Yea, I thought the doors locked.Could she get back in? We know she couldn't get back into the gym.
Yea, I thought the doors locked.Could she get back in? We know she couldn't get back into the gym.
Yea, I thought the doors locked.
It was cold out there. She was not dressed for it.
What I am saying is that anyone would think a freezing child would return to warmth. Fun and games are over when one gets cold.
What is the point of calling LE? Would they organize a search team right away?
How many LE do they have much area does one LE cover?
They have in other places, so I assume they might have here, particularly given the weather conditions. Sometimes they utilize area volunteer fire departments and other groups as well to search.What is the point of calling LE? Would they organize a search team right away?
How many LE do they have much area does one LE cover?
Yet her motivation may not have been fun and games. I don't know what goes through the mind of a emotionally disturbed or perhaps mentally ill child who bolts the minute she sees an opening.
Whatever 'anyone' thought, clearly they were mistaken. She did not return, or if she tried she could not get inside. That mistaken thought, if someone had it, likely cost her life.
ETA: clarification
They have in other places, so I assume they might have here, particularly given the weather conditions. Sometimes they utilize area volunteer fire departments and other groups as well to search.
Unfortunately, we will never know if it would have made a difference. For all the reasons you list above, they should have been called immediately.How long would that take to organize?
Everyone says LE should have been called right away.
First of all, how long would it take for someone to get there?
Then a decision would have to be made for a search team. How long would it take to get that all together?
In this case, it would have not made much of a difference. It certainly would take more than an hour. In that weather, she could have not survived.
It is a horrible situation with no good solutions.
The taxpayers will have to pony up money for more staff.
RSBM for focus
I believe this is what you are talking about:
Apr 6, 2019
“Two days after Dennard went missing, public warning messages were also sent to 612 landlines and cellphones of residents and businesses within a six-mile radius of the Children's Home, according to Alexa White, deputy director of Pennington County Emergency Management. The messages gave a description of Dennard and asked people to look for her outside their homes or businesses.“ (BBM)
Sheriff's Office narrowing search for missing girl by eliminating areas
By the way, I just can’t get over the fact that:
Feb 7, 2019
“After [Serenity] ran away from a residential youth home around 10:45 a.m. on Sunday, staff at the rural Pennington County facility called 911 more than one and a half hours after she went missing.
[SBM]
After Children's Home staff called 911 at 12:26 p.m., [Helene] Duhamel [spokeswoman with the Pennington County Sheriff's Office] said, a deputy arrived on scene by 12:45 p.m. By 1:16 p.m., four deputies were on site. At 1:28 they requested assistance from Pennington County Search and Rescue.” (BBM)
Children's Home staff called 911 later than initially reported
Having never worked in a facility like the Children's Home, I probably don’t know what I’m talking about. But why would anyone wait that long, especially when you are talking about an 9-year-old with at least one serious (IMO) psychiatric diagnosis, isn’t dressed for the incoming severe weather, who just bolted out.
According to Bill Colson, executive director of the Children's Home Society:
“When Serenity left staff sight on Sunday, we immediately conducted a thorough search of our grounds and buildings. When we were unable to find Serenity we called law enforcement.” (BBM)
(But the linked article also reports that “Colson initially said on Monday that Dennard ran away before noon and staff called 911 right away.’”)
I’m not sure at what point they should have called 911. But the thing is by 11 AM, she had been seen near the cattle guard. Within 15 minutes of losing sight of her, they knew (or at least they were informed) where she would be found. Mr. Colsen says staff “conducted a thorough search of our grounds.” So how many employees did they have looking for her outside? There were staff searching the inside as well. Others were busy working with the remaining residents.
I’m sorry this is getting so long. I guess the point I am trying to make is why didn’t they call 911 as soon as they were told there was a child outside? Maybe the person the witness spoke to wasn’t yet aware of the situation involving Serenity (after 15 minutes, you would think every employee would be aware, but ... nothing surprises me anymore). But someone would have put the two and two together (relatively) soon thereafter, IMO. They could have at least called the sheriff’s office and asked patrolling officers to keep an eye out for her, IMO.
I know this is going to sound mean, but (and this is purely speculative): The staff probably knew this was a serious situation once they realized she was outside. Yet no one called 911 because they were afraid of “getting into trouble,” so they continued to search on their own without asking for outside help, IMO.
I’d love to know who finally decided to call for assistance; to do the right thing.
When Serenity took off, I can imagine the staff would have some upset or excited children to calm down, group together or take to their rooms as well as doing the inside search. They may have even glanced out the window. How many staff did they have on duty that Sunday? Do they have alarms that sound off when an outer door is opened?
Things should have taken a drastic change once the parent came in with news of seeing her outside. Is that when 911 was called? Didn't one staff member go outside at that time and see Serenity at the top of the hill going into the forest?
When Serenity took off, I can imagine the staff would have some upset or excited children to calm down, group together or take to their rooms as well as doing the inside search. They may have even glanced out the window. How many staff did they have on duty that Sunday? Do they have alarms that sound off when an outer door is opened?
Things should have taken a drastic change once the parent came in with news of seeing her outside. Is that when 911 was called? Didn't one staff member go outside at that time and see Serenity at the top of the hill going into the forest?
She was seen outside by a parent 15 minutes after she left the gym, but no staffer apparently saw her at any point after that. Only the parent saw her outside walking north along the road, and reported it. Nobody ever saw her actually going into the forest. The only person who saw her was the parent who saw her from the parking lot, which sits well off the road. They ducked back in the building to let staff know, then drove up and down the road looking for her. But neither they nor the staff saw Serenity at or after that point. No staffer actually saw her outside. 911 or LE weren't called until over an hour later, most likely AFTER the staff had thoroughly searched both inside the Home and on the grounds. I would guess that this means that they didn't call LE until after they had ascertained that Serenity was not on the property. The problem is, she was last seen leaving the property, over an hour earlier.
From what I recall, there were two adults/parents in the car. One went in to drop of the child, and it was the one left in the car that saw Serenity. When the first parent came back out, the second told the first that they had seen Serenity (although I don't believe they knew who she was), at which point one of them went back in and told the staff. I think there were only two adults in the car, but only one saw Serenity.Was it ever even confirmed the person from the car was a parent? All I recall is it was someone dropping someone off so I assumed three were in the vehicle because one went into the building to try to find some to advise them a child was outside, someone was "dropped off" and the other was in the car and watched Serenity until she disappeared from sight on the road allegedly. I personally am not sure I would have left my child at that point were I a parent if I saw a child outside and no staff seemingly aware of it, especially after finding out she disappeared from sight and I went up and down the road looking for her myself.
I even thought it could have been someone dropping an employee off and not necessarily a child, as no further detail was given that I can recall.
Not saying any of this to argue but just to try to have it straight as there were and have been many conflicting things. There was also a report back when the last she was seen was by an employee heading up the hill, that seems to not be the case anymore.
I could be all wrong, just going on memory. The woodcutters too caused some confusion for quite some time in the beginning.
Maybe some of it was due to what we know now, that however many employees there were once searching were not even on the same radio frequency.
Jmo.
From what I recall, there were two adults/parents in the car. One went in to drop of the child, and it was the one left in the car that saw Serenity. When the first parent came back out, the second told the first that they had seen Serenity (although I don't believe they knew who she was), at which point one of them went back in and told the staff. I think there were only two adults in the car, but only one saw Serenity.