the media has been kind. This was printed in today's Sun. Also read an article by Nathan's former little league coach Eric Ernst printed in the Herald Tribune this past week:
05/16/10
Lee's legacy now assured in E-911 bill
OUR POSITION: A deep bow to the people from our communities who worked to pass an E-911 bill that will make everyone safer in the future.
It took two sessions for the Florida Legislature to muster enough political will to pass a no-brainer of a bill improving the state's emergency 911 call operations, but that sorry fact was low on the list of concerns this week at a press conference acknowledging those whose hard work finally resulted in the bill's passage.
The bill came about primarily through the efforts of the family of Denise Amber Lee, whose 2008 murder in North Port after a botched 911 call provided the strongest possible example of the need for improvements in state emergency response standards. As noted in a report conducted by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, emergency call centers in the state may handle as many as 15 million 911 calls in a year, but a mistake in one or two highlighted the enormous, tragic consequences that come when the system fails.
The Lee case is exactly why the public needed to be assured that call centers were being operating with a high level of professionalism. Clearly, there was room for improvement.
Denise Lee's husband, Nathan Lee, took the lead role in the drive for higher standards in Florida, and has continued his outreach throughout the nation. Other family members have joined in. Many in the community have worked for reform through the Denise Amber Lee Foundation.
The result here has been a bill that will require all 911 call-takers and dispatchers in Florida to take a set level of training and pass a certification test in order to do their jobs. It also calls for training updates and renewal every two years. The full law will not take effect until 2012, giving all police agencies time to come into compliance.
As Nathan Lee said during during a press conference at the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, the bill is far from perfect, but it is an important step. It does focus attention and begin to plug a critical hole in the public safety system. For the future, Nathan Lee and the Lee Foundation will aim at moving official oversight of dispatch training into the Department of Law Enforcement. They also will work at developing one statewide curriculum for training.
Both are extremely worthy goals.
For now, however, congratulations are extended to the Lee family and the Lee Foundation. The Gulf Coast Community Foundation also helped drive the process. And our local legislators deserve a nod for their efforts to push the bill through, despite opposition from legislators who thought additional costs outweighed public safety considerations.
Rep. Paige Kreegel, R-Punta Gorda, took up the bill last year. But Rep. Ken Roberson, R-Port Charlotte, and Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, managed to complete the job this session. A no-brainer from our perspective, but, amazingly, it took some heavy lifting, as well as a bit of compromise, to get it done.
A long time coming, yes. And a proper legacy for Denise Amber Lee. The improved training that will come as a result of this law just may help ensure another family and other communities will not see a repeat of this type of tragedy in the future.
http://sunnewspapers.net/articles/edStory.aspx?articleID=457156
Widower took his pain and made a difference
By Eric Ernst
Published: Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 1:00 a.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 9:18 p.m.
In most ways, Nathan Lee is an ordinary person. He's a salesman at Best Buy in Sarasota. He represents no special interest group. But this year he accomplished something unusual; he got a bill passed through the state Legislature.
The bill, awaiting the governor's signature, will elevate the first link of emergency response by requiring 911 operators at all of the state's 258 emergency call centers to undergo standardized training to earn certification.
It comes too late to help the woman who served as its catalyst. Lee's wife, Denise, was kidnapped, raped and killed in January 2008 in North Port. She might have been saved if a witness' call to 911 had been handled properly.
As Lee and others analyzed what went wrong, they realized the 911 system had deep flaws, starting with operator training.
Those shortcomings became Lee's cause. He set out to save others by pushing for mandatory, uniform 911 training statewide.
The heroic way he chose to deal with the pain speaks to his character and should be a point of pride for the two young boys he is raising on his own, state Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, said Wednesday. Detert joined the cause, with state Rep. Ken Roberson, R-Port Charlotte, to push companion bills through the Legislature.
It took three legislative sessions and a lot of behind-the-scenes backing.
Englewood businessman David Dignam advised Lee, helped him set up the Denise Amber Lee Foundation and used his Republican Party contacts to open doors.
Lee and his parents, Mark and Peggy, started traveling to Tallahassee to testify or visit with lawmakers.
The Herald-Tribune published a series that exposed breakdowns in 911 responses statewide. The Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice commissioned a $43,000 study of 911 responses that found a system fundamentally failing the public in key respects.
The articles and study became exhibits in legislative committee testimony.
People helped in other, unexpected ways, too. Bill Stiver, who runs an automotive shop in Englewood and is a pilot, flew local contingents to Tallahassee.
North Port City Commissioner David Garofalo and his peers sent 411 letters to other cities, encouraging them to support 911 reform.
Garofalo also pushed legislators. One day he left home at 3 a.m. to attend a 10-minute meeting in the state capital, then returned home for a meeting. "That's a day I drank a lot of coffee," he says.
Supporters organized phone banks to call lawmakers and anyone who could influence the process to keep the legislation on track.
Lee had a compelling story to illustrate a legitimate public safety shortcoming. The story also resonates nationally. Lee has traveled coast to coast -- sometimes at his own expense -- addressing many of the same problems exhibited in Florida.
On Wednesday, as the bill's backers gathered at a news conference in Venice, it was evident Lee has not found closure.
Maybe he never will. There are still others to save.
Eric Ernst's column regularly runs Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Contact him at eric.ernst@heraldtribune.com or (941) 486-3073.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100513/COLUMNIST/5131072/2273/NEWS?p=1&tc=pg
Showing posts with label David Garofalo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Garofalo. Show all posts
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Friday, June 12, 2009
I don't know how I missed this in the Charlotte Sun!!!
Nathan Lee pushing for national 911 changes
By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH
North Port Community News Editor
Hundreds of telecommunication employees throughout the United States who were visiting a booth sponsored by a local foundation learned about how a Southwest Florida mother of two young boys was kidnapped, raped and murdered and how her story will help change the industry.
In-between speaking to hundreds at the National Emergency Number Association Emergency Help conference Tuesday through Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas, Nathan Lee shared his story before a crowd of about 2,400 attendees.
Nathan, whose wife, Denise Amber Lee, 21, was killed in North Port last January, believes she could have been saved if it weren't for major glitches in the 911 system.
Witness Jane Kowalski was on the line with 911 for nine minutes describing someone struggling in the back of a Camaro near U.S. 41 and Toledo Blade Boulevard, later believed to be Denise. Despite that lengthy effort, the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office failed to dispatch a single deputy. The Sheriff's Office also didn't relay the information Kowalski provided to the North Port Police Department, which was investigating the case.
The state is seeking the death penalty for suspect Michael King, 38, whose trial is set for August.
Nathan was invited to be one of the keynote speakers at the NENA conference Wednesday. He spoke for 15 minutes about what happened to Denise and how the foundation named after her is trying to change 911 operations to make them more uniform nationwide. Then he showed a 10-minute video of TV spots and clips of the couple.
"Nate did so well," said North Port City Commissioner Dave Garofalo, a member of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation who accompanied Nathan and three other members. "It was fantastic. We are well on our way to uniformed national training standards."
Nathan agrees.
"We met with the CEOs and head honchos in charge of 911 systems and were able to sell them on our cause," Nathan said. "All of them wanted to work together 100 percent with us."
Nathan said it's "nice to see that Denise is really making a difference."
"She is touching the lives of those in the industry and many others," he said. "Her tragedy will help revamp and reform the system that failed her."
Nathan said he met members of Matthew Cantrell's family. Cantrell, 21 months, died after he being entangled in a soccer net in his family's Texas home.
The family sued because they believed police didn't respond quickly enough after a 911 call was placed. They claim the operator allegedly refused to give CPR instructions to Matthew's distressed mother in the 2007 incident.
"We have been reaching out to other families and they are joining our cause as we go," Nathan said.
There are about six other conferences in Florida that Nathan has been invited to through December.
"We are also working with Florida legislators to lobby hard for uniform training standards and state certification for 911 telecommunicators," he added.
E-mail: eallen@sun-herald.com
My opinion: thank you, Elaine, for focussing on the positives!
By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH
North Port Community News Editor
Hundreds of telecommunication employees throughout the United States who were visiting a booth sponsored by a local foundation learned about how a Southwest Florida mother of two young boys was kidnapped, raped and murdered and how her story will help change the industry.
In-between speaking to hundreds at the National Emergency Number Association Emergency Help conference Tuesday through Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas, Nathan Lee shared his story before a crowd of about 2,400 attendees.
Nathan, whose wife, Denise Amber Lee, 21, was killed in North Port last January, believes she could have been saved if it weren't for major glitches in the 911 system.
Witness Jane Kowalski was on the line with 911 for nine minutes describing someone struggling in the back of a Camaro near U.S. 41 and Toledo Blade Boulevard, later believed to be Denise. Despite that lengthy effort, the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office failed to dispatch a single deputy. The Sheriff's Office also didn't relay the information Kowalski provided to the North Port Police Department, which was investigating the case.
The state is seeking the death penalty for suspect Michael King, 38, whose trial is set for August.
Nathan was invited to be one of the keynote speakers at the NENA conference Wednesday. He spoke for 15 minutes about what happened to Denise and how the foundation named after her is trying to change 911 operations to make them more uniform nationwide. Then he showed a 10-minute video of TV spots and clips of the couple.
"Nate did so well," said North Port City Commissioner Dave Garofalo, a member of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation who accompanied Nathan and three other members. "It was fantastic. We are well on our way to uniformed national training standards."
Nathan agrees.
"We met with the CEOs and head honchos in charge of 911 systems and were able to sell them on our cause," Nathan said. "All of them wanted to work together 100 percent with us."
Nathan said it's "nice to see that Denise is really making a difference."
"She is touching the lives of those in the industry and many others," he said. "Her tragedy will help revamp and reform the system that failed her."
Nathan said he met members of Matthew Cantrell's family. Cantrell, 21 months, died after he being entangled in a soccer net in his family's Texas home.
The family sued because they believed police didn't respond quickly enough after a 911 call was placed. They claim the operator allegedly refused to give CPR instructions to Matthew's distressed mother in the 2007 incident.
"We have been reaching out to other families and they are joining our cause as we go," Nathan said.
There are about six other conferences in Florida that Nathan has been invited to through December.
"We are also working with Florida legislators to lobby hard for uniform training standards and state certification for 911 telecommunicators," he added.
E-mail: eallen@sun-herald.com
My opinion: thank you, Elaine, for focussing on the positives!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
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!
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!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
In the Charlotte Sun
Here we are receiving support across the nation but in Florida......
