Re: Dispatch error in drowning - Austin American-Statesman

[Guest guest]

If the caller doesn't know where they are, there is only so much you can do.

Vondran EMT-P

> To: texasems-l ; paramedicine

> From: wes.ogilvie@...

> Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:06:07 -0700

> Subject: Dispatch error in drowning - Austin American-Statesman

>

> EMS responded to the wrong location in drowning call

>

> By Naureen Khan | Tuesday, July 13, 2010, 05:20 PM

> Austin emergency personnel were sent to the wrong location when responding to

the drowning call for 32-year-old Jesus Herrera this weekend.

> Officials said was swimming in the water near U.S. 183 and the Colorado

River Park, under the Montopolis Bridge, when he went under Sunday morning. His

friend, who speaks Spanish, called 911 at 11:10 a.m., but incorrectly identified

the location of the incident, saying it was along Interstate 35.

> The 911 operator who answered — also a Spanish-speaker — translated the call

for EMS and stayed on the line for the duration of the call.

> Emergency personnel arrived on northbound I-35 at the river at 11:21 a.m. but

could not find the caller or the victim, officials said. After further

questioning from the 911 operator, EMS was redirected to the Montopolis Bridge

and the Colorado River and arrived at the new location at 11:27 a.m.

> Emergency personnel pulled out of the water and took him to University

Medical Center at Brackenridge, where he was pronounced dead. Officials said the

language barrier was not to blame for the drowning. They cannot say if the extra

six minutes spent finding the new location could have saved ’ life.

> “Getting accurate information from the caller is absolutely essential for us,

as public safety officers,” said Jasper Brown, division chief for Austin and

County EMS. “It definitely was not a language issue.”

>

>

[Guest guest]

Does anyone know if Austin has enhan 911? And if it does, does it track cell

phone calls?

Sent from my iPhone,

McGee, EMT-P, EMT-T

If the caller doesn't know where they are, there is only so much you can do.

Vondran EMT-P

To: texasems-l ; paramedicine

From: wes.ogilvie@...

Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:06:07 -0700

Subject: Dispatch error in drowning - Austin American-Statesman

EMS responded to the wrong location in drowning call

By Naureen Khan | Tuesday, July 13, 2010, 05:20 PM

Austin emergency personnel were sent to the wrong location when responding to

the drowning call for 32-year-old Jesus Herrera this weekend.

Officials said was swimming in the water near U.S. 183 and the Colorado

River Park, under the Montopolis Bridge, when he went under Sunday morning. His

friend, who speaks Spanish, called 911 at 11:10 a.m., but incorrectly identified

the location of the incident, saying it was along Interstate 35.

The 911 operator who answered — also a Spanish-speaker — translated the call

for EMS and stayed on the line for the duration of the call.

Emergency personnel arrived on northbound I-35 at the river at 11:21 a.m. but

could not find the caller or the victim, officials said. After further

questioning from the 911 operator, EMS was redirected to the Montopolis Bridge

and the Colorado River and arrived at the new location at 11:27 a.m.

Emergency personnel pulled out of the water and took him to University

Medical Center at Brackenridge, where he was pronounced dead. Officials said the

language barrier was not to blame for the drowning. They cannot say if the extra

six minutes spent finding the new location could have saved Â’ life.

“Getting accurate information from the caller is absolutely essential for us,

as public safety officers,” said Jasper Brown, division chief for Austin and

County EMS. “It definitely was not a language issue.”

[Guest guest]

I would assume that they are Wireless Phase 2 compliant. however even the info

received is not completly reliable. The acuracy of the location provided depends

on several factors such as what type of service and phone you have. There are

several different types of technologies that caculate location. Some have GPS

other use triangulation another is a hybrid of both. All require a caller being

in " view " of a certain number of towers of GPS satilites. I've seen 9-1-1 calls

come in as acurate of 20x20 meters others with in a 2000 meter radius. If the

caller was calling from under a bridge this complicates matters further as gps

may not have line of sight or the wireless signal can bounce off the water.

>

>

> If the caller doesn't know where they are, there is only so much you can do.

>

>

>

> Vondran EMT-P

>

> To: texasems-l ; paramedicine

> From: wes.ogilvie@...

> Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:06:07 -0700

> Subject: Dispatch error in drowning - Austin American-Statesman

>

> EMS responded to the wrong location in drowning call

>

> By Naureen Khan | Tuesday, July 13, 2010, 05:20 PM

> Austin emergency personnel were sent to the wrong location when responding to

the drowning call for 32-year-old Jesus Herrera this weekend.

> Officials said was swimming in the water near U.S. 183 and the Colorado

River Park, under the Montopolis Bridge, when he went under Sunday morning. His

friend, who speaks Spanish, called 911 at 11:10 a.m., but incorrectly identified

the location of the incident, saying it was along Interstate 35.

> The 911 operator who answered — also a Spanish-speaker — translated the call

for EMS and stayed on the line for the duration of the call.

> Emergency personnel arrived on northbound I-35 at the river at 11:21 a.m. but

could not find the caller or the victim, officials said. After further

questioning from the 911 operator, EMS was redirected to the Montopolis Bridge

and the Colorado River and arrived at the new location at 11:27 a.m.

> Emergency personnel pulled out of the water and took him to University

Medical Center at Brackenridge, where he was pronounced dead. Officials said the

language barrier was not to blame for the drowning. They cannot say if the extra

six minutes spent finding the new location could have saved Â' life.

> Â " Getting accurate information from the caller is absolutely essential for us,

as public safety officers, " said Jasper Brown, division chief for Austin and

County EMS.  " It definitely was not a language issue. "

>

>