NationStates Jolt Archive

I just saw this on television and I must say that I'm deeply appalled that this could happen and indeed did happen:

Mother dies after 911 call is treated as prank
Detroit police investigate response to call from boy whose mom collapsed

DETROIT - A 5-year-old boy called 911 to report that his mother had collapsed in their apartment, but an operator told him he should not be playing on the phone, and she died before help arrived.

The family of Sherrill Turner, 46, does not know whether a swifter response could have saved her life, but relatives want to know why the operator apparently treated the call as if it were a prank.

Police said the 911 response was under investigation.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12208992/

I mean, come on - the boy said that his mother was lying unconsciously on the kitchen floor and the 911-operator told him not to play on the phone?

What's your take on that?

I heard about this...I was pretty pissed. Even if it was a prank, what better way to teach a lesson than send a cop over?

not to mention, the woman was in no place to make a call of "prank" or "not prank"

They should fire that operator. What an idiot. IT'S A 911 CALL!

Oh, to be five and mischievous again. *sighs wistfully*

Reminds me what would happen if a terrorist attack happened on April 1st against Disneyworld.

"Hey, Disneyworld is under terrorist attack!"

"Yeah yeah yeah. April Fool's to you too."

Exactly! I've worked as a paramedic and I've seen our local 911 facility and talked to the operators on various occasions - they would've never made a decision on an emergency call being a prank, that's for the people at the scene to decide.

How horrible is it for the boy? He's done everything right, just like his mother had taught him - and the result is simply devastating...

They should fire that operator. What an idiot. IT'S A 911 CALL!
She wasn't even put on leave while they are investigating her gross negligence.

They should fire that operator. What an idiot. IT'S A 911 CALL!

Criminal charges would be in order

They actually think that a 5 year old kid could come up with a prank like that???

I heard about this today. I cant fathom the 911 operator's frame of mind.
I thought that if you dialed 911 and hung up, or just dropped the phone without speaking, the police would come to investigate in case soemthing happened that you could communicate to them-what the hell does this operator have to justify her handling of this?
I heard the call and cant comprehend what led her to her conclusion. I dont think it was her decision to make to ignore the boy.
I cant imagine the despair the boy felt when his mother was obviously in bad shape and his lifeline for help-"911" was rudely taken away without reason. He was probably correctly taught to dial 911 in this instance and on doing so,was denied.

Its a disgrace. I think the 911 operator had other issues and this boy and his mother paid the price for it.

I hope that she feels crap about that dumb decision for the rest of her life, and I feel terrible for that poor little boy, who did everything right and must feel like his world has collapsed.

They actually think that a 5 year old kid could come up with a prank like that???
*snort giggle* My mom is dying on the kitchen floor *giggle giggle*

Not only should she be fired, where she hasn't even been taken off the job as of the time I read about it, she should be brought up on charges of criminal negligence or a like charge.

I heard about this one - poor kid rang 911 TWICE, and both times got the same answer. Now he's short one mother because of that dispicable attitude.

Yeah it wastes time if it's a prank, but if a kid calls an ambulance to a house, the least they could do is check it out.

What makes it worse is the people who basically told him to shove off, stop annoying us, are STILL working! Why bother have an emergency number if you're not going to be listened to.

Isn't whether it was a prank something the lawyers are supposed to figure out afterwards?

The only time I can recall an operator of an emergency hotline (112 in Germany) considering a phone call a prank was when he was told "Fuck you" by the person calling him.
(And that guy got a very shocking return call threatening jurisdictional measures if they didn't call back and clear it up :D)

But they charge people a call out feel if it's a prank, don't they? My hubbie called 911 when I was having a massive gall stone attack (screaming in pain, not able to tell him what was wrong, clutching my side, writhing in agony, looks like a heart attack to they untrained eye, I understand why he called), and damn right I'd better be sick when they came! Luckily heartrate was 189, blood pressure 120/180, but the pain was gone, and I was calming down. We were expecting a bill in the door the following week, but we were told that it was a genuine call, so no bills

I just watched the video of the news item and it has left me in tears, that poor little mite did the best he could for his Mommy, and his desperation and frustration at the end of the call wehn he hangs up are heartbreaking...I feel so crappy for him.

But they charge people a call out feel if it's a prank, don't they? My hubbie called 911 when I was having a massive gall stone attack (screaming in pain, not able to tell him what was wrong, clutching my side, writhing in agony, looks like a heart attack to they untrained eye, I understand why he called), and damn right I'd better be sick when they came! Luckily heartrate was 189, blood pressure 120/180, but the pain was gone, and I was calming down. We were expecting a bill in the door the following week, but we were told that it was a genuine call, so no bills

SO? they still come out and decide ON SCENE if it's an emergency, not sitting in a plush chair behind a desk.