Thank you Senator Detert, Rep Kreegel, Rep Roberson and David Garofalo. Please, keep fighting the good fight and that is to save lives by minimizing human error and creating standards for 9-1-1 dispatchers and call takers.
The bill had flaws but it was a start. It's truly appalling, pathetic and sad that certain public officials put politics before public safety.
No hurry to pass 911 bill
By ED SCOTT
Staff Writer
NORTH PORT -- Local legislators are disappointed that their efforts to require enhanced 911 emergency dispatcher certification failed last week.
State Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, called it "unbelievable that something with this much common sense could not pass the Legislature."
A bill in the House of Representatives that required certification standards for 911 operators in Florida was sponsored by state Rep. Ken Roberson, R-Port Charlotte, and co-sponsored by Rep. Paige Kreegel, R-Punta Gorda.
The local legislators had high hopes for the bill after it was given unanimous approval by the House Health Care Regulation Policy Committee in March. But it was indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration on Saturday, one day after the session ended.
Meanwhile, a bill in the Senate, sponsored by Detert, that requires 911 operators to be certified by the state Department of Health, was in the Health and Human Services Appropriations committee in April.
"Since there was no movement in the House and we were running out of days, the Senate did not want to work on it any longer," Detert said.
Detert rejects the assertion that sheriffs across the state, who initially opposed the bill, did not ultimately support it.
"We had worked that all out and the sheriffs did support it in the end," Detert said. "There was one major lobbyist (Richard Pinsky) who testified against it several times. He represents the 911 operators and they wanted totally different language that we did not agree to."
Referring to Pinsky, who lobbies for the Florida 911 Emergency Dispatchers organization, Kreegel said, "There are some lobbyists for the 911 operators who interfered with the process greatly."
The House bill passed through the House Health Care Regulation Policy Committee after an impassioned speech by North Port City Commissioner David Garofalo, who is on the board of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation.
"He didn't make a speech; he hit a home run," Kreegel said.
Last year the Legislature made law a Kreegel-sponsored bill that recommended higher certification standards for 911 operators statewide but did not mandate them. That law followed the murder of 21-year-old Denise Amber Lee, who was kidnapped from her North Port home in January 2008.
The Lee family believes the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office botched a 911 call to dispatch units to the intersection where Denise was last seen by a motorist.
Currently, each emergency dispatch call center mandates its own criteria. Detert says her bill would have provided uniformity "from county to county and to make it mandatory instead of voluntary. Part of the dispute was who was going to teach the course and we were going to allow the sheriffs to do it themselves."
Detert said Denise Lee's husband, Nathan Lee, who is promoting 911 certification nationwide, "wants consistency and I support that and our bill provided consistency," meaning counties would have been required to provide similar training.
"If there is any cost involved, that does not bother me because that's why the sheriffs get funding, to protect the public and for safety issues. That's what our tax dollars pay for."
Nathan Lee echoed his displeasure at the bill's failure.
"I'm disappointed, but in the same respect, I'm excited about drafting our own legislation," he said Tuesday.
Kreegel was also disappointed that senators "never got it done. They had bigger fish to fry with the budget. Very little was passed this year.
"In the House it was ready to go to the floor, (but) if you have something with no traction in the Senate, then it won't be heard on the floor of the House," Kreegel said.
Detert says she will reintroduce the bill next year.
"It will be back," she said. "It was a good learning experience for Ken Roberson that the simplest things are harder than they look and you have to strap on your armor and battle lobbyists. I think it was a surprise to him that the sheriffs would not support this bill (initially).
"Next year he'll have better luck because we have smoothed the road."
"It was a good learning experience but he actually did an excellent job shepherding it through committee," Kreegel said of Roberson.
Staff writer Jason Witz contributed to this report.
E-mail: escott@sun-herald.com
Thank you Senator Detert, Rep Kreegel, Rep Roberson and David Garofalo. Please, keep fighting the good fight and that is to save lives by minimizing human error and creating standards for 9-1-1 dispatchers and call takers.
The bill had flaws but it was a start. It's truly appalling, pathetic and sad that certain public officials put politics before public safety.
No hurry to pass 911 bill
By ED SCOTT
Staff Writer
NORTH PORT -- Local legislators are disappointed that their efforts to require enhanced 911 emergency dispatcher certification failed last week.
State Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, called it "unbelievable that something with this much common sense could not pass the Legislature."
A bill in the House of Representatives that required certification standards for 911 operators in Florida was sponsored by state Rep. Ken Roberson, R-Port Charlotte, and co-sponsored by Rep. Paige Kreegel, R-Punta Gorda.
The local legislators had high hopes for the bill after it was given unanimous approval by the House Health Care Regulation Policy Committee in March. But it was indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration on Saturday, one day after the session ended.
Meanwhile, a bill in the Senate, sponsored by Detert, that requires 911 operators to be certified by the state Department of Health, was in the Health and Human Services Appropriations committee in April.
"Since there was no movement in the House and we were running out of days, the Senate did not want to work on it any longer," Detert said.
Detert rejects the assertion that sheriffs across the state, who initially opposed the bill, did not ultimately support it.
"We had worked that all out and the sheriffs did support it in the end," Detert said. "There was one major lobbyist (Richard Pinsky) who testified against it several times. He represents the 911 operators and they wanted totally different language that we did not agree to."
Referring to Pinsky, who lobbies for the Florida 911 Emergency Dispatchers organization, Kreegel said, "There are some lobbyists for the 911 operators who interfered with the process greatly."
The House bill passed through the House Health Care Regulation Policy Committee after an impassioned speech by North Port City Commissioner David Garofalo, who is on the board of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation.
"He didn't make a speech; he hit a home run," Kreegel said.
Last year the Legislature made law a Kreegel-sponsored bill that recommended higher certification standards for 911 operators statewide but did not mandate them. That law followed the murder of 21-year-old Denise Amber Lee, who was kidnapped from her North Port home in January 2008.
The Lee family believes the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office botched a 911 call to dispatch units to the intersection where Denise was last seen by a motorist.
Currently, each emergency dispatch call center mandates its own criteria. Detert says her bill would have provided uniformity "from county to county and to make it mandatory instead of voluntary. Part of the dispute was who was going to teach the course and we were going to allow the sheriffs to do it themselves."
Detert said Denise Lee's husband, Nathan Lee, who is promoting 911 certification nationwide, "wants consistency and I support that and our bill provided consistency," meaning counties would have been required to provide similar training.
"If there is any cost involved, that does not bother me because that's why the sheriffs get funding, to protect the public and for safety issues. That's what our tax dollars pay for."
Nathan Lee echoed his displeasure at the bill's failure.
"I'm disappointed, but in the same respect, I'm excited about drafting our own legislation," he said Tuesday.
Kreegel was also disappointed that senators "never got it done. They had bigger fish to fry with the budget. Very little was passed this year.
"In the House it was ready to go to the floor, (but) if you have something with no traction in the Senate, then it won't be heard on the floor of the House," Kreegel said.
Detert says she will reintroduce the bill next year.
"It will be back," she said. "It was a good learning experience for Ken Roberson that the simplest things are harder than they look and you have to strap on your armor and battle lobbyists. I think it was a surprise to him that the sheriffs would not support this bill (initially).
"Next year he'll have better luck because we have smoothed the road."
"It was a good learning experience but he actually did an excellent job shepherding it through committee," Kreegel said of Roberson.
Staff writer Jason Witz contributed to this report.
E-mail: escott@sun-herald.com
Monday, May 4, 2009
David Garofalo and the Denise Amber Lee Foundation
I love this young man as a son. I mentioned Mike Rossi in yesterday's post. I didn't mention David Garofalo.
I started to several times but I was so overwhelmed that I didn't know where to start. If it wasn't for David, we would NEVER have even met Dr Clawson. David set up the entire meeting. And he's so humble about it all. I can't tell you all that he has done for our foundation in a single blog post.
What he did today speaks volumes as to the support he's given us. He loves Nate as a brother. He calls me mom. (He sadly lost his mom not too long ago). This is what he wrote to Florida state representative Bill Galvano today after learning that the bill for mandatory 9-1-1 dispatch training died on the floor.
I hesitate to even share it because it's worded so strongly. But! It's how we feel. It's as if the entire country is listening to us but the state of Florida refuses to step up! Even this bill was flawed.
We're not going to shut up. We're not going to go away.
But ya know? This doesn't even matter because what we're fighting for is a national issue and not just a Florida issue.
I find it sad that Florida won't lead the way on this especially after all the recent tragedies. Florida should be at the forefront!
Bless you, David. Your mom would be so proud of you!
Here it is:
Mr Galvano
What happened to this bill? Can you please tell me that you still supportit? If not, Why? I thought for sure you were going to be able to make this move.
This is very disheartening. The foundation including Denise's Widowed Husband, Father and Mother In Law have been traveling around the country being invited to Conference after Conference and we cant even get support in our own state.
I didnt believe that APCO's lobbying team was that strong, especially if the lawmakers knew what they were really after. They would like to see dispatchers classified as "High Risk" employees, just like Firefighters and Police. And they plan on riding this emotional wave of 911 Mishaps to get it done.
I have attached an article that when it originally came out, I called Nathan Lee and he started to weep on the phone to me. He for one of the first times since I met him was able to feel that Denise had not died in vain and that people were really listening. He was especially admirable that you supported it, because he was very clear that you had the ability
to make things move and shake.
I hope that is still the case.
You are a good man Mr Galvano and I hope that this was just an oversight.
David Garofalo
Director of Public Policy
Denise Amber Lee Foundation
Prompted by this article:
Bill aims to raise bar for 911
After Herald-Tribune series, a push for uniform, mandatory training
By Zac Anderson
Published: Friday, January 30, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, January 29, 2009 at 11:27 p.m.
For the first time, Florida's 911 operators would receive uniform,
mandatory training and would have to be state certified before taking emergency calls if legislation being drafted by several Florida lawmakers is introduced and approved this year.
The lawmakers announced their plans days after the Herald-Tribune published the results of a six-month investigation into failures of the 911 system statewide.
The newspaper found that hundreds of 911 errors threaten lives every year. In some cases, call takers send help to the wrong address, fall asleep on the job or simply forget to send help at all.
Despite repeated errors, Florida lags far behind most other states in training and oversight because state officials have taken on virtually no regulation of the state's more than 250 call centers.
Each 911 center sets its own training standards, a practice that means some call takers train for months while others are directing emergency response just days after being hired.
