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I don't know if there is another thread or a repost that was related to this topic previously but I thought it was worth sharing with you guys.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/06/07/911.death.ap/index.html
Boy's ignored 911 call leads to charges
If convicted, two dispatchers could spend a year in jail
Wednesday, June 7, 2006; Posted: 5:50 p.m. EDT (21:50 GMT)
Robert Turner, now 6, called 911 twice after his mother collapsed. She died before help arrived.
DETROIT, Michigan (AP) -- Two 911 dispatchers who authorities say wrongly assumed it was a prank when a 5-year-old boy called to report that his mother had collapsed have been charged with neglect of duty
By the time an officer arrived, the boy's 46-year-old mother was dead.
"I understand they get quite a few crank calls, but you have to take it seriously when someone calls 911," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Wednesday in announcing charges against Sharon Nichols, 43, and Terri Sutton, 47.
They could get a year in jail if convicted of the misdemeanor.
Worthy said the mother, Sherrill Turner, might be alive today had the dispatchers done their jobs correctly.
The president of the dispatchers' union did not immediately return a call for comment.
Robert Turner, now 6, called 911 twice on February 20 to report that his mother had collapsed and needed medical care, but "neither operator treated this as an emergency," the prosecutor said.
No police car was sent after Nichols took the first call. The boy called again three hours later, and Sutton reacted by sending police out to discipline the child and inform the parent that the youngster was dialing 911, Worthy said.
Attorney Geoffrey Fieger, who defended assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city on behalf of the family. Fieger said Robert's mother, who had an enlarged heart, would have survived if help had been sent immediately.
After police investigated, Nichols received a five-day suspension, and Sutton received three days. Both have returned to work, Worthy said.
The prosecutor refused to say if the two should have been fired, but added, "They should not be taking 911 calls."
********
In My Opinion, Those 2 operators should have take the responsibilty to act professionally when taking a 911 call. It doesn't matter how many prank calls they get through the day. Their job is supposed to be sending the police, fire department and EMT to the location to check the situation out. If it was really a prank, then that's fine at least someone was there to check it out and the Adult could get fined for a prank call. So this one was pretty much absurd to see this happening. The little boy was doing exactly what he was taught to do in case of an emergency rises. It saddens me to see that the dispatcher has came to that point to think the boy was making a prank call.
******
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060410/NEWS05/604100335/1001/NEWS
Here is the recording conversation of the boy and the first call to the 911 dispatcher. There are 2 911 calls that the boy had made but I am trying to find the transcript that was made for the 2nd 911 call.
The calls
First call, 5:59 p.m. Feb. 20:
Dispatcher: ""Emergency 911, what's the problem?"
Robert: "My mom has passed out. ..."
Dispatcher: "Where's Mr. Turner at?..."
Robert: "Right here."
Dispatcher: "Let me talk to him."
Robert: ""She's not gonna ... she's not gonna talk."
Dispatcher: "OK, well I'm going to send the police to your house and find out what's going on with you. ..."
Second call, 9:02 p.m.:
Robert: "My mom has passed out. ..."
Dispatcher: "Where's the grown-ups at?"
Robert: (Inaudible)
Dispatcher: "Let me speak to her before I send the police over there."
Robert: "She's not gonna talk. ..."
Dispatcher: "Now put her on the phone before I send the police out there to knock on the door and you going to be in trouble."
Robert: "Ugh." (Hangs up.)
http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/06/07/911.death.ap/index.html
Boy's ignored 911 call leads to charges
If convicted, two dispatchers could spend a year in jail
Wednesday, June 7, 2006; Posted: 5:50 p.m. EDT (21:50 GMT)
Robert Turner, now 6, called 911 twice after his mother collapsed. She died before help arrived.
DETROIT, Michigan (AP) -- Two 911 dispatchers who authorities say wrongly assumed it was a prank when a 5-year-old boy called to report that his mother had collapsed have been charged with neglect of duty
By the time an officer arrived, the boy's 46-year-old mother was dead.
"I understand they get quite a few crank calls, but you have to take it seriously when someone calls 911," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Wednesday in announcing charges against Sharon Nichols, 43, and Terri Sutton, 47.
They could get a year in jail if convicted of the misdemeanor.
Worthy said the mother, Sherrill Turner, might be alive today had the dispatchers done their jobs correctly.
The president of the dispatchers' union did not immediately return a call for comment.
Robert Turner, now 6, called 911 twice on February 20 to report that his mother had collapsed and needed medical care, but "neither operator treated this as an emergency," the prosecutor said.
No police car was sent after Nichols took the first call. The boy called again three hours later, and Sutton reacted by sending police out to discipline the child and inform the parent that the youngster was dialing 911, Worthy said.
Attorney Geoffrey Fieger, who defended assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city on behalf of the family. Fieger said Robert's mother, who had an enlarged heart, would have survived if help had been sent immediately.
After police investigated, Nichols received a five-day suspension, and Sutton received three days. Both have returned to work, Worthy said.
The prosecutor refused to say if the two should have been fired, but added, "They should not be taking 911 calls."
********
In My Opinion, Those 2 operators should have take the responsibilty to act professionally when taking a 911 call. It doesn't matter how many prank calls they get through the day. Their job is supposed to be sending the police, fire department and EMT to the location to check the situation out. If it was really a prank, then that's fine at least someone was there to check it out and the Adult could get fined for a prank call. So this one was pretty much absurd to see this happening. The little boy was doing exactly what he was taught to do in case of an emergency rises. It saddens me to see that the dispatcher has came to that point to think the boy was making a prank call.
******
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060410/NEWS05/604100335/1001/NEWS
Here is the recording conversation of the boy and the first call to the 911 dispatcher. There are 2 911 calls that the boy had made but I am trying to find the transcript that was made for the 2nd 911 call.
The calls
First call, 5:59 p.m. Feb. 20:
Dispatcher: ""Emergency 911, what's the problem?"
Robert: "My mom has passed out. ..."
Dispatcher: "Where's Mr. Turner at?..."
Robert: "Right here."
Dispatcher: "Let me talk to him."
Robert: ""She's not gonna ... she's not gonna talk."
Dispatcher: "OK, well I'm going to send the police to your house and find out what's going on with you. ..."
Second call, 9:02 p.m.:
Robert: "My mom has passed out. ..."
Dispatcher: "Where's the grown-ups at?"
Robert: (Inaudible)
Dispatcher: "Let me speak to her before I send the police over there."
Robert: "She's not gonna talk. ..."
Dispatcher: "Now put her on the phone before I send the police out there to knock on the door and you going to be in trouble."
Robert: "Ugh." (Hangs up.)


That's AWFUL. We need better 911 services. Very often they do think it's a prank if a kid calls, even though it's usually real. Many don't believe child abuse calls (if the child calls) or calls like these where the parents is unable to talk. They need to stop "verifying" calls from kids and assume the kid is telling the truth. It's like they don't believe anything kids say unless their parents confirm it, and that NEVER works for calls where the parent(s) are unconscious or otherwise unable to talk or when the child is being abused (the parents of course will lie about it then).