I heard the excuse that the operator might have gotten 5 prank calls earlier. Simple solution: put the 5 pranksters in jail, but continue sending people out for real calls.

Now I'm not a great fan of people sueing for stupid reasons like hot coffee being hot and so forth - but I feel that besides criminal charges against the operator (on whatever applies here) the woman's family should be given a compensative amount of money, so at least the family members' future is secured.

Man, that pisses me off! I mean, come on - a one time call, maybe. But the boy even called twice...

OMG, that's awful! I can't imagine what that little boy is going through. I sure hope someone is telling him that he did everything right and it's not his fault. Stupid idiot operator! She should rot in jail! I hope the family of this boy and his mother is planning on pressing charges. Idiot woman had no idea if it was a prank or not, obviously. Just because it's a child making the call doesn't matter at all. Is that the message we send our children? "oh, don't bother trying, no one will take you seriously" GAH! It's so madning!

I just watched the video of the news item and it has left me in tears, that poor little mite did the best he could for his Mommy, and his desperation and frustration at the end of the call wehn he hangs up are heartbreaking...I feel so crappy for him.
That's pretty much how I felt (well, minus the tears) - but how in the world do you explain to that kid to ask an adult for help ever again?
This whole ordeal makes me very angry. Very. http://www.studip.uni-goettingen.de/pictures/smile/zorn.gif

NO KIDDING As someone whose job involves taking lives, the senseless loss of one INFURIATES me:headbang: :headbang: :headbang:

SO? they still come out and decide ON SCENE if it's an emergency, not sitting in a plush chair behind a desk.

That's what I mean. It was as likely to be a prank as that kids call was, and yeah, they decided, after a basic exam that I didn't need hospitalisation at the time, and yes, it was on the scene, and yes, they were there in less than 5 minutes.

After a second call, someone should have been called out to take a look at things. No one is dumb enough to make TWO calls to 911, to the SAME ADDRESS in one night. The two people who thought it was a prank should be charged for involuntary manslaughter, as well as child negligence. They knew about the situation, and they did nothing, therefore they are 100% liable, in my opinion, for that woman's death, and for that child being left alone, underage and unattended for several hours in a house with a corpse.

This is just horrible.

But what else can you expect from government employees, not even put on leave during the investigation? The operator will probably not even be disciplined. Government job=guaranteed job no matter what you do, no matter how negligent, unless the victim is rich and powerful.

And if the operator had been receiving prank calls, she should have dispatched police to handle the situation.

I hope she feels like and is treated by all who know her like a stinking rotting turd!:mp5:

That's what I mean. It was as likely to be a prank as that kids call was, and yeah, they decided, after a basic exam that I didn't need hospitalisation at the time, and yes, it was on the scene, and yes, they were there in less than 5 minutes.

OK My bad : puts hands in fornt of face for protection:

Criminal charges would be in order

True. Actually, in my RP nation, police would empty a clip into her.

True. Actually, in my RP nation, police would empty a clip into her.

In mine, a heart attack would be deliberately started, then she would be left to die.

Someone should play that tape loudly in her ear EVERY night before she goes to sleep for the rest of her life.

But seriously... Thi incedent... it's sickening.

5 year old does perfectly right thing, and calls 911 when his mother collapses.

Bitch operator calls it prank.

Mother dies.

Operator isn't even disiplined.

And yet we call ourselves the smartest spiecies on Earth.

That's pretty much how I felt (well, minus the tears) - but how in the world do you explain to that kid to ask an adult for help ever again?
This whole ordeal makes me very angry. Very. http://www.studip.uni-goettingen.de/pictures/smile/zorn.gif

That child has learned the hard way---never trust the big people to help you, especially if they are not in your family. :(

And I say that as an adult and a parent and husband of an ex-cop.

OK My bad : puts hands in fornt of face for protection:

It's OK, the protection isn't needed. :p

I'm a bit scatter brained at the mo, sorry if I didn't finish making my point int he first place

But seriously... Thi incedent... it's sickening.

5 year old does perfectly right thing, and calls 911 when his mother collapses.



He was 5? He looked older. A 5 year old doesn't make prank calls to 911. A 5 year old hasn't been influenced by other kids into doing things like this. A 5 year old does what he/she is told if something doesn't seem right. I'm sorry, I don't know a single 5 year old who would be in the frame of mind to be able to consider calling 911 as a prank, a 5 year old is too innocent to think about doing something like this. That should have been taken into account.