The bill being written by state Rep. Ken Roberson, R-Port Charlotte, would change that, making a voluntary 911 training program mandatory and requiring state certification for all 911 employees.
"We need mandatory rules," Roberson said. "Everybody should have the same standard."
Roberson has won support from several key legislators, including Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, who agreed last week to file a companion bill in the Senate.
State Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, one of the three most powerful House members and a must-have vote for any legislation, said Wednesday he supports the bill because citizens need confidence in the 911 system.
"In general I'm not a big proponent of mandates. But this is one, in my opinion, that will ultimately save lives," Galvano said.
Galvano said he was prepared to take on the Florida Police Chief's Association and the Florida Sheriff's Association, which have lobbied against mandatory 911 training standards because of concerns about the cost. It is unclear how much the new requirements would cost.
"I will say to them that we have an obligation to do everything we can to make sure this isn't an unfunded mandate, Galvano said. "But they have to realize what a high priority this is."
Amy Mercer, executive director of the Florida Police Chief's Association, declined to comment on the 911 bill until it is filed.
Roberson's bill would not address all of the challenges facing Florida's 911 centers.
The Herald-Tribune investigation found that beyond lax training requirements, most 911 centers do a poor job of tracking and investigating errors. In addition, error-prone 911 employees can rack up mistake after mistake and keep their jobs. Some 911 operators were allowed to botch a dozen or more calls before being fired.
Pay remains low, and stress and absenteeism high. As a result, many 911 centers are plagued by high turnover. Some lose 75 percent of new hires with a year, ensuring a steady stream of inexperienced call takers to direct the state's emergency responders.
But if the bill becomes law, Florida's training standards would go from among the weakest in the nation to among the strongest. All 911 employees would be required to complete a 208-hour basic training course before receiving a state certification to work as a 911 call taker. Agencies that already offer such training could apply to have their program certified as state-approved. Dispatchers with at least five years of experience would automatically qualify for certification.
Certification would mean that every 911 worker has a basic level of training. In addition, the state could revoke a 911 worker's certification, although currently it is not clear whether that would end a dispatcher's career or what criteria would be used to revoke certifications.
The state's 911 centers would likely have a few years to get everyone certified, Roberson said. He said he will also look for money to help local governments pay for the additional training.
Southwest Florida lawmakers began contemplating more state oversight of 911 centers a year ago, after confusion and errors made at the Charlotte County 911 center cost law enforcement a crucial opportunity to save the life of a 21-year-old North Port woman.
That woman, Denise Amber Lee, was kidnapped from her home, raped and buried in a shallow grave. When a woman saw Lee struggling with her kidnapper, she called 911, but no police officers were sent to check on the report and Lee was killed a short time later.
When the 911 mistakes were revealed, lawmakers pushed through a bill calling for voluntary training for 911 employees. But with no funding and no requirements, experts say, the bill did not lead to improved standards.
Denise Lee's widow, Nate Lee, said this week that making training standards mandatory is a first step.
"I'm excited about this training, I'll be up in Tallahassee lobbying for it," Nate Lee said. But "the whole 911 system needs another look. The state of Florida deserves better."
Roberson said he has been contemplating mandatory requirements for some time and the Herald-Tribune investigation cemented his decision.
"Public safety has to be a priority," Roberson said. "If firefighters need state training, and police officers, so should 911 operators."
I started to several times but I was so overwhelmed that I didn't know where to start. If it wasn't for David, we would NEVER have even met Dr Clawson. David set up the entire meeting. And he's so humble about it all. I can't tell you all that he has done for our foundation in a single blog post.
What he did today speaks volumes as to the support he's given us. He loves Nate as a brother. He calls me mom. (He sadly lost his mom not too long ago). This is what he wrote to Florida state representative Bill Galvano today after learning that the bill for mandatory 9-1-1 dispatch training died on the floor.
I hesitate to even share it because it's worded so strongly. But! It's how we feel. It's as if the entire country is listening to us but the state of Florida refuses to step up! Even this bill was flawed.
We're not going to shut up. We're not going to go away.
But ya know? This doesn't even matter because what we're fighting for is a national issue and not just a Florida issue.
I find it sad that Florida won't lead the way on this especially after all the recent tragedies. Florida should be at the forefront!
Bless you, David. Your mom would be so proud of you!
Here it is:
Mr Galvano
What happened to this bill? Can you please tell me that you still supportit? If not, Why? I thought for sure you were going to be able to make this move.
This is very disheartening. The foundation including Denise's Widowed Husband, Father and Mother In Law have been traveling around the country being invited to Conference after Conference and we cant even get support in our own state.
I didnt believe that APCO's lobbying team was that strong, especially if the lawmakers knew what they were really after. They would like to see dispatchers classified as "High Risk" employees, just like Firefighters and Police. And they plan on riding this emotional wave of 911 Mishaps to get it done.
I have attached an article that when it originally came out, I called Nathan Lee and he started to weep on the phone to me. He for one of the first times since I met him was able to feel that Denise had not died in vain and that people were really listening. He was especially admirable that you supported it, because he was very clear that you had the ability
to make things move and shake.
I hope that is still the case.
You are a good man Mr Galvano and I hope that this was just an oversight.
David Garofalo
Director of Public Policy
Denise Amber Lee Foundation
Prompted by this article:
Bill aims to raise bar for 911
After Herald-Tribune series, a push for uniform, mandatory training
By Zac Anderson
Published: Friday, January 30, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, January 29, 2009 at 11:27 p.m.
For the first time, Florida's 911 operators would receive uniform,
mandatory training and would have to be state certified before taking emergency calls if legislation being drafted by several Florida lawmakers is introduced and approved this year.
The lawmakers announced their plans days after the Herald-Tribune published the results of a six-month investigation into failures of the 911 system statewide.
The newspaper found that hundreds of 911 errors threaten lives every year. In some cases, call takers send help to the wrong address, fall asleep on the job or simply forget to send help at all.
Despite repeated errors, Florida lags far behind most other states in training and oversight because state officials have taken on virtually no regulation of the state's more than 250 call centers.
Each 911 center sets its own training standards, a practice that means some call takers train for months while others are directing emergency response just days after being hired.
The bill being written by state Rep. Ken Roberson, R-Port Charlotte, would change that, making a voluntary 911 training program mandatory and requiring state certification for all 911 employees.
"We need mandatory rules," Roberson said. "Everybody should have the same standard."
Roberson has won support from several key legislators, including Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, who agreed last week to file a companion bill in the Senate.
State Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, one of the three most powerful House members and a must-have vote for any legislation, said Wednesday he supports the bill because citizens need confidence in the 911 system.
"In general I'm not a big proponent of mandates. But this is one, in my opinion, that will ultimately save lives," Galvano said.
Galvano said he was prepared to take on the Florida Police Chief's Association and the Florida Sheriff's Association, which have lobbied against mandatory 911 training standards because of concerns about the cost. It is unclear how much the new requirements would cost.
"I will say to them that we have an obligation to do everything we can to make sure this isn't an unfunded mandate, Galvano said. "But they have to realize what a high priority this is."
Amy Mercer, executive director of the Florida Police Chief's Association, declined to comment on the 911 bill until it is filed.
Roberson's bill would not address all of the challenges facing Florida's 911 centers.
The Herald-Tribune investigation found that beyond lax training requirements, most 911 centers do a poor job of tracking and investigating errors. In addition, error-prone 911 employees can rack up mistake after mistake and keep their jobs. Some 911 operators were allowed to botch a dozen or more calls before being fired.
Pay remains low, and stress and absenteeism high. As a result, many 911 centers are plagued by high turnover. Some lose 75 percent of new hires with a year, ensuring a steady stream of inexperienced call takers to direct the state's emergency responders.
But if the bill becomes law, Florida's training standards would go from among the weakest in the nation to among the strongest. All 911 employees would be required to complete a 208-hour basic training course before receiving a state certification to work as a 911 call taker. Agencies that already offer such training could apply to have their program certified as state-approved. Dispatchers with at least five years of experience would automatically qualify for certification.
Certification would mean that every 911 worker has a basic level of training. In addition, the state could revoke a 911 worker's certification, although currently it is not clear whether that would end a dispatcher's career or what criteria would be used to revoke certifications.
The state's 911 centers would likely have a few years to get everyone certified, Roberson said. He said he will also look for money to help local governments pay for the additional training.
Southwest Florida lawmakers began contemplating more state oversight of 911 centers a year ago, after confusion and errors made at the Charlotte County 911 center cost law enforcement a crucial opportunity to save the life of a 21-year-old North Port woman.
That woman, Denise Amber Lee, was kidnapped from her home, raped and buried in a shallow grave. When a woman saw Lee struggling with her kidnapper, she called 911, but no police officers were sent to check on the report and Lee was killed a short time later.
When the 911 mistakes were revealed, lawmakers pushed through a bill calling for voluntary training for 911 employees. But with no funding and no requirements, experts say, the bill did not lead to improved standards.
Denise Lee's widow, Nate Lee, said this week that making training standards mandatory is a first step.
"I'm excited about this training, I'll be up in Tallahassee lobbying for it," Nate Lee said. But "the whole 911 system needs another look. The state of Florida deserves better."
Roberson said he has been contemplating mandatory requirements for some time and the Herald-Tribune investigation cemented his decision.
"Public safety has to be a priority," Roberson said. "If firefighters need state training, and police officers, so should 911 operators."
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Todays Bradenton Herald
My opinion with article to follow.
As David Garofalo was quoted as saying this is a great big first step. But it really is only a first step.
I believe 2012 is way too long to wait for change. It would be difficult to fully support this knowing that tragedies could be prevented if the change was brought about sooner. What are we to say to those families that may lose a loved one between now and when this is fully implemented through either a 9-1-1 mishap or by not using technology that's available now?
Also, we don't believe certain 9-1-1 centers should have an opportunity to be "grandfathered" in.
It's difficult to support anything that suggests that the 9-1-1 industry continue to watchdog itself. When tragedies occur we need outside persons investigating, in my opinion. That's part of my frustration with Governor Charlie Crist. He's apparently the only person that can demand an external investigation into Denise's 9-1-1 debacle that occured in the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office still insists they have no problems in their 9-1-1 center and that the problems they had have been addressed. How do we know this? We don't. We have to take them at their word. Gee. We took them at their word and found their word didn't mean much.
So, we still have a ways to go.
But, this is a positive first step! It shows that people truly do care and want to make a difference. That, and I don't want to seem ungrateful for all the work that everyone has been doing because truly it means so much to us.
