DC 911 Director Addresses Delays, Failed Responses

A man was trapped inside his car by a fallen tree and a 911 call-taker took 6 minutes to figure out where Rock Creek Park is.

In another instance, victims called to report a robbery in progress, but the response was too slow because the 911 call-taker did not prioritize the call.

The head of Washington's 911 call center appeared before the D.C. Council on Wednesday to address how she will improve responses to emergencies.

"It is not excused away, but it was a mistake of a call-taker, and this is where we jump in and we handle it, whether it is a discipline-type issue or a training issue," Karima Holmes, director of the Office of Unified Communications, said.

D.C. paramedic Holly O'Bryne said 911 operators regularly send her to bad addresses.

"Last night, it happened twice," she said. "That's typical."

Though D.C. pays for a private ambulance service to reduce the stress on the system, there are still delays, O'Bryne said.

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"They were calling [for] multiple stabbing victims and shooting victims yesterday who needed immediate critical care. Paramedic transport units weren’t available," she said.

Dr. Dave Milzman of Georgetown University Hospital said bad decisions at the call center limit crews' ability to help the people who need it most.

"Our workers are being sent to calls that are not emergencies, so they don’t have time to respond to the real emergencies," the emergency room veteran said.

Holmes defended 911 call-takers and dispatchers.  

"We bring in 1.4 or 1.5 million calls a year. And I think that the calls that we do have mishaps in do end up in the public light," she said. "We have other aspects in place, including training and partnerships with other agencies, that we have to look at."

Call takers and dispatchers will be given more training, and the call center will increase staffing to reduce errors.

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