911 Error Leads To Ga. Woman's Death

Dispatcher Sent Ambulance To Wrong Address Causing 25-Minute Delay

(CBS/ AP)  Fulton County officials say a woman died while waiting for help that was delayed because a 911 operator sent emergency responders to the wrong address.

Fulton County's 911 director, Alfred Moore, says it began Saturday afternoon when Darlene Dukes called 911 for help because she was "in respiratory distress."

Moore says the 911 operator misheard the address Dukes gave and sent crews to Wells Street in Atlanta when Dukes was actually at home on Wales Street in Johns Creek, north of Atlanta.

"My child would be alive today if they had responded timely," Darlene Dukes' mother, Ida, told CBS affiliate WGCL-TV.

Moore says the operator should have noticed that the call was coming from a cell tower in north Fulton County, not Atlanta.

The mistake caused a 25-minute delay in response.

Moore says the 911 operator has been fired.

[jonhicks3]

Thought the 911 calls came in on a cell phone that does not mean that the operator could not direct the emergency people to the right address. Congress passed a law back a few years ago making it so that all cell phones have a GPS locator in them. If the 911 systems cannot track the phone by GPS then and only then should have the operator used the tower information. (We are talking about Atlanta, GA. Not in the middle of now where.) I know most E-911 system have this. As for the operator getting fired that is what need to happen. With all the technology we have getting an address wrong should never happen, but I know that computer are not all was right. This operator deals with life and death daily and because of that one mistake can lead to death.

[bobnjersey]

[Moore says the 911 operator misheard the address Dukes gave and sent crews to Wells Street in Atlanta when Dukes was actually at home on Wales Street in Johns Creek, north of Atlanta. ]

the 911 system should feed the source number, address, etc to the screen. they shouldn''t have to ask ... what if the person couldn''t communicated it clearly ... due to their emergency?

[redbds]

If this call had been made from a landline, the 911 system would have displayed the proper address. Lesson is that if you use a cell phone to call 911 it will not register the address in the system. If faced with this situation use the land phone.

I don''t think that this 911 operator should have been fired.

[whiskyrokkr]

Mistakes happen. As many calls as these people take it''s amazing thier aren''t more mistakes.

[ajaxrose1]

That''s just sad all the way around. It wasn''t the operator''s fault, but he or she is probably going to live the rest of their life thinking it is. I don''t think they should have fired the operator over it, though. The 911 system is run by human beings and they make mistakes. I realize this doesn''t help the family feel any better; who would? I''m just saying we''re all human and subject to messing up. I agree that with their accents and the similarity of the street names, it''s a mistake that anyone could have made. Anyone who is human, anyway.

[mandalay-bay]

Wow. One mistake and the operator gets canned? Kinda harsh...The street names sound similar especially with a southern accent over the phone where the connection might not have even been strong.

[credibility2]

If this were a competent operator, they would''ve repeated the street and if any doubt, continue trying to get clarification or look at their monitor for some form of location identification. Big deal, the operator got fired. Is that going to bring back the dead woman?

[observer2020]

People, just ignore GOP''s comments. Either it is totally against women or shoving a bible in everyone''s faces...both subjects this person has not a clue about. OR...they just like to start fires on these blogs--either way, it''s not worth the time. They haven''t experienced enough of "life''s experiences" to be an expert anything with such a closed mind.

The story is very sad...Wales and Wells CAN be misunderstood down South. I asked someone today with a serious southern drawl (very good friend) to say both words and they did sound similar and she was calm. When you dial 911, you are NOT calm and not speaking clearly. This was a mistake--everyone makes them (just try not to make too many, that''s all). If the system does not work correctly, that makes it even harder for them to get you help.

[broncfan1661]

This person probably got her job through affirmative action where they have to fill quota and not worry about getting the best person.
Posted by GOP_forever at 10:13 AM
_______________________________________
As callous as it sounds, I have to somewhat agree with you. The 911 operator may not have pronounced the street name correctly when relaying it to the EMTs.

[papabc]

Most likely there is a lot of blame to go around. The 911, Operator, Person Calling, Emergancy responders.

6 months ago emergency people showed up at our door looking for a 70+ year old man in medical trouble. Some how the address information was wrong on the display. Maybe the person making the original call gave a cross street address instead of the real address.

Prank Call?

Never found out if the read address was ever found.