No, they can't save Denise and they can't bring her back. But! They can help prevent further tragedies!!!! It's awesome that people who may have been asleep on this issue are waking up and that others who have been diligently working on this for years are seeing some results.
It's a start anyways. Just my opinion.
911 training bills moving forward
By SARA KENNEDY - skennedy@bradenton.com
MANATEE — Legislation requiring statewide training and certification for 911 dispatchers has won the backing of the Florida Police Chiefs Association and the Florida Sheriffs Association and is given a good chance of passage this year, officials said.
“My understanding is it has strong support in both House and Senate,” said Longboat Key Police Chief Albert Hogle, who also serves on the legislative committee for the Florida Police Chiefs Association.
“It’s going very, very well,” noted Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Sarasota, a sponsor of the bill attempting to remedy Florida’s patchwork system of voluntary training by instituting mandatory instruction and certification.
Last week, a companion bill, House Bill 769, won approval from one House of Representatives committee, and an amended version of Detert’s original bill, Senate Bill 2040, is slated for review before a Senate committee today, said Rep. Kenneth Roberson, R-Port Charlotte, a co-sponsor of the House bill with Rep. Paige Kreegel, R-Punta Gorda.
“It will improve the public’s confidence in the 911 system in Florida,” Roberson said Tuesday.
The 911 system came under scrutiny last year after the family of an abducted North Port woman complained that confusion at a Charlotte County 911 call center deprived law enforcement officers of a chance to save her life. The family of murdered Denise Amber Lee set up a foundation in her memory to urge reforms.
The police chiefs’ doubts about how the plan might work and which agency would oversee training and certification have been resolved, Hogle said.
He added that the sheriff’s association, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and a national organization of dispatchers are working together to formalize standards. They also are discussing a reasonable deadline for when 911 operators must have completed formal training and certification, he said.
“It appears the Senate and the House will help make this happen in a fashion that will work for the benefit of all concerned parties,” said Hogle. “Everybody recognizes there’s been opportunities to do a better job and everybody wants to do a better job.”
Gerald Monahan, president of the chiefs’ association, said amendments to the House version helped bolster support for it because it clarified that operators could train at their own dispatch centers as long as they finished an approved curriculum and won state certification.
That’s important to local government because in order to have everybody certified by a certain date requires a vehicle to help make it happen, Monahan said.
“The Florida police chiefs certainly understand how this all came about,” he added. “Our hearts are still heavy for the (Lee) family. We want to do the right thing, We do want good training for our dispatch centers. Our mission and goals are the same as the foundation’s and the family’s.”
Dispatchers have been looking for a long time for some type of certification process, and “we finally reached a point where everybody can agree,” said Roy Hudson, director of law enforcement services for the Florida Sheriffs Association. “It adds a little more to their professionalism.”
The early version of the House bill would have required uniform training, so operators in Palm Beach and Hillsborough counties, for example, would have had to meet the same standards, said David Garofalo, North Port city commissioner and a board member of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation.
“Now, it may be minimum standards, but not really uniform standards,” he said. “We probably want to go to the next level, with uniform training, but we want the police chiefs and sheriffs on our side.
“It’s a big step,” he added.
New requirements probably would have little effect on about 30 full-time sheriff’s office 911 dispatchers, since they already take intense training, said Manatee County Sheriff Brad Steube.
Still, he favors mandatory standards and certification because “it does put a template out there for the minimum of training for all dispatchers, whether it be 911 or sheriff’s office or police department dispatchers.”
Sara Kennedy, Herald reporter, can be reached at (941) 708-7908 or at skennedy@bradenton.com
As David Garofalo was quoted as saying this is a great big first step. But it really is only a first step.
I believe 2012 is way too long to wait for change. It would be difficult to fully support this knowing that tragedies could be prevented if the change was brought about sooner. What are we to say to those families that may lose a loved one between now and when this is fully implemented through either a 9-1-1 mishap or by not using technology that's available now?
Also, we don't believe certain 9-1-1 centers should have an opportunity to be "grandfathered" in.
It's difficult to support anything that suggests that the 9-1-1 industry continue to watchdog itself. When tragedies occur we need outside persons investigating, in my opinion. That's part of my frustration with Governor Charlie Crist. He's apparently the only person that can demand an external investigation into Denise's 9-1-1 debacle that occured in the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office still insists they have no problems in their 9-1-1 center and that the problems they had have been addressed. How do we know this? We don't. We have to take them at their word. Gee. We took them at their word and found their word didn't mean much.
So, we still have a ways to go.
But, this is a positive first step! It shows that people truly do care and want to make a difference. That, and I don't want to seem ungrateful for all the work that everyone has been doing because truly it means so much to us.
No, they can't save Denise and they can't bring her back. But! They can help prevent further tragedies!!!! It's awesome that people who may have been asleep on this issue are waking up and that others who have been diligently working on this for years are seeing some results.
It's a start anyways. Just my opinion.
911 training bills moving forward
By SARA KENNEDY - skennedy@bradenton.com
MANATEE — Legislation requiring statewide training and certification for 911 dispatchers has won the backing of the Florida Police Chiefs Association and the Florida Sheriffs Association and is given a good chance of passage this year, officials said.
“My understanding is it has strong support in both House and Senate,” said Longboat Key Police Chief Albert Hogle, who also serves on the legislative committee for the Florida Police Chiefs Association.
“It’s going very, very well,” noted Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Sarasota, a sponsor of the bill attempting to remedy Florida’s patchwork system of voluntary training by instituting mandatory instruction and certification.
Last week, a companion bill, House Bill 769, won approval from one House of Representatives committee, and an amended version of Detert’s original bill, Senate Bill 2040, is slated for review before a Senate committee today, said Rep. Kenneth Roberson, R-Port Charlotte, a co-sponsor of the House bill with Rep. Paige Kreegel, R-Punta Gorda.
“It will improve the public’s confidence in the 911 system in Florida,” Roberson said Tuesday.
The 911 system came under scrutiny last year after the family of an abducted North Port woman complained that confusion at a Charlotte County 911 call center deprived law enforcement officers of a chance to save her life. The family of murdered Denise Amber Lee set up a foundation in her memory to urge reforms.
The police chiefs’ doubts about how the plan might work and which agency would oversee training and certification have been resolved, Hogle said.
He added that the sheriff’s association, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and a national organization of dispatchers are working together to formalize standards. They also are discussing a reasonable deadline for when 911 operators must have completed formal training and certification, he said.
“It appears the Senate and the House will help make this happen in a fashion that will work for the benefit of all concerned parties,” said Hogle. “Everybody recognizes there’s been opportunities to do a better job and everybody wants to do a better job.”
Gerald Monahan, president of the chiefs’ association, said amendments to the House version helped bolster support for it because it clarified that operators could train at their own dispatch centers as long as they finished an approved curriculum and won state certification.
That’s important to local government because in order to have everybody certified by a certain date requires a vehicle to help make it happen, Monahan said.
“The Florida police chiefs certainly understand how this all came about,” he added. “Our hearts are still heavy for the (Lee) family. We want to do the right thing, We do want good training for our dispatch centers. Our mission and goals are the same as the foundation’s and the family’s.”
Dispatchers have been looking for a long time for some type of certification process, and “we finally reached a point where everybody can agree,” said Roy Hudson, director of law enforcement services for the Florida Sheriffs Association. “It adds a little more to their professionalism.”
The early version of the House bill would have required uniform training, so operators in Palm Beach and Hillsborough counties, for example, would have had to meet the same standards, said David Garofalo, North Port city commissioner and a board member of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation.
“Now, it may be minimum standards, but not really uniform standards,” he said. “We probably want to go to the next level, with uniform training, but we want the police chiefs and sheriffs on our side.
“It’s a big step,” he added.
New requirements probably would have little effect on about 30 full-time sheriff’s office 911 dispatchers, since they already take intense training, said Manatee County Sheriff Brad Steube.
Still, he favors mandatory standards and certification because “it does put a template out there for the minimum of training for all dispatchers, whether it be 911 or sheriff’s office or police department dispatchers.”
Sara Kennedy, Herald reporter, can be reached at (941) 708-7908 or at skennedy@bradenton.com
Sunday, March 29, 2009
"When is Governor Charlie Crist going to step up"
Be prepared for a rant.
Seriously, how can we wait? Right now there are two bills being proposed up in Tallahassee both requiring some sort of mandatory 9-1-1 dispatcher/call taker training. Both bills are flawed.
Both bills expect us to wait until 2012 before persons need to be certified. The bill headed to the house states that police and sheriff departments can submit to the Department of Health their training standards before 2012 and have them approved. This essentially means that the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office can submit for approval their training program and may not have to change their "business as usual".
Either way 2012 is way too far away.
Someone asked me just this morning (and it's what got me fired up even more than usual, I'm always fired up over this but still....) "Can we find out how many people die due to 9-1-1 mistakes?"
NO! There's no possible way to find this out without someone (preferably a regular citizen) overseeing the 9-1-1 community in Florida. How many people have died in Florida due to 9-1-1 mistakes? We have no idea.
We would never have known about Denise's mishandled 9-1-1 call if it hadn't been for Jane Kowalski. See bottom paragraph of this post http://toosad4words.blogspot.com/2009/01/denise-amber-leetop-ten-reasons-i.html
Jane, God bless her, hounded the NPPD until they figured out who she was. Once they figured it all out they had to REQUEST the information on her call from the CCSO. Why? Because they knew they not only mishandled the call and didn't dispatch a car but they weren't monitoring their Teletype and several BOLO's issued by the NPPD were ignored describing the suspect and his car. They were covering it up.
Their side of the story is one person thought the other person called the NPPD while the other person said the other one did. Yeah. Just like the one dispatcher said she thought the other dispatcher dispatched a car and the other dispatcher thought.....................
WE WOULD NEVER HAVE KNOWN.
Who's overseeing the 9-1-1 community in Florida?
Yep. 9-1-1 industry people.
As Nathan said in his speech YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME?????
PEOPLE ARE DYING. And it's not just because of human errors. It's because we have a system where all the counties, townships etc... have different protocols and procedures.
We're not using technologies that are available to us. More and more people are using cell phones to report emergencies and we can't find them!!! The two most glaring examples are of course, Denise and Olidia Kerr Day. But how many others aren't being found? How about those football players lost in that boating accident? And how about the errors being made in these 9-1-1 centers? Olidia asked the dispatcher to have police waiting for her outside the station! Our call taker had a CAD and didn't use it! Or at least didn't use it properly because she wrote things down on a piece of paper! And then handed the piece of paper to a dispatcher! Huh? Florida's 9-1-1 "system", if you will, is flawed! Big time.
