Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice
601 Tamiami Trail South, Venice, Florida 34285
941.486.4600 GulfCoastCF.org
Sometimes it takes a tragedy to make a community ask, Is this the best we can do for our citizens?
The January 2008 abduction, rape, and murder of 21-year-old North Port wife and mother Denise Amber Lee was one such tragedy. Though calls to 911 were placed by eyewitnesses, no patrol cars were dispatched because of inefficiencies in a 911 call center.
In the aftermath of Denise Lee’s murder, Gulf Coastcommissioned an independent study of the 911 system in Florida.
“Florida 911: The State of Emergency” analyzed all components of emergency response that are activated when a person in need of assistance tries to call 911 in Florida. This marked the first time that 911 in Florida had been analyzed from the placement of a call to the arrival of the first responder on the scene.
Gulf Coast’s study found that Florida’s 911 system was not a “system” at all, but rather a patchwork of state and local agencies, protocols, and technologies cobbled together to respond to 911 calls. It provided policymakers and advocates like the Denise Amber Lee Foundation, which was created by Denise’s husband Nathan, with objective analysis to support their impassioned efforts to reform the 911 system.
Thanks to the work of state Senator Nancy Detert, state Representative Ken Roberson, Nathan Lee, and others, a new law was signed in May 2010 that will require uniform training and certification of 911 operators statewide. The new standards will help close a major gap in Florida’s emergency 911 system—one of many that are identified in Gulf Coast’s study.
Link:
http://www.gulfcoastcf.org/documents/911_Reform_overview.pdf
Showing posts with label 9-1-1 reform. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 9-1-1 reform. Show all posts
Friday, January 21, 2011
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
An open email written by me yesterday
to the Florida House Committee hearing bill PCB GAP 10-03:
I understand a bill that will be heard in committee for the first time tomorrow that will affect the ability of the public to ensure the E911 system is held to appropriate standards. The committee bill, PCB GAP 10-03, would exempt from the Florida Sunshine Laws all recordings of E911 calls. The public would be limited to a redacted transcript of the call available only after 60 days. I have grave concerns that the public would not be able to review the work of the E911 telecommunicators if this bill passes, because they would not be subject to review by anyone other than their departments. It is important for you to know that we strongly oppose this bill. And believe it would detrimental to public safety for many reasons. Many of you know the details of our tragedy and you know we have been fighting for improvements to our 9-1-1 system. How are we to fight for improvements if we are denied access to this information? How are independent studies to be conducted if denied access to this information? How is the public expected to vote for improvements if they do not know all the facts and are only told feel good stories? How was I ever to understand what went wrong in Denise’s case if I did not have access to the calls? For more information go to deniseamberlee.org .
While I appreciate and understand your concern for the impact listening to these phone calls in the media over and over again and how heartbreaking they are, I beg you to vote NO to this bill. I KNOW what it is like to relive a tragedy by hearing 9-1-1 calls on TV over and over again. But still believe that people need to know and they have a right to know how their public servants are performing. Consider this! Our sheriff is an elected official. How are voters to make educated informed votes if they are not informed?
Please do not pass this bill!
Thank you and thank you for your service,
Peggy Lee
Denise Amber Lee Foundation
I understand a bill that will be heard in committee for the first time tomorrow that will affect the ability of the public to ensure the E911 system is held to appropriate standards. The committee bill, PCB GAP 10-03, would exempt from the Florida Sunshine Laws all recordings of E911 calls. The public would be limited to a redacted transcript of the call available only after 60 days. I have grave concerns that the public would not be able to review the work of the E911 telecommunicators if this bill passes, because they would not be subject to review by anyone other than their departments. It is important for you to know that we strongly oppose this bill. And believe it would detrimental to public safety for many reasons. Many of you know the details of our tragedy and you know we have been fighting for improvements to our 9-1-1 system. How are we to fight for improvements if we are denied access to this information? How are independent studies to be conducted if denied access to this information? How is the public expected to vote for improvements if they do not know all the facts and are only told feel good stories? How was I ever to understand what went wrong in Denise’s case if I did not have access to the calls? For more information go to deniseamberlee.org .
While I appreciate and understand your concern for the impact listening to these phone calls in the media over and over again and how heartbreaking they are, I beg you to vote NO to this bill. I KNOW what it is like to relive a tragedy by hearing 9-1-1 calls on TV over and over again. But still believe that people need to know and they have a right to know how their public servants are performing. Consider this! Our sheriff is an elected official. How are voters to make educated informed votes if they are not informed?
Please do not pass this bill!
Thank you and thank you for your service,
Peggy Lee
Denise Amber Lee Foundation
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday's Murphy Monitor
added edit:
God bless Michael and Ave Cantrell with much love and peace. I can't imagine their pain and suffering. Please, I'm not sure how I feel about prayers sometimes, but if you're a praying person, please pray for this family. If you are not praying person? Please send them as many postive uplifting thoughts as you can. They have a young family to raise. They need your love and support. My heart, which is already broken to pieces, breaks for them. Thank you. I feel this family's pain. I understand innately what this man is saying. He just doesn't want this to happen to another family. Losing a child or any loved one violently and through tragic circumstances is heartbreaking enough. To know they could have been saved is, yes, emotional torture of the worst kind.
Suit filed following child's strangulation death
Family wants standards set for 911 first responders
by Jamie Engle
Staff writer news@csmediatexas.com
In October 2007, 21 month old Matthew Cantrell accidentally strangled himself in a backyard soccer net. Last week, the boy's father, Michael Cantrell, filed a federal lawsuit naming the City of Murphy and the East Texas Medical Center as defendants due to what Cantrell called their "complete failure to try to save a 21 month old boy."
"My goal is to make sure someone who calls 911 receives the proper help, the proper response from the 911 operator," he said. "First responders should help the injured child or person and provide medical care. We're doing this so another family does not have to endure what we're going through."
When Matthew's mother called 911, the suit alleges the 911 operator did not instruct her how to administer CPR, nor did the East Texas Medical Center when she was transferred to them, nor the first responders on the scene, two Murphy police officers, administer first aid.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Cantrell said he felt he had two options: do nothing or do something to help prevent this from happening again. Cantrell said he has never before been involved in a lawsuit and that it was a long process occurring over a long period of time. While researching, he said he found some things disturbing, such as the fact that following nationwide 911 procedures is optional at the state level.
There are two main changes Cantrell is seeking. First, he wants to see that people get the help they need over the phone when they call 911.
Second, Cantrell wants to ensure that first responders, even if they are not EMTs, are going to help an injured person. He plans to begin at the local level, then state and nationwide.
"I'm driven and will make sure that people know and learn the appropriate response to learn and do. I would think that anybody who enters a home and sees an injured child would try to help an injured child, no matter who they are and especially a police officer whose job it is to protect and serve," he said. "We want to get the message out that something has to be done to make sure this doesn't happen to another family. A lot of work has already been done. This is the beginning of being able to make change in a lot of different areas."
One of the first changes Cantrell was able to effect was the recall of the backyard soccer net, recalled by the Consumer Safety Commission in September 2008.
"You think about it, most any job you have to be certified, qualified, trained etc., and it is just about bizarre that such a critical job doesn't require a set of mandatory training and skills and test or evaluation for competency before and someone is given such a critical role that can be the difference between life or death," Cantrell said.
"We're going to be working with the 911 national training system called NENA as part of our calls (sic) to make sure those national standards are known and followed everywhere," he said. "For medical emergency phone calls, operators need to be knowledgeable and follow those protocols."
NENA is the National Emergency Number Association. They are having a conference in Fort Worth in June.
Cantrell is joining with the Denise Amber Lee organization to lobby for change. Despite four different 911 calls, Nathan Lee's wife Denise was abducted in broad daylight then assaulted and murdered. The case was on "20/20" and Nathan has been on "Dr. Phil" and spoken in other cities.
"We've talked multiple times. And he, like me, is very driven to make sure what happened doesn't happen to someone else. We'll meet for the first time face-to-face in Fort Worth at the NENA conference.
"He's dedicated his life to making sure that this doesn't happen to someone else, that 911 call centers are reformed to make sure that, nationwide, when somebody picks up the phone and calls with a medical emergency, or for that matter an abduction or whatever else happens, that things are handled properly to make sure that people receive the proper medical care, proper police care or whatever happens in his situation."
A 911 reform bill in Florida in Lee's wife's name was recently passed. The mission of the Denise Amber Lee organization is, "to raise awareness of 911 call center inefficiencies, promote improvements to 911 call centers, and offer assistance to families of murder victims," according to the organization's Web site.
The site continues "Currently, most states have no kind of standards set for the training of 911 dispatchers. Although Florida is making an effort (a bill for 911 reform was recently passed in Denise's name), it is still considered a voluntary measure to participate in the training standards. We would like to see proper training become mandatory, not voluntary. We'd like to learn from the mistakes made, move forward and fix the inadequacies. 911 is here to save lives, and when it doesn't because of confusion and procedural breakdowns, that is unacceptable.
"We need to restore confidence in the 911 system. That is the most important thing. 911 operators and dispatchers should be praised for doing their job correctly. Not everyone can handle the high stress conditions of the job. God bless all the 911 operators out there who care and are working so hard to do their job and keep us all safe. May God give them the strength and guidance needed to do their job to the best of their ability."
"You can only deal with what's ahead of you, or try to at this point, and make sure it doesn't happen again," Cantrell concluded.
God bless Michael and Ave Cantrell with much love and peace. I can't imagine their pain and suffering. Please, I'm not sure how I feel about prayers sometimes, but if you're a praying person, please pray for this family. If you are not praying person? Please send them as many postive uplifting thoughts as you can. They have a young family to raise. They need your love and support. My heart, which is already broken to pieces, breaks for them. Thank you. I feel this family's pain. I understand innately what this man is saying. He just doesn't want this to happen to another family. Losing a child or any loved one violently and through tragic circumstances is heartbreaking enough. To know they could have been saved is, yes, emotional torture of the worst kind.
Suit filed following child's strangulation death
Family wants standards set for 911 first responders
by Jamie Engle
Staff writer news@csmediatexas.com
In October 2007, 21 month old Matthew Cantrell accidentally strangled himself in a backyard soccer net. Last week, the boy's father, Michael Cantrell, filed a federal lawsuit naming the City of Murphy and the East Texas Medical Center as defendants due to what Cantrell called their "complete failure to try to save a 21 month old boy."
