MY BLOG: Mark and Nate

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Mark and Nate

Are heading out to San Diego as I type.

Pray they fly safe. I know it seems a little over the top but I truly am worried about them. Before Denise died I wouldn't normally be this nervous. But since she died I don't think anything can shock me.

Anyhow, I'm so excited for Nathan and I'm very proud of him. Nathan, Mark, Dave Dignam of Key Agency and David Garofalo a North Port City Commissioner flew out there together to represent the Denise Amber Lee Foundation. They are going to the CalNENA convention where Nathan is slated to be the keynote speaker.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with NENA it stands for National Emergency Number Association. And the "Cal", of course, refers to California.

Many people in California have been in touch with Nathan and Mark since Denise's tragedy. We have received mail and emails from all over the world and as far away as Australia (thinking of you Mark S and Tracie H).

California's support has been overwhelming. Apparently they are doing all they can to continually improve their 9-1-1 system. Nathan's speech is to last close to 40 minutes along with an introductory video about Denise and what went wrong.

Nathan's been practicing his speech at our local church that seats 1,000. He believes he'll be speaking to 600 9-1-1 industry persons. I'm so proud of him and I know Denise would be too. He does so well. This is the kind of stuff that keeps him going.

The babies keep him going but..... this is quite different. We're all simply doing our best to see that Denise's tragedy didn't happen in vain.

The creep/murderer/rapist killed Denise but the flaws in our local 9-1-1 center directly led to her death. She would've been saved.

For those of you who don't know, Denise somehow managed to call 9-1-1 using the Michael King's cellphone. For 7 (seven) minutes Michael King didn't realize that 9-1-1 was on the line and they could hear Denise pretending as if she's talking to him. Saying things like "I can't see!" "Who are you?" "Please take me home to my babies. They are alone!" "My name is Denise Amber Lee" etc.... Then tragically he realized he couldn't find his phone and the call was abruptly ended. Because Denise had 9-1-1 on the cell phone for 7 minutes we believe she thought she was going to be found. Sadly, the technology that could have saved her is available but it's not being used. With more and more people using cell phones, we believe it's imperative they put inexpensive GPS units in all cell phones. The thing is it's not that expensive.

I've blogged enough about what happened in the Charlotte County's 9-1-1 center. That will all come out one day I'm sure. If you're interested and don't know the details I've posted them previously. They messed up royally in many many ways. They had a caller on the line giving cross streets but they didn't dispatch a car! Oh, I won't go there. And they seemingly ignored 3 crucial BOLOs. (Be On the Look Outs).

So, yes, we believe that better training, better pay for a better quality personnel, better standards and using leading edge technology in our 9-1-1 centers will definitely save lives. There are too many tragedies.

Right now Florida residents are paying 50 cents per month on their cell phone bills for 9-1-1 service. Gee, who wouldn't pay a $1 more? $12 more a year for life insurance.

Also, the general public needs to know what works and what doesn't work.

Now I'm writing a speech. After he gives his speech on Tuesday, I'll ask him if I can print it here for y'all to see.

I'm going to miss Mark. I don't like being without him. I miss him already:o(

Attn: Cell Phone Users

I'm adapting this from a pamphlet Mark picked up from the California NENA conference out in San Diego.

When Dialing 9-1-1 From Your Cell Phone

1. Call only for immediate emergency assistance - medical, fire, or police.

2. Be prepared to provide your location and any essential information the dispatcher may need.

3. Stay on the line until told to hang up. You may be transferred to another agency.

added edit

Cell phones cannot "text" 9-1-1. During the Virginia Tech massacre, many students tried texting 9-1-1 because they were afraid the killer would hear them.

Do not assume 9-1-1 can find you when using a cell phone. Cell phone signals go to the nearest "available" tower.

IMO, always call 9-1-1 in an emergency unless you are sure others have already called.

And, IMO, if you are distraught, if possible have a neighbor or other family member call 9-1-1 for you. They will most likely be able to listen and give clearer instructions.

Help Reduce Unnecessary Calls

Use non-emergency numbers for your local law enforcement agency when you do not need immediate assistance.

If medical, fire or police are already on scene, it is not necessary to call 9-1-1 again. Instead, call a non-emergency number if you have additional information and witnessed the incident.

Do not call 9-1-1 for non-emergecy incidents (i.e., requesting road conditions, asking why traffic is backed up, requesting driving directions, or other similar reasons). Be prepared; contact your local FHP (Florida Highway Patrol) office directly, using a non-emergency number.

Use or maintain a landline at home and at work for 9-1-1 calls, as the dispatcher is more likely to get accurate location information from a landline.

Using 9-1-1 in non-emergency situations prevents critical emergencies from being attended to.

DID YOU KNOW?

Almost everyone in the U.S. owns a cell phone and some households do not use a landline at all. Consequently, hundreds of thousands of wireless 9-1-1 calls are made daily nationwide.

Far too many cellular 9-1-1 phone calls, both non-emergency and repeat calls for the same incident, are tying up the 9-1-1 phone system. This results in unnecessary busy signals, disconnects, and delays in dispatch time for ture 9-1-1 emergency calls.

Not every 9-1-1 call is answered by your local law enforcement agency. Cell phone providers try to calculate you approximate location using cell towers or satellite positioning. If they cannot, the call will likely default to the Florida Highway Patrol and then be transferred to the appropriate agency. This means that non-emergency or repeat calls are wasting critical minutes or dispatchers' time.

If you call 9-1-1 from you cell phone or an inactive phone, your phone number and location information may not be available to the dispatcher. Know your surroundings (street address, landmarks, mileposts) when calling 9-1-1. This will save valuable seconds in an emergency.

Avoid accidental 9-1-1 calls

Accidental cell phone calls can congest the 9-1-1 phone system. Accidental calls occur when the phone is placed in a pocket, belt clip, or purse, and a pre-programmed emergency button is bumped. Even a locked phone can dial 9-1-1.

Help Avoid Accidental Calls With the Following Tips

Do not hang up on an accidental 9-1-1 call. Inform the dispatcher that the call was an accident before you hang up.

Do not pre-program 9-1-1 into your or your child's cell phone's speed dial. This can lead to accidental calls.

Teach your child how and when to dial 9-1-1 from a cell phone. Train them to press 9-1-1 and the "send" button only in an emergency.

Even cell phones without active service can dial 9-1-1. Take batteries out of cell phones before recycling them or giving them to a child to play with.

Don't call 9-1-1 to check to see if you cell phone works. 9-1-1 is to be used for emergency calls only.

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Sunday, February 22, 2009

Mark and Nate

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Attn: Cell Phone Users