The WNY Listening Post

Friday, May 8, 2026 — A.M. EditionWindow 15:00 → 07:00
Eyes on the wires. Ears to the radio. Sixteen hours, fully reported — and one suburban scooter rider down to prove it.
Around The Neighborhood Williamsville · Clarence · Amherst
Williamsville

Pancake House Smoke Alarm Crashes Dinner Hour

5479 Main Street — the old Original Pancake House — trips a fire alarm just after 5 p.m.

Amherst Fire dispatch called Williamsville fire crews to a fire alarm activation at 5479 Main Street, the address of the former Original Pancake House between Los Robles and South Cayuga Road, at 17:15.[1] A Williamsville unit was put en route a moment later.[2] No working fire was confirmed in the radio traffic; the call appears to have closed without escalation.

Amherst

Three-Car Tangle In The Walgreens Lot

A white CRV and a white Jeep collide in the parking lot at 3605 Sheridan Drive.

Amherst PD reported a property-damage accident in the parking lot of the Walgreens at 3605 Sheridan Drive at 15:17, asking for "a video accident" report — in dispatch shorthand, a paperwork-only call.[3] The officer described "a white CRV and a white Jeep" tangled in the lot; a third vehicle was implied in the traffic but never named.[4] No injuries were broadcast.

I-90 / I-290

12-Year-Old On The Overpass

Thruway dispatch sends troopers to a girl with long blonde hair on the 90-to-290 ramp who appeared ready to jump.

At 16:38, an NYSTA Channel 4 dispatcher asked a unit to head over to Exit 50 eastbound for "a pedestrian … looked like she was going to jump from the 90 to 290 ramp," described as having long blonde hair.[5][6] Three minutes later an Amherst PD officer reported on a different channel that he had "seen a 12-year-old female on the overpass that looked like she was going to jump,"[7] which appears (based on geography and timing) to be the same incident shifting from Thruway radio to local PD. No injury was broadcast in the subsequent traffic, suggesting an intercept rather than a fall.

Amherst

Domestic, A Child, And Two Orders Of Protection

Officers spend the afternoon untangling a paperwork knot.

Beginning at 17:27, an Amherst PD officer asked dispatch to check whether there was "any carve-out for children in that order of protection."[8] Over the next eight minutes the call developed into a textbook scanner puzzle: both parties had OPs against each other, one served as recently as April 20th, with the child named as a protected party on one but not the other. The officer ultimately concluded that the order with the child was the more pertinent — the mother and child both held full stay-aways.[9][10] The father was reportedly contacted later in the evening and on his way to retrieve the child.[11]

EMS · North Bailey

"The Patient Was Doing Tricks"

90 Meyer Road. 20-year-old male. One scooter. One sidewalk. One memorable line of dispatch radio.

Amherst Fire dispatched at 15:50 to "9-0 Meyer Road, apartments between Niagara Falls Boulevard and North Bailey Avenue" for "a 20-year-old male who fell off a scooter and is on the sidewalk."[12][13] A minute later the dispatcher offered the day's most quotable bit of context: "the patient was doing tricks."[14]

Overheard: The Wires The signature feature of the Post
02:37 a.m.

Police Confirm: Malicious Pole In Basement Of The Annunciator

A commercial fire alarm activation at The Auden, 2915 N. Forest, Buffalo ran from 02:13 through 02:37 on Amherst Fire dispatch.[15][16][17] Crews opened with a benign-sounding "pole-station activation from a garage near the elevator" — and closed, gravely, with the line of the morning: "We've got a malicious pole in the basement of the Annunciator."[18] Likely a transcription mangling of "manual pull" station; we prefer the original.

21:39 p.m.

Caller Reports Gun At Delta Sonic; PD Reports Laser Pointer

An Amherst PD officer relayed a "suspicious person" call from 1355 Niagara Falls Boulevard at the Delta Sonic gas pumps. The caller, the dispatcher said with audible care, "thought she saw a male with a gun because she saw a red dot."[19][20] The complainant ducked into the McDonald's break room across the lot. The suspect, described as a mixed-race male in his 20s, short curly black hair, green hoodie, in a brown-or-gray sedan, was being looked for — a Honda CR-V plate was eventually pulled. No weapon was confirmed.

