As long as the dispatcher didn't hang up on Amber, he was on legal solid
ground for asking her to check the size of the fire, but you have a case for
his asking her to re-enter the house.  Our 911 dispatch always asks for name
and date-of-birth, so it might not have been a question of how old she was.
Our dispatch routinely asks callers to try sodium bicarbonate on small
kitchen fires; possibly that was what the dispatcher was thinking--however,
there's no excuse for telling Amber "flour".  You're right--grain flour dust
can be explosive.  Does your community have co-op coverage with another
department?  Even if your closest station's trucks were out on a run, they
should have dispatched somebody--even a cop.

SOP for most towns is to get the address, name and age of the caller, then
dispatch fire, EMT, whatever and ALWAYS police.  After sending the units,
dispatch should then get as much info as possible and stay on the line with
the caller.

Trisha, in your letter, this is what I think you should do:

Schedule an appointment with the Public Safety Director for your 9-1-1 area,
along with the dispatch supervisor.  Request that they bring a copy of the
911 call (all 911 tapes are recorded and multiple backups are made of the
recordings) and make sure that they have a playback device ready before the
meeting.  Ask them to bring copies of the 911 dispatch response procedures.
There should be a section that details when and how units are dispatched  If
they turn down ANY of your requests in the letter, send a "cc:" with cover
to the 6:00 news producers of each of the TV network affiliates.  Beleive
me, local gov't officials don't want anything that stirs the pot between now
and the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November!  If they stand by
the dispatcher's rationale, demand an explanation.  If they agree that he
was in error, get an apology in writing.

-Kyle






-----Original Message-----
From: Trisha Cummings [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, September 23, 2002 1:07 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Amber saves the house!!


Hi Kat,

   Yes, I am apalled with the dispatcher and am going to be filing
complaint. Just becasue she is a teenager does not mean she is not to be
believed.

                                                      Trisha

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kathy Salkin [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Monday, September 23, 2002 1:05 PM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Re: Amber saves the house!!
>
> Good thing Amber kept her cool, and glad to hear everyone's all right.
> But
> I'm disturbed that the dispatcher didn't believe her and delayed in
> sending an
> unit out.  Lives could've been lost because of him.
>
> Kat
>
> On Mon, 23 Sep 2002 12:17:00 -0400 Trisha Cummings <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
> > Greetings All,
> >
> >     We had a "exciting" weekend - to put it
> > mildly. Friday afternoon Amber
> > friend Sarah set out kitchen on fire.
> > Thankfully Amber did exactly what she
> > was suppose to - call 911. 911 did not believe
> > her after they ask her age -
> > having followed directions when she realized
> > that size fire needed the fire
> > dept. - she had left the house to escape the
> > smoke - the 911 guy sent her
> > back in to describe the fire - and then still
> > didn't believe her - and
> > wanted her to throw flour on it - flour
> > explodes when you get enough near
> > fire and dispersed in the air. Finally he sent
> > the fire dept. The kitchen is
> > toasted. The whole first floor smoke damaged.
> > But my baby kept her head - so
> > we still have a house and healthy kids. The
> > insurnce was great also - an
> > hour after I called they had a cleaning man
> > there and a contractor to boaed
> > the windows and assess the damage - looks like
> > new kitchen for us. What the
> > fire didn't get the fireman destroyed - the
> > windows - not just the glass
> > panes , and screen and storm windows but the
> > wooden frames also. I was
> > pretty upset right afwe it happened but am what
> > the kids consider amazingly
> > cool - why not - the kids are fine and the
> > house is replaceable.
> >
> >   We thought we had lost one of more of the
> > cats but found them all by very
> > late evening. The firechief had brought the dog
> > out and handed it to Amber.
> > The cats are scared but fine.
> >
> >    I am very proud of Amber. She kept her head
> > and did all the right things.
> >
> >
> >   Brightest Blessings -
> > Trisha
> >