When the day winds down, and the newsroom empties out, it’s just you* and the scanner. It’s an eerie thing, listening these disembodied voices broadcasting small panics and big emergencies from across the city. It is also instructive, a blow-by-blow of the  real pressures that weigh on our police, ambulance and fire services — some frivolous, some frightening. So tonight, a project: as I sit here, babysitting my scanner, I offer you a play-by-play of the calls that come in. I’ve edited out the minor chatter, such as ambulances checking in to say they’re at a certain hospital, and tried to focus on [...click for more...]