18:10 p.m.

Mr. Bingo, Can You Please Follow?

The Embassy Suites shuttle dispatcher — who runs an entire afternoon's worth of guest pickups out of BNIA Site Common — issued the day's most polite work order at 18:10: "Mr. Bingo, can you please follow?"[21] The ensuing radio chatter included a separate request for "folks waiting for Delta Bingo"[22]; we are content to imagine an entire shuttle-driver phonetic alphabet with a Bingo halfway down it.

22:40 p.m.

Faulty Detector, Awoken Child, Annoyed Father

Clarence Fire dispatch closed an alarm in the most relatable line of the night: "his faulty detector. It was waking up his kid."[23] No fire. No smoke. One sleepless toddler.

22:30 p.m.

Stadium Security Reports: "I Just Walked Inside A Stadium"

From the Sports Venues system, an HMS Security guard delivered a six-segment monologue beginning with "The ESPN people left through another gate because they haven't gone to a big fight" and ending with the magnificent "I just walked inside a stadium"[24][25] — a sentence which, while structurally complete, contains no information whatsoever and yet is somehow self-evidently true. Channel context and timing point to KeyBank Center; the radio handle is logged literally as "HMS Sercurity," sic.

18:48 p.m.

Cheektowaga Caller: She Was Dancing In The Intersection

A Cheektowaga PD officer relayed a passerby's report at 18:48: "And then we had a second passerby say that she was dancing in the intersection."[26] Both passersby agreed. The dispatcher offered to "take a ride." No further updates were broadcast on the dancer's repertoire.

04:36 a.m.

Depew Sanitation Quote Of The Week: "Those Seismers, They're All Eaters"

On the DepewPublic channel — a workhorse public-works frequency that ran sanitation banter across the small hours — one driver greeted George the supervisor with the news that "I got, like, 12 extra cans here all of a sudden"[27] and noted that he'd "still call you, but they're pretty heavy for your cans."[28] The reason, delivered with the resignation of a man who has seen many things: "Those seismers, they're all eaters."[29] We are not certain what a seismer is; we know exactly what an eater is.

17:14 - 20:00 p.m.

Three-Hour FRS 16 "Radio Telethon" From A Williamsville Fly Fisherman

The single largest user of channel-time in the entire window was not a police agency or a fire dispatcher — it was an FRS 16 hobbyist with 285 transmissions of his own, calling out across hours for a "rag chewing" partner before drifting into a long monologue about flying to Utica on Friday night to fly fish above the Mohawk Valley for "premier-quality native trout in the system, plus there's stockers that they do extend"[30][31][32] By 19:48 he was openly inviting any other listener to "jump in on this radio telethon."[33] Western New York's FRS band, briefly, became a one-man fly-fishing podcast.

Regional Blotter Erie · Niagara · Genesee · Outer Counties
NFTA Police

Two Men Fight Aboard Light Rail Train

An NFTA officer riding a Metro Rail train reported at 16:28 that "they're still on the train there" and then, "People fighting. There's a black male dressed in all black, one dressed in gray. I'll try and take a picture."[34][35] The officer gave a unit number ("887") four minutes later and the chatter dropped off — consistent with an off-train resolution at the next station.

Lockport

36-Year-Old Worker Down At GM Lockport Plant

City of Lockport Fire and Niagara County Fire Control split an early-morning EMS call at 04:26 to 200 Upper Mountain Road, Building 7 — the General Motors Lockport plant — for a 36-year-old male with "left-sided chest tightness and arm numbness." ALS priority was recommended.[36][37]

Hamburg

Person Rescued From Stuck Elevator

Town of Hamburg Fire dispatch reported at 21:54 that a "person has been rescued from the elevator" and that the building had been notified. Maintenance was said to have been alerted as well.[38][39]

