not what it appears, it's counterfeit, a knockoff, made to look like a good product. Instead, it is made very cheaply. For example, instead of a #14 gauge wire cord, it's only #16. This means that it can only carry half of the 15-Amps that the packaging says it can carry. To make matters worse, the on/off switch is also inferior because it's undersized. The unit also has no UL, FM, or any other testing agency's approval and no manufacturer's name is on it, other than "made in China." This plug strip never should have been imported and sold in this country because it is absolutely illegal under Federal Import rules. Yet everyday illegal and dangerous items made cheaply and dangerously make it into this country. They are being sold at flea markets; dollar stores; and 2nd-hand, variety-type stores. This is a serious problem. Just a survey of local flea markets here in the Pittsburgh area revealed 10 out of 12 vendors had illegal items for sale. All of them having been imported illegally through an importer in New York City. But when it comes to electrical items, it not just the small stuff being made, its large frame breakers and switch gear as well. Cutler Hammer, a division of Eaton Corp., has started a campaign to make electricians aware of knockoffs. Can you imagine that the apartment or office building you may be in has illegal, copycat electrical switch gear items in it? But it happens. It even happens in the airline and automotive industries and it has caused numerous accidents and deaths. In a word, it is a growing problem. Sometimes manufacturers will also illegally copy the UL  testing label just to make an item look legit, but it's not. The Consumer Products Safety Commission, also known as CPSC, is in charge of protecting consumers from dangerous products and they have field agents in every state. But with the rapid proliferation of illegal items coming into this country, agents are often overwhelmed and in need input from average citizens when it comes to reporting dangerous items. When these agents come across them, which is almost weekly, the CPSC issues bulletins about all kinds of dangerous items being recalled--from children toys with lead paint issues to exploding candles, to lawnmowers with blades that break. A recent effort by the CPSC is a down-loadable booklet which is being issued to every  2nd-hand and variety-type store in order to help them identify dangerous products that they may otherwise sell to an unsuspecting public. This helps in the removal and destruction of of illegal goods that should not be on the U.S. market. Merchants and vendors who continue to sell these dangerous items face fines well in excess of $10,000.00. In additional these illegal items can be seized and destroyed. The only way to stop this scourge going across America is for consumers to become educated so they can avoid these problems in the first place. As a general rule, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. For more information on how to identify and report a dangerous product, go to www.cpsc.gov.

Temporary Wiring Dangers

This temporary wiring setup by registered electricians could have gotten someone killed!

By Nick Markowitz Jr.
Fire Investigator

I was listening on my scanner the other day when I heard the local Fire Marshal (FM) call dispatch and request a Police Officer on scene to deal with a worker who refused to identify himself. The FM was checking out a citizen complaint over how a large tent was set up in a shopping center.

After requesting PD response, the worker all of a sudden found his wallet and identified himself as working for an electrical contractor. The FM canceled the Police response right away. Just another interesting day in the life of a Fire Marshal, or so it seemed.

The next day I received a call from the FM who said he had some electrical questions, plus a story to go with it. It seems that one of the local merchants was getting ready for a 3-day tent sale and got permission and permits to put up the tent in the shopping center's large parking lot. They had hired a registered electrical contractor (EC) to provide 120 volt outlets and data lines for cash registers out to the tent. The tent was a properly erected, fire resistant tent, however the electricians who came on site decided to run the temporary wiring out through the store lobby by clipping it to the wall and then drilling a hole in an outside Fire emergency exit door. They then ran the wire across the sidewalk and roadway by means of a small conduit pipe with a wooden 2x4 on each side to protect it from cars that would run over it.

Needless to say the FM got on site, saw the way the wire was run and had them remove it immediately. So then the next day they ran the wire from the roof along with the low voltage wires over top a temporary pole which was not fastened properly as the low and high voltage wires were tied to each other, which is not right.

The FM asked the electrician about it. They told him that this is the way they always do it. So needless to say he called me and a couple other electrical experts on what should be done to make things safe. Each of us visited the site and gave our suggestions. An electrical inspector is due the morning of the sale to make sure things are right. If not, the sale will be canceled or they will run it with no power.

This brings up the issue, these are registered, insured electricians doing work they knew was improper. They did it any way they wanted without regard to safety and code simply because they were not in the City of Pittsburgh. They figured they could get away with it because it's out in the suburbs.

So once again we prove even though laws, licensing and registration, and everything else under the sun is in place, a contractor can, and often does ignore the law, except this time around the EC did not get away with it. In reaponse, this particular EC does nothing more than squeal like a stuck pig saying he is losing all kinds of money.

My response to his response is this: "You would not be losing money if you were properly designing and installing your jobs correctly, according to the principle of doing it right the first time."

Because this contractor thought he had a bunch of suckers on the line, he tried to pull the wool over everyone's eyes. He slopped the wiring and has been caught in the act. Needless to say, any time in the future his company's name comes up in this community, they'll be taking extra time to look at his work because he has proven that he cannot be trusted.

Now, I'm sure the other excuse he will try to use to the FM is "everyone else is doing it this way so he could not put the system in properly because the store in question would not pay the price for a properly installed job."

In this case, I would have declined to do the work, even to give a bid. I would have then called the code-enforcement office to advise them to keep an eye on things, which is what appears to have happened. The store manager did everything right and followed what she was told to do. In the final analysis, it's the electrician's fault for what happened, not the store's fault.

What have we really learned about fire prevention?

"Heads must roll for this travesty unbelievable it was allowed to happen. " Fire prevention in the year 2010 Have we really learned anything? The above statement was not made in 2010. In fact it wasn't even made this century. The year was 1903 and people were infuriated over the 602 deaths of men, women, and children in a fire that occurred at the Iroquois Theater in Chicago Illinois. With 602 dead there was not one red penny given in compensation. Numerous fire and building officials were on the take and fire-proof features that were boasted about when the theater was built were never really implemented or completed allowing for the huge death toll. Worse yet, not a single official spent one minute of time in jail for the incident. This Could Just as Easily Happen Today It was only a decade ago when 101 people died in the tragic Station Night Club Fire in Rhode Island. Since 2000, this same type of fire has killed hundreds more in clubs around the world where pyrotechnic displays started fires. So have we really learned anything? Apparently not. We continue to construct homes and buildings using such light weight material that sprinklers are required. Fine and dandy, but that's assuming the system is properly working and maintained. As we have found out, this is not always the case. In fact, a sprinkler system was responsible for taking a woman's life after it caused an explosion due to improper installation. We have not learned in Pennsylvania either. When PA's new UCC building code went into effect in 2003, it opened the door to legal consumer-grade fireworks to be sold everywhere and they are being sold everywhere, around memorial day and July 4th especially. The number of accidental fires and injuries from fireworks has quadrupled since that time. Is there any doubt that sometimes we're our own worst enemy here in PA? Fires During Severe Winter Weather With the terrible winter we just experienced, as many as 25 individual structure fires took place everyday in western PA, from December 1st through late February. Many of them were due to improper use of space heaters and overloaded and faulty wiring, not counting how many people died from CO poisoning. How about New York City? Look at all the fire and building officials found on the take in 2009 who were responsible for allowing cranes to collapse. Again, have we gotten anywhere? Have we really learned anything? The answer to that is no, and the very words which were shouted in anger in 1903 will be heard again sometime this decade. Why call it human nature because as long as there is someone willing to put someone else at risk, and as long as people refuse to educate themselves, the cycle will never be broken.

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.