These Fire Lite Panels often leave buildings unprotected because of confusing buttons on the panel

 Hate to think how many times after a Fire Lite MS-2 or MS-4  panel goes into alarm some one try's to reset the panel  who is not familiar with it or is not authorized in first place and end up bypassing zones leaving a building with out full protection.

Because of the confusing way buttons are on the panel .

People see the Alarm Silence Button and instead of hitting the red button with silence on it  they hit the number 2# button not realizing they just bypassed Zone 2#  because they don't read the panel legend  and they are hurrying to silence the panel. 

What makes it even worse many of these small panels are not being monitored so it can go days before some one gets notified there is a problem because the trouble lights are often ignored. 

This panel needs a redesign because sooner or later their is going to be a major fire allowed to spread because the zones where unknowingly bypassed and trouble signal ignored

Sheetz Convenience Stores are using Blue Lighting to discourage Heroin drug usage in Rest Rooms instead of confronting the issue.

Sheetz Convenience Stores in my area have started using Blue Lighting in Rest Rooms to prevent Junkies from Shooting up Heroin and other drugs and then possibly overdosing in them. Currently store in New Kensington Pa. has it .

The blue lighting keeps junkies from being able to see their veins and shooting up. 

So it then becomes a big inconvenience for Diabetics , those who use  Urinary  Catheters ,Colostomy Bags etc  and others who need discretion or out of the way place change their clothes . Because unlike in the picture the restrooms are very dark with  this new Blue Lighting .

In essence they are violating ADA rules because the restrooms can not be properly used by Special needs individuals with out great difficulty. 

So they solve one issue and take the cowards way out instead of confronting it and keeping undesirables out. 

This is also bad for business because anyone who sees this lighting and knows what it is now knows you don't want to stop at this store for fear of Junkies who hang around this area breaking into their vehicles or Car Jacking them. 

 I usually avoid this store and use a Getgo further up the road but had to stop out of urgent need  and glad I did not have a accidental bowel leakage and would have needed to clean myself up as I have had to many times since going thru surgery for Stage 4 Colon Cancer .

Sheetz really needs to rethink this policy and get rid of the undesirables in a different manner .

 

Antique & Flea Market Malls a new Concept where you can shop many vendors .But some times safety is not a priority

 When you drive thru the old City's and Towns of Pa , WV and OH   you often come across an old store front that has been renewed and turned into an Antique Mall or Emporium  or some times the word Flea market is also used. 

They are a really neat concept and fun to shop at or just walk around and see all the neat stuff for sale Its like walking around a mini museum with a mix of new and used merchandise plus overstock and estate sale items There are individual vendor Displays and most places have 100 or more vendors selling all kinds of items 

Its a great concept individuals ho want to sell stuff sign up for a space that they rent and the store does the rest . Thou some shops require you come and help sell or stock 1 to 3 days a month and rented spaces go for $100 to 350.00  plus depending how much you want to display and sell

It is a WIN Win for community the old building is preserved and put back on the Tax Roles instead of sitting and decaying. 

But there is a problem.

While some buildings have Proper Emergency Lighting and Exit Signs  and clearly defined exiting pathways and you can see in the pictures I have posted some of these malls have none or very limited Emergency Lighting and Exit Signs 

Many of these stores are also Multi level some as much as four

(4)floors   when you count the basement .Some are 1 floor large places built in steel sheeting  buildings 

Many are in big old Former Furniture or Dept Stores and Super Markets or even old skating rinks and former dance halls.

Some have Full Fire Protection  systems. But many do not and if they do they are very limited and of dubious working ability.

Some have sprinklers  that are newer generation while some have old unmaintained systems or none at all. 

So this is where the problems begin.

In the pictures above as you can see  this particular mall in a community next to where I live they have no Emergency or Exit Signage  and no fire protection just a couple hand extinguishers and if a fire did break out  or power goes out when open in evenings , it would be a nightmare for the shoppers and staff who would be trapped. 

 I am also sure Local fire company's have no idea whats going on inside as well as they have not done company tours .

That's the problem there are state codes to be followed but many small towns rely on 3rd party inspections  and or local officials who do little enforcement. 