Buffalo

Mariner Towers Cafe Throws Crews A 6 a.m. Wake-Up

BFD Channel 1 dispatched a Level 2 response to 4 Mariner Towers between Effner and Maryland for an activated commercial fire alarm at 06:37. The chief's report: an alarm at the second-floor cafe; maintenance escorted crews up to investigate.[40][41]

Other Calls Of Note

[16:01] Niagara Falls FD — ALS rate response, Master Street between Raymond and Ruiz, 90-year-old female syncopal episode with decreased level of consciousness.[42]
[18:55] Clarence FD — EMS, 17-year-old female, difficulty breathing, not alert.[43]
[19:47] Niagara Falls FD — 405 Pomeroy Avenue Apt 1, 66-year-old male with cardiac history; named on the air as Jeff Bain — ALS request.[44]
[21:19] Niagara Falls FD — 418 Aberdeen Road, 73-year-old male, light-headed and rapid heart rate; OCD/ICD defibrillator reportedly went off.[45]
[21:28] Newstead Fire — County Line Stone Company between Doris and Steiner Road, smoke detector activation in office hallway. Nothing showing on arrival.[46]
[22:12] Buffalo FD — Level 2 residential alarm, 546 Wilson Street between Sycamore and Genesee. Investigated; no fire.[47]
[22:47] Newstead EMS — Leisurewood Campground, Section 1, 132 Leisurewood Lane, 62-year-old female difficulty breathing.[48]
[00:15] Amherst PD — Commercial alarm (motion) at the BJ's gas station, 3056 Sheridan Drive.[49]
[00:41] Genesee County FD — MVA, "unknown injuries, unknown number of vehicles." No follow-up traffic captured in the window.[50]
[01:11] Niagara Falls FD — 259 12th Boulevard between Porter and Caravelle, EMS for a disoriented male.[51]
[18:15] Clarence FD — Fire alarm activation, no contact, at Moe's, 4944 Transit Road.[52]
[20:09] Amherst PD — Entry-door alarm, Scott Coffee, 5330 Main Street.[53]
[23:52] Amherst PD — "M&T BC Bank" (per dispatch), 6416 Main Street, multiple alarm activations.[54]
[16:56] Amherst PD — Alarm at "the Polish office," 5325 Sheridan Drive.[55]

Editor's Note

A quiet 16-hour window across Western New York. The day's defining sound was not a fire dispatcher or a police channel but a single Williamsville fly-fisherman who turned the FRS band into a three-hour radio telethon about trout fishing in Utica. Beneath that, the usual rhythm: a Pancake-House fire alarm, a parking-lot crash at the Walgreens, half a dozen commercial alarms drifting through the small hours, a cardiac call at the GM Lockport plant before sunrise, and a near-jumper on the I-90 to I-290 overpass who appears to have been intercepted before anything worse happened. No Tier Alpha or Tier 1 hits. No event met the Regional Breaking promotion gate.

Daily Gem

"We've got a malicious pole in the basement of the Annunciator."

— Amherst Fire dispatch, 02:37, on a Buffalo commercial fire alarm at The Auden

By The Numbers

Total segments captured2,028
Active radio systems31
Busiest hour19:00 (313)
Top system: Amherst-Clarence920
FRS / GMRS / CB287
Municipalities115
Erie County (BFD/EC)90
Schools (Erie)81
BNIA airline / ramp / tower57
Tier Alpha hits0
Tier 1 (owned-property) hits0
Regional Breaking events0

