It has been a while

since I have blogged. We have had a lot going on in the past few weeks. As you probably realize with all the articles I have been posting, the Florida legislators are in session. I finally had to stop posting articles because I was becoming emotionally ill. Sometimes I wonder when it all will stop. I guess we could step away at anytime but even so, I do not believe the pain will end. I do know that by going to Tallahassee, being involved, no matter how sick I feel about it all and the constant reliving of Denise's tragedy, it is the right thing to do. These pieces of legislation are so important if we are ever to see the 9-1-1 system improve. I keep thinking of Brian Wood who laid dead beside a remote road for 18 hours because a call taker dismissed a teenager's call to her. Ugh! Then I go through a litany of other victims and well..... I cannot walk away. The suffering and pain sometimes is unbearable and I feel as if I will breakdown if I go on. But, then who is stepping up? Who is speaking out? Who else is outraged? i guess I am obssessed.

Today's Sun Herald by Elaine Allen-Emrich:

http://www.sunnewspapers.net/articles/tsnews.aspx?ArticleID=454252&pubdate=3/22/2010


Denise Amber Lee's story captured in 911 training video

The video camera rolled as Peggy Lee fought tears. Talking about the horrific 911 call her daughter-in-law, Denise Amber Lee, made on the day she was brutally murdered is always traumatic for Peggy.

More than two years after Denise's death, Peggy still can hardly bear to hear the call. Rather, she holds on to the positive exchange the two shared the night before Denise was abducted from her North Port home on Jan. 17, 2008.

"Denise's last words were that she loved me," said Peggy, adding that the next and final time she would hear Denise's voice was in the 911 call as she cried and begged for her life. Denise, 21, had been kidnapped at gunpoint and was trapped in the back of Michael King's Camaro.

But now, Peggy says it's time for others to hear the call and hopefully learn from Denise's careful clues to the 911 operator.

Without King knowing, Denise got a hold of his prepaid cell phone and dialed 911. She gave the call taker valuable information about who she was, her address and her family before the call abruptly ended six minutes later. The call made jurors in King's trial understand her helplessness and suffering just hours before she died.

"Everyone needs to listen to the call because it has so many teaching moments," Peggy said. "If it means helping someone else, then it is worth it."

Before sentencing King to death, 12th Circuit Judge Deno Economou said it is "rare that one can actually hear such emotion in the voice of an innocent victim who is doomed to be murdered. The 911 recording of the victim tragically reveals her fear, mental state, terror and her emotional strain."

Peggy was recently interviewed for a training video and documentary about Denise by Kevin Willet, the founder of 911 Cares, which offers emotional support and financial assistance for communicators in crisis. It is part of Public Safety Training Consultants, America's largest in-service training provider, according to its Web site.

After meeting Denise's widower, Nathan Lee, who served as the keynote speaker at an out-of-state 911 conference, Willet asked if he could recreate Denise's last day alive for a training video for telecommunications operators.

Also interviewed were Denise's father, Rick Goff, a longtime Charlotte County Sheriff's Office sergeant, King trial jurors and witness Jane Kowalski who also called 911 to report details of a suspicious Camaro with someone screaming and banging on the car window for help. The 911 call taker Kowalski spoke with didn't send law enforcement despite a massive manhunt for Denise hours after she disappeared.

"I'm going to give copies of the DVD to the Denise Amber Lee Foundation (for 911 reform)," Willet said. "I expect to have the video complete next month."

Peggy said the video can be used to give to politicians and others possibly interested in supporting laws to make 911 training standards universal throughout the country.

"Every time we speak about fixing the problems with the 911 system, we have to relive Denise's story," Peggy said. "It's emotionally draining. I know before I speak in public, I reread my statement 20 or 30 times ahead of time. I relive it over and over again."

Peggy said if she had the video she would have used it Thursday after being allowed less than one minute to testify before the state House Energy and Utilities Committee. Peggy and her husband Mark traveled six hours to attend the hearing in Tallahassee. They support a House bill that would charge a small fee (1 percent) from prepaid cell phones and calling cards to pay for universal 911 training standards. The measure could generate about $11 million annually. A 50 cent-per-month fee is already applied to home and cell phones.