He was 5? He looked older. A 5 year old doesn't make prank calls to 911. A 5 year old hasn't been influenced by other kids into doing things like this. A 5 year old does what he/she is told if something doesn't seem right. I'm sorry, I don't know a single 5 year old who would be in the frame of mind to be able to consider calling 911 as a prank, a 5 year old is too innocent to think about doing something like this. That should have been taken into account.

Yes, he was 5.

Yes, he was 5.

Well, 6 according to the video and the caption under the video. But that doesn't really make a difference.

Unless this happened on his birthday.

Well, 6 according to the video and the caption under the video. But that doesn't really make a difference.

Unless this happened on his birthday.

Even a six year old would be of the frame of mind to carry out a prank like that. The youngest I would consider to play a prank like that is about 8, and even that's a bit young. Depends on who he/she hangs out with.

Even a six year old would be of the frame of mind to carry out a prank like that. The youngest I would consider to play a prank like that is about 8, and even that's a bit young. Depends on who he/she hangs out with.

Still, even if it is a prank, no one should take chances. Not with lives.

Still, even if it is a prank, no one should take chances. Not with lives.
And yet it happened. I want to see someone take responsibility for that crap!

And yet it happened. I want to see someone take responsibility for that crap!

As do I.

If I were in charge, I would kill that operator, without a second thought!

As do I.

If I were in charge, I would kill that operator, without a second thought!
Killing's too good for her. I'd think of something more sisyphusian... Besides, taking her life wouldn't really help the situation at all!

Killing's too good for her. I'd think of something more sisyphusian... Besides, taking her life wouldn't really help the situation at all!
Now, there's punishment, but you have to have ethics here. And how does it not help the sitation. TELL SOME 6 YEAR OLD THAT A CRY FOR HELP IS A PRANK WHEN HE IS SAVING HIS MOTHER?

I say kill her.

That is plain stupid, i think that the operator should be killed in a slow painful way. :mad: When i was five i didn't even know what a prank was!!

Still, even if it is a prank, no one should take chances. Not with lives.

True. As someone aid earlier, if it was a prank, it's nothing that a cop showing up on the doorstep wouldn't cure.

What's the worst that would have happened if she had sent a cop over? Better safe than sorry

But they charge people a call out feel if it's a prank, don't they? My hubbie called 911 when I was having a massive gall stone attack (screaming in pain, not able to tell him what was wrong, clutching my side, writhing in agony, looks like a heart attack to they untrained eye, I understand why he called), and damn right I'd better be sick when they came! Luckily heartrate was 189, blood pressure 120/180, but the pain was gone, and I was calming down. We were expecting a bill in the door the following week, but we were told that it was a genuine call, so no bills


I'm so dense I suffered through 20 gall bladder attacks before I had it removed.
Yeah-when you're having one-it IS an emergency.

I'm so dense I suffered through 20 gall bladder attacks before I had it removed.
Yeah-when you're having one-it IS an emergency.

I didn't have that many, that I know of. But when they took it out, the doc said it was only a matter of time (and not much) before it ruptured. It was badly scarred and bleeding - daily attacks, just minor enough not to be felt as any more than a bout of indigestion, and it was only a matter of time before infection set in. So gross!

And yeah, it is an emergency, especially when your other half thinks you're having a heart attack. Damn painful and damn scary!

Question...

What kind of status job is this in the US? Low educated, low paid call centre workers with long hours and little holiday entitlement?

Substandard working conditions --> substandard service. Make sure that's not the case before pointing fingers at one individual.

I didn't have that many, that I know of. But when they took it out, the doc said it was only a matter of time (and not much) before it ruptured. It was badly scarred and bleeding - daily attacks, just minor enough not to be felt as any more than a bout of indigestion, and it was only a matter of time before infection set in. So gross!

And yeah, it is an emergency, especially when your other half thinks you're having a heart attack. Damn painful and damn scary!

Mine left me shaky with some serious cold sweats, nauseous and feeling hung over afterwards.
I'm still paying the surgeon & hospital monthly. He too claimed mine was ready to burst and that it was diifficult to remove as it was embedded in my liver.

Question...

What kind of status job is this in the US? Low educated, low paid call centre workers with long hours and little holiday entitlement?

Substandard working conditions --> substandard service. Make sure that's not the case before pointing fingers at one individual.


Its not a job I would care to do. I think you have to be both quick thinking and compassionate. It doesnt pay well, as far as I know.

