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."
Showing posts with label zac anderson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label zac anderson. Show all posts
Monday, May 4, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
A Call to Improve 9-1-1/Editorial in yesterday's Herald Tribune
My opinion to start with article to follow.
FWIW, as our foundation (The Denise Amber Lee Foundation) continues our fight for 9-1-1 improvements in Florida and now across the country, we would never want people to lose faith in 9-1-1. Call 9-1-1 in an emergency. 9-1-1 is wonderful. But it's my opinion it needs standards so that all 9-1-1 centers are on the same page and that they be equipped with the best technology available. 9-1-1 should be evolving along side of consumer communication technology. And we should all learn what our cell phones can and cannot do.
Do you realize many students during the Virginia Tech massacre were all texting 9-1-1? Sadly, you can't text 9-1-1. They didn't know. We need to be educated, young people, old people, middle aged people all need to know what their phones can and cannot do.
Dispatchers are getting a lot of heat. Sadly the dispatcher in Plant City lost her job during this horrific economy. But even more sad and tragic is Jennifer Johnson's family lost a loved on. Jennifer lost her life. Denise lost her life. Olidia Kerr Day lost her life.
Something has to be done. I'm so glad the Herald Tribune stepped up and took on this story. They should be commended.
God bless all call takers and dispatchers out there with compassion, diligence, guidance and patience. We're on your side and we only want to make your jobs easier. You are our front lines, LITERALLY.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090409/OPINION/904091053
Published: Thursday, April 9, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at 6:18 p.m.
The skill, or lack of it, in handling a 911 call can mean the difference between life and death. It can also mean the difference between employment and job loss, as Plant City emergency personnel recently learned.
Their treatment of a 911 call on Nov. 15, from a kidnapped woman who was later found dead, brought the firing this week of a dispatcher and the resignation of her supervisor. Two other people connected to the case resigned or retired.
As the Tampa Tribune reported, an internal investigation concluded that the dispatcher and her supervisors failed to follow up appropriately on the victim's desperate call from the trunk of car.
"This was a human breakdown, not an equipment failure," Plant City Police Chief Bill McDaniel was quoted as saying. "Our emergency communication center is state of the art," he said, noting that dispatchers undergo a 16-week training course.
In this case, errors were punished by job loss. But statewide, 911 mistakes tend to draw light reprimand, the Herald-Tribune's Zac Anderson reported in a series earlier this year.
The Denise Lee aftermath
That series marked the anniversary of the kidnapping and slaying of Denise Lee, a young North Port mother. In her case, a witness's call to Charlotte County's 911 center was mishandled.
Ever since, Lee's grieving survivors have pushed the state to institute reforms, such as standardized training and certification for 911 operators, to help prevent other tragedies in the future.
Currently, Florida has no statewide requirements for training. Standards vary widely by jurisdiction, Anderson reported. Sarasota County's 911 call center is accredited, but it is in the minority.
A bill pending in the Legislature would change that by requiring all emergency 911 dispatchers to earn certification by October 2012. The measure (CS/SB 2040 in the Senate, and CS/HB 769 in the House) gained committee approval, but it still has a long legislative gantlet to run as the clock ticks down on the annual two-month session.
The bill deserves full consideration. Training certification is no cure-all, but it would bring needed consistency to the 911 system. Consistency, in turn, could simplify and improve emergency communication.
High stress, low pay
As we have said before, any discussion of 911 problems should recognize the good work that dispatchers do and the extraordinarily stressful conditions they face, often for relatively low pay.
These workers are tasked with making urgent, knowledgeable decisions, even if the caller is incoherent or panicked. They must be able to use technology, classify calls, select proper codes, find the nearest available police cars, and sometimes talk a person through lifesaving measures.
These are important skills. Statewide certification requirements would be a step toward ensuring that they get the professional respect -- and wage compensation -- they deserve.
FWIW, as our foundation (The Denise Amber Lee Foundation) continues our fight for 9-1-1 improvements in Florida and now across the country, we would never want people to lose faith in 9-1-1. Call 9-1-1 in an emergency. 9-1-1 is wonderful. But it's my opinion it needs standards so that all 9-1-1 centers are on the same page and that they be equipped with the best technology available. 9-1-1 should be evolving along side of consumer communication technology. And we should all learn what our cell phones can and cannot do.
Do you realize many students during the Virginia Tech massacre were all texting 9-1-1? Sadly, you can't text 9-1-1. They didn't know. We need to be educated, young people, old people, middle aged people all need to know what their phones can and cannot do.
Dispatchers are getting a lot of heat. Sadly the dispatcher in Plant City lost her job during this horrific economy. But even more sad and tragic is Jennifer Johnson's family lost a loved on. Jennifer lost her life. Denise lost her life. Olidia Kerr Day lost her life.
Something has to be done. I'm so glad the Herald Tribune stepped up and took on this story. They should be commended.
God bless all call takers and dispatchers out there with compassion, diligence, guidance and patience. We're on your side and we only want to make your jobs easier. You are our front lines, LITERALLY.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090409/OPINION/904091053
Published: Thursday, April 9, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at 6:18 p.m.
The skill, or lack of it, in handling a 911 call can mean the difference between life and death. It can also mean the difference between employment and job loss, as Plant City emergency personnel recently learned.
Their treatment of a 911 call on Nov. 15, from a kidnapped woman who was later found dead, brought the firing this week of a dispatcher and the resignation of her supervisor. Two other people connected to the case resigned or retired.
As the Tampa Tribune reported, an internal investigation concluded that the dispatcher and her supervisors failed to follow up appropriately on the victim's desperate call from the trunk of car.
"This was a human breakdown, not an equipment failure," Plant City Police Chief Bill McDaniel was quoted as saying. "Our emergency communication center is state of the art," he said, noting that dispatchers undergo a 16-week training course.
In this case, errors were punished by job loss. But statewide, 911 mistakes tend to draw light reprimand, the Herald-Tribune's Zac Anderson reported in a series earlier this year.
The Denise Lee aftermath
That series marked the anniversary of the kidnapping and slaying of Denise Lee, a young North Port mother. In her case, a witness's call to Charlotte County's 911 center was mishandled.
Ever since, Lee's grieving survivors have pushed the state to institute reforms, such as standardized training and certification for 911 operators, to help prevent other tragedies in the future.
Currently, Florida has no statewide requirements for training. Standards vary widely by jurisdiction, Anderson reported. Sarasota County's 911 call center is accredited, but it is in the minority.
