[FedCom] USSS radio interop failures at Trump rally in Butler, PA

Sun Aug 4 09:32:20 EDT 2024

Then Why do we have a Nationwide 5 channel "National Calling" frequencies
that are never put into use ?
Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: fedcom-bounces at mailman.qth.net <fedcom-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On
Behalf Of bernieS
Sent: Sunday, August 4, 2024 3:03 AM
To: fedcom at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [FedCom] USSS radio interop failures at Trump rally in Butler, PA

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/tech-failings-plagued-secret-service-at-trump-ra
lly-49d2286e

Tech Glitches Plagued Secret Service at Rally

BY C. RYAN BARBER AND SADIE GURMAN

WASHINGTON-Spotty cellular service,
malfunctioning technology and unused equipment contributed to a major
communications breakdown during the rally where a gunman tried to kill
Donald Trump, just when law enforcement needed to share information the
most, the top Secret Service official said Friday.

Among other problems, there were no Secret Service agents inside a command
post set up by local police ahead of the July 13 rally, meaning critical
information couldn't easily get to the agency charged with protecting the
former president.

"It is plainly obvious to me that we didn't have access to certain
information," said acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe.

Urged by lawmakers to share more information publicly, Rowe offered new
glimpses into the massive security failure at the rally in western
Pennsylvania, where a 20-year-old gunman was able to access a rooftop with a
clear line of sight to Trump and open fire with an AR-15 rifle. A spectator
was killed, two others were injured, and Trump suffered a bullet wound to
his ear.

Officers had spotted the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, and identified him
as suspicious about an hour before the shooting, but lost sight of him.When
an officer finally saw him on the roof with a gun, he notified other
law-enforcement agencies over a radio system. But that radio message never
got to Secret Service agents, and within 30 seconds Crooks opened fire.

"That vital piece of information. did not make it over," Rowe said.

Further complicating matters, some officers were communicating with each
other in several different ways, such as by cellphone and text
mes--sage,while others were using a radio system. 
That radio system was flooded with calls for people needing help, especially
given the extreme heat of the day.

"The interoperability challenge, it's not an easy fix," Rowe said. "It's not
as simple as just trying to figure out the local frequency of the agency
you're working with and then typing that into your radio network. It
requires a substantial technical fix."

Moreover, a technical issue prevented the Secret Service from deploying a
counterdrone system sooner that might have helped locate the gunman, who
flew his own drone in the vicinity within two hours of the rally.

Officials meant to start using the technology at
3 p.m. but couldn't get it operating until after 5 p.m.

The agency also declined an offer from a local police force to launch a
drone, Rowe said. The agency's review of the shooting would examine why that
offer was declined, he added.

"We thought we might have had it covered with the human eye, but clearly we
are going to change our approach now, and we are going to leverage [] []

Law-enforcement said it had trouble communicating during a July 13 rally
where Donald Trump was struck in his ear. BRENDAN MCDERMID/ REUTERS

technology and put those unmanned aerial systems up," Rowe said.

In the weeks since the shooting, the Biden administration and Congress have
opened several inquiries into how Crooks was able to reach a rooftop about
400 feet from the rally stage and open fire on the former president.

The Secret Service is confronting that scrutiny during a campaign season
where it is picking up additional protectees, including Trump's running
mate, Sen. JD Vance, of Ohio.

The Secret Service is surging manpower and other resources to ensure the
security of protectees, Rowe said.
"We're going to make sure that we have all of the resources out there to
address any challenges that we have," he added.
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