Dispatcher Reassigned

[ERDoc]

http://www.wbal.com/article/113247/3/911-operator-who-told-teen-to-stop-whining-reassigned

Discuss.

Edited February 5, 2015 by ERDoc

[island emt]

very little info to go on Doc.

maybe the distraught teen was unrecognizable due to her WHINING and the operator could get any usable info out of her to be able to send assistance.

Hysterical people are very hard to make sense of .

[ERDoc]

Did the article in that link not contain the exerpts from the call? Let me see if I can find it since it provides more info.

EDIT: Here is a small part of the call from CNN.

http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2015/02/05/dnt-md-911-operator-to-caller-stop-whining.wbal

Edited February 5, 2015 by ERDoc

[Just Plain Ruff]

This was the 2nd fatal pedestrian struck on that stretch of roadway in two days. Both I think were hit and runs too. NOt sure on the second fact though.

Baltimore and surrounding areas are more dangerous for pedestrians than some mid size cities are for homicide victims. I think there were somewhat like 1100 pedestrians struck in Baltimore last year.

[scubanurse]

I listened to the call the other day, I think what he said was completely fine. He asked that she calm down so he could get an accurate location on a very busy highway. Dispatchers have a very hard job, and when the caller isn't relaying information to them, they need to find a way to get them to calm down enough to get the accurate location.

[Just Plain Ruff]

I drive that stretch of roadway about 2 times a week and there are not many landmarks or exit signs. IF you are not familiar with the highway, especially at night, then I can see how she had no clue where she was.

And that road is rush hour 24 hours a day. 3am and it's often times bumper to bumper.

[scubanurse]

I know, I hate that road. He was even just trying to figure out what road she was even on though and then worked to narrow it down. This first part, he says, ok so you're on a highway, that indicates to me that he was just trying to narrow down where they even where.

[Just Plain Ruff]

I also hate that road. Every time a wreck happens on that road it shuts down and more often than not both directions are closed down due to all the equipment that they dispatch there.

[triemal04]

I'd like to hear the entire 911 call; it almost sounds like there was some selective editing going on to make it more hypeworthy.

The first part, where he tells the caller to stop yelling...that's appropriate; people panic, and you may have to get them to quiet down to get any info.

Which brings up the most important part: whether it was because the caller didn't know, or wasn't capable of relaying the info, the dispatcher was never able to get the location of the wreck from her; had to use her phone's GPS.

Using the term "whining," well...poor choice of words. And if you listen, that's what he was disciplined for (or at least what's reported), not his demeanor or actions on the call.

Long live the media. Viva la hype!