1.16.2013

Woman dies after 911 operator fails to put call in system



This is outrageous out of Arkansas... In Little Rock, a woman trapped inside a sinking vehicle died after a 911 operator did not properly enter her emergency call into a computer system to notify rescue dispatchers, causing a 43-minute delay in response: Ark. woman dies after 911 call not put in system.

39-year-old Jinglei Yi called 911 when her car hit a patch of ice, went over a curb and ended up in a pond. The 911 operator contacted an ambulance service, but failed to contact police officers and firefighters, who weren't dispatched until a half-hour later -- after the ambulance service called to verify that they were en route.

Yi died hours later at a local hospital, while her 5-year-old son is in critical condition. Meanwhile, the operator has been placed on paid administrative leave. What the hell happened?

It's still not clear whether the delay played any role in Yi's death. A doctor pronounced her dead at a local hospital at 11:45 a.m. Monday. A medical examiner is expected to determine the exact cause.

Laura Martin, who directs the city police and fire departments' communications branch, said the operator did not enter Yi's call into a computerized dispatching system that would have alerted police and fire dispatchers. The operator also ended Yi's call instead of using a transfer option that would have allowed her to keep Yi on the line while contacting the ambulance service, she said.

"Proper protocol would be ... we have a one-button transfer switch where you get (the ambulance service) on the line and you remain on the line with them until you're sure that they have handled the call," Martin said.
I can't even imagine the terror of this situation. The audio of the 911 call is horrifying. When the water rescue unit finally reached the scene of the accident, they were able to recover Yi and her son in five minutes. But it would be too late. More here: Jinglei Yi, Arkansas Mother, Dead After 911 Failed To Enter Call In System.

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