Due to time constraints, House members decided to delay the vote on HB 163 bill until this week.

"If I had the DVD, I could have given it to the House representatives and asked them to watch it when they had a chance," Peggy said. "We will be able to do that at conferences, conventions and dinners. We know this DVD will be shown in Canada and as far away as Samoa."

Peggy said her son Nathan could have also given U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, a copy of the DVD after the two met in Washington, D.C., last week. Buchanan helped present the E-911 Institute's 911 Advocacy Award for 2010 to Nathan for creating the Denise Amber Lee Foundation and lobbying Florida legislators to raise standards for its 235 emergency call systems.

"The fact that it (Denise's murder) may have been prevented makes it all the more tragic," Buchanan said in a statement. "I applaud Nathan for working to turn a tragedy into something positive that could help save lives in the future."

The E-911 Institute is a Washington advocacy group that promotes public education on 911 and emergency communications issues.

E-mail: eallen@sun-herald.com


By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH

North Port Community News Editor

What Floridians can do to help The Denise Amber Lee Foundation

DID YOU KNOW????

That Florida has no mandatory training standard for their 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers?

YET!
Florida requires barbers, nail technicians and landscapers to be trained and certified.

DOES THIS MAKE SENSE?
9-1-1 telecommunicators are our First Line of Defense in Public Safety and Homeland Security. They cannot be our weakest link!!!

NEEDED NOW!!!

Call, write or email your Florida State Representative and demand that all Florida 9-1-1 telecommunicators be trained and certified to a uniform standard.

Go to www.leg.state.fl.us to find your representatives.


For more information about our foundation visit www.DeniseAmberLee.org

Our foundation is supported by APCO International (Association of Public Safety Communications Officials), NENA (National Emergency Number Association), NAED (National Academies of Emergency Dispatch) and 911CARES.

Thank you

It's been a while since I've blogged. I'm not sorry for that. My thoughts have been going every which way and much of them would not make much sense to most people. We wrote a letter to the local editors with a thank you but I need to write more. I wrote that letter out of a sense of duty laced with heartfelt gratitude but much was left unsaid.

You would think things would get easier now that the trial is over. Having the trial over is a major relief. We were very blessed and still are in so many ways.

1. The judge was so thorough. He crossed every t and dotted every i. He was determined that there should be no mistrial.
2. The prosecuting team was in a word awesome. I could listen to Lon Arend speak all day. His professionalism was exceptional. He never lost his cool and slowly and methodically presented the state's case against Michael King. His sensitivity was incredible. He had to present the horrific facts all the while knowing our family was sitting there and reliving the pain.
3. The defense team did their utmost and everything they could to save Michael King. And even though they irritated the hell out of me and listening to them was like nails running down a chalkboard, I was grateful they did all they could. Why? Because there will be less likelihood that this case gets overturned. It was that solid.
4. The jury, like the judge did all they could to cross every t and dot every i. They sat there in stoic silence listening and paying the closest attention to every that was said. They listened to Denise's tragedy with such strength. I commend them and thank them for performing their civic duty with such dignity.
5. Police Chief Lewis who sat their every day with the lead detective. Job well done. They too were as sensitive as possible. I was so moved.
6. And, of course, our family and friends. Oh crap. I'm tearring up thinking about them. My sister, Chris, who came in from Indiana... our friend, Kevin Willett from the 9-1-1 industry from California... Nancy and Kathy who were there everyday... Connie and Sherry from different chapters of Parents of Murdered Children. Dave Dignam who drove Nate back and forth everyday and kept Nate's nerves calm. Nathan could not ask for a better mentor and friend. Sean, Nate's best friend who came all the way from Minnesota. Mark's brother, Steve, who kept the home fires burning for us when we got home. Joan and Jackie who I know I would have been friends with even if this tragedy never happened. Tammy and Jeanine who are always there for us.
7. The King family, especially the brother who is raising King's son. I know this sounds odd but they treated our family with dignity and respect. I'm so saddened and heartbroken for them. They kept their distance and tried their best not to make us uncomfortable.
8. The press also treated our family with sensitivity, respect and dignity. The North Port Sun and the Sarasota Herald Tribune reporters were especially sensitive, yet, were able to retain their objectivity.
9. The hundreds of people we've never met who wrote letters and sent cards from not just across the country but from around the world. I could read and feel their pain. They were truly that touched by Denise's story. Total strangers....... It's humbling.
10. And, last but not least, Denise. Denise. Denise. Denise. The prosecution's best witness. Her bravery and courage. Her beauty and goodness shining through that horrific 9-1-1 call. Her presence everywhere. Oh, sweetie, you humbled that entire room all except for that one creep who showed no remorse. But, you did it, baby. He'll never hurt anyone else ever again.