Sources — Audio Files Cited

  1. [17:15:02] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst Fire Dis — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-07-26 17-15-02 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst Fire Dis TO 17-15-08.mp3
  2. [17:15:31] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst Fire Dis — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-07-26 17-15-31 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst Fire Dis TO 17-15-38.mp3
  3. [15:17:35] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst PD — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-07-26 15-17-35 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst PD TO 15-17-45.mp3
  4. [15:17:42] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst PD — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-07-26 15-17-35 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst PD TO 15-17-45.mp3
  5. [16:38:09] NYSTA / NYSTA Ch 4 — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\NYSTA\05-07-26 16-38-09 - NYSTA - NYSTA Ch 4 TO 16-38-15.mp3
  6. [16:38:21] NYSTA / NYSTA Ch 4 — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\NYSTA\05-07-26 16-38-16 - NYSTA - NYSTA Ch 4 TO 16-38-26.mp3
  7. [16:41:24] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst PD — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-07-26 16-41-24 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst PD TO 16-41-34.mp3
  8. [17:27:03] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst PD — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-07-26 17-26-59 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst PD TO 17-27-02.mp3
  9. [17:35:21] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst PD — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-07-26 17-35-15 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst PD TO 17-35-30.mp3
  10. [17:35:53] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst PD — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-07-26 17-35-50 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst PD TO 17-36-00.mp3
  11. [22:27:39] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst PD — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-07-26 22-27-39 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst PD TO 22-27-50.mp3
  12. [15:50:55] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst Fire Dis — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-07-26 15-50-55 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst Fire Dis TO 15-51-00.mp3
  13. [15:51:06] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst Fire Dis — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-07-26 15-51-01 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst Fire Dis TO 15-51-11.mp3
  14. [15:52:14] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst Fire Dis — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-07-26 15-52-10 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst Fire Dis TO 15-52-18.mp3
  15. [02:13:47] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst Fire Dis — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-08-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-08-26 02-13-47 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst Fire Dis TO 02-13-54.mp3
  16. [02:14:10] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst Fire Dis — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-08-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-08-26 02-14-05 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst Fire Dis TO 02-14-14.mp3
  17. [02:14:16] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst Fire Dis — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-08-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-08-26 02-14-15 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst Fire Dis TO 02-14-24.mp3
  18. [02:37:32] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst Fire Dis — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-08-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-08-26 02-37-32 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst Fire Dis TO 02-37-40.mp3
  19. [21:39:11] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst PD — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-07-26 21-39-04 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst PD TO 21-39-39.mp3
  20. [21:39:19] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst PD — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-07-26 21-39-04 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst PD TO 21-39-39.mp3
  21. [18:10:04] Site / Embassy Control — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Site\05-07-26 18-10-04 - Site - Embassy Control TO 18-10-08.mp3
  22. [18:13:25] Site / Embassy Shuttle1 — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Site\05-07-26 18-13-25 - Site - Embassy Shuttle1 TO 18-13-30.mp3
  23. [22:40:40] Municipalities / CFD Disp — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Municipalities\05-07-26 22-40-38 - Municipalities - CFD Disp TO 22-40-44.mp3
  24. [22:30:09] Sports Venues / HMS Sercurity — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Sports Venues\05-07-26 22-30-09 - Sports Venues - HMS Sercurity TO 22-30-19.mp3
  25. [22:30:16] Sports Venues / HMS Sercurity — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Sports Venues\05-07-26 22-30-09 - Sports Venues - HMS Sercurity TO 22-30-19.mp3