"My goal is to make sure someone who calls 911 receives the proper help, the proper response from the 911 operator," he said. "First responders should help the injured child or person and provide medical care. We're doing this so another family does not have to endure what we're going through."
When Matthew's mother called 911, the suit alleges the 911 operator did not instruct her how to administer CPR, nor did the East Texas Medical Center when she was transferred to them, nor the first responders on the scene, two Murphy police officers, administer first aid.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Cantrell said he felt he had two options: do nothing or do something to help prevent this from happening again. Cantrell said he has never before been involved in a lawsuit and that it was a long process occurring over a long period of time. While researching, he said he found some things disturbing, such as the fact that following nationwide 911 procedures is optional at the state level.
There are two main changes Cantrell is seeking. First, he wants to see that people get the help they need over the phone when they call 911.
Second, Cantrell wants to ensure that first responders, even if they are not EMTs, are going to help an injured person. He plans to begin at the local level, then state and nationwide.
"I'm driven and will make sure that people know and learn the appropriate response to learn and do. I would think that anybody who enters a home and sees an injured child would try to help an injured child, no matter who they are and especially a police officer whose job it is to protect and serve," he said. "We want to get the message out that something has to be done to make sure this doesn't happen to another family. A lot of work has already been done. This is the beginning of being able to make change in a lot of different areas."
One of the first changes Cantrell was able to effect was the recall of the backyard soccer net, recalled by the Consumer Safety Commission in September 2008.
"You think about it, most any job you have to be certified, qualified, trained etc., and it is just about bizarre that such a critical job doesn't require a set of mandatory training and skills and test or evaluation for competency before and someone is given such a critical role that can be the difference between life or death," Cantrell said.
"We're going to be working with the 911 national training system called NENA as part of our calls (sic) to make sure those national standards are known and followed everywhere," he said. "For medical emergency phone calls, operators need to be knowledgeable and follow those protocols."
NENA is the National Emergency Number Association. They are having a conference in Fort Worth in June.
Cantrell is joining with the Denise Amber Lee organization to lobby for change. Despite four different 911 calls, Nathan Lee's wife Denise was abducted in broad daylight then assaulted and murdered. The case was on "20/20" and Nathan has been on "Dr. Phil" and spoken in other cities.
"We've talked multiple times. And he, like me, is very driven to make sure what happened doesn't happen to someone else. We'll meet for the first time face-to-face in Fort Worth at the NENA conference.
"He's dedicated his life to making sure that this doesn't happen to someone else, that 911 call centers are reformed to make sure that, nationwide, when somebody picks up the phone and calls with a medical emergency, or for that matter an abduction or whatever else happens, that things are handled properly to make sure that people receive the proper medical care, proper police care or whatever happens in his situation."
A 911 reform bill in Florida in Lee's wife's name was recently passed. The mission of the Denise Amber Lee organization is, "to raise awareness of 911 call center inefficiencies, promote improvements to 911 call centers, and offer assistance to families of murder victims," according to the organization's Web site.
The site continues "Currently, most states have no kind of standards set for the training of 911 dispatchers. Although Florida is making an effort (a bill for 911 reform was recently passed in Denise's name), it is still considered a voluntary measure to participate in the training standards. We would like to see proper training become mandatory, not voluntary. We'd like to learn from the mistakes made, move forward and fix the inadequacies. 911 is here to save lives, and when it doesn't because of confusion and procedural breakdowns, that is unacceptable.
"We need to restore confidence in the 911 system. That is the most important thing. 911 operators and dispatchers should be praised for doing their job correctly. Not everyone can handle the high stress conditions of the job. God bless all the 911 operators out there who care and are working so hard to do their job and keep us all safe. May God give them the strength and guidance needed to do their job to the best of their ability."
"You can only deal with what's ahead of you, or try to at this point, and make sure it doesn't happen again," Cantrell concluded.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Thoughts on the Upcoming Trial
printed in both blogs
Trials. What can I even say. My feelings? My feelings can be pretty much summoned up in one word.
Dread.
There are other feelings but if I were looking for one word to define my feelings, dread would be it.
I simply feel sick about it. Our trial is scheduled to begin August 17th.
If I've been mum for a while it's because there isn't much to say. Other than it's an awful feeling.
Tomorrow people will be celebrating Memorial Day. People will be cooking out and playing horseshoes. We used to do that. I just can't.
Memorial Day is about dead men and women who gave their lives for our country. Now instead of thinking about "cooking out" all I can think about is how people lost loved ones in horrific ways.
I still don't think anyone could die as horrifically as Denise did. But I guess people do.
It's hard not to think about the Jessica Lunsfords and the Carlie Brucias. I simply don't understand how someone can torture and kill (I consider rape a torture worse than waterboarding) such young innocents. It's just beyond understanding.
Okay, so I'm being very morbid on a Sunday morning. Now you know why I haven't written anything in a while. My thoughts are ugly and sad. I'm truly dreading the upcoming trial. I can't help crying thinking about it.
I do have some good moments. Yesterday, we had Adam for some one on one time. He's so precious. Mark's mom expressed regret that Denise was not here to see him grow. Well, I believe she is here and she is watching him grow. What I find sad is that Noah and Adam are missing out on having her here. They never really and never will have an opportunity to know her other than through our memories. They'll never experience her laugh. They'll never experience her joy and tenderness again.
They have been quite simply robbed.
You can see it in Noah's face. He has been especially robbed and he really misses her. He talks about death now around us. He knows now, I believe, that she's not coming back. He's handles it very stoically. And you can see how he's trying to adjust. He has his joyful moments too. And I believe he has more joyful moments than sad. I think now that he knows for sure she's not coming back he's actually doing a bit better. But it's hard for him. He has a million questions. He's only 3.
It makes you wonder if the alleged perpetrator could be put on trial for robbery as well. Because he really did rob us. I mean he ROBBED US. Especially Nathan and the boys.
I'll stop. I'm just not looking forward to the trial and I wanted to jot down why I haven't been writing much.
I really need to get to one of those meetings for Parents of Murdered Children. I think I should try the one in Sarasota. hmmm... we'll see. I'm just sick thinking about it.
I guess we should focus on the positive. The positive being the help and support we want to give to the 9-1-1 industry so that what happened that night with the blown chances of saving Denise in the 9-1-1 center doesn't happen to another family.
Two things could have saved Denise that night. 1.) Certification and standards for the 9-1-1 call taker and dispatchers. They had the training and they had the technology but they weren't using either appropriately. And 2.) cell phone location. Denise made a 9-1-1 call that lasted seven minute and had we been using GPS technology we could have found her.
Would she have been damaged? Yes. But she'd still be with us. I feel unbelievably strong about that.
sigh
Added edit: I just finished watching the PBS special concert for Memorial Day. It helped put things in perspective. I do hope sincerely that any one who is reading this and may have lost a loved one in one of our wars knows my heart and prayers are with you. And that I didn't mean any disrespect. God bless you with much love and peace.
Trials. What can I even say. My feelings? My feelings can be pretty much summoned up in one word.
Dread.
There are other feelings but if I were looking for one word to define my feelings, dread would be it.
I simply feel sick about it. Our trial is scheduled to begin August 17th.
If I've been mum for a while it's because there isn't much to say. Other than it's an awful feeling.
Tomorrow people will be celebrating Memorial Day. People will be cooking out and playing horseshoes. We used to do that. I just can't.
Memorial Day is about dead men and women who gave their lives for our country. Now instead of thinking about "cooking out" all I can think about is how people lost loved ones in horrific ways.
I still don't think anyone could die as horrifically as Denise did. But I guess people do.
It's hard not to think about the Jessica Lunsfords and the Carlie Brucias. I simply don't understand how someone can torture and kill (I consider rape a torture worse than waterboarding) such young innocents. It's just beyond understanding.
Okay, so I'm being very morbid on a Sunday morning. Now you know why I haven't written anything in a while. My thoughts are ugly and sad. I'm truly dreading the upcoming trial. I can't help crying thinking about it.
I do have some good moments. Yesterday, we had Adam for some one on one time. He's so precious. Mark's mom expressed regret that Denise was not here to see him grow. Well, I believe she is here and she is watching him grow. What I find sad is that Noah and Adam are missing out on having her here. They never really and never will have an opportunity to know her other than through our memories. They'll never experience her laugh. They'll never experience her joy and tenderness again.
They have been quite simply robbed.
You can see it in Noah's face. He has been especially robbed and he really misses her. He talks about death now around us. He knows now, I believe, that she's not coming back. He's handles it very stoically. And you can see how he's trying to adjust. He has his joyful moments too. And I believe he has more joyful moments than sad. I think now that he knows for sure she's not coming back he's actually doing a bit better. But it's hard for him. He has a million questions. He's only 3.
It makes you wonder if the alleged perpetrator could be put on trial for robbery as well. Because he really did rob us. I mean he ROBBED US. Especially Nathan and the boys.
I'll stop. I'm just not looking forward to the trial and I wanted to jot down why I haven't been writing much.
I really need to get to one of those meetings for Parents of Murdered Children. I think I should try the one in Sarasota. hmmm... we'll see. I'm just sick thinking about it.
I guess we should focus on the positive. The positive being the help and support we want to give to the 9-1-1 industry so that what happened that night with the blown chances of saving Denise in the 9-1-1 center doesn't happen to another family.
Two things could have saved Denise that night. 1.) Certification and standards for the 9-1-1 call taker and dispatchers. They had the training and they had the technology but they weren't using either appropriately. And 2.) cell phone location. Denise made a 9-1-1 call that lasted seven minute and had we been using GPS technology we could have found her.
Would she have been damaged? Yes. But she'd still be with us. I feel unbelievably strong about that.
sigh
Added edit: I just finished watching the PBS special concert for Memorial Day. It helped put things in perspective. I do hope sincerely that any one who is reading this and may have lost a loved one in one of our wars knows my heart and prayers are with you. And that I didn't mean any disrespect. God bless you with much love and peace.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
www.policemag.com Web Poll
Question:
Are you confident that your 911 dispatchers are providing you with all available and pertinent information on your calls?
Yes: 20.6 %
No: 79.4 %
Link here: http://www.policemag.com/WebPolls/Web-Poll.aspx
I don't even know what to say. I'm without words and saddened.
Obviously, Denise's tragedy isn't isolated especially in Florida. Olidia Kerr Day and Jennifer Johnson here in Florida. Matthew Cantrell in Texas. Brittany Zimmerman........
The three policemen killed in Allegheny County equally tragic if not more so.