I'm sure there's many people I'm forgetting. I did not mention Rick and Sue's friends and family. I'll leave that for them but I thank them, too.

As I said, it's all very humbling to be touched by so many people.

Thank you.

The Denise Amber Lee Foundation in Fort Worth

So far so good. It's been a little difficult because emotions, IMO, are running high. We had the 5K run on Saturday. Mark, Nathan and Amber were all up extremely early on Saturday. And then, of course, we were all up very early Sunday. People, especially moi, get cranky when they are tired. Amber has been a trooper throughout putting up with all the various emotional meltdowns. David Garofalo has the battle of not only dealing with our emotional meltdowns but has the important job of networking. I don't know what we would do without either of them. Dave have his family here too. How wonderful is that? I was hoping to spend more time with his wife and son. I don't really know them as well as I'd like. I want to tell her how wonderful Dave has been to us. He's an important cog in the wheel for so many reasons.

Thank you David and Amber. We miss you, Dave Dignam.

Working the booth can be difficult. Constantly having to repeat the story to educate the people who are not familiar with our story and cause can be emotionally draining but well worth it in the end. Once they understand what we're all about and that we just want to drive change for improvements you can almost see relief on their faces. Most are truly appalled at what happened in the comm center that night. But it seems all understand how it may have happened. If the industry can learn from the mistakes made in Denise's case then...... again, telling our story is worth it. Many are now going to take Denise's story back to their dispatch centers and they are going to ask their dispatchers and call takers "how would you have handled this", "what went wrong", "where did the procedures start to break down" and "what can we do better"?

That's very very cool to us.

All the national industry experts are meeting with our foundation this morning. Many important 9-1-1 experts will be in the meeting. People from NENA (National Emergency Number Association), NAED (National Academies of Emergency Dispatch), 9-1-1 CARES, The E911 Institute and APCO (The Association of Public Safety). There are probably others who I am forgetting.

We'll see what happens. NENA, NAED and 9-1-1 CARES have been especially supportive and continue to encourage us. I feel their genuine support and concern. The others? Eh, I'm not so sure but we'll see.

I couldn't imagine why they wouldn't support our cause. Afterall, it's about public safety not politics.

We have a new mission statement:

"To promote and support public safety through uniform training, standardized protocols, defined measurable outcomes and technological advances in the 9-1-1 system."

We'll see. I won't be in the meeting. I think I was voted out because I talk too much! LOL! That's probably true and I do tend to be emotional.

Tomorrow we meet Michael Cantrell and hopefully the rest of his family. I'm especially looking forward to that. Why? It'll just be so nice to meet someone that REALLY TRULY understands our resolve, drive and determination. Bittersweet. Bitter because if it wasn't for the loss of their little boy and our loss of Denise, we would never even have known each other. sigh. I only hope we can all garner strength from each other.

Nathan's speech is tomorrow.

OH! And Nathan received an award from 911 CARES for all the work he's been doing!! That was pretty darn cool.

Better go. Lots to do. Another busy day. Who knows what it will bring!