  26. [18:48:34] Municipalities / Cheektwga PD 1 — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Municipalities\05-07-26 18-48-33 - Municipalities - Cheektwga PD 1 TO 18-48-38.mp3
  27. [04:36:22] Municipalities / DepewPublic — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-08-26\Municipalities\05-08-26 04-36-22 - Municipalities - DepewPublic TO 04-36-28.mp3
  28. [04:36:33] Municipalities / DepewPublic — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-08-26\Municipalities\05-08-26 04-36-33 - Municipalities - DepewPublic TO 04-36-38.mp3
  29. [04:36:38] Municipalities / DepewPublic — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-08-26\Municipalities\05-08-26 04-36-38 - Municipalities - DepewPublic TO 04-36-43.mp3
  30. [17:16:06] FRS / FRS 16 — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\FRS\05-07-26 17-16-06 - FRS - FRS 16 TO 17-16-16.mp3
  31. [17:59:04] FRS / FRS 16 — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\FRS\05-07-26 17-59-04 - FRS - FRS 16 TO 17-59-14.mp3
  32. [18:01:00] FRS / FRS 16 — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\FRS\05-07-26 18-01-00 - FRS - FRS 16 TO 18-01-19.mp3
  33. [19:48:24] FRS / FRS 16 — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\FRS\05-07-26 19-48-24 - FRS - FRS 16 TO 19-48-34.mp3
  34. [16:26:50] Simulcast / Police 1 — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Simulcast\05-07-26 16-26-47 - Simulcast - Police 1 TO 16-26-52.mp3
  35. [16:28:24] Simulcast / Police 1 — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Simulcast\05-07-26 16-28-22 - Simulcast - Police 1 TO 16-28-30.mp3
  36. [04:26:45] Niagara County / NC FD Dispatch — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-08-26\Niagara County\05-08-26 04-26-45 - Niagara County - NC FD Dispatch TO 04-26-49.mp3
  37. [04:26:49] Niagara County / NC FD Dispatch — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-08-26\Niagara County\05-08-26 04-26-49 - Niagara County - NC FD Dispatch TO 04-26-57.mp3
  38. [21:54:21] Municipalities / T-Hamburg FD Dsp — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Municipalities\05-07-26 21-54-20 - Municipalities - T-Hamburg FD Dsp TO 21-54-26.mp3
  39. [21:54:33] Municipalities / T-Hamburg FD Dsp — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Municipalities\05-07-26 21-54-32 - Municipalities - T-Hamburg FD Dsp TO 21-54-36.mp3
  40. [06:37:02] Erie County / BFD Ch1 Disp — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-08-26\Erie County\05-08-26 06-37-02 - Erie County - BFD Ch1 Disp TO 06-37-06.mp3
  41. [06:37:46] Erie County / BFD Ch1 Disp — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-08-26\Erie County\05-08-26 06-37-46 - Erie County - BFD Ch1 Disp TO 06-37-52.mp3
  42. [16:01:18] Niagara County / NC FD Dispatch — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Niagara County\05-07-26 16-01-18 - Niagara County - NC FD Dispatch TO 16-01-26.mp3
  43. [18:55:56] Municipalities / CFD Disp — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Municipalities\05-07-26 18-55-56 - Municipalities - CFD Disp TO 18-56-04.mp3
  44. [19:47:04] Niagara County / NC FD Dispatch — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Niagara County\05-07-26 19-47-04 - Niagara County - NC FD Dispatch TO 19-47-14.mp3
  45. [21:19:54] Niagara County / NC FD Dispatch — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Niagara County\05-07-26 21-19-54 - Niagara County - NC FD Dispatch TO 21-20-09.mp3
  46. [21:28:05] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst Fire Dis — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-07-26 21-28-05 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst Fire Dis TO 21-28-15.mp3
  47. [22:12:30] Erie County / BFD Ch1 Disp — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Erie County\05-07-26 22-12-27 - Erie County - BFD Ch1 Disp TO 22-12-35.mp3
  48. [22:47:15] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst Fire Dis — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-07-26 22-47-10 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst Fire Dis TO 22-47-30.mp3
  49. [00:15:47] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst PD — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-08-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-08-26 00-15-46 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst PD TO 00-15-55.mp3
  50. [00:41:34] Genesee County / GenCo FD — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-08-26\Genesee County\05-08-26 00-41-34 - Genesee County - GenCo FD TO 00-41-41.mp3
  51. [01:11:10] Niagara County / NC FD Dispatch — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-08-26\Niagara County\05-08-26 01-11-10 - Niagara County - NC FD Dispatch TO 01-11-18.mp3
  52. [18:15:16] Municipalities / CFD Disp — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Municipalities\05-07-26 18-15-14 - Municipalities - CFD Disp TO 18-15-22.mp3
  53. [20:09:30] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst PD — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-07-26 20-09-30 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst PD TO 20-09-35.mp3
  54. [23:52:02] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst PD — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-07-26 23-52-02 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst PD TO 23-52-07.mp3
  55. [16:56:18] Amherst-Clarence / Amherst PD — E:\ProScan Recordings\05-07-26\Amherst-Clarence\05-07-26 16-56-18 - Amherst-Clarence - Amherst PD TO 16-56-24.mp3