DUNWOODY POLICE DEPARTMENT
Billy Grogan Chief of Police
Memorandum
To: Warren Hutmacher, City Manager From: Chief Billy Grogan
Date: January 29, 2014
Re: Medical Call – Mrs. McQuaig
On January 8, 2014, Mrs. McQuaig called ChatComm 9-1-1 due to a medical condition. Mrs. McQuaig was having difficulty breathing but was otherwise able to communicate with the 9-1-1 center. The ChatComm Call Taker answered the call almost immediately and once the call taker realized it was a medical call, the call was transferred to DeKalb County and the ChatComm call taker stayed on the line. Mrs. McQuaig and the ChatComm call taker received a DeKalb 9-1-1 recorded message several times before a DeKalb County 9-1- 1 Call Taker answered the phone. The DeKalb County Fire Department was immediately dispatched and responded to the scene quickly. ChattComm did contact a Dunwoody Police Supervisor about the medical call. Based on the known facts of the call and the fact that DeKalb Fire was on the way; the supervisor cancelled the police departments response. The call times are outlined below.
To: Warren Hutmacher, City Manager From: Chief Billy Grogan
Date: January 29, 2014
Re: Medical Call – Mrs. McQuaig
On January 8, 2014, Mrs. McQuaig called ChatComm 9-1-1 due to a medical condition. Mrs. McQuaig was having difficulty breathing but was otherwise able to communicate with the 9-1-1 center. The ChatComm Call Taker answered the call almost immediately and once the call taker realized it was a medical call, the call was transferred to DeKalb County and the ChatComm call taker stayed on the line. Mrs. McQuaig and the ChatComm call taker received a DeKalb 9-1-1 recorded message several times before a DeKalb County 9-1- 1 Call Taker answered the phone. The DeKalb County Fire Department was immediately dispatched and responded to the scene quickly. ChattComm did contact a Dunwoody Police Supervisor about the medical call. Based on the known facts of the call and the fact that DeKalb Fire was on the way; the supervisor cancelled the police departments response. The call times are outlined below.
-
10:14:28Mrs. McQuaig calls ChatComm 9-1-1.
-
10:14:32ChatComm call taker answers.
-
10:15:35ChatComm initiates transfer of call to DeKalb 9-1-1.
-
10:15:49ChatComm receives recorded message from DeKalb 9-1-1.
-
10:17:04DeKalb County 9-1-1 call taker receives call from ChatComm.
-
10:18:12 DeKalb County Fire is dispatched.
-
10:18:38ChatComm Dispatches DPD. Supervisor cancels call.
-
10:20:22DeKalb Fire arrives on the scene.
5:54 Amount of time from 1st call into ChatComm until DeKalb Fire is on the scene
41 Perimeter Center East, Suite 100 P: (678) 382-6900 F: (770) 396-4655
41 Perimeter Center East, Suite 100 P: (678) 382-6900 F: (770) 396-4655
Dunwoody, GA 30346
www.dunwoodypolice.com
www.twitter.com/dunwoodypolice
www.facebook.com/dunwoodypolice
“SERVING WITH DISTINCTION”
DUNWOODY POLICE DEPARTMENT Billy Grogan Chief of Police
2:10 Amount of time for DeKalb Fire to arrive on the scene
Overall, Mrs. McQuaig received a quick response for emergency services. An unfortunate delay did occur when a recorded message was received by DeKalb County 9-1-1. Mrs. McQuaid and the call taker received a message several times because a call taker was not available to answer the call. This can happen in any 9-1- 1 center when they are busy. From that point on, the call was processed quickly and the DeKalb County Fire Department arrived swiftly.
Supervisors within our department have the discretion to cancel our response to medical calls based on how busy we are, the severity of the call and if the fire department has already been dispatched. It should be noted that even if our officer responded to the scene when the ChatComm dispatcher advised the supervisor of the call, the officer would not have beaten the DeKalb Fire Department there.
Several additional questions have been raised in response to the audio recording, which I will try to answer with input from Joe Estey with ChatComm. When a call is transferred from ChatComm to DeKalb County 9-1-1, the caller is not placed on hold. The caller is able to hear both the ChatComm call taker, the recorded message at DeKalb 9-1-1 and the DeKalb 9-1-1 call taker when the call is answered.
The recording made of the call was not altered in anyway and contained no deletions. However, the recording system, for the sake of playback and storage, “compresses” periods of the recording where there is no sound. This compression does not affect the time stamps and produced times.
There was no conversation between the call taker and the caller while the call was being transferred to DeKalb County 9-1-1. During this period of time, the ChatComm call taker was inputting the data of the call into the system and sending it to a ChatComm dispatcher so a Dunwoody Police officer could be dispatched.
Lastly, the ChatComm call taker did not begin the EMD process per policy. ChatComm is now aware of this deviation from established policy and is investigating further. Joe Estey has offered to meet with Council if requested to do so.
Please let me know if you need anything further.
41 Perimeter Center East, Suite 100 P: (678) 382-6900 F: (770) 396-4655
Overall, Mrs. McQuaig received a quick response for emergency services. An unfortunate delay did occur when a recorded message was received by DeKalb County 9-1-1. Mrs. McQuaid and the call taker received a message several times because a call taker was not available to answer the call. This can happen in any 9-1- 1 center when they are busy. From that point on, the call was processed quickly and the DeKalb County Fire Department arrived swiftly.
Supervisors within our department have the discretion to cancel our response to medical calls based on how busy we are, the severity of the call and if the fire department has already been dispatched. It should be noted that even if our officer responded to the scene when the ChatComm dispatcher advised the supervisor of the call, the officer would not have beaten the DeKalb Fire Department there.
Several additional questions have been raised in response to the audio recording, which I will try to answer with input from Joe Estey with ChatComm. When a call is transferred from ChatComm to DeKalb County 9-1-1, the caller is not placed on hold. The caller is able to hear both the ChatComm call taker, the recorded message at DeKalb 9-1-1 and the DeKalb 9-1-1 call taker when the call is answered.
The recording made of the call was not altered in anyway and contained no deletions. However, the recording system, for the sake of playback and storage, “compresses” periods of the recording where there is no sound. This compression does not affect the time stamps and produced times.
There was no conversation between the call taker and the caller while the call was being transferred to DeKalb County 9-1-1. During this period of time, the ChatComm call taker was inputting the data of the call into the system and sending it to a ChatComm dispatcher so a Dunwoody Police officer could be dispatched.
Lastly, the ChatComm call taker did not begin the EMD process per policy. ChatComm is now aware of this deviation from established policy and is investigating further. Joe Estey has offered to meet with Council if requested to do so.
Please let me know if you need anything further.
41 Perimeter Center East, Suite 100 P: (678) 382-6900 F: (770) 396-4655
Dunwoody, GA 30346
www.dunwoodypolice.com
www.twitter.com/dunwoodypolice
www.facebook.com/dunwoodypolice
“SERVING WITH DISTINCTION”
No comments:
Post a Comment