A bill pending in the Legislature would change that by requiring all emergency 911 dispatchers to earn certification by October 2012. The measure (CS/SB 2040 in the Senate, and CS/HB 769 in the House) gained committee approval, but it still has a long legislative gantlet to run as the clock ticks down on the annual two-month session.
The bill deserves full consideration. Training certification is no cure-all, but it would bring needed consistency to the 911 system. Consistency, in turn, could simplify and improve emergency communication.
High stress, low pay
As we have said before, any discussion of 911 problems should recognize the good work that dispatchers do and the extraordinarily stressful conditions they face, often for relatively low pay.
These workers are tasked with making urgent, knowledgeable decisions, even if the caller is incoherent or panicked. They must be able to use technology, classify calls, select proper codes, find the nearest available police cars, and sometimes talk a person through lifesaving measures.
These are important skills. Statewide certification requirements would be a step toward ensuring that they get the professional respect -- and wage compensation -- they deserve.
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!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Today's Herald Tribune "Bill Aims To Raise the Bar for 911"
A couple of comments about this article. I wish they would have mentioned the foundation's work this past year. There is no mention of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation. This is what we've been lobbying for and we've been lobbying over a year. This is what the fundraisers are about. The golf tournament, the Family Fun Day, the Poinsettia Parade etc...... I really believe that all should've been mentioned. But........
The Herald Tribune has somehow taken total credit and failed to recognize all the many people who have helped us and have been working on this. That's bothersome. But, still, I shouldn't complain. At least, they are working on getting the story out there. I have to commend them for that.
Today's Herald Tribune 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."
The Herald Tribune has somehow taken total credit and failed to recognize all the many people who have helped us and have been working on this. That's bothersome. But, still, I shouldn't complain. At least, they are working on getting the story out there. I have to commend them for that.
Today's Herald Tribune 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."
Friday, January 23, 2009
In the Herald Tribune
Yesterday the Sun-Herald had a piece in the editorial section. I posted it yesterday.
Today this was in the Herald Tribune editorial page. I imagine (and can only guess it's in response to the response they received for Zac Anderson's articles last weekend.
I'm in a rather funky mood and I may blog more tonight but it's been a rather dramatic week and I'm struggling with my thoughts. Anyhow, here's a copy of what was in the Herald Tribune this morning. I'll blog more tonight about my thoughts. And believe me, I have a lot of them.
Today this was in the Herald Tribune editorial page. I imagine (and can only guess it's in response to the response they received for Zac Anderson's articles last weekend.
I'm in a rather funky mood and I may blog more tonight but it's been a rather dramatic week and I'm struggling with my thoughts. Anyhow, here's a copy of what was in the Herald Tribune this morning. I'll blog more tonight about my thoughts. And believe me, I have a lot of them.
Warning on 911
Series shows a need for improvements in training, pay and accountability
Published: Friday, January 23, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 6:40 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 6:40 p.m.
Considering the nature of the work - fielding callers who range from babbling toddlers to dying crime victims -- 911 emergency operators will make mistakes. Miscommunication will happen.
But if perfection is out of reach, reliability and accuracy are not. The public should expect these of its 911 systems.
Some systems fall short, as a recent Herald-Tribune investigative series detailed.
Among the millions of 911 calls received in Florida over the past five years, hundreds (at the least) were seriously mishandled, reporters found.
Florida and some other states have no statewide requirements for "training, staffing or quality control" at 911 centers, the series pointed out. Standards and success rates vary by jurisdiction. In some counties, such as Broward and Sarasota, 911 operators get classroom training. In others, such as Manatee, they don't.
Some agencies don't formally track complaints, reporters noted, and many 911 centers "tolerate repeated mistakes" -- a disturbing trend caused, in part, by the difficulty of retaining workers in this stressful field. It seems that experience matters, but is not highly compensated: The median annual salary is under $32,000, data indicate.
To make the best of a difficult job, these workers need thorough training, good technological tools that they know how to use, fair compensation and accountability.
None of that comes cheap, but Florida and the nation should find a way to pay for these improvements.
Case for reform
A year ago, mistakes by the Charlotte County 911 center revealed the aching distance between perfection and failure. Operators there received a call that could have helped catch a kidnapper, but the process fell apart, operators did not follow through and law enforcement was not notified. Ultimately the abduction victim, a young North Port mom, died.
The blame for that loss lies squarely on the killer. But the case shows how important a well-run 911 system is to the cause of public safety.
An internal investigation into the handling of the 911 calls faulted two staff members, and details portrayed an office caught flat-footed and unprepared. The two workers were suspended and retrained, but the victim's family wants systemic reforms.
As the newspaper series noted, some counties, such as Alachua and Sarasota, have made strong strides in 911 quality control. But problems -- though proportionally rare -- can happen anywhere, including:
Sarasota County in 2004. According to a report in the Herald-Tribune, a misunderstanding occurred on two 911 calls concerning the crash of a small plane in Venice. Authorities did not get to the scene until 19 hours later. One 911 operator was reassigned at her request, and more training procedures were implemented.
Lapeer County, Mich. Officials there blamed "outmoded equipment for system failures to the (911) lifesaving system," according to an article in the County Press. "To keep up with technological advances, cash strapped 911 must find $15.2 million to replace it."
Nashville, Tenn. A policy requiring 911 operators to ask callers a lengthy "checklist" of questions delayed medical help. After complaints and an investigation, the policy was changed.
Detroit. Last year a woman there became the first 911 operator in the country to be convicted for mishandling a case. Reportedly, she mistook for a prank a 5-year-old boy's call about his mother, who had collapsed and later died. The operator, convicted of misdemeanor neglect and fired, was sentenced to probation and community service.
Madison, Wis. In December a 911 operator -- trying to answer another call -- reportedly mishandled a call from a college student who was under attack. The girl was later found slain.
Recognize reality
Any discussion of 911 problems must recognize the extraordinary conditions that operators and dispatchers often face on the job.
These workers are multi-taskers, asked to quickly make detailed, knowledgeable decisions -- even if the person on the other end of the phone is incoherent or panicked. They must be able to use technology, classify calls, select proper codes, find the nearest available police cars, and sometimes talk a caller through lifesaving measures.
These are valuable skills that should be developed through training and office accreditation, and be fairly compensated. Paying for them is a challenge, however, as are efforts to develop user-friendly equipment that keeps up with telecom advances and gets operators the information they need.
To help fund 911 improvements, Florida could increase the 50-cent monthly fee that phone users pay toward this purpose.
