ChiComm Employee Spotlight: Mary Smerz

     If our company was a family (which some already like to think of it as) then Mary would be the Mother of the office. When people need something they come to Mary for help and it's been that way for the majority of her 34 years with Chicago Communications. When she started at the Schiller park shop she was only hired to come in and help for a couple hours a day. But as time went on, Mary's role began to grow and she got involved in more parts of the business.

Leon Tompkins

     Leon started for Chicago Communications in 1968--giving him a whopping 43 years of experience! Though his time here has been the majority of his career, if it weren't for a couple minor gigs, he may have never made it to ChiComm in the first place. So how is it that he did stumble upon the company? Let's start from the beginning.

Fred Budge

Fred has 38 years of experience being a Bench & Field Technician. He started at Chicago Communications in 1991. He specializes in portable and mobile two way radio component work, which is rare today. A lot of other shops don't go past a certain point of repair into the detailed component issues, but Fred still does.

 

Career History: After graduating from high school in 1967, Fred attended a college with a 2 year Technician/Electronics/Engineering program where he determined his interest was in communications. Just after finishing, he was drafted into the army for the Vietnam war for 2 years. Afterwards, he started working for MetroCom, which was a chief competitor with Chicago Communications for many years.  He worked as a Bench/Field technician there for about 17-18 years until they were bought out by ChiComm. He decided to stay on with ChiComm doing the same type of technician work. He continued his education by taking courses and teaching himself on the job in addition to the 2 weeks a year that ChiComm sends him to training sessions.

Our Customer Service Expert

Linda has worked at ChiComm for over 25 years. Dave O'Brien hired her in 1986 when Jerry Bear owned the company. She started as a member of the reception and customer service personnel in the Elk Grove shop but as time passed she took on many other responsibilities and roles within the company including collections, billing & payroll in addition to many other miscellaneous tasks that a customer service position can bring. She wore multiple hats as one might say. She's stayed at Chicago Communications because of the flexibility she's given to do her job and the long lasting friendships she's made over the years with co-workers.

Technology continues to evolve and is more mobile now than ever. First cell phones, and now Voice Over IP (VoIP), text messaging, imagery and video have changed everything, from the way the public places 9-1-1 calls, to the manner in which emergency operations centers field and respond to those calls. The Nation's current 9-1-1 system is designed around telephone technology and cannot handle the text, data, images and video that are both increasingly common in personal communications and critical to future transportation safety and mobility advances. The NG9-1-1 initiative has established the foundation for public emergency communications services in a wireless mobile society (RITA).

What is NG 9-1-1?

Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) addresses the evolution of emergency call taking in a technology-saturated world centered on Internet Protocol (IP). IP will be the foundation of NG9-1-1 for years to come. However, we must not lose sight of the present and the fact that each call center has its own unique needs. After holding Lunch & Learns in partnership with Cassidian Communciations, here we share some important things to consider going forward that can allow you to plan ahead.

 Basic techniques to try BEFORE Calling for Service on your Two Way Radios:

Who would know better about common troubleshooting calls then ChiComm's own Service Shop Supervisor? Slim to no one! Over the years and hundreds of service calls received here at ChiComm, there has proven to be common consistencies in the type of calls and a few that stand out most frequently. Here are some common troubleshootings that may be the result of your problem. Check everything out on this list first, to save you from a service call later.

 Tips for Mobiles (Squad cars,etc): Ask Yourself these Q's