Is the 911 bureaucracy putting lives at risk?
KHOU-11's Jeff McShan reports on the city 911 bureaucracy's "80-second" rule for calltakers:
It's called the 80-second rule. That's how long they can spend with you on the phone.
Those who take the calls say it's dangerous.
When a Houston police officer is dispatched to a call, their lifelines are the computer in their patrol car and their two-way radio.
That's where they receive vital information from dispatchers.
"I mean, details are important. You know when you go out here and you're chasing suspects, you want to know if they're armed, if they are chasing something, if they're driving something and to get names and addresses," said Johnnie McFarland.
But unfortunately, the people that take the calls don't have time to get that vital information.
Per policy, call-takers said they must process the call in 80 seconds or less, and if they don't, they are severely punished.
Too afraid to show her face for fear of retaliation, one call-taker talked with 11 News by phone Friday.
"You can't stay on the phone with somebody. And if you do stay on the phone with a citizen or an officer, you will get written up," she said.
Call-takers say citizens often have to be calmed down just to get the information from them.
Many times the police want the call-takers to stay on the line with the citizen until they arrive, but that just doesn't happen.
Worried about public safety Officer Tom Nixon took his concerns to City Hall last summer, but so far noting [sic] has changed.
Officer Tom Nixon? The same police officer who was assigned to desk duty for questioning an HPD policy on camera recently?
One can certainly begin to understand why he might have taken the opportunity to "go public" on a matter of policy when he had the opportunity, given the glacial pace of change via "official" channels.
PREVIOUSLY: Now 911 dispatchers have a productivity policy (05-07-2005).
BLOGVERSATION: TBIFOC.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/11/06 01:07 PM | Print |
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