And more people are going to die. Some we'll hear about and others will be swept under the rug.
When is Governor Charlie Crist going to step up and say "This is wrong. We need to have someone OUTSIDE OF THE 9-1-1 INDUSTRY looking into these tragedies. And then 9-1-1 industry experts from many companies (not just one) looking into the problems, then suggesting and providing solutions! Our citizens are dying and we can do better!"
Having 9-1-1 industry peeps watchdogging their own industry is like having the fox watch over the henhouse.
I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to North Port City Commissioner David Garofalo, Senator Nancy Detert, Representatives Paige Kreegel and Ken Roberson for their hard work, dedication, diligence and compassion for our cause. You are our heroes and I'm in tears just thinking about all you are doing for us. You all have been simply wonderful.
But it is my opinion that we can do better. WE HAVE TO DO BETTER.
And to those lobbyists and companies with agendas to make more money and garner more control, I say........ shame on you. People are dying.
Seriously, how can we wait? Right now there are two bills being proposed up in Tallahassee both requiring some sort of mandatory 9-1-1 dispatcher/call taker training. Both bills are flawed.
Both bills expect us to wait until 2012 before persons need to be certified. The bill headed to the house states that police and sheriff departments can submit to the Department of Health their training standards before 2012 and have them approved. This essentially means that the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office can submit for approval their training program and may not have to change their "business as usual".
Either way 2012 is way too far away.
Someone asked me just this morning (and it's what got me fired up even more than usual, I'm always fired up over this but still....) "Can we find out how many people die due to 9-1-1 mistakes?"
NO! There's no possible way to find this out without someone (preferably a regular citizen) overseeing the 9-1-1 community in Florida. How many people have died in Florida due to 9-1-1 mistakes? We have no idea.
We would never have known about Denise's mishandled 9-1-1 call if it hadn't been for Jane Kowalski. See bottom paragraph of this post http://toosad4words.blogspot.com/2009/01/denise-amber-leetop-ten-reasons-i.html
Jane, God bless her, hounded the NPPD until they figured out who she was. Once they figured it all out they had to REQUEST the information on her call from the CCSO. Why? Because they knew they not only mishandled the call and didn't dispatch a car but they weren't monitoring their Teletype and several BOLO's issued by the NPPD were ignored describing the suspect and his car. They were covering it up.
Their side of the story is one person thought the other person called the NPPD while the other person said the other one did. Yeah. Just like the one dispatcher said she thought the other dispatcher dispatched a car and the other dispatcher thought.....................
WE WOULD NEVER HAVE KNOWN.
Who's overseeing the 9-1-1 community in Florida?
Yep. 9-1-1 industry people.
As Nathan said in his speech YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME?????
PEOPLE ARE DYING. And it's not just because of human errors. It's because we have a system where all the counties, townships etc... have different protocols and procedures.
We're not using technologies that are available to us. More and more people are using cell phones to report emergencies and we can't find them!!! The two most glaring examples are of course, Denise and Olidia Kerr Day. But how many others aren't being found? How about those football players lost in that boating accident? And how about the errors being made in these 9-1-1 centers? Olidia asked the dispatcher to have police waiting for her outside the station! Our call taker had a CAD and didn't use it! Or at least didn't use it properly because she wrote things down on a piece of paper! And then handed the piece of paper to a dispatcher! Huh? Florida's 9-1-1 "system", if you will, is flawed! Big time.
And more people are going to die. Some we'll hear about and others will be swept under the rug.
When is Governor Charlie Crist going to step up and say "This is wrong. We need to have someone OUTSIDE OF THE 9-1-1 INDUSTRY looking into these tragedies. And then 9-1-1 industry experts from many companies (not just one) looking into the problems, then suggesting and providing solutions! Our citizens are dying and we can do better!"
Having 9-1-1 industry peeps watchdogging their own industry is like having the fox watch over the henhouse.
I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to North Port City Commissioner David Garofalo, Senator Nancy Detert, Representatives Paige Kreegel and Ken Roberson for their hard work, dedication, diligence and compassion for our cause. You are our heroes and I'm in tears just thinking about all you are doing for us. You all have been simply wonderful.
But it is my opinion that we can do better. WE HAVE TO DO BETTER.
And to those lobbyists and companies with agendas to make more money and garner more control, I say........ shame on you. People are dying.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Today's Top Story in the Sun
Published on: Thursday, March 26, 2009
Area legislators sponsor 911 training bill
Kreegel, Roberson have authored a bill requiring certification of dispatchers.
House 0769: Relating to 911 Emergency Dispatcher Certification
Senate 2040: Relating to 911 Emergency Dispatcher Certification
Florida House of Representatives
Florida Senate
With the help of all five North Port city commissioners, state representatives Ken Roberson and Paige Kreegel pushed a bill through committee Wednesday that would require certification standards for 911 operators in Florida.
House Bill 769, titled "911 Emergency Dispatcher Certification," is a measure pushed by the Charlotte County Republicans in reaction to the murder of 21-year-old Denise Amber Lee, who was kidnapped from her North Port home last year. The Lee family believes the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office botched a 911 call to dispatch units to the intersection where Denise was last seen by a motorist.
"I think it's going to go a long way to improve the public's confidence in the 911 system and hopefully save lives here in Florida," Roberson, of Port Charlotte, said from Tallahassee Wednesday. It was one of three bills he had which successfully passed through committee.
If it completes the committee process and becomes law through the Legislature, the bill would require any person serving as a 911 emergency dispatcher to be certified by the Florida Department of Health by Oct. 1, 2012, through a set of statewide standards. Currently, each emergency dispatch call center mandates its own criteria.
A similar bill also is being pushed by Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Sarasota.
The bill was given unanimous approval by the Health Care Regulation Committee after an impassioned speech by North Port City Commissioner David Garofalo, who also is on the board of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation. Roberson said Garofalo told the harrowing tale of Lee's demise to a captivated audience of around 200.
"You could hear a pin drop when he was telling the story," Roberson said.
No one was more surprised than Garofalo by his speech -- the commissioner did not expect to address the committee in his visit Wednesday. But seeing the bill face opposition from Tallahassee lobbyists, Garofalo said he felt compelled to give his all for Denise.
"I'm not going to have her name die in this committee right here," the commissioner, still fired up from the meeting, recalled himself thinking Wednesday.
Garofalo said he had tears welling up in his eyes as he spoke, earning the 5-0 vote. Given that, he thinks he got through to the members of the House that this bill is about more than the Lee family's tragedy.
"It's not just a grieving family," Garofalo said. "This is what needs to happen."
See this story at www.sunnewspapers.net to read both the House and Senate bills.
E-mail: nhughes@sun-herald.com
By NEIL HUGHES
Staff Writer
Area legislators sponsor 911 training bill
Kreegel, Roberson have authored a bill requiring certification of dispatchers.
House 0769: Relating to 911 Emergency Dispatcher Certification
Senate 2040: Relating to 911 Emergency Dispatcher Certification
Florida House of Representatives
Florida Senate
With the help of all five North Port city commissioners, state representatives Ken Roberson and Paige Kreegel pushed a bill through committee Wednesday that would require certification standards for 911 operators in Florida.
House Bill 769, titled "911 Emergency Dispatcher Certification," is a measure pushed by the Charlotte County Republicans in reaction to the murder of 21-year-old Denise Amber Lee, who was kidnapped from her North Port home last year. The Lee family believes the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office botched a 911 call to dispatch units to the intersection where Denise was last seen by a motorist.
"I think it's going to go a long way to improve the public's confidence in the 911 system and hopefully save lives here in Florida," Roberson, of Port Charlotte, said from Tallahassee Wednesday. It was one of three bills he had which successfully passed through committee.
If it completes the committee process and becomes law through the Legislature, the bill would require any person serving as a 911 emergency dispatcher to be certified by the Florida Department of Health by Oct. 1, 2012, through a set of statewide standards. Currently, each emergency dispatch call center mandates its own criteria.
A similar bill also is being pushed by Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Sarasota.
The bill was given unanimous approval by the Health Care Regulation Committee after an impassioned speech by North Port City Commissioner David Garofalo, who also is on the board of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation. Roberson said Garofalo told the harrowing tale of Lee's demise to a captivated audience of around 200.
"You could hear a pin drop when he was telling the story," Roberson said.
No one was more surprised than Garofalo by his speech -- the commissioner did not expect to address the committee in his visit Wednesday. But seeing the bill face opposition from Tallahassee lobbyists, Garofalo said he felt compelled to give his all for Denise.
"I'm not going to have her name die in this committee right here," the commissioner, still fired up from the meeting, recalled himself thinking Wednesday.
Garofalo said he had tears welling up in his eyes as he spoke, earning the 5-0 vote. Given that, he thinks he got through to the members of the House that this bill is about more than the Lee family's tragedy.
"It's not just a grieving family," Garofalo said. "This is what needs to happen."
See this story at www.sunnewspapers.net to read both the House and Senate bills.
E-mail: nhughes@sun-herald.com
By NEIL HUGHES
Staff Writer
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."
Monday, February 23, 2009
Today's Sun Herald
Published on: Monday, February 23, 2009
Lee to speak at 911 conference in California
NORTH PORT -- Speaking to television crews and newspaper reporters of his wife's abduction and murder is something Nathan Lee has made a part of his mission to get the word out about what he calls a "broken 911 system."
Tuesday, Nathan will share that message with thousands in California expected at a 911 conference.
The story of 21-year-old Denise Amber Lee's death last January made national headlines. Nathan, 24, spoke on the "Dr. Phil" show, NBC's "Dateline," "20/20" and on local TV news about how that fateful Jan. 17, 2008, day changed many lives.
Now during interviews, Nathan explains how a foundation of volunteers has been created in Denise's name. Its mission is to improve the 911 dispatch system and bring a state-of-the-art 911 call center to North Port.
On Sunday, members of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation -- Nathan, the president; his father, Mark, research director; Dave Dignam, advisory council director; and North Port City Commissioner David Garofalo, community relations director -- flew to California for the annual California National Emergency Number Association conference. The team will support Nathan, who was invited to be the keynote speaker.
The three-day event will offer breakout sessions and discussions on technological advances, overcoming challenges, and truths and myths about radio systems, history, regionalizing systems and numerous other lessons for 911 dispatchers.
On Tuesday, Nathan will have an hour and a half to tell his story of life after Denise's murder.
