Thursday, May 15, 2008

Dial 911 and...

911 is a very useful tool for public safety. It is the best way we have of getting emergency services where they are needed, the centralized dispatching system is as efficient as any bureaucracy can be. It is a useful tool, but if it is the only tool you have, you may be very disappointed.

From NewsChannel5.com:


NewsChannel 5's chief investigative reporter Phil Williams said 911 workers across the Midstate do a heroic job every day under incredibly stressful conditions, but when a Nashville woman faced a violent domestic situation back in February the system failed.

"I'm like looking out the window for him, and I don't see him," Sheila Jones recalled.

Her call for help began when an angry ex-boyfriend barged into her house.

Sheila's first call was recorded at Metro Nashville's 911 Center at 2:08 p.m.

Sheila to 911: "Get the police here now. My life is threatened. Please God. Please God. Please God. Get me police over now. He's got a knife on me. My life threatened."
This seems like a very high priority type 911 call to me, a call that would prompt an immediate response.

As they say, "When seconds count, the police are only minutes away".

Well... not this time.

After getting her ex boyfriend out of the house, and several calls to 911, she learns the truth of the matter.
Two-and-half-hours into the ordeal Sheila called again. This time, she was told there was no one assigned to answer her call.

Sheila: "Nobody's coming out here?"
911: "Yes, ma'am. As soon as the sergeant gets an officer available, he's gonna send somebody out there."
Sheila: "What, do y'all want him to kill me - so you can put yellow tape around me and say we got there just for the death? Is that it? I don't understand."
And then comes the worst of it.
The worse part was what Sheila had not heard. The worst part was what the 911 call taker said after Sheila hung up the phone.

Sheila: "I'm scared to even leave out my f***ing house."
911: "OK, ma'am, I updated the call. We'll get somebody there as soon as possible."
Sheila: [Hangs up.]
911: "I really just don't give a s**t what happens to you."
911 is a good tool, but if you depend solely upon others for your security, those others just may not give a s**t about you either. Your life and your family's well being are your responsibility, accept that responsibility and learn to use the necessary tools to provide for your security.

H/T to the War on Guns

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here in Deming a friend of mine went into labor and quickly had her baby in the bathroom of her house, when she called 911 they told her to call back later.
There was a shooting at wal-mart here a couple years back as well. 911 put the store manager on hold for 10 minutes before responding to that call. 2 adults and a 7 year old (I think she was 7) were shot that day.
I thought 911 just sucked in New Mexico, apparently not

Just John said...

I guess the cops, and the 911 dispatcher, couldn't be bothered with such trivial matters. There were, undoubtedly, traffic violations to be cited, and cups of coffee to be drank.