PowerPhone, Inc., a leader in emergency call handling solutions, teaches 911 dispatcher’s the importance of Active Listening Skills, the

There’s growing outrage over rotating, budget-related closures of fire companies in Baltimore City. Much of it stems from a fire in West Baltimore that killed an elderly man.

Outraged citizens and fire union leaders are calling on the city to stop closing fire companies on a rotating basis.

“Every person who lives in Baltimore that relies on emergency services should be concerned,” said Dave Cox, firefighters’ union.

Their concern follows the death of Sam Davis, 76, whose rowhouse on West Presstman St. went up in flames Wednesday morning. His daughter was also injured in the blaze.

“The city’s prayers go out to that family. We are investigating that particular case as we speak,” said Mayor Sheila Dixon. “We want to ensure people that our fire department is responding very quickly.”

A woman trapped inside the burning home struggled to breathe and give her address to the 911 dispatcher.

The dispatcher thought she said Presbury St. — which is where crews were sent first — but the burning home was on Presstman St.

The next call was from neighbor Mia Conyer.

“It had to be about two to three minutes, and they were out here,” said Conyer.

Here’s the timeline:

At 3:02 a.m., the first 911 call came in with the address misunderstood.

At 3:06, the fire crew arrived at Presbury St.

At 3:09, the neighbor called 911.

At 3:13, the crew arrived at the actual fire.

The search and rescue company that was closest to Davis’ house was closed at the time of the fire.

Due to budget problems, five companies are closed on a rotating basis every night. And truck 16, which did respond to the Davis home, will be closed permanently next month.

“No, this was not a result of budget cuts,” said Dixon. “Based on the distance of the current stations, we are still within a great safe zone as far as responsiveness.”

Some disagree that the cuts had no impact. The firefighters’ union went door- to-door to drum up support.

In a recent interview, the fire chief told WJZ fire protection is excellent in the city, but there is a problem.

“Any time you close a company, there’s going to be an effect on response time in that neighborhood. That’s just a disadvantage of rotating closures or permanent closures. It does affect response time,” said Chief James Clack.

It would take $3.5 million to stop the closure of the company closest to the house.

Source: WJZ.com

King is accused of kidnapping Denise Amber Lee, 21, from her North Port home in January 2008.
Prosecutors claim King drove Lee, the mother of two young boys, to several locations, raped her and killed her before burying her body.

Before Lee died, she called 911. That call has never been made public and King’s defense attorney filed a motion to keep the jurors from hearing it. Circuit Judge Deno Economou ruled the tape will be admitted, along with another 911 call made by a driver who heard screaming from a car fitting the description of King’s car.

Read the full story here.

Dispatchers say the diversion of money comes at the expense of improvements that would give crime and accident victims more opportunities to reach responders. Someone who has been kidnapped, for instance, may not be able to talk but might be able to quietly send a text message or a photo.

Cell phone subscribers in nearly every state pay anywhere from 20 cents to $1.50 a month for what is described in their bills as 911 improvements. In some states, the AP analysis found, less than half that money is actually going to help emergency dispatchers keep pace with the features of smart phones.

Bonner, 26, of Linwood Terrace, was sentenced on his robbery conviction for his role in the theft of about $50 from a woman in the 500 block of Linwood Avenue at about 8 p. m. last Oct. 28. He has been in jail since his arrest about 15 minutes later in the A-Plus Market at Delaware and West Delavan avenues.

Bonner was one of four men convicted of staging a fake 911 robbery call from that same store Oct. 30, 2002. Police Officer James Shields, a 36-year-old father of two, was killed when his patrol car crashed into a tree responding to that fake “bandits” call. Bonner and his cohorts had faked the 911 call to cover the theft of money from the store.

– From The Buffalo News

But there are few similarities among the state laws, which is increasing the industry’s call for a national standard.

Read the full article here.

View details on state E911 legislation here.

“Basically, they’re using that money as general revenue,” said Genesee County Sheriff Gary T. Maha, whose office oversees 911 operations. “We have not seen any of that money.”

The surcharge — raised in 2002 to $1.20 per month — has generated about $600 million over 15 years, but just $84 million has gone to the municipalities that operate 911 centers, the State 911 Coordinators Association found.

And a report by the state comptroller highlights millions of dollars spent on hotel rooms, meals at restaurants, office supplies and laundry service.

Read the full story here.

In Southern Arizona, when first responders need a helicopter air ambulance, there’s a dispatch system in place to call closest available helicopter to the scene — no matter which company runs it.

Whetstone Fire Chief Pete Bidon doesn’t agree with that. He says it was a matter of getting better service from one provider over the other.

“I think we should do away with this protocol. I think when we utilize an air ambulance, I’m the customer. And if I’m not getting the service they say they’ll provide or be there for, then why continue using them?” Bidon said.

Read the full story here.

Police Chief Robert Nichelini is proposing that the City Council authorize fines for people who dial 911 but hang up without explanation.

“These calls consume an inordinate amount of police time and often delay the receipt and dispatch of true emergencies,” Nichelini wrote in a report to council.

“A 911 hang-up call is no different than any other type of false alarm, and, in many cases, the modern-day equivalent of the old red fire box on the corner,” he wrote.

Read the full story here.

The editorial explores the reasons why state and local governments continue to move 9-1-1 funds into their general funds, and suggests a new role for the federal government in helping assure this doesn’t happen.

Read the editorial here.

An arbitrator has ruled Sharon Nichols can get her job back, despite a jury convicting her last year of willful neglect, a misdemeanor, after she told young Robert Turner to stop playing on the phone when he called to report his mother had collapsed in February 2006. Sherrill Turner was dead by the time police arrived at her Detroit home hours later. Nichols blamed a faulty headset, claiming she couldn’t understand the boy’s call.

Nichols finished the 43-second conversation by promising the boy she’d send the police to his home, but she never did. Three hours later, after another 911 operator sent an officer to the home to reprimand the boy, officers found Sherrill Turner dead of a heart attack.

Read the full story here.