I will say the few times I have used 911 for various emergencies, I've found the person on the other end to be competant and effective. I hope I never need one and find they are having a bad day.
It the kind of job where there is no room for someone who brings their troubles to work with them.

Question...

What kind of status job is this in the US? Low educated, low paid call centre workers with long hours and little holiday entitlement?

Substandard working conditions --> substandard service. Make sure that's not the case before pointing fingers at one individual.

Usually, government jobs have complete job security, full benefits and are required to give paid vacation, regular breaks, limited, paid sickleave (depends on your state), full maternity benefits, require a minimum level of education (usually highschool diploma at the very least), offer fully paid, on the job training, and treat their employees with some level of respect (take it from a US government employee!). So 'substandard working conditions' are not a valid excuse in this case. They get a lot more than other people. OK, the pay might not be fantastic, but at least it meets minimum wage requirements at the very least.

Mine left me shaky with some serious cold sweats, nauseous and feeling hung over afterwards.
I'm still paying the surgeon & hospital monthly. He too claimed mine was ready to burst and that it was diifficult to remove as it was embedded in my liver.

Oh, painful. Health insurance rocks, mine totalled almost $15,000, but I was only liable for at most $220. Mine always struck at about 4am, except the big one, which struck at 9:30pm, two days before my interview (it didn't look good going to an interview with blood test track marks up my arm - such a pisser, as it was June, in DC, and it was about 30 deg C and I was stuck in long sleeves all day). Mine usually came on quickly, made me nauseous and made me vomit a few times, but afterwards, I usually felt eshausted but OK. You not have health insurance? You have the full open chest surgery? I had the laparoscopic surgery, so easy to get over.

Makes me glad the worst I've got is haemorrhoids...

On the OP, my mother collapsed when I was four. I had the training to call 911, and the operator took down my name, number and address, and despatched an ambulance. They got mom to hospital, and she eventually recovered.

That was thirty three years ago.

This moron should be fired immediately.

I suspect the 911 operator knew me by name during one period when my neighbor was beating his GF. They never said anything and they always sent help, but I'm sure they were thinking "His neighbor's at it again".

Makes me glad the worst I've got is haemorrhoids...

On the OP, my mother collapsed when I was four. I had the training to call 911, and the operator took down my name, number and address, and despatched an ambulance. They got mom to hospital, and she eventually recovered.

That was thirty three years ago.

This moron should be fired immediately.

I agree. The only down side is the only way to get fired from a government job is to sleep with your supervisors underage kid, then broadcast it via webcam on a continuous loop to the world. Then send the link your supervisor and tell them what a great lay his/her kid was. And use work equipment to do it all. Oh, and make sure you deflower the supervisors kid ON the supervisors desk while he/she's in ameeting room waiting for you.

Oh, painful. Health insurance rocks, mine totalled almost $15,000, but I was only liable for at most $220. Mine always struck at about 4am, except the big one, which struck at 9:30pm, two days before my interview (it didn't look good going to an interview with blood test track marks up my arm - such a pisser, as it was June, in DC, and it was about 30 deg C and I was stuck in long sleeves all day). Mine usually came on quickly, made me nauseous and made me vomit a few times, but afterwards, I usually felt eshausted but OK. You not have health insurance? You have the full open chest surgery? I had the laparoscopic surgery, so easy to get over.

I have insurance, its just that I have a $1,000.00 deductable and then I have to pay 20% of what the insurance doesnt, plus the copay. My whole bill was over $18,000.00.
I had it laproscopically removed-there was the complication of it being harder to remove than they anticpated. It took over 3 hours instead of 2.
Two days after I got out of the hospital.,I was awaken at 4am with some intense stabbing pain-after numerous tests, it may have been gas. Trapped when the incision was closed, but excruciating.

Makes me glad the worst I've got is haemorrhoids...

On the OP, my mother collapsed when I was four. I had the training to call 911, and the operator took down my name, number and address, and despatched an ambulance. They got mom to hospital, and she eventually recovered.

That was thirty three years ago.

This moron should be fired immediately.

I'm glad the 911 worked for you. The operator usually keeps the caller on the line til assistance arrives at the emergency so they can keep a steady stream of info to police or emergency responders-also coach first aid and assist in keeping the situation under control as much as they can.
This boy was robbed.

I have insurance, its just that I have a $1,000.00 deductable and then I have to pay 20% of what the insurance doesnt, plus the copay. My whole bill was over $18,000.00.
I had it laproscopically removed-there was the complication of it being harder to remove than they anticpated. It took over 3 hours instead of 2.
Two days after I got out of the hospital.,I was awaken at 4am with some intense stabbing pain-after numerous tests, it may have been gas. Trapped when the incision was closed, but excruciating.