A fee hike may prove necessary, but caution is warranted: Both land-line and cell-phone users pay a variety of other taxes, on top of the 911 fee, that add substantially to government coffers. The combined communications tax rates are among the highest in the nation, according to nonprofit Florida Tax Watch.
Much of the revenue produced by the general communications taxes are used for schools, infrastructure and other long-term needs that are important but have nothing to do with phone service. In the future, shifting some of that all-purpose money toward 911 -- which, in Sarasota County, also receives some funding from sales taxes as well as county fire and ambulance fees -- should be considered.
More federal grant money for 911 technology upgrades, training and nationally recognized accreditation would help as well. If such funding is not already under consideration as part of President Obama's economic recovery plan, it should be.
Monday, January 19, 2009
The Herald Tribune 9-1-1 stories
There were several 9-1-1 stories written by Zac Anderson which were published this past Saturday, Sunday and today (Monday).
I think I have them all. See these links:
Critical flaws in Florida's 911 system
911's experience gap
The legacy of Denise Amber Lee
Standards and accreditation at 911 call centers
911 rules are a hard sell
FWIW, I cannot give much incite as to other counties 9-1-1 centers. I have to trust what Mr Anderson has written. I have met Mr Anderson a couple of times and his diligence truly impressed my husband and me. And, believe me, we've met many reporters.
This is a little off topic but I have to say the majority of the reporters I've met, let's say 80%, I have genuinely gotten to like. I think most of them do care and look at us as more than just a story. There is that other 20% that I think are snakes. There's that 80/20 rule. I imagine this to be the case in most industries. You've got nice people, and then you have the "pleasant" but not really so nice people.
I'll lump Zac in with the 80%. He's got to be one of the smartest and most driven reporters I've met. I was truly impressed. And, for him it most definitely was about his story. But, he still was able to express compassion for us as a family. He gave our thoughts and feelings respect.
Also, FWIW, we're not media "whores". Someone said something not so nice to me the other day and I just want to set the record straight. We don't like the spotlight. We have been thrust into a situation that's not comfortable for us. Putting your pain on display the way Nathan has, isn't easy. But he does it. Rick (Goff) does it. I do it. Why? Well, I know why I do it. I do it for Nathan. I'd do anything for Nathan if it was the right thing for him. Same for Brian. But I can only guess as to why Nathan and Rick do it. I guess it's because they (me too) desperately NEVER want to see this happen to another family. Denise fought so hard. To fight the way she did and then to die in vain? It's still seems so surreal to me. We know there will always be mistakes. We know that to err is human. And, we truly can forgive human error. But, we have a very difficult time forgiving people that don't recognize the problems (or worse do recognize the problems) and don't fix them at the expense of loss of life. It just seems unconscionable.
I don't think Mr Anderson was trying to throw anyone under the bus as was said in many comments to his articles. Publishing people's names for mistakes they made in the past, made me a bit uncomfortable but maybe he needed to do that for credibility.
I'm just grateful he wrote the articles. For a while I felt as if I was going crazy because it seemed as if no-one was listening. I feel saddened that Denise's case isn't isolated. It would be so much easier to accept and understand if it was.
When it happened, I had an inkling of "this must happen more than we suspect. We never would have known about it if Ms Kowalski hadn't been so persistant in being heard." I imagined it happening in big cities and small towns. I thought that right away. Imagine the cover ups. I think they're scattered through the country.
The CCSO has absolutely no transparency at all.
So, I'm truly am glad he wrote the articles. He did his research.
I do hope that, if anything, it brings about awareness. And that when future legislation is presented, that maybe this will help sway people's votes into making positive changes in the 9-1-1 industry.
And, FWIW, then I'll stop running on, out of the 4 9-1-1 calls Sarasota County received the night we lost Denise, ALL were handled perfectly. Kudos from us to them.
God bless all call takers and dispatchers, everywhere, with guidance and strength.
Anyone have any ideas of how we can Governor Crist's attention? He's the only person who can insist on an external investigation into what happened in the CCSO 9-1-1 center that night.
You'd think he'd be interested in this! So far, he's ignored our attempts at communication with him.
I'm thinking of starting a petition and going door to door. The only problem with that is, I'd have to tell Denise's story over and over again. How painful would that be? And even if the angels in blue were to do it, it would still be painful for them as well. They never met Denise but they've grown to love her.
I hate the idea of email. Because, it's cold and I don't know if email petitions are taken as seriously as hand signed petitions. Maybe at future events we should have a petition clip board and carry it wherever we go.
I'm just starting to think (not aloud) but as I type. Same thing.
Oh! several people have asked about the picture at the top right of the blog. Ben, Tammy's (http://www.amomandherblog.com/) husband took it. Mark was very upset over the gray hair. So, I'll be doing something about that tomorrow. Still, I think it's a great pic because it expresses exactly how I was feeling.
Much love and peace to all. And thank you, Zac Anderson, for bringing light to this issue.
I think I have them all. See these links:
Critical flaws in Florida's 911 system
911's experience gap
The legacy of Denise Amber Lee
Standards and accreditation at 911 call centers
911 rules are a hard sell
FWIW, I cannot give much incite as to other counties 9-1-1 centers. I have to trust what Mr Anderson has written. I have met Mr Anderson a couple of times and his diligence truly impressed my husband and me. And, believe me, we've met many reporters.
This is a little off topic but I have to say the majority of the reporters I've met, let's say 80%, I have genuinely gotten to like. I think most of them do care and look at us as more than just a story. There is that other 20% that I think are snakes. There's that 80/20 rule. I imagine this to be the case in most industries. You've got nice people, and then you have the "pleasant" but not really so nice people.
I'll lump Zac in with the 80%. He's got to be one of the smartest and most driven reporters I've met. I was truly impressed. And, for him it most definitely was about his story. But, he still was able to express compassion for us as a family. He gave our thoughts and feelings respect.
Also, FWIW, we're not media "whores". Someone said something not so nice to me the other day and I just want to set the record straight. We don't like the spotlight. We have been thrust into a situation that's not comfortable for us. Putting your pain on display the way Nathan has, isn't easy. But he does it. Rick (Goff) does it. I do it. Why? Well, I know why I do it. I do it for Nathan. I'd do anything for Nathan if it was the right thing for him. Same for Brian. But I can only guess as to why Nathan and Rick do it. I guess it's because they (me too) desperately NEVER want to see this happen to another family. Denise fought so hard. To fight the way she did and then to die in vain? It's still seems so surreal to me. We know there will always be mistakes. We know that to err is human. And, we truly can forgive human error. But, we have a very difficult time forgiving people that don't recognize the problems (or worse do recognize the problems) and don't fix them at the expense of loss of life. It just seems unconscionable.