All saints and martyrs for a cause. The cause being to fix 9-1-1 nation wide. Let's give these call takers and dispatchers the technology they need and let's certify them. And let's weed out the ones that will not step up and use the technologies that are available to them. Not to mention the ones who have lost their compassion. We've all heard those stories. I can't help but think of Matthew Cantrell. If you haven't read his story, he's the little one year old I blogged about here:
http://toosad4words.blogspot.com/2009/03/matthew-cantrell-and-9-1-1.html
It's a high stress job and we need our front lines to be top notch people with not only compassion but integrity.
In my opinion, there are outstanding 9-1-1 centers and then not-so-good 9-1-1 centers. I imagine that 20% that answered yes are working in states that have standards set. I imagine they have quality assurance programs and are using the best technologies available and affordable.
This poll is a prime example of why we need a set of national standards.
I've never been one to be for more laws. At one time I was a registered Libertarian. But in this case? Geesh. We have to do something.
I posted yesterday what happened in our area on Friday. They got it right. They say they did. But only after Denise lost her life do they have the radios finally communicating properly between the Sarasota and Charlotte County.
I hate to see others have to lose their lives so that patching radios isn't a problem.
We still don't know if the 9-1-1 call taker who handled Jane Kowalski's call is using her CAD system properly. Is she still writing things down first? So she has 15 years experience! What good is all that experience if she's not following procedure and using the latest technology available to her.
It's just wrong. We have to get this right. And it has to be nation wide.
Just my opinion.
Are you confident that your 911 dispatchers are providing you with all available and pertinent information on your calls?
Yes: 20.6 %
No: 79.4 %
Link here: http://www.policemag.com/WebPolls/Web-Poll.aspx
I don't even know what to say. I'm without words and saddened.
Obviously, Denise's tragedy isn't isolated especially in Florida. Olidia Kerr Day and Jennifer Johnson here in Florida. Matthew Cantrell in Texas. Brittany Zimmerman........
The three policemen killed in Allegheny County equally tragic if not more so.
All saints and martyrs for a cause. The cause being to fix 9-1-1 nation wide. Let's give these call takers and dispatchers the technology they need and let's certify them. And let's weed out the ones that will not step up and use the technologies that are available to them. Not to mention the ones who have lost their compassion. We've all heard those stories. I can't help but think of Matthew Cantrell. If you haven't read his story, he's the little one year old I blogged about here:
http://toosad4words.blogspot.com/2009/03/matthew-cantrell-and-9-1-1.html
It's a high stress job and we need our front lines to be top notch people with not only compassion but integrity.
In my opinion, there are outstanding 9-1-1 centers and then not-so-good 9-1-1 centers. I imagine that 20% that answered yes are working in states that have standards set. I imagine they have quality assurance programs and are using the best technologies available and affordable.
This poll is a prime example of why we need a set of national standards.
I've never been one to be for more laws. At one time I was a registered Libertarian. But in this case? Geesh. We have to do something.
I posted yesterday what happened in our area on Friday. They got it right. They say they did. But only after Denise lost her life do they have the radios finally communicating properly between the Sarasota and Charlotte County.
I hate to see others have to lose their lives so that patching radios isn't a problem.
We still don't know if the 9-1-1 call taker who handled Jane Kowalski's call is using her CAD system properly. Is she still writing things down first? So she has 15 years experience! What good is all that experience if she's not following procedure and using the latest technology available to her.
It's just wrong. We have to get this right. And it has to be nation wide.
Just my opinion.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Today's Herald-Tribune
My opinion, article to follow. Thank goodness they got the radio patching right. If you remember it took the CCSO 9-1-1 supervisor almost 2 hours to patch a radio to NPPD. And thank goodness this was a false alarm!
Report of child taking is mistake
By Kim Hackett
Published: Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, April 17, 2009 at 11:36 p.m.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY - In what turned out to be a false alarm, Charlotte County sheriff's deputies mobilized five police agencies on land, air and water Friday to search for a man thought to have abducted a child.
The large manhunt came after a woman reported what she thought was a child abduction in the Gulf Cove area at about 10:30 a.m.
She described a man in a red pickup with pool supplies in the back struggling with a girl between 6 and 12 years old.
"We had no reason to doubt her," Charlotte County sheriff's spokesman Bob Carpenter said. The woman did not have a cell phone and drove 20 minutes to work to call police.
Sheriff's deputies set a staging area in a grocery store parking lot at State Road 776 and County Road 771. Detectives and dog, marine and aviation units began searching the area and running down leads.
No one had reported a missing child, so deputies checked schools and sent a reverse 911 call to homes in the area.
Police from Lee and Sarasota counties assisted along with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Three hours later, North Port police showed up at the Price Boulevard home of Leonard Haslage, who operates a window and pool cleaning business with his 17-year-old daughter and who drives a red Nissan pickup.
Haslage's daughter answered the door and was surprised to see police.
"We felt pretty comfortable we were on the right track," said North Port Police Sgt. Charles Ayres, who drove to the Haslage house with another officer.
He said the daughter "looks young for her age" and Leonard Haslage "matched the description to a T."
Charlotte County deputies arrived with the witness a few minutes later, and she identified Haslage as the man she had seen.
Haslage and his daughter said they had been in the Englewood area but they had not done anything that could be interpreted as a struggle, Carpenter said.
The caller "did absolutely the right thing" by contacting police, he said.
Carpenter said he did not think police overreacted.
"We have to assume she was right," Carpenter said.
A release on the incident said that the agencies communicated "via radio seamlessly through shared radio channels and patching capabilities."
The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office came under fire for its handling of 911 calls in the January 2008 abduction and murder of Denise Lee. She was the daughter of a Charlotte County sheriff's sergeant, and her disappearance touched off an expansive search by multiple agencies that ultimately failed to save her. Communications mistakes made on the night of her killing have spawned a broader movement to change the way emergency calls are handled in Florida and across the nation.
Report of child taking is mistake
By Kim Hackett
Published: Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, April 17, 2009 at 11:36 p.m.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY - In what turned out to be a false alarm, Charlotte County sheriff's deputies mobilized five police agencies on land, air and water Friday to search for a man thought to have abducted a child.
The large manhunt came after a woman reported what she thought was a child abduction in the Gulf Cove area at about 10:30 a.m.
She described a man in a red pickup with pool supplies in the back struggling with a girl between 6 and 12 years old.
"We had no reason to doubt her," Charlotte County sheriff's spokesman Bob Carpenter said. The woman did not have a cell phone and drove 20 minutes to work to call police.
Sheriff's deputies set a staging area in a grocery store parking lot at State Road 776 and County Road 771. Detectives and dog, marine and aviation units began searching the area and running down leads.
No one had reported a missing child, so deputies checked schools and sent a reverse 911 call to homes in the area.
Police from Lee and Sarasota counties assisted along with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Three hours later, North Port police showed up at the Price Boulevard home of Leonard Haslage, who operates a window and pool cleaning business with his 17-year-old daughter and who drives a red Nissan pickup.
Haslage's daughter answered the door and was surprised to see police.
"We felt pretty comfortable we were on the right track," said North Port Police Sgt. Charles Ayres, who drove to the Haslage house with another officer.
He said the daughter "looks young for her age" and Leonard Haslage "matched the description to a T."
Charlotte County deputies arrived with the witness a few minutes later, and she identified Haslage as the man she had seen.
Haslage and his daughter said they had been in the Englewood area but they had not done anything that could be interpreted as a struggle, Carpenter said.
The caller "did absolutely the right thing" by contacting police, he said.
Carpenter said he did not think police overreacted.
"We have to assume she was right," Carpenter said.
A release on the incident said that the agencies communicated "via radio seamlessly through shared radio channels and patching capabilities."
The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office came under fire for its handling of 911 calls in the January 2008 abduction and murder of Denise Lee. She was the daughter of a Charlotte County sheriff's sergeant, and her disappearance touched off an expansive search by multiple agencies that ultimately failed to save her. Communications mistakes made on the night of her killing have spawned a broader movement to change the way emergency calls are handled in Florida and across the nation.
Friday, April 10, 2009
A Call to Improve 9-1-1/Editorial in yesterday's Herald Tribune
My opinion to start with article to follow.
FWIW, as our foundation (The Denise Amber Lee Foundation) continues our fight for 9-1-1 improvements in Florida and now across the country, we would never want people to lose faith in 9-1-1. Call 9-1-1 in an emergency. 9-1-1 is wonderful. But it's my opinion it needs standards so that all 9-1-1 centers are on the same page and that they be equipped with the best technology available. 9-1-1 should be evolving along side of consumer communication technology. And we should all learn what our cell phones can and cannot do.
Do you realize many students during the Virginia Tech massacre were all texting 9-1-1? Sadly, you can't text 9-1-1. They didn't know. We need to be educated, young people, old people, middle aged people all need to know what their phones can and cannot do.
Dispatchers are getting a lot of heat. Sadly the dispatcher in Plant City lost her job during this horrific economy. But even more sad and tragic is Jennifer Johnson's family lost a loved on. Jennifer lost her life. Denise lost her life. Olidia Kerr Day lost her life.
Something has to be done. I'm so glad the Herald Tribune stepped up and took on this story. They should be commended.
God bless all call takers and dispatchers out there with compassion, diligence, guidance and patience. We're on your side and we only want to make your jobs easier. You are our front lines, LITERALLY.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090409/OPINION/904091053
Published: Thursday, April 9, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at 6:18 p.m.
The skill, or lack of it, in handling a 911 call can mean the difference between life and death. It can also mean the difference between employment and job loss, as Plant City emergency personnel recently learned.
Their treatment of a 911 call on Nov. 15, from a kidnapped woman who was later found dead, brought the firing this week of a dispatcher and the resignation of her supervisor. Two other people connected to the case resigned or retired.
As the Tampa Tribune reported, an internal investigation concluded that the dispatcher and her supervisors failed to follow up appropriately on the victim's desperate call from the trunk of car.
"This was a human breakdown, not an equipment failure," Plant City Police Chief Bill McDaniel was quoted as saying. "Our emergency communication center is state of the art," he said, noting that dispatchers undergo a 16-week training course.
In this case, errors were punished by job loss. But statewide, 911 mistakes tend to draw light reprimand, the Herald-Tribune's Zac Anderson reported in a series earlier this year.
The Denise Lee aftermath
That series marked the anniversary of the kidnapping and slaying of Denise Lee, a young North Port mother. In her case, a witness's call to Charlotte County's 911 center was mishandled.