When I visit these stores I am always looking around where are the exits  ,stairs etc.

Because it is too easy to get turned round and get lost. 

I very much encourage these stores but at a minimum they need Emergency Lighting and Exit Lighting with clearly defined exit paths and if multi level a fire alarm system to notify staff.

Update :

One such place caught Fire in Rochester Pa.  The Pickle Jar Antiques  formerly Blue violet Cafe went up in flames on 8/18/22 at 2:30 AM  when upstairs apartment caught fire 3 firefighters where hurt 

Picture by Megan Schaub 

Heavy Duty Industrial Electrical Plug has a design flaw which could result in Injury

 The Crouse Hinds Heavy Duty Arktite Electrical plugs are designed for industrial use and are very solid built and designed to be pulled under load . That's why their so popular for portable pumps etc that are operating at 480 volts 3 Phase Delta Service. Where a dangerous arc Fault can develop when you pull out the plug when its under load these plugs are designed to prevent that from happening.

 

However they have an Achilles heal as we have found out at an Oil Distribution Facility.

 They whole upper assembly which contains the pin sleeve components is held in place with one set screw seen below

What happened at our facility the screw fell out either from use or not being installed properly fell out and allowed the inner pin sleeve to rotate and pull wires loose . The how wires made contact to each other and their was a loud bang  breakers tripped but the arc stayed contained as designed. 

They really need 2 screws to make sure the inner sleeve will not accidently rotate.

Tri- State area of Pa. OH and WV put in Danger by loss of NWS Emergency Weather Radio Alert signal being shut off. and No answers when it will be turned back on

 There is one very critical service the Federal Government does and does well. Its the National Weather Service known as NWS 

24/7 - 365 They maintain VHF Radio Transmitters  which signal and turn on Emergency Weather Radios 

Across the country. 

These Radios are vital to warn of impending Severe Weather Conditions  such as Tornadoes and Severe Thunder Storms etc.

Unfortunately the Signal on 162.550  put out by the National Weather Service which covers 

The Pittsburgh Pa and surrounding County's and parts of WV and Ohio 

Went out of service on April 12, 2022 due to Verizon discontinuing private in band phone lines service

 

NOAA's National Weather Service

NWSChat

NWSChat

Search   NWS All NOAA

NWSChat Home Change Password Documentation/Help Contacts Online Tools NWS Toolbox

742 
NOUS41 KPBZ 121923
PNSPBZ
OHZ041-PAZ013-014-020>023-029-031-073>076-WVZ001>004-130730-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
323 PM EDT TUE APR 12 2022

...PITTSBURGH NWR TRANSMITTER...

AUDIO FROM THE NOAA WEATHER RADIO STATION KIH35 BROADCASTING FROM
PITTSBURGH ON 162.550 MHZ REMAINS IN A DEGRADED STATE UNTIL PHONE
CIRCUITS AND AUDIO EQUIPMENT CAN BE UPGRADED. TEMPORARY FULL OFF 
THE AIR TIME IS EXPECTED IN THE NEAR FUTURE AS THIS EQUIPMENT IS 
UPGRADED. ESTIMATED TIME FOR COMPLETION IS UNKNOWN.

SURROUNDING NOAA WEATHER RADIO SITES THAT COVER THE AFFECTED
REGION INCLUDE:

	BRIDGEPORT, OH     WWF35 - 162.525 MHZ
	MORGANTOWN, OH     KWN35 - 162.475 MHZ
	JOHNSTOWN, PA      WXM33 - 162.400 MHZ
	PARKER, PA         WWG53 - 162.425 MHZ
	REYNOLDSVILLE, PA  KZZ42 - 162.500 MHZ
	YOUNGSTOWN, OH     WWG56 - 162.500 MHZ

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PBZ/RADIO.
LISTENERS ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO MAKE SURE WIRELESS EMERGENCY 
ALERTS (WEA) ARE ENABLED ON CELLULAR DEVICES.

$$

.This is a very bad situation for those who depend on these radios in homes and businesses

Like mine who may not have a TV or Radio on or have poor or no Cellular Service .

