MY BLOG: Tragedy in the 9-1-1 community

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Tragedy in the 9-1-1 community

Please keep this young family in your thoughts and prayers. It's so awful.

This from http://www.911cares.com/

This tragic loss occurred this past Sunday, July 19th. The Sheriff’s office is still searching for the body and the agency has asked for cards, prayers and checks that will be used ONLY for funeral costs that are uncovered by insurance and for a college fund for the family. Please do what you can, this is a very special dispatcher and an agency in crisis after the loss described below. Make checks payable to the Rasmussen family fund and mail them to the Davis Police department – their address is listed below.

From the dispatch center:

Sunday, July 19th, one of our dispatcher's husband died in a tragic drowning accident at Lake Berryessa.

Jennifer Rasmussen, a 6 year dispatcher, Communications Trainer and Tactical Dispatcher with the Davis Police Department, tragically lost her husband, Clint Rasmussen, in a drowning accident at Lake Berryessa Sunday, July 19th. The family was on their new boat for the first time when her husband jumped in the water. It is believed he hit his head on the boat, and did not resurface. She dove in to try and save him, but could not pull him up. Both children, Clint Jr (11yrs) and Courtney (9 yrs) were on the boat at the time. As of this email, his body has not been recovered. He did not have life insurance.

"Razzy" as we call her, is an amazing and dedicated employee, whose always giving to others in time of need. She was the recipient of the Dispatcher Of The Year award in 2007. We love her and her family, and are just coming to grips with this loss.

While we are still in the process of setting up the needs of the family, we ask that any/all cards/letters/checks be sent to the PD:
Davis PD c/o Dispatch 2600 5th, Davis CA 95618. We are in the process of setting up a trust account/college fund for the kids, or seeing if they need assistance with funeral costs. We will pass on any updates for you to post at 911 CARES (www.pstc911.com )

This is the latest newstory I could find:

http://cbs5.com/local/lake.berryessa.drowning.2.1095828.html

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.

MY BLOG

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Tragedy in the 9-1-1 community

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Attn: Cell Phone Users