Yeah, I heard of people being rushed to the emergency room with gas pains post lap surgery. I was fortunate. Some back and shoulder pain for a few days, but that was mostly pain medication induced. Man, you have to get better insurance. My co-pay is $200, plus they pay 90% of my bills, plus I get in network savings of about 50%. $18,000 is painful, my wedding didn't cost half that!

This is criminal negligence. Just because he's young doesn't mean he's lying, and the operator has no right to make that call in the first place.

Now a woman is dead, and this boy has been exposed to the harshest lesson this world has to offer (that you can do everything right and still be treated like crap and lose everything you hold dear) at the age of 5.

What a horrible operator! She should be charged with negligant homicide or something of that nature!

They should fire that operator. What an idiot. IT'S A 911 CALL!
That's hardly enough IMO. TYhis person's stupidity lead to the death of somebody's mother. I'd punish the person as if they killed by accedent as that is basically what happened.

Oh for fucking crying out loud people, get over it already. Yes, it's terrible that it happened but people are not perfect and in any system mistakes will be made. People prank 911 from time to time: fuck, when I was 5 I called the cops on my brother because he wouldn't help me move a chair across the living room. If they were obligated to respond to any call regardless of its plausibility, the same people would be bitching about how emergency officials' time is being wasted on superfluous calls.

I think my favorite suggestion so far is that the operator should be slain for her error--and it's mildly amusing to me that I'm supposedly the callous one around here. 911 operators probably receive millions of calls nationwide every year, and a handful of cases like this occur and suddenly everyone is going apeshit about how the person who fucked up deserves to be killed.

Insert one part operator error, ten parts overzealous media, and 290 million parts dumbass citizens, and this is the kind of response you get. Utter asshattery. If we all wasted our time whining about the gross minority of cases like this--in the 911 call center or any other political or social institution--nothing else would ever get done. For Christ's sake people, think about it for a goddamn minute.

It's Detroit. What else to expect?

Dr. Klahn: The CIA thinks it can infiltrate The Mountain of Dr. Klahn!?
American Spy: You can't scare me, you slant-eyed yellow bastard!!
Dr. Klahn: (After a brief dramatic pause) Take him to Detroit.
American Spy: (As Klahn's henchmen start dragging him off) NO!! NOT DETROIT!! NO, NO PLEASE!! ANYTHING BUT THAT!! NOOO!! NOOO!!

Since when do 9-11 operators make it their job to screen whether or not a phone call is a legitimate emergency or a fake?

This is tremendously sad as a lot of you have already pointed out on here. If anything, I think the operator could have at least taken the initiative to ask some follow on questions, i.e. "is your mother breathing?", "is your mother conscious?"...perhaps this could have suggested mroe legitimacy to the phone call, though I think just short of the "screw you" phone calls, all 911 calls should be taken seriously. If they are not, then we have a system where unfortunately this *could* happen again, even if it were once in a blue moon.

This is tremendously sad as a lot of you have already pointed out on here. If anything, I think the operator could have at least taken the initiative to ask some follow on questions, i.e. "is your mother breathing?", "is your mother conscious?"...perhaps this could have suggested mroe legitimacy to the phone call, though I think just short of the "screw you" phone calls, all 911 calls should be taken seriously. If they are not, then we have a system where unfortunately this *could* happen again, even if it were once in a blue moon.


She could have asked to speak to the mother or any adult too...

In my opinion. she was criminally negligent. Its unclear as to wether or not the mother could have been saved, but she and her son deserved the chance-the system failed because of a weak link.

Oh for fucking crying out loud people, get over it already. Yes, it's terrible that it happened but people are not perfect and in any system mistakes will be made. People prank 911 from time to time: fuck, when I was 5 I called the cops on my brother because he wouldn't help me move a chair across the living room. If they were obligated to respond to any call regardless of its plausibility, the same people would be bitching about how emergency officials' time is being wasted on superfluous calls.

I think my favorite suggestion so far is that the operator should be slain for her error--and it's mildly amusing to me that I'm supposedly the callous one around here. 911 operators probably receive millions of calls nationwide every year, and a handful of cases like this occur and suddenly everyone is going apeshit about how the person who fucked up deserves to be killed.

Insert one part operator error, ten parts overzealous media, and 290 million parts dumbass citizens, and this is the kind of response you get. Utter asshattery. If we all wasted our time whining about the gross minority of cases like this--in the 911 call center or any other political or social institution--nothing else would ever get done. For Christ's sake people, think about it for a goddamn minute.

speak for yourself and take a deep breath. Its a discussion and certainly not rant worthy.

speak for yourself and take a deep breath. Its a discussion and certainly not rant worthy.