Ever since, Lee's grieving survivors have pushed the state to institute reforms, such as standardized training and certification for 911 operators, to help prevent other tragedies in the future.
Currently, Florida has no statewide requirements for training. Standards vary widely by jurisdiction, Anderson reported. Sarasota County's 911 call center is accredited, but it is in the minority.
A bill pending in the Legislature would change that by requiring all emergency 911 dispatchers to earn certification by October 2012. The measure (CS/SB 2040 in the Senate, and CS/HB 769 in the House) gained committee approval, but it still has a long legislative gantlet to run as the clock ticks down on the annual two-month session.
The bill deserves full consideration. Training certification is no cure-all, but it would bring needed consistency to the 911 system. Consistency, in turn, could simplify and improve emergency communication.
High stress, low pay
As we have said before, any discussion of 911 problems should recognize the good work that dispatchers do and the extraordinarily stressful conditions they face, often for relatively low pay.
These workers are tasked with making urgent, knowledgeable decisions, even if the caller is incoherent or panicked. They must be able to use technology, classify calls, select proper codes, find the nearest available police cars, and sometimes talk a person through lifesaving measures.
These are important skills. Statewide certification requirements would be a step toward ensuring that they get the professional respect -- and wage compensation -- they deserve.
FWIW, as our foundation (The Denise Amber Lee Foundation) continues our fight for 9-1-1 improvements in Florida and now across the country, we would never want people to lose faith in 9-1-1. Call 9-1-1 in an emergency. 9-1-1 is wonderful. But it's my opinion it needs standards so that all 9-1-1 centers are on the same page and that they be equipped with the best technology available. 9-1-1 should be evolving along side of consumer communication technology. And we should all learn what our cell phones can and cannot do.
Do you realize many students during the Virginia Tech massacre were all texting 9-1-1? Sadly, you can't text 9-1-1. They didn't know. We need to be educated, young people, old people, middle aged people all need to know what their phones can and cannot do.
Dispatchers are getting a lot of heat. Sadly the dispatcher in Plant City lost her job during this horrific economy. But even more sad and tragic is Jennifer Johnson's family lost a loved on. Jennifer lost her life. Denise lost her life. Olidia Kerr Day lost her life.
Something has to be done. I'm so glad the Herald Tribune stepped up and took on this story. They should be commended.
God bless all call takers and dispatchers out there with compassion, diligence, guidance and patience. We're on your side and we only want to make your jobs easier. You are our front lines, LITERALLY.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090409/OPINION/904091053
Published: Thursday, April 9, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at 6:18 p.m.
The skill, or lack of it, in handling a 911 call can mean the difference between life and death. It can also mean the difference between employment and job loss, as Plant City emergency personnel recently learned.
Their treatment of a 911 call on Nov. 15, from a kidnapped woman who was later found dead, brought the firing this week of a dispatcher and the resignation of her supervisor. Two other people connected to the case resigned or retired.
As the Tampa Tribune reported, an internal investigation concluded that the dispatcher and her supervisors failed to follow up appropriately on the victim's desperate call from the trunk of car.
"This was a human breakdown, not an equipment failure," Plant City Police Chief Bill McDaniel was quoted as saying. "Our emergency communication center is state of the art," he said, noting that dispatchers undergo a 16-week training course.
In this case, errors were punished by job loss. But statewide, 911 mistakes tend to draw light reprimand, the Herald-Tribune's Zac Anderson reported in a series earlier this year.
The Denise Lee aftermath
That series marked the anniversary of the kidnapping and slaying of Denise Lee, a young North Port mother. In her case, a witness's call to Charlotte County's 911 center was mishandled.
Ever since, Lee's grieving survivors have pushed the state to institute reforms, such as standardized training and certification for 911 operators, to help prevent other tragedies in the future.
Currently, Florida has no statewide requirements for training. Standards vary widely by jurisdiction, Anderson reported. Sarasota County's 911 call center is accredited, but it is in the minority.
A bill pending in the Legislature would change that by requiring all emergency 911 dispatchers to earn certification by October 2012. The measure (CS/SB 2040 in the Senate, and CS/HB 769 in the House) gained committee approval, but it still has a long legislative gantlet to run as the clock ticks down on the annual two-month session.
The bill deserves full consideration. Training certification is no cure-all, but it would bring needed consistency to the 911 system. Consistency, in turn, could simplify and improve emergency communication.
High stress, low pay
As we have said before, any discussion of 911 problems should recognize the good work that dispatchers do and the extraordinarily stressful conditions they face, often for relatively low pay.
These workers are tasked with making urgent, knowledgeable decisions, even if the caller is incoherent or panicked. They must be able to use technology, classify calls, select proper codes, find the nearest available police cars, and sometimes talk a person through lifesaving measures.
These are important skills. Statewide certification requirements would be a step toward ensuring that they get the professional respect -- and wage compensation -- they deserve.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Channel 10 news
It takes a few minutes for the video to load on the right hand side.
http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=103347&catid=8
http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=103347&catid=8
Last night News Channel 8, Jennifer Johnson and Denise Amber Lee
Sorry, I still don't know how to embed a video story. There were actually two stories last night on the news. Channel 10 www.10connects.com and News Channel 8.
Here's channel 8's story:
http://www2.tbo.com/video/2009/apr/01/victims-husband-perusing-legislation--47652/#comment
Here's channel 8's story:
http://www2.tbo.com/video/2009/apr/01/victims-husband-perusing-legislation--47652/#comment
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Florida, 9-1-1, Jennifer Johnson, The Tampa Tribune
I just don't have words to describe my thoughts on yet another heart breaking story and of course, it's Florida. I hear the Senate is going to pass the bill! Thank goodness something positive is happening. 9-1-1 will get better!
God bless the Johnson family with peace and love. I imagine their hurt and anger are on par with our family's and Olidia Kerr Day's family. Please keep them in your prayers.
Dispatcher: Police Didn't Respond To 911 Call From Trunk
According to documents, Jennifer Johnson was suffocated by two plastic bags tied over her head: a garbage bag and a plastic bag from Party City, where she had purchased supplies for her daughter Je'Neiyce's birthday party.
By VALERIE KALFRIN The Tampa Tribune
Published: April 1, 2009
Updated: 06:50 pm
Related Links
Police Say Record Was Wrong
Listen To The 911 Call
Hear Brown's Voicemail
Family, Friends Mourn Loss Of 'Hopeless Romantic'
Photo Gallery
Jennifer Johnson had about a minute to talk before a 911 operator in Plant City lost a connection with her.
"Ma'am, I'm in a trunk right now," the 31-year-old Tampa mother yelled on a copy of the call released today. "They got me in the trunk. … I don't know where I'm at."
Soon after the call disconnected, she was dead.
Prosecutors released the call along with 700 pages of discovery material that outlines the kidnapping and first-degree murder case against Vincent George Brown Jr., Johnson's on-again, off-again boyfriend and the father of her daughter, Je'Neiyce.
The material also contains a report that Plant City police corroborated today showing they never sent an officer to try to find Johnson.
This contradicts dispatch logs the department provided to News Channel 8 in December. At that time, the agency said the logs showed an officer had been sent to search a four-mile stretch of Interstate 4 in Thonotosassa, where a cell-phone tower had picked up Johnson's call.
Plant City police Capt. Darrell Wilson said today that an administrative review found that officer was working an unrelated security check in the area.
"There was never an officer dispatched," Wilson said. "That call log was for something different."
Police Chief Bill McDaniel's office said he was unavailable for comment today.
'I Guess We Shouldn't Have Assumed'
A Plant City communications operator recorded a 911 call with Johnson at 5:30 a.m. Nov. 15 that lasted about 1 minute 20 seconds. The conversation was so brief that Johnson did not provide a description of her car and could not say where she had been kidnapped, the documents say.
The operator had trouble hearing Johnson over loud music in the background. In addition, her cell phone number and wireless provider did not register when the call came in, making it difficult to map, Wilson and the discovery documents say.
The operator told her immediate supervisor and a patrol supervisor about the call after it disconnected, but neither listened to the call nor took any action, a report in the discovery documents says.
The log police provided in December showed an officer was dispatched at 5:38 a.m. that day along the interstate.
Today, Wilson said the department thought that officer had been sent to search for Johnson because of the agency's policy to send an officer to the last-known location of a disconnected 911 call.
"I guess we shouldn't have assumed," he said.
Johnson's phone did not have global-positioning system technology to help police pinpoint where she was. Her trunk did not have an internal release.
Activist Seeks 911 Reform
All cell phones should have GPS technology, said Nathan Lee, the president of a foundation named after his wife Denise Amber Lee.
"I got a GPS that can tell me where I'm going on the interstate," Nathan Lee said. "But we can't track down a cell phone? That's unbelievable."
Denise Amber Lee, 21, was abducted from her North Port home on Jan. 17, 2008. The daughter of a Charlotte County sheriff's sergeant, her disappearance touched off of a massive search by multiple agencies that ultimately failed to save her, but communications mistakes made on the night of her murder have spawned a broader movement to change the way emergency calls are handled in Florida and across the nation.
Nathan Lee is leading a push to ensure 911 dispatchers in Florida follow uniform regulations in handling emergency calls. Every agency's protocol is different, and dispatchers throughout the state have varying levels of training, Lee said.
A disparity in technology between 911 call centers is also an issue, he said. "The technology is there. Counties just can't get funding for it."
Although Johnson's signal couldn't be pinpointed, Lee said he finds it "very disturbing" that police said they sent units to find her when they really didn't.
Uniform standards for dispatchers—and technology—may have saved Johnson and his wife, Lee said.
"The foundation is going to get in touch with the Johnsons and offer our condolences," he said. "We want to let them know that progress is being made."
Johnson's family found her appeal for help heart-wrenching.
"It's devastating for me to hear," Rachel Johnson, the slain woman's sister, said of the 911 call. "She was reaching out for help, but no one was there to help her. I think about it every day, and there's nothing I can do."
Only Chance To Cry For Help
Johnson's aunt, Levery White, said even if the police were unable to find her, they should have tried.
"They didn't even send nobody. They didn't care," she said.
Relatives reported Johnson missing the evening of Nov. 15 after she did not show up for her daughter's birthday party.
Tampa police tracked her cell-phone activity through the phone company and on the morning of Nov. 18 discovered the 911 call had hit on a cell-phone tower at Interstate 4 and Thonotosassa Road.