All Too often Verizon , AT&T and T Mobile fail to send out the messages . The radio 100% of the time works 

and now that Analog TV 1 and 2  radio bands no longer work on multi band radios  it also cuts out many rural people who need this service.and depend on weather radios.

where they use to at least be able to listen to TV newscasts  when they could not get video.

This is also causing Issues for Radio and TV stations who monitor the Weather Radio Alerts to trip their EAS alert monitors so messages get delivered. 

KDKA 1020 AM which is the main re-transmission point for NWS in Pittsburgh to all other stations never got notified to problem and only after contacting NWS was able to establish a  IP link using the EMnet system Pa set up but not all stations have EMnet due to the expense. 

So they are at mercy of signal not getting to them at all because many rural stations have a hard time getting KDKA s signal.

This also means the Homeland Security  National Emergency Signal will not get out .

The entire emergency alerting chain is down and damaged. 

There will be no national Test this year either . There where so many stations last year who never got the national emergency message across the country it was considered a failure.

Please get hold of your elected  federal officials and congressman and let them know we need funding to 

get and properly maintain these signals . 

As far as when Pittsburgh will have a signal back up is unknown  I have contacted various State County Emergency Management Agency's to try and put pressure on PEMA to put pressure on FEMA to get this 

situation to be remedied ASAP

as we are at the start of Severe thunderstorms and Tornadoes. Season.  

UPDATE

The servive is back online

Thankyou to Pa. State Senator Jay Costa 

PAB

and PEMA

The service was restored June 10th

 

ISO Three (3) Initials you should know about your town where you live because it effects how much you pay for Fire Insurance

 ISO the Insurance Service Offices is an independent rating organization  you as a Home Or property Owner should know about .

Why 

Because this organization looks at the readiness and effectiveness of Fire Suppression services in your area 

IE your local Fire Dept.

Generic photo

 

While some Dept are proud to put on their fire rigs where a ISO  3 ,4 or 5 Community 

many are hesitant to because some community have no or poor ratings. 

This can make a big difference in obtaining and what you pay for Fire Insurance 

So How is it rated  According to BankRate

The ISO outlines four categories that account for their scoring model no matter where in the U.S. your home resides. Each carries a specific weight and reflects a different aspect of fire prevention.

50%	Fire department: The overall health of a fire department is assessed in this category. Factors ISO assesses include: training, number of employees and volunteers and maintenance and testing of crucial equipment.
40%	Water supply: ISO evaluates the following questions; Does a community have enough water and water access for fire departments to use for fire suppression; How many fire hydrants are there; How much water is available after daily consumption?
10%	Emergency communications systems: This evaluates how well a fire department receives and responds to emergency calls.
5.5%	Community risk reduction: Any extra practices a community develops are recognized in this category. Includes fire safety education, fire prevention techniques and fire investigation (ISO considers these points to be bonus points)

The higher your community's number the more you pay

No1# being the best and No10# the worst 

You would be very surprised what your community is rated despite fact you have paid firefighters nearby .

Some community's with Volunteers are actually better than paid depts. 

So how do you find your community's Rating .

Well some times that's the big secret they don't want to give it out just to the Fire Dept.

But there are some ways to find out like an insurance agent can help

https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/homeowners-insurance/iso-fire-ratings/

 But if a community wants to hide it and not reveal it that's their choice .

which is a shame but that's way system was set up they where rightfully so worried people would not invest in community's with poor ratings . that's why if your buying a home check around because insurance varies widely from community to community.

Unconscionable Actions of a Fire Officers leaves a Building Unprotected full of people .

 This Past Saturday a Volunteer Fire Dept  North  of Pittsburgh  did a very Unconscionable act when they tampered with a Fire Alarm and left  a large Motor Cycle dealership without Protection.

During an Spring Open House Event  the fire Alarm Activated in Administration Office area 

Point 30# it was a Addressable Smoke Detector which was bad .

 

Unfortunately I was out of town at another customer and it would be at least 4 hours or more before I got there .

I was able to remove the detector from system profile remotely so it would stop causing a false alarm till I could get there. 

The  Honeywell Vista 250FBPT is designed to allow this as are other modern panels .

But this was not good enough the Officers said he was going to fine them if it went off again .