He's got a point, how many millions upon millions of lives does 911 save, I don't see huge celebrations for each of those, but this time it gets messed up, everyone goes "apeshit".

He's got a point, how many millions upon millions of lives does 911 save, I don't see huge celebrations for each of those, but this time it gets messed up, everyone goes "apeshit".
If it was something reasonable mistake there would be no reason to go "apeshit"

This is not one of thoes times

This did not just get "messed up" ... this is a case of gross neglagence piled on top of incorect action taken after the fact

this is most deffinatly "apeshit" worthy

Oh for fucking crying out loud people, get over it already. Yes, it's terrible that it happened but people are not perfect and in any system mistakes will be made. People prank 911 from time to time: fuck, when I was 5 I called the cops on my brother because he wouldn't help me move a chair across the living room. If they were obligated to respond to any call regardless of its plausibility, the same people would be bitching about how emergency officials' time is being wasted on superfluous calls.
No, we will not get over it. By the very nature of the job, the person is responsible for the lives of others. If something like this incident would occur, that person would be legally responsible for the death. We will not get over it and she will not fucking get out of it; hopefully, she won't get out of a criminal charge either.

To me, and probably most others, your "get over it" idea is like saying "The lifeguard only didn't pull the kid out of the water."


Agreed, this is not a case of "Some kid called 5 times pranking her, then the same kid called back an hour later with a real emergency." That is a horse of a different color and hey, she messed up, but every damn other person would have done the same thing and no one would give a shit. She might be given a week or two off without pay, but nothing serious. No, this is not that. This person told a child who called 911 twice for the same reason to stop playing on the phone without so much as sending a police officer to investigate the incident. She should be charged with a criminal offense, I don't care how many time she had been pranked that day since she started work.

If it was something reasonable mistake there would be no reason to go "apeshit"

This is not one of thoes times

This did not just get "messed up" ... this is a case of gross neglagence piled on top of incorect action taken after the fact

this is most deffinatly "apeshit" worthy

No, it's probably some form of litigation worthy, not "killing is too good for her" worthy.

No, it's probably some form of litigation worthy, not "killing is too good for her" worthy.
Well that I can agree with but thats cause my POV does not include Capital punishment

I was at my friends house earlier, and her husband works in the Fire Brigade Emergency dispatch, I told him the story and asked what would happen in England. He said that when you call from a landline (not a cell) then your address shows on their computers, and if its a child or a very distressed adult, they keep them on the phone and dispatch at the VERY least a police car to take a look, he said that if they get a call and the word FIRE is used (clearly he works for the fire brigade) then they ALWYAS send an appliance, they would rather go to a 100 false calls than miss one real one. He was also astonished that the operator was not suspended while an investigation was carried out.

No, we will not get over it. By the very nature of the job, the person is responsible for the lives of others. If something like this incident would occur, that person would be legally responsible for the death. We will not get over it and she will not fucking get out of it; hopefully, she won't get out of a criminal charge either.

To me, and probably most others, your "get over it" idea is like saying "The lifeguard only didn't pull the kid out of the water."

Or, "Sure, the kid came in with stomach pains and the doctor treated him by amputating his leg, and then he died from apendicitis, but everybody makes mistakes and we should just ignore it..."

Question...

What kind of status job is this in the US? Low educated, low paid call centre workers with long hours and little holiday entitlement?

Substandard working conditions --> substandard service. Make sure that's not the case before pointing fingers at one individual.

Working conditions for US-pretty good actually, especially for no college.

Public Safety Dispatcher Trainee (911 Operator)
Salary: $31,867.00 - $38,734.00/year
(Salary Upon Promotion to Dispatcher: $35,034 to $42,584)

A few of the benefits (besides the health, life and retirement):

Annual Leave: 17.5 days per year, increasing to 24.5 days after 15 years service, for vacation or sick leave. Employees may use vacation after successful completion of probation.

Holidays: 12 paid holidays per year.

Part-Time Benefits: Regular part-time employees receive insurance, optional benefits, vacation, holidays, sick leave and disability programs proportionate to their regular work hours.

Tuition Reimbursement: $1,500 per year for tuition and books.

Personal Computer Loan: Interest-free loan for purchase of a personal computer.

Direct Deposit: Paychecks are automatically deposited to employee accounts.

Wellness Program: A comprehensive program is available, including on-site gym, exercise classes, downtown/beach walking routes, weight loss, and tips on nutrition and healthy lifestyle.

