On September 4, 2010, a man in Mashpee, Massachusetts dialed 9-1-1. His girlfriend had choked on an item of food. The man frantically screams for help and desperately attempts to save his girlfriends life, while he is on a recorded 9-1-1 line.
Take the 12 minutes to listen to this call, but be aware this is disturbing as you will listen while a woman dies and a man goes through a living hell - by himself!
As citizens, we must be aware of the failings and shortcoming of our emergency response network and be prepared to act, when we are abandoned. However, for people like myself, who are emergency responders we MUST strive for perfection, because anything less and people die!
In Missouri, there are still areas without enhanced 9-1-1 service. So, when you call for help a dispatcher will not know where you are calling from, unless YOU tell them. Also, Missouri is the ONLY State, in America, without a 9-1-1 tax on cell phones. In Newton County, for example, there is no tax on cell phones for emergency services. Yet, in Newton County and ALL across Missouri - a majority of 9-1-1 calls now come from Cell Phones and not hard wired phones.
As you know, I am not a fan of increased taxes, but I also know we must pay for basic services and 9-1-1 is something we ALL expect to be there when we need it!!! We Must demand 9-1-1 calls become part of public record in Missouri, so there is an automatic check and balance. We must prevent and dissuade situations, like you just listened to! 9-1-1 must be an avenue to save lives, not take them. We need to persuade the County Commissioners and State Legislators to allow a vote on the imposition of Statewide 9-1-1 cell phone fees. If it cost you $2.00 more per month on your cell phone and you knew help would be available in an emergency - would it be worth it to you?
Now, the above call where the woman died in Massachusetts, had nothing to do with the lack of a cell phone tax. Instead, according to the local Sheriff, the Dispatcher errored and offered no pre-arrival medical advice. But, this can and does happen here in Missouri and a lot of our problems are due to a lack of proper funding.
The next time you dial 9-1-1 in Missouri, from your cell phone, be mindful of the pain endured by Brent MacFarland in the above video. Help keep any of US from suffering such hurt and lobby for improved 9-1-1 Cellular Service ALL across the Show Me State!!!
Locally, we have a 1/4-cent sales tax. Last year, we voted to eliminate the 911 tax on land lines and replace it with a sales tax. Other communities have the same option available to them.
ReplyDeleteCurrently, the money for 911 tax on land lines does not necessarily go to local 911 centers; rather it goes to pay for equipment the phone companies need to route 911 calls.
Increased funding still won't do anything to remedy the issues I've seen with incompetent personnel who take 911 calls. And why don't the 911 supervisors/directors do something about that incompetency?
Bonnie T.
Sounds like the dispatcher skipped right over the ABCs in their EMD. "A" stands for airway! Nothing else matters without it. Chris...EMT.
ReplyDeleteBonnie, I agree and as always welcome your comments! I know increased funding does not remedy all problems, but when you have a system where the low bidder gets to put in the equipment and then you pay the dispatcher a wage where they can barely support themselves - much less a family - it is a recipe for disaster!
ReplyDeleteChris, you are spot on! Thanks for taking the time to comment! Have a great day!
Brandi Biss said, "That breaks my heart. Makes the rest of us that work so hard look bad. There really isn't a whole lot of training available. I wonder what we can do to change this."
ReplyDeleteTracie Tice said, "I agree the lack of training for dispatchers is frightening! The job is a matter of life and death for SO many people!! Victims, police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, etc."
Lori Erman said, "OMG! Why wasn't EMD started? I cannot believe this at all! While I was listening, I was thinking there is so much that could be done."
Aaron Gooch said, "Or...people could take some personal responsibility and take some time to learn basic life saving skills on their own. I cant imagine having people i care about and not seeking out basic aid and CPR class (which can be found for FREE !!! Basic aid like simply opening an airway can delay death up to an HOUR. Individuals should learn and know this stuff on their own...mechanics, dispatchers, factory workers, salesmen...EVERYONE !! It makes me sick how much people rely on the government for this stuff and they will sue because they chose not to take an hour out of their life to even research it on the internet."
The comments here were reposted from my Facebook Page, so they may be viewed by readers accessing my site from other sources. Thank you for all opinions.
this is awful. whether unfunded or not, there are such basic skills here that were apparently not being done from a dispatchers perspective. i completely understand that the majority of 911 centers are underfunded, but that is no excuse for no help being provided. while i also agree that people should research how to help themselves....some dont deal well with panic, and when put in these situations, may need assistance in performing that help. this guy receieved nothing besides dead air and in this situation, his reaction was completely normal. i in no way can see how he could be faulted in this situation. he did what we are all taught, call 911 when there's an emergency. how a dispatcher could just sit here and listen to him, while offering nothing is awful. regardless of lack of training which may or may not have been due to funding or whether this was simply an incompetent dispatcher, this was truly a tragedy.
ReplyDeletemichelle...911 dispatcher
Michelle,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your opinion! I agree with you on all counts. I did not mean to imply the situation in Massachusetts was related to the funding problems faced by some places, in Missouri. I should have presented the two issues better!!! It is nice to have your take on the call though! Thanks again for your post!
steve,
ReplyDeletei know you weren't necessarily saying this happened soley due to lack of funding. it very well may have, or like I said, possibly just an incompetent dispatcher who was trained properly and failed in such a tragic way. either way, so sad. i do agree with the need for more funding, i know we are dealing with some of the same issues due to lack of proper funding as well as the majority of our calls coming from cell phones but as a dispatcher, there is still a level of service which is expected...this call was definitely not it.
michelle