Tampa police think the 911 call was the only opportunity Johnson had to communicate with authorities.
Johnson was found dead the evening of Nov. 18 in the garage of a vacant house in Lakeland, just south of Interstate 4 at the Kathleen Road exit. Her cell phone was tucked in her bra.
Phone records indicate that from about 8:15 a.m. Nov. 15 until the phone ran out of power, its signal pinged off a cell tower near the house where her body was found. She made no other calls.
Brown, 39, is accused of killing Johnson on Nov. 15, Je'Neiyce's 2nd birthday. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said detectives are investigating whether someone helped Brown. "There could be more arrests in the case," she said today.
Tribune reporter Ray Reyes and News Channel 8 reporters Krista Klaus and Samara Sodos contributed to this report. Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800
God bless the Johnson family with peace and love. I imagine their hurt and anger are on par with our family's and Olidia Kerr Day's family. Please keep them in your prayers.
Dispatcher: Police Didn't Respond To 911 Call From Trunk
According to documents, Jennifer Johnson was suffocated by two plastic bags tied over her head: a garbage bag and a plastic bag from Party City, where she had purchased supplies for her daughter Je'Neiyce's birthday party.
By VALERIE KALFRIN The Tampa Tribune
Published: April 1, 2009
Updated: 06:50 pm
Related Links
Police Say Record Was Wrong
Listen To The 911 Call
Hear Brown's Voicemail
Family, Friends Mourn Loss Of 'Hopeless Romantic'
Photo Gallery
Jennifer Johnson had about a minute to talk before a 911 operator in Plant City lost a connection with her.
"Ma'am, I'm in a trunk right now," the 31-year-old Tampa mother yelled on a copy of the call released today. "They got me in the trunk. … I don't know where I'm at."
Soon after the call disconnected, she was dead.
Prosecutors released the call along with 700 pages of discovery material that outlines the kidnapping and first-degree murder case against Vincent George Brown Jr., Johnson's on-again, off-again boyfriend and the father of her daughter, Je'Neiyce.
The material also contains a report that Plant City police corroborated today showing they never sent an officer to try to find Johnson.
This contradicts dispatch logs the department provided to News Channel 8 in December. At that time, the agency said the logs showed an officer had been sent to search a four-mile stretch of Interstate 4 in Thonotosassa, where a cell-phone tower had picked up Johnson's call.
Plant City police Capt. Darrell Wilson said today that an administrative review found that officer was working an unrelated security check in the area.
"There was never an officer dispatched," Wilson said. "That call log was for something different."
Police Chief Bill McDaniel's office said he was unavailable for comment today.
'I Guess We Shouldn't Have Assumed'
A Plant City communications operator recorded a 911 call with Johnson at 5:30 a.m. Nov. 15 that lasted about 1 minute 20 seconds. The conversation was so brief that Johnson did not provide a description of her car and could not say where she had been kidnapped, the documents say.
The operator had trouble hearing Johnson over loud music in the background. In addition, her cell phone number and wireless provider did not register when the call came in, making it difficult to map, Wilson and the discovery documents say.
The operator told her immediate supervisor and a patrol supervisor about the call after it disconnected, but neither listened to the call nor took any action, a report in the discovery documents says.
The log police provided in December showed an officer was dispatched at 5:38 a.m. that day along the interstate.
Today, Wilson said the department thought that officer had been sent to search for Johnson because of the agency's policy to send an officer to the last-known location of a disconnected 911 call.
"I guess we shouldn't have assumed," he said.
Johnson's phone did not have global-positioning system technology to help police pinpoint where she was. Her trunk did not have an internal release.
Activist Seeks 911 Reform
All cell phones should have GPS technology, said Nathan Lee, the president of a foundation named after his wife Denise Amber Lee.
"I got a GPS that can tell me where I'm going on the interstate," Nathan Lee said. "But we can't track down a cell phone? That's unbelievable."
Denise Amber Lee, 21, was abducted from her North Port home on Jan. 17, 2008. The daughter of a Charlotte County sheriff's sergeant, her disappearance touched off of a massive search by multiple agencies that ultimately failed to save her, but communications mistakes made on the night of her murder have spawned a broader movement to change the way emergency calls are handled in Florida and across the nation.
Nathan Lee is leading a push to ensure 911 dispatchers in Florida follow uniform regulations in handling emergency calls. Every agency's protocol is different, and dispatchers throughout the state have varying levels of training, Lee said.
A disparity in technology between 911 call centers is also an issue, he said. "The technology is there. Counties just can't get funding for it."
Although Johnson's signal couldn't be pinpointed, Lee said he finds it "very disturbing" that police said they sent units to find her when they really didn't.
Uniform standards for dispatchers—and technology—may have saved Johnson and his wife, Lee said.
"The foundation is going to get in touch with the Johnsons and offer our condolences," he said. "We want to let them know that progress is being made."
Johnson's family found her appeal for help heart-wrenching.
"It's devastating for me to hear," Rachel Johnson, the slain woman's sister, said of the 911 call. "She was reaching out for help, but no one was there to help her. I think about it every day, and there's nothing I can do."
Only Chance To Cry For Help
Johnson's aunt, Levery White, said even if the police were unable to find her, they should have tried.
"They didn't even send nobody. They didn't care," she said.
Relatives reported Johnson missing the evening of Nov. 15 after she did not show up for her daughter's birthday party.
Tampa police tracked her cell-phone activity through the phone company and on the morning of Nov. 18 discovered the 911 call had hit on a cell-phone tower at Interstate 4 and Thonotosassa Road.
Tampa police think the 911 call was the only opportunity Johnson had to communicate with authorities.
Johnson was found dead the evening of Nov. 18 in the garage of a vacant house in Lakeland, just south of Interstate 4 at the Kathleen Road exit. Her cell phone was tucked in her bra.
Phone records indicate that from about 8:15 a.m. Nov. 15 until the phone ran out of power, its signal pinged off a cell tower near the house where her body was found. She made no other calls.
Brown, 39, is accused of killing Johnson on Nov. 15, Je'Neiyce's 2nd birthday. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said detectives are investigating whether someone helped Brown. "There could be more arrests in the case," she said today.
Tribune reporter Ray Reyes and News Channel 8 reporters Krista Klaus and Samara Sodos contributed to this report. Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Dear Anonymous
this post was edited by me on April 1, 2009. (I had difficulty sleeping last night after mulling over what I posted. No sense everyone in the world knowing our personal finances but the trips are important.)
This question was asked on one of the comments to my blog. I wanted to address it.
"Peggy, I was wondering if you were going to address the question regarding the washington trip and who is paying? Is it coming from the donations that were meant for the kids? "
You can see it here:
http://toosad4words.blogspot.com/2009/03/pins-and-needles-and-work.html
Dear Anonymous,
Thank you for your comment and question. I'm having difficulty wondering why you would ask such a question. But in answer, there is a trust fund that was set up for Nathan and the boys which you can donate to at any SunTrust Bank. And there is the foundation fund which is used for 9-1-1 mishap awareness and to help other families with loved ones who died due to a 9-1-1 mishap.
We would never consider using the money that has been raised for Nathan and the children.
The Denise Amber Lee Foundation was launched in June 2008 as a result of the January 2008 tragic abduction and murder of Denise. The Foundation is a nonprofit initiative of my son, Nathan, Denise's widowed husband, who felt the need to honor the memory of Denise. The amazing response of the community to this senseless tragedy touched Nathan and our family so deeply that he felt compelled to return that support by helping to improve the 9-1-1 system.
It is the Foundation’s intention to raise awareness and promote more efficient 9-1-1 call centers through improved training and better technologies. We also intend to help other families who may have lost loved ones through 9-1-1 mishaps.
If you'd like to donate so that more of these trips are possible please send a check to:
The Denise Amber Lee Foundation
P. O. Box 639
Englewood, FL 34295-0639
Thank you.
This question was asked on one of the comments to my blog. I wanted to address it.
"Peggy, I was wondering if you were going to address the question regarding the washington trip and who is paying? Is it coming from the donations that were meant for the kids? "
You can see it here:
http://toosad4words.blogspot.com/2009/03/pins-and-needles-and-work.html
Dear Anonymous,
Thank you for your comment and question. I'm having difficulty wondering why you would ask such a question. But in answer, there is a trust fund that was set up for Nathan and the boys which you can donate to at any SunTrust Bank. And there is the foundation fund which is used for 9-1-1 mishap awareness and to help other families with loved ones who died due to a 9-1-1 mishap.
We would never consider using the money that has been raised for Nathan and the children.
The Denise Amber Lee Foundation was launched in June 2008 as a result of the January 2008 tragic abduction and murder of Denise. The Foundation is a nonprofit initiative of my son, Nathan, Denise's widowed husband, who felt the need to honor the memory of Denise. The amazing response of the community to this senseless tragedy touched Nathan and our family so deeply that he felt compelled to return that support by helping to improve the 9-1-1 system.
It is the Foundation’s intention to raise awareness and promote more efficient 9-1-1 call centers through improved training and better technologies. We also intend to help other families who may have lost loved ones through 9-1-1 mishaps.
If you'd like to donate so that more of these trips are possible please send a check to:
The Denise Amber Lee Foundation
P. O. Box 639
Englewood, FL 34295-0639
Thank you.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Olidia Kerr Day
I promised myself earlier that I would blog about Olidia Kerr Day and her family today. I feel such a connection to this story. From what I understand, Olidia saved her children and her family that day just as Denise saved Noah and Adam.
Olidia Kerr Day was a lovely woman living in SE Florida. Her tragedy parallels Denise's in a couple of ways.
First, she got the killer as far away from her family as she possibly could. What a hero.
Second, because she was using a cell phone things didn't go as she expected them to.
Because we're using old technology and not using the technology available precious minutes were lost in saving her life. Her 9-1-1 call went to the wrong police station.
She was begging for directions to the closest police station but because the dispatcher continued to ask questions as opposed to answering questions, Olidia didn't get the directions she needed.
She was eventually gunned down right outside the police station doors. The gunman then turned the gun on himself.
Was it Olidia's fault or the 9-1-1 dispatchers fault? All I know is that the system needs to change. I do know Olidia could've been saved had things been handled differently.
I'm not posting the video because in the video you actually see the murder.
Full story and transcript here along with audio if desired:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-dispatch-call-0511,0,5814602.story
Memorial website here:
http://olidia-viera-kerr-day.memory-of.com/About.aspx
Wasn't she a beautiful woman? It's simply heartbreaking. It's just wrong. What is wrong with our society? And why? why? why? The why's are endless.