I don't think Mr Anderson was trying to throw anyone under the bus as was said in many comments to his articles. Publishing people's names for mistakes they made in the past, made me a bit uncomfortable but maybe he needed to do that for credibility.
I'm just grateful he wrote the articles. For a while I felt as if I was going crazy because it seemed as if no-one was listening. I feel saddened that Denise's case isn't isolated. It would be so much easier to accept and understand if it was.
When it happened, I had an inkling of "this must happen more than we suspect. We never would have known about it if Ms Kowalski hadn't been so persistant in being heard." I imagined it happening in big cities and small towns. I thought that right away. Imagine the cover ups. I think they're scattered through the country.
The CCSO has absolutely no transparency at all.
So, I'm truly am glad he wrote the articles. He did his research.
I do hope that, if anything, it brings about awareness. And that when future legislation is presented, that maybe this will help sway people's votes into making positive changes in the 9-1-1 industry.
And, FWIW, then I'll stop running on, out of the 4 9-1-1 calls Sarasota County received the night we lost Denise, ALL were handled perfectly. Kudos from us to them.
God bless all call takers and dispatchers, everywhere, with guidance and strength.
Anyone have any ideas of how we can Governor Crist's attention? He's the only person who can insist on an external investigation into what happened in the CCSO 9-1-1 center that night.
You'd think he'd be interested in this! So far, he's ignored our attempts at communication with him.
I'm thinking of starting a petition and going door to door. The only problem with that is, I'd have to tell Denise's story over and over again. How painful would that be? And even if the angels in blue were to do it, it would still be painful for them as well. They never met Denise but they've grown to love her.
I hate the idea of email. Because, it's cold and I don't know if email petitions are taken as seriously as hand signed petitions. Maybe at future events we should have a petition clip board and carry it wherever we go.
I'm just starting to think (not aloud) but as I type. Same thing.
Oh! several people have asked about the picture at the top right of the blog. Ben, Tammy's (http://www.amomandherblog.com/) husband took it. Mark was very upset over the gray hair. So, I'll be doing something about that tomorrow. Still, I think it's a great pic because it expresses exactly how I was feeling.
Much love and peace to all. And thank you, Zac Anderson, for bringing light to this issue.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Oh My! 9-1-1 and the State of Florida
Critical flaws in Florida's 911 system
By Zac Anderson
Published: Saturday, January 17, 2009 at 1:00 a.m. Last Modified: Saturday, January 17, 2009 at 2:59 p.m.
First of three parts
Moving ceremony for Denise Lee
Harold Muxlow 911 call Audio
Sabrina Muxlow 911 call Audio
Jane Kowalski 911 call Audio
Dispatchers get 911 call from Denise Amber Lee Audio
Lee's father speaks in Tallahassee Audio
One year after Denise Lee's murder Video
911 caller tells police about hearing Denise Amber Lee's screams Video
Every year, Florida 911 workers make hundreds of critical errors that endanger lives and leave people waiting for help, a Herald-Tribune investigation has found.
Records show that Florida’s 911 call takers and dispatchers — the vital link between emergency responders and distressed callers — send help to the wrong address or neglect to send any help at all.
They fall asleep on the job and abandon their posts to run errands. They argue with heart attack victims and hang up on hysterical callers.
In the most egregious cases, 911 workers listen to callers’ pleas for help and simply decide not to send a police officer or ambulance.
Despite chronic errors and even deaths, state officials and many local agencies have done little to stop the mistakes.
Florida’s 911 centers have no uniform standards and little oversight. Unlike at least 32 other states, Florida does not mandate training or certification for dispatchers. In some cases, the Herald-Tribune found, dispatchers have been allowed to start processing calls just two days after being hired.
And the mistakes are piling up.
The newspaper spent six months gathering and analyzing five years’ worth of discipline reports and complaints against 911 centers across the state. The paper reviewed more than 1,000 cases from more than half of Florida’s 67 counties. It also interviewed more than 50 current and former 911 workers, supervisors, policymakers and victims of 911 mishaps.
Although the vast majority of calls are handled correctly, the newspaper found that mistakes occur every day and that government officials have neglected the 911 system, allowing it to lag years behind police, firefighters and paramedics in training and other standards.
Among the findings:
--Each year in Florida, hundreds of 911 dispatchers violate protocols designed to ensure swift and accurate emergency response, complaint documents show. More than a third of those mistakes delay the arrival of police, fire or medical responders, threatening lives.
--Hundreds more 911 employees demonstrate gross unprofessionalism with actions that include sleeping on the job, not showing up for work, leaving stations unattended or turning off emergency alert tones so that they will not be disturbed.
--Dozens of errors put emergency responders in jeopardy when dispatchers failed to fully describe a dangerous situation or update criminal databases. A Gainesville police officer faced a suspected killer during a traffic stop on Sept. 14, 2006, but did not know because of a dispatcher’s error, records show.
--Heavy turnover and training standards that vary widely from one community to the next virtually ensure mistakes will be made by overworked, ill-prepared phone and radio operators. Even so, top law enforcement officials lobby against more training because of concerns about money.
--Most 911 centers have adopted standards that draw on accepted industry practices. But no minimum standards are required by Florida law. In addition, Florida officials do not require 911 centers to track mistakes or determine if errors were fatal.
--Even when mistakes are discovered, 911 administrators often dole out light punishment, allowing operators to rack up multiple mistakes without serious consequences. A Bradenton dispatcher was reprimanded for 9 offenses during her first 11 months on the job. Three times she sent rescue workers to the wrong address on “serious calls,” and once she failed to alert police about a missing 4-year-old.
Julie Righter, a national expert on 911 standards who runs a center in Nebraska, said 911 workers have an extremely tough job and handle most calls without incident.
They perform thankless work for little pay, yet are a key cog in a system that saves lives. But Righter also said that the competence of a 911 operator should not be a factor in whether someone lives or dies. And many 911 centers have a long way to go before the proper standards are in place to ensure there is little chance “you’ll have an error when someone’s life is on the line,” she said.
Raising standards has been difficult. The two main voices of law enforcement in Florida — the Florida Police Chief’s Association and the Florida Sheriff’s Association — have opposed increased requirements because of the expense.
In the absence of statewide standards, the 911 system has continued to tolerate mistake after mistake.