Oh for fucking crying out loud people, get over it already. Yes, it's terrible that it happened but people are not perfect and in any system mistakes will be made. People prank 911 from time to time: fuck, when I was 5 I called the cops on my brother because he wouldn't help me move a chair across the living room. If they were obligated to respond to any call regardless of its plausibility, the same people would be bitching about how emergency officials' time is being wasted on superfluous calls.
I think my favorite suggestion so far is that the operator should be slain for her error--and it's mildly amusing to me that I'm supposedly the callous one around here. 911 operators probably receive millions of calls nationwide every year, and a handful of cases like this occur and suddenly everyone is going apeshit about how the person who fucked up deserves to be killed.
Insert one part operator error, ten parts overzealous media, and 290 million parts dumbass citizens, and this is the kind of response you get. Utter asshattery. If we all wasted our time whining about the gross minority of cases like this--in the 911 call center or any other political or social institution--nothing else would ever get done. For Christ's sake people, think about it for a goddamn minute.
The point is that when 911 is dialed every call should be treated like a real emergency, whether it be a prank or not. The kid did everything in his power and did everything right. He even called 911 twice and stated that his mother is unconscious on the floor.
Now, every sensible dispatcher would not ask for him to stop playing on the phone and ask for his mother to be put on the line when the kid already said that she's unconscious.
How's that for plausibility?
Your statement only reminds me of "right now my job is eating these doughnuts!"
The dispatcher screwed up big time and since she couldn't really judge on what was going on, her duty would've been to send an ambulance!
This is tremendously sad as a lot of you have already pointed out on here. If anything, I think the operator could have at least taken the initiative to ask some follow on questions, i.e. "is your mother breathing?", "is your mother conscious?"...perhaps this could have suggested mroe legitimacy to the phone call, though I think just short of the "screw you" phone calls, all 911 calls should be taken seriously. If they are not, then we have a system where unfortunately this *could* happen again, even if it were once in a blue moon.
Exactly! If the dispatcher doesn't have enough information to judge what was going on it's her responsibility to find out as much as possible - and even then it's for the people at the scene to make the call whether it is indeed a real emergency.
She could have asked to speak to the mother or any adult too...
In my opinion. she was criminally negligent. Its unclear as to wether or not the mother could have been saved, but she and her son deserved the chance-the system failed because of a weak link.
Yeah. What about the instructions those dispatchers are given when they start the job? I mean, come on - there's got to be a paragraph stating "if in doubt, send the ambulance"!?!
If it was something reasonable mistake there would be no reason to go "apeshit"
This is not one of thoes times
This did not just get "messed up" ... this is a case of gross neglagence piled on top of incorect action taken after the fact
this is most deffinatly "apeshit" worthy
My point exactly and the reason I made this post in the first place!
No, it's probably some form of litigation worthy, not "killing is too good for her" worthy.
Yeah, sorry 'bout that. I got a little carried away - but at least I opposed those posts asking for the dispatcher to be killed. (And thanks for teaching me the word "litigation" tonight!)
Anyway, capital punishment is not my league and I oppose it. I just hope all those dispatchers take a second to think about this one next time they tend to call an emergency call a prank.
I was at my friends house earlier, and her husband works in the Fire Brigade Emergency dispatch, I told him the story and asked what would happen in England. He said that when you call from a landline (not a cell) then your address shows on their computers, and if its a child or a very distressed adult, they keep them on the phone and dispatch at the VERY least a police car to take a look, he said that if they get a call and the word FIRE is used (clearly he works for the fire brigade) then they ALWYAS send an appliance, they would rather go to a 100 false calls than miss one real one. He was also astonished that the operator was not suspended while an investigation was carried out.
That's exactly the way it would work in Germany - I'm amazed that it happened in such a progressed nation like the States. It's just sad and completely unnecessary!

Working conditions for US-pretty good actually, especially for no college.

Public Safety Dispatcher Trainee (911 Operator)
Salary: $31,867.00 - $38,734.00/year
(Salary Upon Promotion to Dispatcher: $35,034 to $42,584)

A few of the benefits (besides the health, life and retirement):

Annual Leave: 17.5 days per year, increasing to 24.5 days after 15 years service, for vacation or sick leave. Employees may use vacation after successful completion of probation.

Holidays: 12 paid holidays per year.

Part-Time Benefits: Regular part-time employees receive insurance, optional benefits, vacation, holidays, sick leave and disability programs proportionate to their regular work hours.

Tuition Reimbursement: $1,500 per year for tuition and books.

