Thanks Kyle will do. Have so much going on appreciate the help.

                       Trisha

> 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
> > >