Widespread problems
Every so often, a tragic error by a 911 dispatcher captures headlines because someone dies.
A year ago today, a mishandled call to Charlotte County’s 911 center robbed law enforcement officers of a critical opportunity to save 21-year-old Denise Lee.
A concerned driver heard someone screaming in the back of a Camaro on U.S. 41 and called 911. The caller was so concerned she stayed on the phone for nine minutes, following the car to give street-by-street locations.
Although 911 workers suspected that the passenger might be Lee, dispatchers failed to send help.
Several deputies were just minutes away.
The young North Port mother was found two days later, buried in a shallow grave with a single gunshot wound.
Blame was passed around. The radio operators blamed the 911 call taker for shouting across the room instead of calmly sending a computer message. The Sheriff’s Office defended the call taker and disciplined the radio dispatchers for not taking action.
It was a communication breakdown that shook the community’s faith in the 911 system.
A year before Lee’s death, another death was attributed to inaction by 911 employees, this time in Pasco County. For seven minutes, 911 supervisor David Cook refused to offer lifesaving advice to a caller whose girlfriend was choking and near death. The supervisor did not want to get on the phone with a “hysterical caller,” according to reports in the St. Petersburg Times. Co-workers later reported that when Cook learned the woman had died, he joked, “She must have bitten off more than she can chew.”
More recently, inaction by dispatchers was partly blamed for the death of a Plantation woman who dialed 911 while driving to the police station.
For three minutes she begged for help as a man with a gun chased her down the street. She described where she was and told the 911 operator she was driving to the police station. But when she arrived, no officers had been sent to protect her.
The man shot Olidia Kerr Day to death, then killed himself.
Many of the officials who run the state’s 250-plus 911 centers argue that these sensational episodes are the result of isolated and rare human errors.
But the Herald-Tribune found hundreds of mishandled calls that might have contributed to someone’s death if not for one thing — luck.
--In Escambia County, a new 911 call taker sent ambulances to the wrong address three times in a four-month span. She delayed help for an unconscious person, car accident victims and a person having a seizure. In the car accident case, the caller gave the location as North Z Street and repeated “Z, like zebra,” records show. The dispatcher entered North C Street.
--At least twice in the past five years in Pinellas County, ambulance drivers arrived on the scene to find their patients holding a gun. The 911 workers failed to warn the paramedics, according to a complaint log.
--In Sarasota County, a woman called 911 from the Chili’s restaurant in Venice to report an unconscious person and clearly stated the address. The dispatcher sent paramedics to a Chili’s in Sarasota.
--In Hardee County, a 911 worker walked out of the call center, leaving it empty with no one to answer the phone for eight minutes while she looked for a co-worker. Another worker failed to report an escaped prisoner who had jumped out of a window at a nearby county courthouse. Five days later, the same woman sent paramedics to the wrong address for a heart attack, delaying help by 27 minutes, records show.
The Herald-Tribune found more than 600 similar mistakes statewide in the past five years. The actual number is likely measured in thousands. The Herald-Tribune was only able to review complaints and discipline reports from about 40 of the state’s more than 250 centers that directly or indirectly handle 911 calls.
Several dozen agencies contacted by the newspaper did not comply with Florida public records law, failing to respond to written and e-mailed public records requests. Other centers reported no problems or just a handful, even though 911 experts say errors occur in most centers practically every day.
Why mistakes happen
There is a reason so many 911 workers — nearly 75 percent for some agencies — leave within the first year.
They are asked to field life-or-death calls under extreme stress for less than $30,000 a year.
In a matter of seconds, they must ask the right questions to understand an emergency, assign a priority to the call and pass on the correct information to responders.
The large number of non-emergencies, nearly half of all calls for some agencies, can create a “boy who cried wolf” phenomenon, in which workers take real emergencies less seriously because they have dealt with so many minor issues.
Add it all up and the potential for errors — misunderstanding an address, pushing the wrong key on a computer keyboard, getting distracted — is high.
That is why the best dispatch centers establish excruciatingly detailed protocols for answering 911 calls and require months of intense training. They make sure seemingly small errors do not go unmentioned and hold people to high standards.
But in Florida, the 911 agencies have been left largely on their own, with no statewide requirements for training, staffing or quality control, little oversight and paltry state funding.
As a result, training and monitoring vary widely.
In Bradenton, new 911 dispatchers have 14 weeks to master everything and begin working on their own. They learn on the job with no classroom training. In Broward County, new hires spend 12 weeks confined to a classroom and the training program lasts a full year.
The lack of standards is a problem nationwide, said Nancy Pollock, a 911 consultant who ran centers in Minnesota.
“Unfortunately the only way this is going to change is if the highest government in an area takes ownership of this, and in most cases that’s the state,” she said.
In the absence of a state standard, several national accreditation programs lay out best practices.
Yet because the state does not push accreditation, only 15 of Florida’s 911 centers, among them Sarasota County’s, have qualified.
Ignoring the problem
Many of the county governments, sheriff’s offices and municipalities that oversee 911 centers do little to track life-threatening mistakes.
The state of New York requires every 911 center to track complaints.
But only a few of the Florida centers contacted by the Herald-Tribune could provide copies of a complaint log, or a list of every disciplinary action taken against 911 employees. For many, the only way to review 911 errors is to pull dozens of individual personnel files, and sift through thousands of pages looking for discipline reports.
Even that will not catch all of the mistakes because documents describing errors are not always retained.
As a result, many 911 centers operate with no way of knowing how many errors are made, who is making them and how to reduce errors.
In Escambia County, 911 manager Bob Boschen said he began keeping a complaint log after the Herald-Tribune contacted him to request complaint documents last year.
Boschen said he realized that tracking problems is part of providing “the best customer service.” His goal now is to have less than two valid complaints a month.
Some Florida 911 agencies, including Escambia, systematically seek out mistakes in regular audits of every dispatcher.
In Sarasota County, dispatch managers randomly review 10 law enforcement calls each week and 3 percent of medical calls each month to make sure employees verified addresses, classified emergencies properly and asked the right questions.
The checks expose where employees need training and discourage complacency, said Sarasota sheriff’s Capt. Jeff Bell, who runs the 911 center.
“It’s a little scary because you’re really opening yourself for criticism,” said Pollock, the consultant. “But a smart manager views complaints as a good thing. If you have something wrong you want to know about it before something really tragic happens.”
Yet while some agencies have documented more than 100 problems in their 911 centers over the past five years through complaint tracking, the Herald-Tribune found four agencies that recorded no problems at all. Others had very few.
