State Wireless Network Failure -Part 2- CBS 6 INVESTIGATION

When State Police wanted to upgrade their 30 year old communications system, a bright idea was formed, the Statewide Wireless Network.  A system that would connect all emergency services across the state allowing police, fire, and ems to do their jobs easier and faster.  After 9/11 the idea was made priority number one by many agencies.  Patrick Campbell who supervises Albany County's 911 operation's center believes a whole lot of money has been spent on this project thus far. "I would estimate the state has lost approximately 100 million on this project. They'll never recoup that." says Campbell.  Dr. Melodie Mayberry-Stewart overseeing the project with the Office for Technology says the state is tallying the actual numbers but believes they'll recoup every penny.  "I can tell you the state is committed to recouping all of our loss, by any and all options available to us. I can't say the state has lost other than a lot of time" assures Dr. Mayberry-Stewart.  Here's what happen.  After M/A-COM (the company hired to build the network) built the network in a test region out in Buffalo, the State of NY deemed it a failure citing 19 deficiencies.  They included everything from equipment failures, project delays, system outages, signal loss and the list goes on and on. The Office for Technology than terminated the contract.  M/A-COM immediately filed a no less than 111 million dollar lawsuit claiming they successfully did their job.  Adding that the real reason the state terminated the 2 billion dollar project is because of the fiscal crisis that they're now presented with.  In the lawsuit M/A-COM says "it presented the state with a convenient opportunity to avoid future billions of dollars in payments".  Out in the test region Chautauqua County Sheriff Joseph Gerace says he was impressed by the system M/A-COM built; however, "i see mistakes made by both the state and M/A-COM. Bottom line is at the time of decision, it was not public safety grade" says Sheriff Gerace.  Albany County 911 supervisor Patrick Campbell doesn't know who will win this ugly battle now going to the courts but he already knows who loses. "Public safety, without a doubt, every taxpayer has been affected by this failure" says Campbell.  But does that failure have any life left to it. That we explore in part 2 of our investigation.