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Just a quick question. It is my understanding that most FLE use Nextel as a primary source of communication. If this is true, then who pays for the service, the agency or does the agent/officer have to foot the bill? Thanks
Malone
An answer can be quite lengthy, so I'll try to cut to the point. If an agency feels cellular phones are necessary and funding has been allocated to OCC 23 (Object Class Code), they'll sign a contract with a service provider and pay the monthly bill. The provider can be anyone from the approved list, and yes there are perferred companies such as Nextel. If no OCC money is there, alternative funding sources are tapped. There are many sources for these funds if a resourceful individual feels inclined to do the paperwork and make the calls. And if funds run low/out at certain agencies, the phones go back unless deemed essential or usage is severely curtailed.
If no funding can be located, no phone...unless you want to pay for it. And if you abuse the cell phone (like use 3x your minutes), mgmt gets upset and threatens to take your phone away. At that point, you have to write a memo explaining what happened this time and promise not to do it again (i have go-bys, just change the dates). Always remember, the gov't giveth and can taketh away.
And how does a lowly agent knows so much worthless crap...it's called a collateral duty. I have to learn to give shorter answers.
And FYI, never say anything over a Nextel push-to-talk you wouldn't want the world to know about, it is an unsecure form of communication.
Chaser199
12-27-2004, 09:36
It is my understanding that most FLE use Nextel as a primary source of communication. If this is true, then who pays for the service, the agency or does the agent/officer have to foot the bill?
My agency issues the Nextel phone and my agency pays the bill. I don't even see the bills.
I think most large(r) federal agencies operate this way.
Thanks for the replies. Just to add another question to this post, if you come into an agency already owning a Nextel, is it possible to fill out the proper forms and get the G to pay the bills? Thanks again!!
Malone
universible
12-27-2004, 11:12
Thanks for the replies. Just to add another question to this post, if you come into an agency already owning a Nextel, is it possible to fill out the proper forms and get the G to pay the bills? Thanks again!!
Malone
Not to my knowledge....and I came with a Nextel...I've thought of just putting both chips into one phone, so at least I can answer either line with one phone. Then I thought again, it would be mixing my personal with my work in a way that could bite me in the ass at some point. Keep'm seperate.
Ted
No. You can't utilize your personal phone for G business and get it covered. We use Nextel and the agency provides the service and management monitors usage (minutes expended per billing period)
modareguy
12-27-2004, 18:24
My agency supplies me with a Nextel and I only use it for work stuff. If I need to make a personal call I always use my own mobil phone, which may or may not be near by. Yes it is a pain carrying two phones (the personal cell is usually left in the g-ride), but it is alot better than having to explain why I went over on my minutes making personal calls or being audited. However a friend of mine who is an 1811 with another agency has a two line Nextel phone. It has her work phone and personal cell phone all in one. Pretty cool...
SA FrequentFlyer
12-27-2004, 18:46
However a friend of mine who is an 1811 with another agency has a two line Nextel phone. It has her work phone and personal cell phone all in one. Pretty cool...
Nextel has government reps (federal, state and local) in most areas which can arrange this for any of the government phones. The rep that covered Fed accounts in the SoCal area explained that they are merely adding your personal Nextel account to your G-phone. It will be two separate lines/numbers that ring to your G-phone. The billing will be separate, and you'll receive and pay your personal bill just as you always did. As I understand it, you can even program your personal account with a distinct ring tone so that you know which line is ringing.
I'd also like to second what md1735 said about the lack of security when communicating on these phones with the push to talk function. Not too long ago, we actually fielded a couple of calls from the media asking if we were running a big op in the area.
SAFF
I have a two-line Nextel. It's a G phone, but I had my own line added and get a separate bill. Pretty convenient, as long as you don't accidentally leave it on line two and start making a bunch of work calls.
k
Thanks for all of the info. That 2 lines on one phone thing sounds like the best bet because I would think that carrying 2 cell phones would be a big pain in the butt. Thanks again.
Malone
universible
12-28-2004, 11:59
K - so you haven't had problems with using two lines in your one phone? I thought about doing that, but really didn't like the idea of someone grabbing my work phone and getting all my personal contacts.
Another thing to look into, if you have a personal Nextel phone, you can always call transfer. I sometimes setup call transfer from my cell to my desk phone if I am expecting an important personal call.
Ted
I would find it hard to believe that the US Government would supply agents with Nextel due to their POOR coverage area. I have nextel so don't take it as I'm knocking them, but their coverage area is absoutly piss poor....... Anytime I take off on a trip I'm having to swap phones with my dad who uses Cingular.
universible
12-28-2004, 12:31
I would find it hard to believe that the US Government would supply agents with Nextel due to their POOR coverage area. ...
Dude...an agent in my office had to pay out of the pocket to have the brakes done on his g-ride...need I say more? Ok...the locals have way better equipment than we do...and I'm sure its different location to location, but I'd say that the bigger the agency gets, the less likely equipment issue/brand/quality makes any sense. Such is life, and I wouldn't trade this job for any in the world, just don't expect the Gov to make sense. :D I'm still waiting for my Chevy Yukon with on the dash GPS and laptop computer mount like Jack Bauer has....:D, that and my shotgun...oh, and my backup gun.....and....
Ted
I have a two-line Nextel. It's a G phone, but I had my own line added and get a separate bill.
When I had a Nextel as my issued phone, I looked into adding a separate line but decided against it. Nextel has always been geared more towards businesses and large customers, not individuals, and their calling plans generally suck compared to other providers. Not sure if the recent merger has impacted this, but as of three months ago when we were looking at new phones, their calling plans still sucked.
cpwclarke
12-28-2004, 13:52
When I had a Nextel as my issued phone, I looked into adding a separate line but decided against it. Nextel has always been geared more towards businesses and large customers, not individuals, and their calling plans generally suck compared to other providers. Not sure if the recent merger has impacted this, but as of three months ago when we were looking at new phones, their calling plans still sucked.
The impending merger with Sprint may improve the calling plan situation.
I have yet to have any problems with my Nextel. Even with a local Seattle number and running around out here in the mountains of Eastern WA and Idaho. I also used it in Florida a couple weeks ago with no problems. This is just my experience, though.
As far as the two lines and someone getting my phone - I actually lost my first phone crawling in the woods on Thanksgiving day but I don't worry because it shuts off when the battery drains too much (the only beef I have with it, BTW, but I always keep it charged, either in my truck, my office, or at home) and when that happens and it shuts down, you have to enter the SIM code to turn it back on/access the memory. To my knowledge, the phone I lost has "stayed dead" and has not been reactivated (i.e. none of my friends/colleagues/contacts have been called or anything like that).
Again, this is just my experience.
k
Signal9TN
12-28-2004, 23:20
I love my Nextel...we use it as back up coms with dispatch (we can beep beep them) and run our MDB and GPS off a Nextel modem in the car.
Paid for by the agency. I don't use it as my personal phone besides the allowed "I got called out and will be home late" calls to my wife. On travel, the agency prefers the use of calling cards. Since most state officers and Coasties I work with have Nextels too, the direct connect gets used a lot, more so than the phone.
tpcop007
12-31-2004, 03:59
I work for a local police dept and we have your typical dispatch...we are also issued Nextel phones by the department.....nice little perk!!
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