The Bradenton Police Department — an agency with 15 dispatchers — had 20 discipline cases, while Charlotte County, with more than twice as many dispatchers, had just 10.
A former Charlotte County 911 worker told the Herald Tribune that she witnessed problems in the center that went undocumented.
Amy Corbett, who worked in Charlotte County’s 911 center for four months in 2006 and left for personal reasons, said most of the people in the 911 center were competent professionals, but she remembered an incident where a call taker was sleeping on the job and the other workers just laughed and threw candy at her.
“I didn’t see them handle mistakes that happened,” Corbett said. “Some were swept under the carpet, or you’d just have a supervisor talk to you, but it was never anything that was formal.”
Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Sherman Robinson said his office has no record that Corbett reported the problems she saw in the 911 center. Robinson said that if a problem was brought to their attention they would have taken action.
Charlotte does not keep a complaint log. Officials say their informal system works because they get few complaints, and discipline is adequate.
“I can’t tell you the last time I got a complaint,” Robinson said. “I think we hold people to a pretty good standard.
”
Few consequences
Beyond training and monitoring, some experts say dispatch mistakes in Florida have been increased by lax punishment when errors are discovered.
In some cases, even when a mistake ends in tragedy, the punishment is light.
The two dispatchers who did not send deputies to investigate the 911 call shortly before Lee’s death were each suspended but stayed on the job. It was the first time in five years that Charlotte County had suspended a dispatcher, a common punishment elsewhere. Then-Sheriff John Davenport said they were good employees who just slipped up.
The Herald-Tribune’s investigation found that punishment levels vary widely from one place to the next.
In Alachua County, where the 911 center has been held up as a model of excellence, employees are twice as likely to be suspended as 911 workers statewide, the Herald-Tribune’s analysis shows.
But in many 911 centers, managers tolerate repeated mistakes.One Manatee County dispatcher delayed emergency workers six times during her first year on the job, including not sending an ambulance to a motorcycle accident. She was suspended for one day.
Other Manatee dispatchers have similar track records. One was late for work fives times in a year and received a day’s suspension. Another was disciplined five times in a year — for insubordination, attendance problems and an ambulance delay — without receiving more than a letter of counseling.
In April 2008, 17-year-old Braden River High School senior Bre Doran’s boyfriend flipped his truck near State Road 64 in Manatee County. Doran passed out when her head shattered the windshield. When she woke up, Doran could not move her neck.
“It hurt so bad,” she said.
A passing driver called 911.
At the Manatee County 911 center, Mary Ellen Holloway took the call. She made a computer mistake and the information was never forwarded to a radio dispatcher responsible for sending an ambulance.
Doran waited 91 minutes before the error was discovered and an ambulance arrived.
It was not Holloway’s first mistake.
Four months earlier, in December 2007, Holloway committed the same computer error and failed to send help to a woman complaining of abdominal pain.
The error that left Doran stranded was Holloway’s fourth discipline episode in seven months. She received a warning and remedial training.
Holloway said the experience with Doran’s truck rollover shook her. She has not had an error since.
“The county takes very seriously issues like that, and I know for myself it was scary for me,” Holloway said.
Bill Hutchison, Manatee County’s public safety director, said he believes the agency has a balanced approach to discipline. The best thing for the public is often to retrain employees, not fire them, he said.
The Herald-Tribune analysis found that punishments statewide rarely end a dispatcher’s career. Only 2 percent of the complaints ended in termination and only 18 percent involved a demotion, loss of job or a suspension.
Most people escape with a warning, even after repeat mistakes involving high priority calls: those involving medical emergencies or imminent threat.
The Herald-Tribune found more than 25 people who kept their job even after being disciplined four times and nearly 200 employees who were disciplined at least twice.
Escambia County 911 dispatcher John “Jason” Dunn had 10 discipline episodes between 2004 and 2007, the most for his agency.
Dunn had five documented ambulance delays in three years, including one episode where he came into work groggy after staying up for 24 hours and sent paramedics to the wrong nursing home for a patient with “chest pains and in severe respiratory distress.”
In an interview last week, Dunn noted that he has not had an error in more than a year.
“Five delays, that sounds like a lot, right?” he said. “I know it seems bad, but you have to consider the total volume of calls, the hundreds of thousands of calls I handled perfectly. It’s tough because every call is important. It’s a job where you want 100 percent accuracy, but that’s impossible.”
Staff writer Chris Davis contributed to this report.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090117/ARTICLE/901170311
By Zac Anderson
Published: Saturday, January 17, 2009 at 1:00 a.m. Last Modified: Saturday, January 17, 2009 at 2:59 p.m.
First of three parts
Moving ceremony for Denise Lee
Harold Muxlow 911 call Audio
Sabrina Muxlow 911 call Audio
Jane Kowalski 911 call Audio
Dispatchers get 911 call from Denise Amber Lee Audio
Lee's father speaks in Tallahassee Audio
One year after Denise Lee's murder Video
911 caller tells police about hearing Denise Amber Lee's screams Video
Every year, Florida 911 workers make hundreds of critical errors that endanger lives and leave people waiting for help, a Herald-Tribune investigation has found.
Records show that Florida’s 911 call takers and dispatchers — the vital link between emergency responders and distressed callers — send help to the wrong address or neglect to send any help at all.
They fall asleep on the job and abandon their posts to run errands. They argue with heart attack victims and hang up on hysterical callers.
In the most egregious cases, 911 workers listen to callers’ pleas for help and simply decide not to send a police officer or ambulance.
Despite chronic errors and even deaths, state officials and many local agencies have done little to stop the mistakes.
Florida’s 911 centers have no uniform standards and little oversight. Unlike at least 32 other states, Florida does not mandate training or certification for dispatchers. In some cases, the Herald-Tribune found, dispatchers have been allowed to start processing calls just two days after being hired.
And the mistakes are piling up.
The newspaper spent six months gathering and analyzing five years’ worth of discipline reports and complaints against 911 centers across the state. The paper reviewed more than 1,000 cases from more than half of Florida’s 67 counties. It also interviewed more than 50 current and former 911 workers, supervisors, policymakers and victims of 911 mishaps.
Although the vast majority of calls are handled correctly, the newspaper found that mistakes occur every day and that government officials have neglected the 911 system, allowing it to lag years behind police, firefighters and paramedics in training and other standards.