Nathan was able to meet her son when they were both on Dr Phil a few months ago. I've been in some contact with her sister. But truly, what can you say? "sorry for your loss"..... just seems too trite.
God bless her family with much love and peace. I'm at such a loss with words.
Olidia Kerr Day was a lovely woman living in SE Florida. Her tragedy parallels Denise's in a couple of ways.
First, she got the killer as far away from her family as she possibly could. What a hero.
Second, because she was using a cell phone things didn't go as she expected them to.
Because we're using old technology and not using the technology available precious minutes were lost in saving her life. Her 9-1-1 call went to the wrong police station.
She was begging for directions to the closest police station but because the dispatcher continued to ask questions as opposed to answering questions, Olidia didn't get the directions she needed.
She was eventually gunned down right outside the police station doors. The gunman then turned the gun on himself.
Was it Olidia's fault or the 9-1-1 dispatchers fault? All I know is that the system needs to change. I do know Olidia could've been saved had things been handled differently.
I'm not posting the video because in the video you actually see the murder.
Full story and transcript here along with audio if desired:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-dispatch-call-0511,0,5814602.story
Memorial website here:
http://olidia-viera-kerr-day.memory-of.com/About.aspx
Wasn't she a beautiful woman? It's simply heartbreaking. It's just wrong. What is wrong with our society? And why? why? why? The why's are endless.
Nathan was able to meet her son when they were both on Dr Phil a few months ago. I've been in some contact with her sister. But truly, what can you say? "sorry for your loss"..... just seems too trite.
God bless her family with much love and peace. I'm at such a loss with words.
I really do have to slow down
My blood pressure the last couple of days has been very high. Friday I just knew it was high. I have some blurred vision and I just don't feel right. I have a blood pressure machine therefore I took it when I got home. It was 187/97. I've taken it off and on since Friday and it's up and down.
I just don't feel right.
After reading what I blogged this morning and I'm not sure if I've repeated myself or not. I did add a new sidebar that gives 9-1-1 cell phone tips. I like that. It makes me feel as if I'm doing something positive.
I should probably help with the boys more today but I just can't. That saddens me.
sigh
Doctors tomorrow, I guess. Everything is starting to take it's toll.
double sigh
If only I was 10 years younger.
triple sigh
sorry for the mood:o) I'll get out of it.
I just don't feel right.
After reading what I blogged this morning and I'm not sure if I've repeated myself or not. I did add a new sidebar that gives 9-1-1 cell phone tips. I like that. It makes me feel as if I'm doing something positive.
I should probably help with the boys more today but I just can't. That saddens me.
sigh
Doctors tomorrow, I guess. Everything is starting to take it's toll.
double sigh
If only I was 10 years younger.
triple sigh
sorry for the mood:o) I'll get out of it.
Denise Amber Lee, the Foundation and making a difference
We are so honored
I feel awkward not highlighting the reasons of our trip. Nathan, Mark and Sean were there to learn all they could about 9-1-1 from the experts in the industry. The president of NENA (National Emergency Number Association) expressed a desire to meet in Washington after he met Nathan at CalNENA the 9-1-1 conference in San Diego.
I wish I knew the details and was a fly on the wall at the meetings. I did glean some information but not as much as I'd like. I believe they want Nathan and Mark to lend some help in drafting the legislation to put before Congress for improving 9-1-1. Denise would be so proud knowing that her story and tragedy has helped change laws that will help save lives.
We can't bring her back but we can do all we can to see that others don't have to suffer needlessly because of poor 9-1-1 standards.
The meeting with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children was also a much needed meeting. He helped guide us on how to expose our cause tastefully. He suggested follow up Primetime and Dateline stories. And even getting in touch with Oprah.
I didn't know that John Walsh and his wife lost their home, too, after Adam went missing. We can't blame Denise's tragedy for losing our home. The economy did that. But the loss of work certainly didn't help matters and probably sped the process a long.
The representative from the Center for Missing and Exploited Children helped us greatly with some ideas on how to handle this. We're still so new at this. But! We want to make this change happen and will do what we have to do.
We hear about so many 9-1-1 tragedies from people. Part of our mission statement is to help other families who have experienced loss of a loved one through a 9-1-1 mishap. It would break your heart to read about them all.
I may start posting some of the stories here. I already wrote about poor little Matthew Cantrell and his family. I've yet to write about Olidia Kerr Day's family and her tragic death. I hesitate even to start naming stories because there are so many important ones (they are all important) that I hate to leave any one out!
Yes, maybe later today I'll write about Olidia Kerr Day if I'm up to it. If I do this I'll be continuing to bring awareness to this issue.
The fight (for me at least) is bittersweet. Bitter because it's not easy reading all these stories and putting our pain out there for all to see. Sweet because Denise was simply so sweet and innocent and doing this for her makes it all worthwhile. And who couldn't or wouldn't do this for her? I believe this was the reason she had to go. It's the only reason I can think of.
Much love and peace.
I feel awkward not highlighting the reasons of our trip. Nathan, Mark and Sean were there to learn all they could about 9-1-1 from the experts in the industry. The president of NENA (National Emergency Number Association) expressed a desire to meet in Washington after he met Nathan at CalNENA the 9-1-1 conference in San Diego.
I wish I knew the details and was a fly on the wall at the meetings. I did glean some information but not as much as I'd like. I believe they want Nathan and Mark to lend some help in drafting the legislation to put before Congress for improving 9-1-1. Denise would be so proud knowing that her story and tragedy has helped change laws that will help save lives.
We can't bring her back but we can do all we can to see that others don't have to suffer needlessly because of poor 9-1-1 standards.
The meeting with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children was also a much needed meeting. He helped guide us on how to expose our cause tastefully. He suggested follow up Primetime and Dateline stories. And even getting in touch with Oprah.
I didn't know that John Walsh and his wife lost their home, too, after Adam went missing. We can't blame Denise's tragedy for losing our home. The economy did that. But the loss of work certainly didn't help matters and probably sped the process a long.
The representative from the Center for Missing and Exploited Children helped us greatly with some ideas on how to handle this. We're still so new at this. But! We want to make this change happen and will do what we have to do.
We hear about so many 9-1-1 tragedies from people. Part of our mission statement is to help other families who have experienced loss of a loved one through a 9-1-1 mishap. It would break your heart to read about them all.
I may start posting some of the stories here. I already wrote about poor little Matthew Cantrell and his family. I've yet to write about Olidia Kerr Day's family and her tragic death. I hesitate even to start naming stories because there are so many important ones (they are all important) that I hate to leave any one out!
Yes, maybe later today I'll write about Olidia Kerr Day if I'm up to it. If I do this I'll be continuing to bring awareness to this issue.
The fight (for me at least) is bittersweet. Bitter because it's not easy reading all these stories and putting our pain out there for all to see. Sweet because Denise was simply so sweet and innocent and doing this for her makes it all worthwhile. And who couldn't or wouldn't do this for her? I believe this was the reason she had to go. It's the only reason I can think of.
Much love and peace.
Friday, March 6, 2009
On a brighter, lighter note
Through this journey we are meeting many MANY good people. Mark and Nathan both came home from California talking about the 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers they met. Mark and Nate both said these people were eager for knowledge and eager for information on how they can do their jobs better.
I have also been in touch with a former dispatcher from Charlotte County. She, too, wants so much to see how things can improve.
This industry is chock full of dedicated, passionate and diligent individuals. So, when I get angry I don't intend or mean to diss on the entire industry.
This is a sample of some of the notes and emails Nathan and Mark have received:
Nathan,
I wanted to thank you for telling your story. I am even more thankful that God sent Kevin Willet to bring us together. Your loss of Denise has served as my wake up call. It is so easy to get lost in the day to day routines and to lose focus of why we do the job we were called to do. Both D~~~ and I have made it a point to bring more awareness to your story. We are actively telling all C~~ dispatchers we encounter , your story. We hope we can help you further now, tomorrow and in the future. Don't take no for an answer. We support you and will keep Denise alive by improving the way we do business. Thank you.
My point being there are positives in all this madness. And it is (as I've expressed before) madness.
The more these tragic stories are told the more people will know that this industry needs our help. So many depend on 9-1-1. Denise did. Mrs Cantrell did. Brittany Zimmerman did. Olidia Kerr Day and countless others expected something more than they received. Was it the industry's fault or is it our fault because we're not educated in the way 9-1-1 works? Especially with the use of cell phones. In the Cantrell's case it obviously had nothing to do with cell phones but with procedure.
I hope with all these cases we learn from them and fix the issues to help prevent and minimize mistakes in the future.
Awareness. That's what it's all about.
God bless all 9-1-1 dispatchers and call takers with direction, guidance, steadiness, passion and empathy. And thank you. I never mean to sound ungrateful.
I have also been in touch with a former dispatcher from Charlotte County. She, too, wants so much to see how things can improve.
This industry is chock full of dedicated, passionate and diligent individuals. So, when I get angry I don't intend or mean to diss on the entire industry.
This is a sample of some of the notes and emails Nathan and Mark have received:
Nathan,
I wanted to thank you for telling your story. I am even more thankful that God sent Kevin Willet to bring us together. Your loss of Denise has served as my wake up call. It is so easy to get lost in the day to day routines and to lose focus of why we do the job we were called to do. Both D~~~ and I have made it a point to bring more awareness to your story. We are actively telling all C~~ dispatchers we encounter , your story. We hope we can help you further now, tomorrow and in the future. Don't take no for an answer. We support you and will keep Denise alive by improving the way we do business. Thank you.
My point being there are positives in all this madness. And it is (as I've expressed before) madness.
The more these tragic stories are told the more people will know that this industry needs our help. So many depend on 9-1-1. Denise did. Mrs Cantrell did. Brittany Zimmerman did. Olidia Kerr Day and countless others expected something more than they received. Was it the industry's fault or is it our fault because we're not educated in the way 9-1-1 works? Especially with the use of cell phones. In the Cantrell's case it obviously had nothing to do with cell phones but with procedure.
I hope with all these cases we learn from them and fix the issues to help prevent and minimize mistakes in the future.
Awareness. That's what it's all about.
God bless all 9-1-1 dispatchers and call takers with direction, guidance, steadiness, passion and empathy. And thank you. I never mean to sound ungrateful.