Just one year later, his story includes a lawsuit against the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office claiming "negligence leading to Denise's death." Nathan says none of the critical information provided by Tampa resident Jane Kowalski, the last witness believed to have seen Denise alive, was relayed to CCSO deputies or North Port police officers during the massive manhunt on the night Denise was killed.
Traveling on U.S 41 near the Charlotte-Sarasota county line, Kowalski told a Charlotte County 911 dispatcher what she was witnessing in the dark-colored Camaro alongside her, reportedly driven by suspect Michael King. Kowalski said she saw someone banging on the window and screaming. The car turned onto Toledo Blade Boulevard during her conversation.
Denise's body was found two days later off Toledo Blade, near Interstate 75.
The CCSO did not relay Kowalski's information to North Port police until then, when local investigators requested it. North Port only learned about Kowalski after she called city police to see if they were interested in what she witnessed. Kowalski maintains that following her nine-minute 911 call, Charlotte County has never tried to call her again for any additional information.
King, 37, of North Port, was charged with Denise's abduction, rape and murder. His trial is set for August.
"Last year, I learned that when Denise's story was told to a group of dispatchers, there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Even the instructor had a difficult time continuing the class," Nathan said. "Denise should be here with our two boys (Noah, 3, and Adam, 19 months) today. I will take every opportunity offered to explain that more needs to be done about the broken 911 system.
"This is an opportunity for our organization to reach across state lines and let our country know that the foundation's ultimate goal is to increase the level of training for 911 call takers and dispatchers, eventually making these standards mandatory," he said. "We hope to gain a working relationship with the state of California, which already has increased levels of training."
Garofalo, a fire captain in Pasco County, said first responders should be afforded additional training.
"No one should ever worry when they call for help that a 911 operator, a police officer or firefighter is not properly trained," he said.
For more information about the Denise Amber Lee Foundation, visit www.deniseamberlee.org.
E-mail: eallen@sun-herald.com
By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH
North Port Community News Editor
Lee to speak at 911 conference in California
NORTH PORT -- Speaking to television crews and newspaper reporters of his wife's abduction and murder is something Nathan Lee has made a part of his mission to get the word out about what he calls a "broken 911 system."
Tuesday, Nathan will share that message with thousands in California expected at a 911 conference.
The story of 21-year-old Denise Amber Lee's death last January made national headlines. Nathan, 24, spoke on the "Dr. Phil" show, NBC's "Dateline," "20/20" and on local TV news about how that fateful Jan. 17, 2008, day changed many lives.
Now during interviews, Nathan explains how a foundation of volunteers has been created in Denise's name. Its mission is to improve the 911 dispatch system and bring a state-of-the-art 911 call center to North Port.
On Sunday, members of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation -- Nathan, the president; his father, Mark, research director; Dave Dignam, advisory council director; and North Port City Commissioner David Garofalo, community relations director -- flew to California for the annual California National Emergency Number Association conference. The team will support Nathan, who was invited to be the keynote speaker.
The three-day event will offer breakout sessions and discussions on technological advances, overcoming challenges, and truths and myths about radio systems, history, regionalizing systems and numerous other lessons for 911 dispatchers.
On Tuesday, Nathan will have an hour and a half to tell his story of life after Denise's murder.
Just one year later, his story includes a lawsuit against the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office claiming "negligence leading to Denise's death." Nathan says none of the critical information provided by Tampa resident Jane Kowalski, the last witness believed to have seen Denise alive, was relayed to CCSO deputies or North Port police officers during the massive manhunt on the night Denise was killed.
Traveling on U.S 41 near the Charlotte-Sarasota county line, Kowalski told a Charlotte County 911 dispatcher what she was witnessing in the dark-colored Camaro alongside her, reportedly driven by suspect Michael King. Kowalski said she saw someone banging on the window and screaming. The car turned onto Toledo Blade Boulevard during her conversation.
Denise's body was found two days later off Toledo Blade, near Interstate 75.
The CCSO did not relay Kowalski's information to North Port police until then, when local investigators requested it. North Port only learned about Kowalski after she called city police to see if they were interested in what she witnessed. Kowalski maintains that following her nine-minute 911 call, Charlotte County has never tried to call her again for any additional information.
King, 37, of North Port, was charged with Denise's abduction, rape and murder. His trial is set for August.
"Last year, I learned that when Denise's story was told to a group of dispatchers, there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Even the instructor had a difficult time continuing the class," Nathan said. "Denise should be here with our two boys (Noah, 3, and Adam, 19 months) today. I will take every opportunity offered to explain that more needs to be done about the broken 911 system.
"This is an opportunity for our organization to reach across state lines and let our country know that the foundation's ultimate goal is to increase the level of training for 911 call takers and dispatchers, eventually making these standards mandatory," he said. "We hope to gain a working relationship with the state of California, which already has increased levels of training."
Garofalo, a fire captain in Pasco County, said first responders should be afforded additional training.
"No one should ever worry when they call for help that a 911 operator, a police officer or firefighter is not properly trained," he said.
For more information about the Denise Amber Lee Foundation, visit www.deniseamberlee.org.
E-mail: eallen@sun-herald.com
By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH
North Port Community News Editor
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Today's Herald-Tribune by Zac Anderson
Death results in fast change in 911 procedure
By Zac Anderson
Published: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 12:29 a.m.
Sarasota County will immediately change how it handles 911 calls as a result of an infant's death last month, when emergency workers were sent to the wrong address 30 miles from the baby's home.
Every 911 caller will now be asked for the closest cross street to their address, after an investigation by Sarasota County sheriff's Capt. Jeff Bell.
"The added variable of obtaining a cross street greatly reduces the likelihood of an addressing error by the caller," Bell wrote in the investigation released Tuesday.
The report does not recommend any discipline for the four 911 call takers involved with the call. An agency spokesman said the call takers were not at fault because they "followed procedures."
Three-month-old Nelson Alexander Booth Almeida was not breathing on Jan. 31 at 2:45 a.m. when his panicked mother called for help. She mistakenly gave her address as 1280 Highland Ave. -- an Englewood address -- instead of 1280 Highland St. in Sarasota, delaying an ambulance by 12 minutes.
Aside from verifying cross streets, Bell's report mentions eight other potential 911 policy changes, including better maps to locate cell phone calls. But none of the other suggestions will be implemented immediately.
Better mapping would require technology upgrades. The Sheriff's Office also wants to evaluate each of the changes for how they might affect ambulance and police response times, said sheriff's spokesman Lt. Chuck Lesaltato.
"There may be more changes," Lesaltato said. "But we have to remember that seconds count."
Bell's report also recommends the Sheriff's Office support a proposed county ordinance allowing public safety officials to change similar street names. The County Commission will consider the ordinance March 23.
One of the big questions in the investigation was how the initial call taker, Keri Halpin, used the cell phone mapping technology available in the 911 center.
Anytime someone calls 911 from a cell phone, their location is immediately visible on a map on the call taker's screen.
If the caller has a newer cell phone, the map shows the person's location within a few hundred meters.
But even with older cell phones the map shows the nearest cell tower, which is usually within a mile of the caller.
Experts noted after the mix-up that a quick map check should have shown Halpin that the caller was nowhere near Englewood.
And in fact the map did show the 911 tower's location as Independence Court in Sarasota, Bell's report notes.
But Sarasota County's system erases the initial map when the call taker enters a precise address, which Halpin did within seconds.
"At no time do both locations appear on the map," Bell wrote. "This severely limits the operator's map recognition time. ... It also prevents the operator from a comparison view."
Bell is still exploring whether a 911 mapping system can chart both points on one map: The initial satellite location transmitted from the cell phone and the address provided by the caller.
If the technology will not allow a single map, Bell recommended two separate maps that could be compared side by side.
Lesaltato said Sheriff Tom Knight reviewed and supported Bell's recommendations.
Citizens who have been advocating 911 reforms since the death of North Port mother Denise Amber Lee after a Charlotte County 911 center error last year applauded Sarasota County's move.
"Anything in that direction is a great idea," said David Garofalo, a North Port city commissioner and member of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation. "Asking a cross street can't hurt."
Nelson Almeida, the father of the dead child, also expressed support but wondered why it took a tragedy to prompt improvements.
"How can we not have better maps already?" he said. "They have helicopters and Taser guns but 911 isn't important?"
link: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090211/ARTICLE/902110351/2055/NEWS?Title=Death_results_in_fast_change_in_911_procedure
By Zac Anderson
Published: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 12:29 a.m.
Sarasota County will immediately change how it handles 911 calls as a result of an infant's death last month, when emergency workers were sent to the wrong address 30 miles from the baby's home.
Every 911 caller will now be asked for the closest cross street to their address, after an investigation by Sarasota County sheriff's Capt. Jeff Bell.
"The added variable of obtaining a cross street greatly reduces the likelihood of an addressing error by the caller," Bell wrote in the investigation released Tuesday.
The report does not recommend any discipline for the four 911 call takers involved with the call. An agency spokesman said the call takers were not at fault because they "followed procedures."
Three-month-old Nelson Alexander Booth Almeida was not breathing on Jan. 31 at 2:45 a.m. when his panicked mother called for help. She mistakenly gave her address as 1280 Highland Ave. -- an Englewood address -- instead of 1280 Highland St. in Sarasota, delaying an ambulance by 12 minutes.
Aside from verifying cross streets, Bell's report mentions eight other potential 911 policy changes, including better maps to locate cell phone calls. But none of the other suggestions will be implemented immediately.
Better mapping would require technology upgrades. The Sheriff's Office also wants to evaluate each of the changes for how they might affect ambulance and police response times, said sheriff's spokesman Lt. Chuck Lesaltato.
"There may be more changes," Lesaltato said. "But we have to remember that seconds count."
Bell's report also recommends the Sheriff's Office support a proposed county ordinance allowing public safety officials to change similar street names. The County Commission will consider the ordinance March 23.
One of the big questions in the investigation was how the initial call taker, Keri Halpin, used the cell phone mapping technology available in the 911 center.
Anytime someone calls 911 from a cell phone, their location is immediately visible on a map on the call taker's screen.
If the caller has a newer cell phone, the map shows the person's location within a few hundred meters.
But even with older cell phones the map shows the nearest cell tower, which is usually within a mile of the caller.
Experts noted after the mix-up that a quick map check should have shown Halpin that the caller was nowhere near Englewood.
And in fact the map did show the 911 tower's location as Independence Court in Sarasota, Bell's report notes.