Among the findings:
--Each year in Florida, hundreds of 911 dispatchers violate protocols designed to ensure swift and accurate emergency response, complaint documents show. More than a third of those mistakes delay the arrival of police, fire or medical responders, threatening lives.
--Hundreds more 911 employees demonstrate gross unprofessionalism with actions that include sleeping on the job, not showing up for work, leaving stations unattended or turning off emergency alert tones so that they will not be disturbed.
--Dozens of errors put emergency responders in jeopardy when dispatchers failed to fully describe a dangerous situation or update criminal databases. A Gainesville police officer faced a suspected killer during a traffic stop on Sept. 14, 2006, but did not know because of a dispatcher’s error, records show.
--Heavy turnover and training standards that vary widely from one community to the next virtually ensure mistakes will be made by overworked, ill-prepared phone and radio operators. Even so, top law enforcement officials lobby against more training because of concerns about money.
--Most 911 centers have adopted standards that draw on accepted industry practices. But no minimum standards are required by Florida law. In addition, Florida officials do not require 911 centers to track mistakes or determine if errors were fatal.
--Even when mistakes are discovered, 911 administrators often dole out light punishment, allowing operators to rack up multiple mistakes without serious consequences. A Bradenton dispatcher was reprimanded for 9 offenses during her first 11 months on the job. Three times she sent rescue workers to the wrong address on “serious calls,” and once she failed to alert police about a missing 4-year-old.
Julie Righter, a national expert on 911 standards who runs a center in Nebraska, said 911 workers have an extremely tough job and handle most calls without incident.
They perform thankless work for little pay, yet are a key cog in a system that saves lives. But Righter also said that the competence of a 911 operator should not be a factor in whether someone lives or dies. And many 911 centers have a long way to go before the proper standards are in place to ensure there is little chance “you’ll have an error when someone’s life is on the line,” she said.
Raising standards has been difficult. The two main voices of law enforcement in Florida — the Florida Police Chief’s Association and the Florida Sheriff’s Association — have opposed increased requirements because of the expense.
In the absence of statewide standards, the 911 system has continued to tolerate mistake after mistake.
Widespread problems
Every so often, a tragic error by a 911 dispatcher captures headlines because someone dies.
A year ago today, a mishandled call to Charlotte County’s 911 center robbed law enforcement officers of a critical opportunity to save 21-year-old Denise Lee.
A concerned driver heard someone screaming in the back of a Camaro on U.S. 41 and called 911. The caller was so concerned she stayed on the phone for nine minutes, following the car to give street-by-street locations.
Although 911 workers suspected that the passenger might be Lee, dispatchers failed to send help.
Several deputies were just minutes away.
The young North Port mother was found two days later, buried in a shallow grave with a single gunshot wound.
Blame was passed around. The radio operators blamed the 911 call taker for shouting across the room instead of calmly sending a computer message. The Sheriff’s Office defended the call taker and disciplined the radio dispatchers for not taking action.
It was a communication breakdown that shook the community’s faith in the 911 system.
A year before Lee’s death, another death was attributed to inaction by 911 employees, this time in Pasco County. For seven minutes, 911 supervisor David Cook refused to offer lifesaving advice to a caller whose girlfriend was choking and near death. The supervisor did not want to get on the phone with a “hysterical caller,” according to reports in the St. Petersburg Times. Co-workers later reported that when Cook learned the woman had died, he joked, “She must have bitten off more than she can chew.”
More recently, inaction by dispatchers was partly blamed for the death of a Plantation woman who dialed 911 while driving to the police station.
For three minutes she begged for help as a man with a gun chased her down the street. She described where she was and told the 911 operator she was driving to the police station. But when she arrived, no officers had been sent to protect her.
The man shot Olidia Kerr Day to death, then killed himself.
Many of the officials who run the state’s 250-plus 911 centers argue that these sensational episodes are the result of isolated and rare human errors.
But the Herald-Tribune found hundreds of mishandled calls that might have contributed to someone’s death if not for one thing — luck.
--In Escambia County, a new 911 call taker sent ambulances to the wrong address three times in a four-month span. She delayed help for an unconscious person, car accident victims and a person having a seizure. In the car accident case, the caller gave the location as North Z Street and repeated “Z, like zebra,” records show. The dispatcher entered North C Street.
--At least twice in the past five years in Pinellas County, ambulance drivers arrived on the scene to find their patients holding a gun. The 911 workers failed to warn the paramedics, according to a complaint log.
--In Sarasota County, a woman called 911 from the Chili’s restaurant in Venice to report an unconscious person and clearly stated the address. The dispatcher sent paramedics to a Chili’s in Sarasota.
--In Hardee County, a 911 worker walked out of the call center, leaving it empty with no one to answer the phone for eight minutes while she looked for a co-worker. Another worker failed to report an escaped prisoner who had jumped out of a window at a nearby county courthouse. Five days later, the same woman sent paramedics to the wrong address for a heart attack, delaying help by 27 minutes, records show.
The Herald-Tribune found more than 600 similar mistakes statewide in the past five years. The actual number is likely measured in thousands. The Herald-Tribune was only able to review complaints and discipline reports from about 40 of the state’s more than 250 centers that directly or indirectly handle 911 calls.
Several dozen agencies contacted by the newspaper did not comply with Florida public records law, failing to respond to written and e-mailed public records requests. Other centers reported no problems or just a handful, even though 911 experts say errors occur in most centers practically every day.
Why mistakes happen
There is a reason so many 911 workers — nearly 75 percent for some agencies — leave within the first year.
They are asked to field life-or-death calls under extreme stress for less than $30,000 a year.
In a matter of seconds, they must ask the right questions to understand an emergency, assign a priority to the call and pass on the correct information to responders.
The large number of non-emergencies, nearly half of all calls for some agencies, can create a “boy who cried wolf” phenomenon, in which workers take real emergencies less seriously because they have dealt with so many minor issues.
Add it all up and the potential for errors — misunderstanding an address, pushing the wrong key on a computer keyboard, getting distracted — is high.
That is why the best dispatch centers establish excruciatingly detailed protocols for answering 911 calls and require months of intense training. They make sure seemingly small errors do not go unmentioned and hold people to high standards.
But in Florida, the 911 agencies have been left largely on their own, with no statewide requirements for training, staffing or quality control, little oversight and paltry state funding.
As a result, training and monitoring vary widely.
In Bradenton, new 911 dispatchers have 14 weeks to master everything and begin working on their own. They learn on the job with no classroom training. In Broward County, new hires spend 12 weeks confined to a classroom and the training program lasts a full year.