Matthew Cantrell and 9-1-1
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I thought my babies and grandbabies were adorable but look at this little guy! Isn't he or I should say wasn't he adorable. Yes, wasn't. Another 9-1-1 tragedy. And one I simply can't get out of my mind.
Little Matthew was from Murphy, Texas. He, his mom and his older brother were watching TV when Matthew wandered away. He somehow became tangled up in a play soccer net. By the time the mom noticed he was missing he was in deep trouble. Matthew's mom tried desperately to save his life. I listened to the 9-1-1 call today and you can literally hear the desperation in her voice.
It brought back some memories of my own two boys when they were little. One time Brian somehow got out of the house and he was standing in the middle of Carrollton Road. He was standing on the double yellow line wearing nothing but a diaper. I forget what I was doing. I must've been doing something. Because there he was out there in the street.
Nathan when he was two swallowed all my high blood pressure pills. He climbed up the kitchen counter and somehow got the pills. The child proof lid wasn't on tight. I thought he was upstairs napping and there he was in there eating my pills as if they were candy. We rushed him to the hospital and on the way I heard his death rattle. They saw us come in the ER and pushed everyone who was ahead of us out of the way and all the doctors started working on him.
My point is things happen. I wasn't an unfit mother.
In Matthew's case the 9-1-1 call taker can be heard saying "he either tried to strangle himself or someone tried to strangle him". What bull. The baby was only a year old! You can hear the call taker saying that as clear as day! Who did he think he was? God? Accidents and tragedies happen. Not everyone these days wants to harm their kids. Sadly there are folks out there that do great harm and actually kill their kids. But if this call taker had listened, truly listened instead of judging he would have heard the mom (who, yes, tragically was hysterical) trying her best to calm herself down. She literally begged the man to tell her what to do.
Do these call takers become desensitized through time? Do they witness so much tragedy that they don't feel it anymore?
You hear them discussing it afterwards and they're just cold. It's creepy. One says "yeah, she wasn't going to listen. I tried and she just wasn't going to listen". That's totally untrue. She did try and you can hear her telling herself "calm down. I have to calm down. Breathe."
Then the police on the scene separate this poor distraught mother from her son! Because they presumed it was a crime scene? OH MY GOD! HOW DO YOU DO THAT? WHO MADE THAT DECISION???? Then they tell the paramedics that "he is gone" and that it is "now a crime scene". Meanwhile the paramedics testified how the mom could be heard screaming her grief. Well heck yeah! The paramedics understood. I'd be screaming too if they had separated me from Nathan or Brian. Just watch the movie "Dumbo" when Dumbo's taken from his mom. Yes, I think I could become violent. The night Nathan was a suspect in Denise's death, I wouldn't leave. He wanted me to. He asked me almost begged me to go home and help Sue with the babies. Would I leave? Hell NO! Even tho' he was 23 years old, I wasn't leaving. He was in danger. His wife was in danger.
Fortunately those paramedics forced the issue and told the cop who thought he was God, that they were the ones to decide whether there was life.
Sadly and tragically because of all the wasted time any chance of little Matthew surviving was thrown away and it all began with the call taker who wasn't helping the mom. Then just as in Denise's case it all snowballed and like Denise, little Matthew didn't have a chance.
And this cop decides to play God and separate the boy from his mom and treat it as a crime scene? The call taker assumes someone tried to strangle him? Holy Hell.
Excuse my language but I'm quite distraught over this.
Also, Matthew's 4 yo older brother witnessed the whole thing. Mom sent him for the scissors to cut through the net. Does that sound like someone who just tried to strangle her child?
I just look at that beautiful face. He was beautiful! It's obvious in his face and chubby arms his parents adored him! That he was a healthy beautiful boy.
I would think that the citizens in Murphy, Texas would be up in arms saying "hey! this is wrong! We deserve better!" "We can do better!"
But, you know, just like in Charlotte County the City of Murphy doesn't think they handled anyo of this wrong. They feel they handled everything appropriately. Sound familiar?
Hah! Sorry for the rant.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Denise Amber Lee and Matthew Cantrell, In Heaven Together
Today Mark has interviews with some professional video makers. (Sean did this one and it was beautiful. There were glitches tho' in the audio). Anyhow, Mark has to watch the video 3 more times today at those interviews. Since Nathan will be speaking more and more it's important to get something polished.
sigh
Putting your pain on public display is not an easy task. I truly don't know how Nathan does it. I guess he has his purpose and he's driven. My part was reading that IA report 3 times. That wasn't easy either. But I was driven and had my purpose.
I guess the human race can endure all sorts of suffering if in the end they feel they've contributed something positive to their fellow man.
I honestly believe 9-1-1 reform is desperately needed.
I was in communication with a family from Texas last week while the guys were away in California. They lost their son, Matthew, only a year old to a tragic accident. He accidentally got caught up in a soccer net. His mother called 9-1-1. She asked the 9-1-1 call taker 8 (eight) times "what should I do?" She was never told and wasn't connected to a EMT for another 2 and a half minutes. Even after being connected to the EMT she wasn't helped. They said she was too hysterical. Ugh!
The police arrived followed by the paramedics. Shockingly the police separated the mother from her dying son. Then when the paramedics arrived the police with arms spread out blocked their entry way and said that it was a crime scene. At least that's how I read the articles. I got it wrong or the articles did (nothing unusual there) because this is what the father told me:
"The paramedics that were blocked by the police were from the fire department. The first two paramedics had already entered my house. The first two paramedics were met by one of the police officers at the ambulance. This meant that the police officer left Matthew to tell the paramedics that 'He is gone' and 'This is a crime scene'. The paramedics had to advise the police officer that they would determine if he was alive. Matthew was alive, but was left for dead by the police officer and the police officer did delay the paramedics instead of helping them come inside."
Can you imagine? The boy wasn't dead. And he lived for another 3 days until the family decided to take him off life support. He was only a year old. sigh.
http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa081119_lj_slater.1ca3c0112.html
It's bad. Bad things happen. And the little Texas town where this happened should be outraged. It was PRESUMED that the young mom intentionally hurt her child! It's just too horrific to think about. It's literally worse than a family's worst nightmare.
The dad says he relives all the facts over and over again. I do the same thing with the IA report. People say "don't dwell on it". Heh! Like we're trying to dwell on it.
Good for this young family from Texas! They are advocating changes in the 9-1-1 system. They already have had success getting the soccer nets recalled. They are driven to seeing that this never happens again to another little boy. God bless them for that and keep them strong.
Nathan is looking forward to meeting this family when he goes to Texas. Denise will not have died in vain and neither will have little Matthew.
sigh
Putting your pain on public display is not an easy task. I truly don't know how Nathan does it. I guess he has his purpose and he's driven. My part was reading that IA report 3 times. That wasn't easy either. But I was driven and had my purpose.
I guess the human race can endure all sorts of suffering if in the end they feel they've contributed something positive to their fellow man.
I honestly believe 9-1-1 reform is desperately needed.
I was in communication with a family from Texas last week while the guys were away in California. They lost their son, Matthew, only a year old to a tragic accident. He accidentally got caught up in a soccer net. His mother called 9-1-1. She asked the 9-1-1 call taker 8 (eight) times "what should I do?" She was never told and wasn't connected to a EMT for another 2 and a half minutes. Even after being connected to the EMT she wasn't helped. They said she was too hysterical. Ugh!
The police arrived followed by the paramedics. Shockingly the police separated the mother from her dying son. Then when the paramedics arrived the police with arms spread out blocked their entry way and said that it was a crime scene. At least that's how I read the articles. I got it wrong or the articles did (nothing unusual there) because this is what the father told me:
"The paramedics that were blocked by the police were from the fire department. The first two paramedics had already entered my house. The first two paramedics were met by one of the police officers at the ambulance. This meant that the police officer left Matthew to tell the paramedics that 'He is gone' and 'This is a crime scene'. The paramedics had to advise the police officer that they would determine if he was alive. Matthew was alive, but was left for dead by the police officer and the police officer did delay the paramedics instead of helping them come inside."
Can you imagine? The boy wasn't dead. And he lived for another 3 days until the family decided to take him off life support. He was only a year old. sigh.
http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa081119_lj_slater.1ca3c0112.html
It's bad. Bad things happen. And the little Texas town where this happened should be outraged. It was PRESUMED that the young mom intentionally hurt her child! It's just too horrific to think about. It's literally worse than a family's worst nightmare.
The dad says he relives all the facts over and over again. I do the same thing with the IA report. People say "don't dwell on it". Heh! Like we're trying to dwell on it.
Good for this young family from Texas! They are advocating changes in the 9-1-1 system. They already have had success getting the soccer nets recalled. They are driven to seeing that this never happens again to another little boy. God bless them for that and keep them strong.
Nathan is looking forward to meeting this family when he goes to Texas. Denise will not have died in vain and neither will have little Matthew.
Okay. I have to go pack. What a depressing day. Everyday without Denise is sad. And for this Texas family, everyday without Matthew must be as equally heartbreaking.
I don't know how their call taker was reprimanded. I should find out. The heartbroken family doesn't believe they were reprimanded at all.
The dad is supposed to send me a link to the 9-1-1 call. If I get his permission I'll post it.
Our call taker only had to take 12 hours of remedial training. heh. As if that's going to help. Some people are simply untrainable.
Much love and peace.
In other news:
We are moving this weekend. I don't know how we're going to do it. The piano was picked up today. We sent it over to Nathan's house. So, it's not too far away.
Again, much love and peace and please pray for the Cantrell family in Texas.
Little Matthew Cantrell. Sweet angel.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Nathan Lee welcomed with open arms at California convention
I can't describe how moving it is to be working towards improving our 911 system and helping to save lives. I've never been involved with emergency services. I've volunteered for different things in the past. I've been involved with the community. But this is so different. Maybe it's because we're doing it for Denise.
In today's Sun Herald
Published on: Saturday, February 28, 2009
Nathan Lee welcomed with open arms at California convention
NORTH PORT -- Earlier this week, Nathan Lee, his father Mark, North Port businessman Dave Dignam, and City Commissioner David Garofalo -- all members of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation -- flew to California to attend the annual California National Emergency Number Association conference, where Nathan was the keynote speaker.
Although Nathan has spent a lot of time speaking to the media and other groups since his wife Denise's murder, he admitted to being "a little nervous" about speaking about the foundation's efforts to improve the 911 system in front of more than 600 people, but said, "It went really well."
