Cast of Characters

Shellie

After several years as the Administrator of a busy False Alarm Reduction Unit for a county Sheriff's Office, I am going on to my next adventure--law school. I will share my struggles and triumphs over the next three years. To make things even more interesting, I am going to a law school 500 miles away from home and will be living in the dorm. Wish me luck!

Hubster
A retired military officer who stays busy with work, but even busier training for triathlons and marathons. He successfully completed his first full Ironman before his 50th birthday. While training for his second Ironman, he qualified for the national triathlon championships for his age group.

Eldest
Our first child who is forging his way in the world.

Youngest
Our champion fencer who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 14.

A. E. Ferret

Sadly, A. E. has left us after a valiant fight. We miss him every day!

Bella (named for Bela Lugosi, the actor who played Dracula)
Ferret with panda coloring who joined our family on February 24, 2017.

Count Chocula
Ferret with black mitt coloring who joined our family on February 24, 2017.

In Memory of...

I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to Washington DC during National Police Week . While there, the Hubster ran the Police Week 5K and we visited the Law Enforcement Officers Memoria l. The memorial is a sobering reminder that so many have given all in the pursuit of public safety. Unfortunately, it was raining so the pictures aren't great, but the rain seemed fitting--almost as if angels were mourning with those gathered there. The memorial itself is surrounded by a beautiful park setting with trees and seasonal flowers and is composed of two curved marble walls engraved with the names of the more than 19,000 officers who have died. Each of the memorial walls is flanked by a lion protecting its cubs and keeping silent vigil. Seal embedded in center of the memorial plaza It seems that every day a new name is added to the list that will be inscribed just before Police Week begins. The park and memorial are beautiful and worth a stop if ...

Albemarle County Ordinance Update

A dministrators of false alarm units are often called on to present information to the local government officials. In preparation for my debut briefing the Supervisors in my county, I visited Albemarle County last week for their Board of Supervisors meeting . The Albemarle County Police Department was before the board to present some updates to their false alarm ordinance so it was a good opportunity to witness public reaction. The great thing about local government is that the public has the opportunity to participate. Albemarle County and many other counties allow citizens to have their time to air their opinions simply by signing up before the meeting begins. The number of people who sign up, determines how much time each speaker is given. For this meeting, there were so many people signed up, that the time limit was reduced to two minutes each. The agenda for each meeting is generally posted in advance but the public commentary doe...

New Technology-QR Code

We are going to venture away from CryWolf® today to discuss other technology that can assist in the mission of reducing false alarms. One emerging technology that can be harnessed by alarm units is the QR code. As an example, the QR code below includes the web address for this blog. A QR code is a form of bar code similar to a UPC code but with the ability to hold greater amounts of data. These codes were developed by an auto manufacturer in Japan to help them track parts. Although the company holds the patent rights, they have chosen to not exercise those rights. This allows free use of the technology. QR codes may be formatted to hold all manner of information such as phone numbers, e-mail addresses, gps data, or a web address. QR codes can easily be added to business cards, brochures, and other printed materials. Many Home Owner Associations in our area allow us a small space in their publications and QR codes are perfect for this space. The codes can...

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