This is Horrible!

spclk

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It took seven rings before a Doylestown, Pa., 911 operator answered Brenda Orr's emergency call Jan. 29.
Orr, bedridden with multiple sclerosis, was calling for help as flames engulfed her bed.

Then Orr, 53, was placed on hold. It took 27 seconds before a second operator finally picked up the call. Orr died in the fire.
Those crucial seconds could have helped responders save Orr's life. Now the operators in that 911 center are under investigation. Here are excerpts from the 911 call:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4289729
 
Don't understand why the operators aren't instructive to ask, what is the emergency, are you handicapped, then decide what to do with that call....
I don't even work for them and that's what I would ask.

:mad:

Don't know if they would of gotten there in time, but at least try and call a neighbor to help.
 
My first thought as I read this link was the dispatcher was a trainee and needed to consult her supervisor first. Which would be stupid. Even a trainee should be authorized to make a decision. But these dispatchers were inept and disengaged.
With all the stories we've read about dispatcher foul ups since 911 was implemented, these instances should have been eliminated by now. :mad:
 
I heard on ABC news this morning that they had TEN other dispatchers sitting around not on the phone when this call came in! Then they had the audacity to say the dispatcher who put her on hold would be "reprimanded" or something to that effect... they should be FIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :furious:

That poor woman! You can hear the flames roaring towards the end of the call!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_2911.6271509feb14,0,7604202.story

In a sweeping mea culpa, Bucks County officials announced Wednesday they had disciplined 11 dispatchers and four supervisors at the call center for botching a 911 call from a disabled Doylestown woman who died in a house fire Jan. 29.

Ten dispatchers were available when Brenda Orr's call came in at 10:31 a.m., but the phone rang six times before an 11th dispatcher, who was already on an ambulance call, picked it up ''out of frustration'' and put it on hold, said Emergency Communications Coordinator Brent Wiggins.

''None of the 10 dispatchers provided a reasonable explanation as to why they were unavailable to answer that 911 call,'' Wiggins said Wednesday at a news conference to release the results of the county's internal investigation.
 
spclk, thank you for posting this. I was actually going to post this because it was on our news. This is within minutes of Philly. This poor, poor woman. They did say that "probably" the firefighters wouldn't have gotten there in time, but who is to say? The desperation in that woman's voice just is heart breaking. Several years ago Philly had an incident of a young boy named Eddie Polec who was beaten to death by kids with bats. X amount of people called 911, and something similar to this happened. The whole 911 service had to be revamped. Ten people and nobody answers a phone until the SIXTH ring? They should all be fired.
 
What a tragedy! They were probably sitting around talking and didn't want to do there job. Then when the 911 operator finally answers she puts the woman on hold...must have had to finish the convo!
 
spclk, thank you for posting this. I was actually going to post this because it was on our news. This is within minutes of Philly. This poor, poor woman. They did say that "probably" the firefighters wouldn't have gotten there in time, but who is to say? The desperation in that woman's voice just is heart breaking. Several years ago Philly had an incident of a young boy named Eddie Polec who was beaten to death by kids with bats. X amount of people called 911, and something similar to this happened. The whole 911 service had to be revamped. Ten people and nobody answers a phone until the SIXTH ring? They should all be fired.

I live in the town which borders Doylestown. Unbelievable is all i can say. I listened to the 911 recording and was absolutely appauled. These dispatchers need better training is all I can say. Put's her on hold, WTF?
 
I live in the town which borders Doylestown. Unbelievable is all i can say. I listened to the 911 recording and was absolutely appauled. These dispatchers need better training is all I can say. Put's her on hold, WTF?

The way it's being reported his that the guy who initially picked up the call did so out of frustration as he was already handling another call. There were more than 10 other dispatchers that cannot account for why they didn't answer the call within the first few rings.

Something very strange is going on in that department.
 
Just horrible. :(

I think 911 operators should be educated and certified to handle stressful and life threatening situations. I don't know what type of training they go through, but I have a feeling it's not much.
 
It certainly is horrible, but she shouldn't have been smoking in bed, especially if she had mobility problems. I doubt that better handling of the call would have made any difference.
 
All ten of the operators that were sitting around doing nothing should be fired. Them actually doing their jobs might not have saved her life but at least they could have tried.
 
If they fire them all, who is going to replace them? More lives would be put at risk. Some of them have surely learned a lesson. Firing them won't bring her back.

If you can't get yourself out of a burning bed, you probably shouldn't be lighting matches in it.

I'm glad nobody else was killed due to her negligence.
 
If they fire them all, who is going to replace them? More lives would be put at risk. Some of them have surely learned a lesson. Firing them won't bring her back.

If you can't get yourself out of a burning bed, you probably shouldn't be lighting matches in it.

I'm glad nobody else was killed due to her negligence.

They ought to be able to train some police officers or find somebody, LM to fill in. I understand there's alot of trining goes into that though. Stagger the firing of them then maybe? The woman shouldn't have been smoking, but a bunch of people being paid to do an extremely important job have it or their conscience they didn't answer that call. People probably shouldn't drive at high rates of speed or stick their heads between wrought iron railings, but they do. Who do they call?
 

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