"Before I even started speaking, and after I gave a 10-minute video presentation with the headlines and stories, I basically got a five-minute standing ovation," he said, adding his 45-minute speech was very emotional. "And I got another huge ovation afterward. Everyone is extremely happy that we're trying to change the industry."
The story of 21-year-old Denise's kidnapping and murder made national headlines last year. Jane Kowalski, of Tampa, called Charlotte County dispatchers on the night Denise was kidnapped in January 2008. She spent nine minutes on the phone with the 911 operator, describing what she was seeing -- someone banging on the window and screaming -- in the car behind her, reportedly driven by suspect Michael King, 37. But police searching for Denise never received the information, because the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office did not relay it.
Denise's body was found two days later off Toledo Blade Boulevard, and King was charged with kidnapping, rape and capital murder. His trial is scheduled for August.
Nathan said he met "everyone" at the conference.
"They just can't believe that I'm doing this, and expect I should be mad at the industry, because most people would be bashing it," he said. "I just told them that doesn't accomplish anything, and Denise would not want me to do that. I've been given the opportunity to change things -- how can I not try?"
By the end of the conference, Nathan said just about everyone was wearing a Remember Denise Amber Lee bracelet or pin.
"The people at the conference ... basically the dispatch community of California, everybody basically donated $5,000 to the foundation. They started to raise the money when they found out that we were nonprofit," he said. "The most unbelievable thing to me is seeing that Denise has been able to make a difference already."
Garofalo, a fire captain in Pasco County, called the trip "absolutely moving."
"For them to embrace the cause as much as they did ... Their standards are probably the highest in the country," he said, "but they look at it as they can always do better. I think there's probably a lot of that in Florida. We've been exposed for the bad, but there's a lot of good people in Florida, and I think we're all going to move forward with this."
Nathan also has been invited to speak at several other venues, including the California State Assembly.
"I believe I'll be attending the national (NENA) conference in Fort Worth, Texas, and 911 Goes to Washington, D.C., in March for a two- to three-day event to talk to legislators. I've been invited ... I'm not sure if I can go, but I want to," he said, calling the invitations a great honor. "It's amazing. Other than marrying Denise and seeing my two children born, this is probably the fourth best thing that's ever happened to me."
For more information about the Denise Amber Lee Foundation, visit deniseamberlee.org.
E-mail: annek@sun-herald.com
By ANNE KLOCKENKEMPER
My favorite quote in the article from Nathan "It's amazing. Other than marrying Denise and seeing my two children born, this is probably the fourth best thing that's ever happened to me."
In today's Sun Herald
Published on: Saturday, February 28, 2009
Nathan Lee welcomed with open arms at California convention
NORTH PORT -- Earlier this week, Nathan Lee, his father Mark, North Port businessman Dave Dignam, and City Commissioner David Garofalo -- all members of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation -- flew to California to attend the annual California National Emergency Number Association conference, where Nathan was the keynote speaker.
Although Nathan has spent a lot of time speaking to the media and other groups since his wife Denise's murder, he admitted to being "a little nervous" about speaking about the foundation's efforts to improve the 911 system in front of more than 600 people, but said, "It went really well."
"Before I even started speaking, and after I gave a 10-minute video presentation with the headlines and stories, I basically got a five-minute standing ovation," he said, adding his 45-minute speech was very emotional. "And I got another huge ovation afterward. Everyone is extremely happy that we're trying to change the industry."
The story of 21-year-old Denise's kidnapping and murder made national headlines last year. Jane Kowalski, of Tampa, called Charlotte County dispatchers on the night Denise was kidnapped in January 2008. She spent nine minutes on the phone with the 911 operator, describing what she was seeing -- someone banging on the window and screaming -- in the car behind her, reportedly driven by suspect Michael King, 37. But police searching for Denise never received the information, because the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office did not relay it.
Denise's body was found two days later off Toledo Blade Boulevard, and King was charged with kidnapping, rape and capital murder. His trial is scheduled for August.
Nathan said he met "everyone" at the conference.
"They just can't believe that I'm doing this, and expect I should be mad at the industry, because most people would be bashing it," he said. "I just told them that doesn't accomplish anything, and Denise would not want me to do that. I've been given the opportunity to change things -- how can I not try?"
By the end of the conference, Nathan said just about everyone was wearing a Remember Denise Amber Lee bracelet or pin.
"The people at the conference ... basically the dispatch community of California, everybody basically donated $5,000 to the foundation. They started to raise the money when they found out that we were nonprofit," he said. "The most unbelievable thing to me is seeing that Denise has been able to make a difference already."
Garofalo, a fire captain in Pasco County, called the trip "absolutely moving."
"For them to embrace the cause as much as they did ... Their standards are probably the highest in the country," he said, "but they look at it as they can always do better. I think there's probably a lot of that in Florida. We've been exposed for the bad, but there's a lot of good people in Florida, and I think we're all going to move forward with this."
Nathan also has been invited to speak at several other venues, including the California State Assembly.
"I believe I'll be attending the national (NENA) conference in Fort Worth, Texas, and 911 Goes to Washington, D.C., in March for a two- to three-day event to talk to legislators. I've been invited ... I'm not sure if I can go, but I want to," he said, calling the invitations a great honor. "It's amazing. Other than marrying Denise and seeing my two children born, this is probably the fourth best thing that's ever happened to me."
For more information about the Denise Amber Lee Foundation, visit deniseamberlee.org.
E-mail: annek@sun-herald.com
By ANNE KLOCKENKEMPER
My favorite quote in the article from Nathan "It's amazing. Other than marrying Denise and seeing my two children born, this is probably the fourth best thing that's ever happened to me."
Comment on the Denise Amber Lee website
It's so moving and wonderful the welcome the guys received out in California!
Since their return we have received many emails which, of course I am going to leave private. All express gratitude towards our guys! And it's we who should be expressing gratitude towards them! The people involved in 9-1-1 out in CA were so wonderful. The national representatives were wonderful. They just don't know what a boost of energy this has given us.
God bless them.
This comment was posted on the Denise Amber Lee website http://www.deniseamberlee.org/ :
John P. Says
2/26/2009 I would like to commend you for the work you are doing. It must be very hard for you and your family to relive this tragedy over again. However, you have turned it around and made it something that will hopefully open the eyes of a lot of personnel within our Government and Law Enforcement Community. I personally had a chance to meet you and David at the CAL NENA 2009 Conference in San Diego CA. Your presentation really hit home. I am a Supervisor within a 9-1-1 Communications Center and will personally challenge my Dispatchers to do everything possible with their training and technology/equipment available to them, to make sure this does not happen. Thank you for the opportunity to hear of this tragic incident and can only hope and pray that your message of hope can only save more lives. Thank you again!
Since their return we have received many emails which, of course I am going to leave private. All express gratitude towards our guys! And it's we who should be expressing gratitude towards them! The people involved in 9-1-1 out in CA were so wonderful. The national representatives were wonderful. They just don't know what a boost of energy this has given us.
God bless them.
This comment was posted on the Denise Amber Lee website http://www.deniseamberlee.org/ :
John P. Says
2/26/2009 I would like to commend you for the work you are doing. It must be very hard for you and your family to relive this tragedy over again. However, you have turned it around and made it something that will hopefully open the eyes of a lot of personnel within our Government and Law Enforcement Community. I personally had a chance to meet you and David at the CAL NENA 2009 Conference in San Diego CA. Your presentation really hit home. I am a Supervisor within a 9-1-1 Communications Center and will personally challenge my Dispatchers to do everything possible with their training and technology/equipment available to them, to make sure this does not happen. Thank you for the opportunity to hear of this tragic incident and can only hope and pray that your message of hope can only save more lives. Thank you again!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Nathan Lee CalNENA press release
FOUNDING PRESIDENT NATHAN LEE DELIVERS KEY NOTE ADDRESS TO CALIFORNIAS ANNUAL 9-1-1 CONFERENCE
San Diego- After a 5 minute standing ovation from the nation's largest chapter of The National Emergency Number Association (NENA), Nathan Lee came through on his promise to not let his wife's death be in vain by delivering a 45 minute speech that left not a dry eye at the San Diego Conference.
"It was an honor to speak in front of a group of such dedicated public servants who perform one of the most noblest professions in saving lives" Lee said.
The 4 day conference attracted experts worldwide in the 911 EmergencyCommunication Industry.
Mr Lee was invited to speak to the California's State Assembly to raise awareness on the importance of 911 training, funding and uniformed standards.
"The fact that Denise's story is able to make a positive impact on such a large scale and so very far away is inspiring to many in the profession and we are beginning to see her death was not in vain" Lee continued.
Geoff Weiss who is the Training Supervisor for the Communications Division of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department was the one behind the scenes and responsible for getting Nathan Lee to California, he had reached out toNathan early on in his ordeal and said that he had hoped he could help in any way that he could, "I am proud of the way California regulates dispatch and even more proud of how the members of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation were not only here for a key note speech but embedded themselves in every aspect of this 4 day conference, they really showed that they have a passion for fixing 911, I was incredibly impressed by the way they were so involved" Weiss stated.
Nathan was accompanied by other Directors from the Foundation including his father Mark Lee, Businessman Dave Dignam and North Port City Commissioner David Garofalo.
The group was able to make many contacts and are very certain that this is "Now" a national issue and will be traveling to Washington, Texas and Nevada for future national events in which the foundation was invited to participate.
I'm so proud and grateful to all who had something to do with sending Nathan and Mark to San Diego. It was so very healthy and good for them both. Emotionally, I know, they both needed it.
Dave Dignam and David Garofalo deserve our unwavering and undying gratitude. They took time away from their jobs and more especially, away from their families to be there to support Nathan. Their presence made all the difference. Yes, Mark wrote a fantastic speech that touched all the necessary points and, yes, Nathan delivered it with truly heartfelt compassion. But both the Daves networking abilities and their support made all the difference in making the entire 4-day trip a success and not just the speech. God bless you and thank you for that.
For the first time in over a year, I feel hope. I see light. I see that Denise has not died in vain. This journey is a journey of hope for so many, many peoples. And we WILL and CAN succeed in making a difference.
Angels in blue take heart! These men did a fantastic job! The hard work is paying off.
And to all the dedicated, compassionate and diligent dispatchers and call takers across the country and around the world, thank you for doing the jobs you do. And for most of you, thank you, for recognizing we are only wanting to help.
God bless California for inviting us. I can't tell you what it's meant to my family in our grieving process. Denise would be so honored and so proud.
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