Personal Computer Loan: Interest-free loan for purchase of a personal computer.

Direct Deposit: Paychecks are automatically deposited to employee accounts.

Wellness Program: A comprehensive program is available, including on-site gym, exercise classes, downtown/beach walking routes, weight loss, and tips on nutrition and healthy lifestyle.


And dont forget-The Job Security- This woman still has a job and pay,despite her willful stupidity.
If I did something like this at my job, I'd likely be fired immediately with no reviews or other feel good shit.

Killing's too good for her. I'd think of something more sisyphusian... Besides, taking her life wouldn't really help the situation at all!

I saw some good suggestions.

Someone should play that tape loudly in her ear EVERY night before she goes to sleep for the rest of her life.

In [my nation], a heart attack would be deliberately started, then she would be left to die.


but all that aside, I do think this is worthy of going 'apeshit' over.


To me, and probably most others, your "get over it" idea is like saying "The lifeguard only didn't pull the kid out of the water."

It's more like the lifeguard not only didnt pull the kid out of the water, but actually REFUSED to when asked to save them. TWICE.

Criminal negligence.

Once I can see as human error of the kind you can't expect not to happen. But twice is beyond simple human error. It is deliberate.

That's exactly the way it would work in Germany - I'm amazed that it happened in such a progressed nation like the States. It's just sad and completely unnecessary!

I shouldn't happen here. States may have different rules but as far as I know they all have the law says that a police car is sent to all locations of 911 calls. Even if someone dials and immediately hangs up, the caller ID will give a location and police will be sent to check it out. THEY make the decision on prank or not and act either way. It is not for the operator to decide.

I just saw this on television and I must say that I'm deeply appalled that this could happen and indeed did happen:

Mother dies after 911 call is treated as prank
Detroit police investigate response to call from boy whose mom collapsed

DETROIT - A 5-year-old boy called 911 to report that his mother had collapsed in their apartment, but an operator told him he should not be playing on the phone, and she died before help arrived.

The family of Sherrill Turner, 46, does not know whether a swifter response could have saved her life, but relatives want to know why the operator apparently treated the call as if it were a prank.

Police said the 911 response was under investigation.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12208992/

I mean, come on - the boy said that his mother was lying unconsciously on the kitchen floor and the 911-operator told him not to play on the phone?

What's your take on that?
Eh..just another sensationalist story that the media loves to feed off. Doesn't affect me in any way.

Eh..just another sensationalist story that the media loves to feed off. Doesn't affect me in any way.

I'VE GOT IT!

make the operator the personal 911 operator to Dubya's family.

I'VE GOT IT!

make the operator the personal 911 operator to Dubya's family.
Go ahead. I'm not 5 years old.

That is completely horrible. What kind of person tells a five year old that he is making stuff up while his poor mother is dieing?

It is my opinion the women be fired and that this be treated as a example to all 911 operators that it is not their place to make that kind of judgement call but to let the paramedics and cops make the decision.

My heart goes out to the young boy and the victims family. If I was the family I would sue the Operator and the County for it. It wouldn't bring the loved one back but it would make the example much more potent.

Killing's too good for her. I'd think of something more sisyphusian... Besides, taking her life wouldn't really help the situation at all!
I have a somewhat twisted sense of justice sometimes, which generally involves the innocent coming off second best in the long run.

If the 911 dispatcher has kids (specially of the same age). Have them seperated from her indefinately. By any means possible. Even if it means putting the mother outside a glass box and having to watch the kid slowly die inside from suffocation or something.

Yes, I am a sick bastard sometimes. Do to others what you want done to you,or something like that? Practically enforcing it would work well.

I read that on Z100 Stupid News on their website...it's screwed up. They always have recordings of three-year-olds calmly telling what's going on while a 30-year-old man can't pull himself together...seriously, why would someone joke like that...it's against the Prank Phone Call Code of Honor.

My mom once dialed a number like 1800-123-5911 or something (supposed to be 9511) and the police sent a guy to make sure everything was ok. I had to come downstairs to say "hi".

Yes, I am a sick bastard sometimes. Do to others what you want done to you,or something like that? Practically enforcing it would work well.

Don't you mean 'Do unto others before they do unto you'? ;)

But seriously.

The woman should be fired. Her government-insured benefits cancelled. She should be made to pay the government back every cent she has ever been paid. And she should be made, without pay, for twelve hours everyday for thirty days to stand before the local courthouse with a sign saying "My negligence killed the mother of a six year old." (Or words to that effect.)

Or I could do the old stand by. Flog and fine her to within an inch of her life and then hang her.