The 911 operator promptly answered and transferred the call to the dispatcher. The dispatcher should have sent an ambulance, but the woman said "hello" several times and there was no response...only silence.
The operator realized something was not right and cut in on the call. While a second dispatcher assisted the woman with instruction on what to do to help her husband until the ambulance arrived, the original dispatcher can be heard snoring during the call.
Confused, the second dispatcher asked the caller if it was her husband snoring. The caller is also confused about the source of the snoring. At least 18 snores were heard during the call.
Four minutes into the call, the original dispatcher wakes up and starts asking for address information.
Assistant Fire Chief, Scott Graham, said the original dispatcher was placed on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of the inquiry. The dispatcher should have been fired...he was asleep. The county doesn't need an inquiry to understand the snoring.
Why are firefighters even working as 911 dispatchers? Twenty-four hour shifts are not uncommon for firefighters, but not so common for 911 operators and dispatchers. Also, the original dispatcher was 17 hours into his 24-hour overtime shift when this happened. The county and the dispatcher are at fault in this situation and very lucky the woman's husband survived.
At least, some changes were made after this incident. Now 911 dispatchers work in a "renovated call center where a supervisor can now see all of the dispatchers". Graham says the issue of 24-hour shifts "could come up this fall when the new collective bargaining agreement goes into negotiations".
Peace
Source: http://www.wlbz2.com/news/watercooler/article/201424/109/911-dispatcher-falls-asleep-during-emergency-call
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