But Sarasota County's system erases the initial map when the call taker enters a precise address, which Halpin did within seconds.
"At no time do both locations appear on the map," Bell wrote. "This severely limits the operator's map recognition time. ... It also prevents the operator from a comparison view."
Bell is still exploring whether a 911 mapping system can chart both points on one map: The initial satellite location transmitted from the cell phone and the address provided by the caller.
If the technology will not allow a single map, Bell recommended two separate maps that could be compared side by side.
Lesaltato said Sheriff Tom Knight reviewed and supported Bell's recommendations.
Citizens who have been advocating 911 reforms since the death of North Port mother Denise Amber Lee after a Charlotte County 911 center error last year applauded Sarasota County's move.
"Anything in that direction is a great idea," said David Garofalo, a North Port city commissioner and member of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation. "Asking a cross street can't hurt."
Nelson Almeida, the father of the dead child, also expressed support but wondered why it took a tragedy to prompt improvements.
"How can we not have better maps already?" he said. "They have helicopters and Taser guns but 911 isn't important?"
link: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090211/ARTICLE/902110351/2055/NEWS?Title=Death_results_in_fast_change_in_911_procedure
Monday, February 2, 2009
Denise Amber Lee Foundation and 9-1-1 reform
We're making some major headway, IMO, in improving things or at least in bringing about awareness of some of the issues involving 9-1-1 inefficiencies. Who's responsible for all this headway? And who is going to continue the fight? And should'nt we all be on the same team?
Tonight this was aired by Ron Filipkowski on his show Clout941 with his guest, our good friend and foundation member City Commissioner of North Port David Garofalo:
http://www.clout941.com/
I hated to see Mr Filipkowski take such a stab at Zac Anderson. Yes, I agree 100% with Mr Filipkowski that it was in truth insinuated that all this 9-1-1 reform attention, specifically by Rep Roberson, was a result of Zac's series of articles. In Zac's latest article, he seemed to be patting himself on the back. And he made no mention of the angels in blue, the Denise Amber Lee Foundation and the efforts that Nathan and his father-in-law, Rick have been making. We've been working on this reform for a year. My husband, Mark, has spent endless hours in studying the state of the 9-1-1 industry across the country. I can't begin to list all the people involved who have helped us by not only educating us but by supporting us. There are even people who are working behind the scenes that I can't name due to their job security.
Anyhow, IMHO, we all need to stay on the same side and not attack people who are helping the cause. And Zac's series of articles did help.
Who cares if Zac patted himself on the back? Maybe he did'nt realize he was doing it. He's done a great deal for us writing that series of articles and I guarantee you it didn't make him many friends in the 9-1-1 industry. Reading the comments on the Herald Tribune website......... Whew! I say this kiddingly, but if Zac were to call 9-1-1......... I think he'd get an earful.
Again, I just think we need not get on him for this. There are plenty of people who will get ahead simply by being involved with the Foundation and 9-1-1 reform. They will win fans, voters and supporters whether they are journalists or politicians. Some will be sincere in helping us and others will use it as a stepping stool. I believe Zac is sincerely concerned about the state of our 9-1-1 system in Florida. If he gets to use a few steps to move up a ladder, good for him! Those same people will lose fans and voters. The main thing is we fix the problems where needed.
And if that series of articles earns Zac an award or two, then hey! Great! That's even better because it'll put the series of articles in the news again! They may even get national attention and not just by 9-1-1 dispatchers.
I understand what Mr Filipkowski was saying. Zac should've mentioned the Foundation, Rick, Nate, Paige Kreegel and countless others. Maybe by "making him weasel of the week" Zac will be sure to mention everyone who has been working so hard.
I do want to thank Mr Filipkowski very much for bringing more awareness to the Foundation by talking about it tonight on his show.
Also, there is no better spokesperson for us, other than maybe Nate, than David Garofalo!
Aside to David if you read this: WOW! You were great!!! Go North Port!
Tonight this was aired by Ron Filipkowski on his show Clout941 with his guest, our good friend and foundation member City Commissioner of North Port David Garofalo:
http://www.clout941.com/
I hated to see Mr Filipkowski take such a stab at Zac Anderson. Yes, I agree 100% with Mr Filipkowski that it was in truth insinuated that all this 9-1-1 reform attention, specifically by Rep Roberson, was a result of Zac's series of articles. In Zac's latest article, he seemed to be patting himself on the back. And he made no mention of the angels in blue, the Denise Amber Lee Foundation and the efforts that Nathan and his father-in-law, Rick have been making. We've been working on this reform for a year. My husband, Mark, has spent endless hours in studying the state of the 9-1-1 industry across the country. I can't begin to list all the people involved who have helped us by not only educating us but by supporting us. There are even people who are working behind the scenes that I can't name due to their job security.
Anyhow, IMHO, we all need to stay on the same side and not attack people who are helping the cause. And Zac's series of articles did help.
Who cares if Zac patted himself on the back? Maybe he did'nt realize he was doing it. He's done a great deal for us writing that series of articles and I guarantee you it didn't make him many friends in the 9-1-1 industry. Reading the comments on the Herald Tribune website......... Whew! I say this kiddingly, but if Zac were to call 9-1-1......... I think he'd get an earful.
Again, I just think we need not get on him for this. There are plenty of people who will get ahead simply by being involved with the Foundation and 9-1-1 reform. They will win fans, voters and supporters whether they are journalists or politicians. Some will be sincere in helping us and others will use it as a stepping stool. I believe Zac is sincerely concerned about the state of our 9-1-1 system in Florida. If he gets to use a few steps to move up a ladder, good for him! Those same people will lose fans and voters. The main thing is we fix the problems where needed.
And if that series of articles earns Zac an award or two, then hey! Great! That's even better because it'll put the series of articles in the news again! They may even get national attention and not just by 9-1-1 dispatchers.
I understand what Mr Filipkowski was saying. Zac should've mentioned the Foundation, Rick, Nate, Paige Kreegel and countless others. Maybe by "making him weasel of the week" Zac will be sure to mention everyone who has been working so hard.
I do want to thank Mr Filipkowski very much for bringing more awareness to the Foundation by talking about it tonight on his show.
Also, there is no better spokesperson for us, other than maybe Nate, than David Garofalo!
Aside to David if you read this: WOW! You were great!!! Go North Port!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Denise Amber Lee Tribute 1/17/2009
Gosh, I hesitate to even write about the tribute. It was that moving.
My best memory of the day? Was feeling a solidarity with Sue (Denise's mom). We've been through a lot together this past year in jockeying the boys back and forth in an effort to help Nathan. But today was the first tribute, memorial, service (whatever you want to call it) where we actually got to sit next to each other. I got to hold Sue's hand briefly during the tribute. This will sound silly to her, I'm sure, but it was such an honor. I mean, here we are, two very different people but still bonded in such a way because of the grandbabies.
And, today, the Sun-Herald quoted Rick (Denise's dad) and I felt a certain solidarity with him. Because, I too, think of Denise when I wake up. I think of Denise when I go to bed. And I think of Denise when I drive around during the day whether it's going to the store and leaving work. I think of Denise 24/7.
Some people think we need to move on. It was said a little today. But, as I've posted before, it's just not that easy. Believe me! I wish it were! I know Denise wouldn't want us to be unhappy! Denise is the last person in this world or the next who would want us to be unhappy!
Today did mark many happy things. I couldn't believe the support of so many people. All the new friends, all the old friends, and family came out that we weren't expecting.
Bobbie and Donna, I can't tell you how very VERY much your presence there meant to Mark, Mom and me. You know I don't have any family down here and Mark and Mom are it for them. So, your presence brought such comfort and meant more than mere words in a blog can say.
Nancy! Geez, thank you. So many people. So much love.
I got to meet the Teehee family today. That, too, was an honor. I very much look forward to getting to know them better. I was emotionally only ready to talk to Carol and Tab. I wasn't able to embrace the children. I don't know why. It was just too much to take in for me. Meeting Carol and Tab was special. The pain mirrored. You just hate to see others experiencing such pain. I think it was there oldest boy, I'm not sure, but as I walked away from their family the last time (it was difficult to part from them) I looked into the eyes of the one boy and saw some of the pain I see in Nathan's eyes.
I got to meet Jane Kowalski for a second time. Gosh, she's quite a lady. I really like her. I love her and honor her for what she did for Denise. But I really like her, just as a person. She's seems to be the type of person I could be good friends with. She has character and strength. She has a grace about her. Plus, I really like her new haircut. It was cute and I think it's a haircut I could get away with. It didn't look like it was too much work but it was attractive. Hey! Now that's a good sign of healing. I'm thinking about hairdos! I feel like that Virginia Slims commercial (without the cigarette) "you've come a long way, baby!"
My friends from POMC. Gosh, yes, I promise to be there Wednesday. {{HUGS}} to Cathy. You, too, Dan.
Also, there were the many angels in blue. Okay, here I'm tearring up. And they are angels of blue. Denise would've have fit in perfectly with these ladies. Most of them are young North Port and Port Charlotte moms with gentle souls. They remind me of when I was a young Hampstead mom in Maryland. Their kids are mostly the ages Brian and Nathan were before we moved. So, I understand their kinship to each other and how dependent they are on one another for support. What a fun time. I've finally gotten to the point where I can remember ALL their names and some of their husbands names (Yes, Meri, I remember it's Tom, for how long I'll remember I don't know) but I can't even begin to remember all the kids names. I wish I could because those kids are out there wearing Denise's blue shirts with pride! They are really into this. How wonderful it that?
Oh, I could go on. We've met so many interesting, wonderful people. Nate has so much support. Gosh, I'm just Denise's mother-in-law and look at the support they give me! I honestly don't know where we would be without them, especially the angels in blue.
Nate, I was very proud of you today. I know it was difficult. I could see your struggle and your pain. I guess, being your mom, I feel it instinctively.
But! I could also see your passion and your drive. Gosh! I hadn't seen you like that since you were the catcher for Lemon Bay. You are super serious about this. You're driven. And, yes, you really should go into some kind of public service. You care! And people see it. People feel it! Yes, I definitely public office in your future. You've got the compassion and the integrity needed to do good things. And what better place than North Port! What a fantastic community.
I know, Nate how much you want to be happy. I know how much you want those babies to be happy. Dad and I promise to try and get out of this funk we're in. We promise to make that effort. Maybe once we're out of this house. It's a heavy weight on your dad's shoulders. And mine.
I wish Brian could've been here today. I missed him so much. You two, really do need to get together more often. I know he misses you and wants to help in anyway he can.