He then orders the smoke detector taken down and removed from system and when they did this they left the entire rest of the loop open thereby bypassing and rendering that part of system inoperable which was offices, restrooms and part of showroom 

HE DOES ALL THIS AND NEVER TALKS TO ME AND TELLS ME WHAT HE IS DOING 

 The Officer  then goes up stairs to look at panel and wants to know where the gauge is so they know the panel is working . Gage the dealer employee asks? and just laughs .

Well they have not had Voltage Gauges on fire alarms since 60s. The employee knew this because he worked for a municipality with large alarm panels .

The fire fighters arrived in a pissed off mood and said they where tired of responding to false alarms 

Yes 2 false alarms in 8 years I have been handling the system and took it over Because  thee where problems which I corrected.

These fire fighters need to be removed from office and new officers who are properly trained to replace them. There is absolutely no excuse for this behavior they put there township at great liability had there been a fire and god forbid a fatality they would have been 100% responsible for all damages. . Yes the dealership has a Sprinkler system but a lot of damage could go on before a fire would have been detected. 

I will be writing and letting the township know what happened so it never happens again.

Once again  THE FIRE SERVICE IS ITS OWN WORST ENEMY 

Just Imagine these headline in newspaper 

FIRE DEPT DISABLED FIRE SYSTEM ALLOWING MAJOR DAMAGE TO A DEALERSHIP

 

 

US Justice Dept needs to look into a nationwide Honeywell - Alarmnet Services outage. and Underwriters Laboratory UL How could this ever happen?

 Sunday March 13th Alarm Dealers who use Honeywell Alarmnet Services started noticing failure to Communicate siiganls coming in at an unusala pace and not being able to log into Total Connect ad the 360 Website portal for dealers.

Alarmnet is a  AT&T & Verizon Cellular and IP service provided by Honeywell which transport  Burglar, Fire , Medical , Holdup , PERS and Environmental alarms  signals  which are routed thru their Central Station in NYC to hundreds of Central Stations across the nation.

In fact 2 Million subscribers all of a sudden around 7 Pm and sooner  went down totally and completely the entire Honeywell Alarmnet was down . 

The signal transportation  The Total Connect Interactive system allows remote control of alarms and Honeywell comfort which  remote controls Thermostats .

It was also an extremely cold weekend in the mid west and north east .

Of course no word was coming out of Honeywell what was going on . Dealers like myself started calling 

and notifying customers in my case 186 Alarmnet users and Local Authorities because we had a real nightmare on our hands . They would have to call 911 and many of my sites are remote and unattended 

I would not know I have an overheat a fire or burglary or possible water or oil leak.

I have many Critical Infrastructure customers I monitor including Oil Distributors and AM /FM Radio stations and a large institutional customer as well as industrial customers and Apartment buildings . 

Over 1 Billion in assets and 2500 individuals  my Alarmnet monitored systems are covering.

Besides me there was an even bigger concern some of our Military and Government facility are monitored thru Alarmnet  as well. 

there was concern this could have been a terrorist Hack and attack.

So you can understand why myself and many Fire Marshals and Officials wanted answers  

Honeywell sent out hourly emails of system being down if you signed up for them but many dealers where totally unaware especially residential dealers whose systems do not test as often as Commercial systems do. 

Finally Monday at 2:30 Pm Honeywell sent out a notice Alarmnet signal transport was back on line and  the rest was back on by 7Pm but problems continued for a couple more days as buffers in panels started finally clearing.   

They then send out an Email claiming it was all caused by the failure of Air conditioning unit overheating their server racks.

Really a single point failure caused 2 million accounts to go down. 

Central stations are to have dual redundant systems up and ready to go at all times  and honeywell had none of this .

Where the hell was UL on setting up and demading this facitly to be fully redundent so nothing like this happens 

The big central stations have multiple monitoring sites which they can switch to and honeywell has no back up.and gives us a less than satisfactory answer.

Some claimed it was a ransom ware demand while others say it was definitely a hack there are malicious programs which can take over  HVAC systems and computer servers speed up the processors and burn them up. 

a simple HVAC failure sorry I am not buying t and if they where that poorly designed I will be moving all my accounts off Alarmnet  .

Its time for real answers .