The lack of standards is a problem nationwide, said Nancy Pollock, a 911 consultant who ran centers in Minnesota.
“Unfortunately the only way this is going to change is if the highest government in an area takes ownership of this, and in most cases that’s the state,” she said.
In the absence of a state standard, several national accreditation programs lay out best practices.
Yet because the state does not push accreditation, only 15 of Florida’s 911 centers, among them Sarasota County’s, have qualified.
Ignoring the problem
Many of the county governments, sheriff’s offices and municipalities that oversee 911 centers do little to track life-threatening mistakes.
The state of New York requires every 911 center to track complaints.
But only a few of the Florida centers contacted by the Herald-Tribune could provide copies of a complaint log, or a list of every disciplinary action taken against 911 employees. For many, the only way to review 911 errors is to pull dozens of individual personnel files, and sift through thousands of pages looking for discipline reports.
Even that will not catch all of the mistakes because documents describing errors are not always retained.
As a result, many 911 centers operate with no way of knowing how many errors are made, who is making them and how to reduce errors.
In Escambia County, 911 manager Bob Boschen said he began keeping a complaint log after the Herald-Tribune contacted him to request complaint documents last year.
Boschen said he realized that tracking problems is part of providing “the best customer service.” His goal now is to have less than two valid complaints a month.
Some Florida 911 agencies, including Escambia, systematically seek out mistakes in regular audits of every dispatcher.
In Sarasota County, dispatch managers randomly review 10 law enforcement calls each week and 3 percent of medical calls each month to make sure employees verified addresses, classified emergencies properly and asked the right questions.
The checks expose where employees need training and discourage complacency, said Sarasota sheriff’s Capt. Jeff Bell, who runs the 911 center.
“It’s a little scary because you’re really opening yourself for criticism,” said Pollock, the consultant. “But a smart manager views complaints as a good thing. If you have something wrong you want to know about it before something really tragic happens.”
Yet while some agencies have documented more than 100 problems in their 911 centers over the past five years through complaint tracking, the Herald-Tribune found four agencies that recorded no problems at all. Others had very few.
The Bradenton Police Department — an agency with 15 dispatchers — had 20 discipline cases, while Charlotte County, with more than twice as many dispatchers, had just 10.
A former Charlotte County 911 worker told the Herald Tribune that she witnessed problems in the center that went undocumented.
Amy Corbett, who worked in Charlotte County’s 911 center for four months in 2006 and left for personal reasons, said most of the people in the 911 center were competent professionals, but she remembered an incident where a call taker was sleeping on the job and the other workers just laughed and threw candy at her.
“I didn’t see them handle mistakes that happened,” Corbett said. “Some were swept under the carpet, or you’d just have a supervisor talk to you, but it was never anything that was formal.”
Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Sherman Robinson said his office has no record that Corbett reported the problems she saw in the 911 center. Robinson said that if a problem was brought to their attention they would have taken action.
Charlotte does not keep a complaint log. Officials say their informal system works because they get few complaints, and discipline is adequate.
“I can’t tell you the last time I got a complaint,” Robinson said. “I think we hold people to a pretty good standard.
”
Few consequences
Beyond training and monitoring, some experts say dispatch mistakes in Florida have been increased by lax punishment when errors are discovered.
In some cases, even when a mistake ends in tragedy, the punishment is light.
The two dispatchers who did not send deputies to investigate the 911 call shortly before Lee’s death were each suspended but stayed on the job. It was the first time in five years that Charlotte County had suspended a dispatcher, a common punishment elsewhere. Then-Sheriff John Davenport said they were good employees who just slipped up.
The Herald-Tribune’s investigation found that punishment levels vary widely from one place to the next.
In Alachua County, where the 911 center has been held up as a model of excellence, employees are twice as likely to be suspended as 911 workers statewide, the Herald-Tribune’s analysis shows.
But in many 911 centers, managers tolerate repeated mistakes.One Manatee County dispatcher delayed emergency workers six times during her first year on the job, including not sending an ambulance to a motorcycle accident. She was suspended for one day.
Other Manatee dispatchers have similar track records. One was late for work fives times in a year and received a day’s suspension. Another was disciplined five times in a year — for insubordination, attendance problems and an ambulance delay — without receiving more than a letter of counseling.
In April 2008, 17-year-old Braden River High School senior Bre Doran’s boyfriend flipped his truck near State Road 64 in Manatee County. Doran passed out when her head shattered the windshield. When she woke up, Doran could not move her neck.
“It hurt so bad,” she said.
A passing driver called 911.
At the Manatee County 911 center, Mary Ellen Holloway took the call. She made a computer mistake and the information was never forwarded to a radio dispatcher responsible for sending an ambulance.
Doran waited 91 minutes before the error was discovered and an ambulance arrived.
It was not Holloway’s first mistake.
Four months earlier, in December 2007, Holloway committed the same computer error and failed to send help to a woman complaining of abdominal pain.
The error that left Doran stranded was Holloway’s fourth discipline episode in seven months. She received a warning and remedial training.
Holloway said the experience with Doran’s truck rollover shook her. She has not had an error since.
“The county takes very seriously issues like that, and I know for myself it was scary for me,” Holloway said.
Bill Hutchison, Manatee County’s public safety director, said he believes the agency has a balanced approach to discipline. The best thing for the public is often to retrain employees, not fire them, he said.
The Herald-Tribune analysis found that punishments statewide rarely end a dispatcher’s career. Only 2 percent of the complaints ended in termination and only 18 percent involved a demotion, loss of job or a suspension.
Most people escape with a warning, even after repeat mistakes involving high priority calls: those involving medical emergencies or imminent threat.
The Herald-Tribune found more than 25 people who kept their job even after being disciplined four times and nearly 200 employees who were disciplined at least twice.
Escambia County 911 dispatcher John “Jason” Dunn had 10 discipline episodes between 2004 and 2007, the most for his agency.
Dunn had five documented ambulance delays in three years, including one episode where he came into work groggy after staying up for 24 hours and sent paramedics to the wrong nursing home for a patient with “chest pains and in severe respiratory distress.”
In an interview last week, Dunn noted that he has not had an error in more than a year.
“Five delays, that sounds like a lot, right?” he said. “I know it seems bad, but you have to consider the total volume of calls, the hundreds of thousands of calls I handled perfectly. It’s tough because every call is important. It’s a job where you want 100 percent accuracy, but that’s impossible.”
Staff writer Chris Davis contributed to this report.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090117/ARTICLE/901170311
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