I loved the way you expressed your love to the Goffs. I know how much they mean to you and I know how much Rick has been like a father to you. Didn't Amanda look beautiful today? It was so good to see Alecia. And, Tyler, he's getting too big for me to hug but he puts up with me anyway.
Aside to Amy: I haven't forgotten you. But, I simply can't find the words to express how much your friendship has meant to me.
It's absolutely surreal, that it took losing Denise, to find all these wonderful people. We've learned truly how wonderful North Port and Port Charlotte are. We ALWAYS made fun of North Port and Port Charlotte but your two communities have been simply awesome.
Okay! I'm sure I missed a whole bunch of people (like Kim and Jerry). I tell you the turn out was awesome. Even the police departments, fire departments, etc.... Oddly, no one from the CCSO came and I don't know why.
Anyhow, to get on with the service. It was BEAUTIFUL! It was in front of city hall and just gorgeous weather. Not too hot and not too cold. Scott Smith from the North Port Police Department opened the ceremony by playing "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes! WOW! Pastor Dave from our church (Englewood United Methodist Church) said a prayer and introduced Nathan. Nathan spoke well. He always does. Dave Dignam, oh gosh, he spoke. He actually wrote a letter to Denise. It was beautiful. I know it sounds morbid but I find nothing wrong with writing letters to those who have passed before us. State Representatives Paige Kreegel and Ken Roberson spoke. I had met Paige before and he's been wonderful to Nate. But I hadn't met Ken Roberson. Was I impressed! He's definitely on our side and spoke very strongly about improving 9-1-1. He was very passionate. I meant to speak to him afterwards but wasn't able to. I wish I had. Thank you, Representatives Kreegel and Roberson.
A young man from South Biscayne Baptist Church sang "I Can Only Imagine". Oh my! I don't know what was more moving. That or the bagpipes. At the close, Kim Perkins, (I'm not sure where she's from but I believe she sang at the memorial a year ago, not sure, I was numb) sang the Lord's Prayer. All were extraordinarily moving. It's difficult to describe in words. I'm not a writer.
Sadly, Mr Witz, who I believe is an exceptional writer wasn't there. He was memorializing his grandmother who he lost over Christmas. He could write about this much better than I. I can only describe my thoughts.
Chief Terry Lewis spoke for a few minutes. You can feel his emotion when he speaks about Denise and our families. This has truly effected him. He's been phenomenally supportive of our family. He's always there to answer a question. He helped me seek a therapist. He's helped Nathan in countless ways. This man definitely takes his job to heart and has true compassion. It emanates from him.
I have to say Pastor Dave (Baldridge) was the same way. His compassion just emanated. You can see he loves the children.
I can't say enough about City Commissioner, David Garofalo. I will do him the honor of spelling his name right from now on. David, if you're reading this, please know how much I appreciate your confidence and devotion to the foundation. You are truly a person I would love my sons and grandsons to emulate. YOU have a wonderful heart.
Actually, having said that, I don't believe there's a person I haven't mentioned that I wouldn't be proud to have my children or grandchildren emulate. They are all truly good people.
Denise, look at the impact you've made on so many people. You were one very VERY special lady. I'll always love you and I'll always miss you.
My best memory of the day? Was feeling a solidarity with Sue (Denise's mom). We've been through a lot together this past year in jockeying the boys back and forth in an effort to help Nathan. But today was the first tribute, memorial, service (whatever you want to call it) where we actually got to sit next to each other. I got to hold Sue's hand briefly during the tribute. This will sound silly to her, I'm sure, but it was such an honor. I mean, here we are, two very different people but still bonded in such a way because of the grandbabies.
And, today, the Sun-Herald quoted Rick (Denise's dad) and I felt a certain solidarity with him. Because, I too, think of Denise when I wake up. I think of Denise when I go to bed. And I think of Denise when I drive around during the day whether it's going to the store and leaving work. I think of Denise 24/7.
Some people think we need to move on. It was said a little today. But, as I've posted before, it's just not that easy. Believe me! I wish it were! I know Denise wouldn't want us to be unhappy! Denise is the last person in this world or the next who would want us to be unhappy!
Today did mark many happy things. I couldn't believe the support of so many people. All the new friends, all the old friends, and family came out that we weren't expecting.
Bobbie and Donna, I can't tell you how very VERY much your presence there meant to Mark, Mom and me. You know I don't have any family down here and Mark and Mom are it for them. So, your presence brought such comfort and meant more than mere words in a blog can say.
Nancy! Geez, thank you. So many people. So much love.
I got to meet the Teehee family today. That, too, was an honor. I very much look forward to getting to know them better. I was emotionally only ready to talk to Carol and Tab. I wasn't able to embrace the children. I don't know why. It was just too much to take in for me. Meeting Carol and Tab was special. The pain mirrored. You just hate to see others experiencing such pain. I think it was there oldest boy, I'm not sure, but as I walked away from their family the last time (it was difficult to part from them) I looked into the eyes of the one boy and saw some of the pain I see in Nathan's eyes.
I got to meet Jane Kowalski for a second time. Gosh, she's quite a lady. I really like her. I love her and honor her for what she did for Denise. But I really like her, just as a person. She's seems to be the type of person I could be good friends with. She has character and strength. She has a grace about her. Plus, I really like her new haircut. It was cute and I think it's a haircut I could get away with. It didn't look like it was too much work but it was attractive. Hey! Now that's a good sign of healing. I'm thinking about hairdos! I feel like that Virginia Slims commercial (without the cigarette) "you've come a long way, baby!"
My friends from POMC. Gosh, yes, I promise to be there Wednesday. {{HUGS}} to Cathy. You, too, Dan.
Also, there were the many angels in blue. Okay, here I'm tearring up. And they are angels of blue. Denise would've have fit in perfectly with these ladies. Most of them are young North Port and Port Charlotte moms with gentle souls. They remind me of when I was a young Hampstead mom in Maryland. Their kids are mostly the ages Brian and Nathan were before we moved. So, I understand their kinship to each other and how dependent they are on one another for support. What a fun time. I've finally gotten to the point where I can remember ALL their names and some of their husbands names (Yes, Meri, I remember it's Tom, for how long I'll remember I don't know) but I can't even begin to remember all the kids names. I wish I could because those kids are out there wearing Denise's blue shirts with pride! They are really into this. How wonderful it that?
Oh, I could go on. We've met so many interesting, wonderful people. Nate has so much support. Gosh, I'm just Denise's mother-in-law and look at the support they give me! I honestly don't know where we would be without them, especially the angels in blue.
Nate, I was very proud of you today. I know it was difficult. I could see your struggle and your pain. I guess, being your mom, I feel it instinctively.
But! I could also see your passion and your drive. Gosh! I hadn't seen you like that since you were the catcher for Lemon Bay. You are super serious about this. You're driven. And, yes, you really should go into some kind of public service. You care! And people see it. People feel it! Yes, I definitely public office in your future. You've got the compassion and the integrity needed to do good things. And what better place than North Port! What a fantastic community.
I know, Nate how much you want to be happy. I know how much you want those babies to be happy. Dad and I promise to try and get out of this funk we're in. We promise to make that effort. Maybe once we're out of this house. It's a heavy weight on your dad's shoulders. And mine.
I wish Brian could've been here today. I missed him so much. You two, really do need to get together more often. I know he misses you and wants to help in anyway he can.
I loved the way you expressed your love to the Goffs. I know how much they mean to you and I know how much Rick has been like a father to you. Didn't Amanda look beautiful today? It was so good to see Alecia. And, Tyler, he's getting too big for me to hug but he puts up with me anyway.
Aside to Amy: I haven't forgotten you. But, I simply can't find the words to express how much your friendship has meant to me.
It's absolutely surreal, that it took losing Denise, to find all these wonderful people. We've learned truly how wonderful North Port and Port Charlotte are. We ALWAYS made fun of North Port and Port Charlotte but your two communities have been simply awesome.
Okay! I'm sure I missed a whole bunch of people (like Kim and Jerry). I tell you the turn out was awesome. Even the police departments, fire departments, etc.... Oddly, no one from the CCSO came and I don't know why.
Anyhow, to get on with the service. It was BEAUTIFUL! It was in front of city hall and just gorgeous weather. Not too hot and not too cold. Scott Smith from the North Port Police Department opened the ceremony by playing "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes! WOW! Pastor Dave from our church (Englewood United Methodist Church) said a prayer and introduced Nathan. Nathan spoke well. He always does. Dave Dignam, oh gosh, he spoke. He actually wrote a letter to Denise. It was beautiful. I know it sounds morbid but I find nothing wrong with writing letters to those who have passed before us. State Representatives Paige Kreegel and Ken Roberson spoke. I had met Paige before and he's been wonderful to Nate. But I hadn't met Ken Roberson. Was I impressed! He's definitely on our side and spoke very strongly about improving 9-1-1. He was very passionate. I meant to speak to him afterwards but wasn't able to. I wish I had. Thank you, Representatives Kreegel and Roberson.
A young man from South Biscayne Baptist Church sang "I Can Only Imagine". Oh my! I don't know what was more moving. That or the bagpipes. At the close, Kim Perkins, (I'm not sure where she's from but I believe she sang at the memorial a year ago, not sure, I was numb) sang the Lord's Prayer. All were extraordinarily moving. It's difficult to describe in words. I'm not a writer.
Sadly, Mr Witz, who I believe is an exceptional writer wasn't there. He was memorializing his grandmother who he lost over Christmas. He could write about this much better than I. I can only describe my thoughts.
Chief Terry Lewis spoke for a few minutes. You can feel his emotion when he speaks about Denise and our families. This has truly effected him. He's been phenomenally supportive of our family. He's always there to answer a question. He helped me seek a therapist. He's helped Nathan in countless ways. This man definitely takes his job to heart and has true compassion. It emanates from him.
I have to say Pastor Dave (Baldridge) was the same way. His compassion just emanated. You can see he loves the children.
I can't say enough about City Commissioner, David Garofalo. I will do him the honor of spelling his name right from now on. David, if you're reading this, please know how much I appreciate your confidence and devotion to the foundation. You are truly a person I would love my sons and grandsons to emulate. YOU have a wonderful heart.
Actually, having said that, I don't believe there's a person I haven't mentioned that I wouldn't be proud to have my children or grandchildren emulate. They are all truly good people.
Denise, look at the impact you've made on so many people. You were one very VERY special lady. I'll always love you and I'll always miss you.
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