| 10/25/2009 5:14:12 AM | Emergency 9-1-1 Still Fails When Needed Most | | 
eightinchbend
Gadsden, AL
age: 45
| After Murder, Man Pushes 911 Reform
AOL News
posted: 1 DAY 21 HOURS Crime News, National News
(Oct. 22) -- A young mother abducted from her home might be alive today if 911 dispatchers had not mishandled a crucial call for help, her husband said Thursday.
Nathan Lee has filed a $200,000 wrongful death lawsuit against Charlotte County, Fla., officials. He contends they dropped the ball on information that could have led police to his wife, Denise, before it was too late. He is also pressing for reform of the 911 system.
Nathan Lee has filed a $200,000 wrongful death suit against Charlotte County, Fla., authorities. He contends that if 911 dispatchers had not mishandled a call, police would have been able to save his wife. "There's no doubt in my mind that Denise would still be here today if that call had been dispatched," Lee told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Thursday.
"[We're] making sure this doesn't happen to another family," Lee said on ABC News' "Good Morning America."
On Jan. 17, 2008, Denise Lee, 21, was home with her two sons, ages 10 months and 2 years, when she was abducted by Michael King, authorities said. Nathan Lee came home to find his sons alone and his wife's keys and phone sitting on a chair. He called 911.
Police began searching for the missing woman with the help of tips from neighbors. Then, they received a 911 call from Denise Lee herself. She had somehow managed to call for help from her attacker's cell phone.
Police then knew the identity of the kidnapper and raided his house. But King and Lee weren't there.
Meanwhile, another call was being placed to 911 by Jan Kowalski. The computer consultant said she was driving down U.S. 41 in North Port when she heard screaming from a car in the next lane.
Kowalski told the 911 operator that she she could see the car's driver pushing at an unseen passenger as the screaming and crying continued.
Kowalski told "Good Morning America" that she became increasingly frustrated by the seeming lack of understanding on the operator's part.
"She kept asking me the same questions," Kowalski said. "I just felt that she didn't either understand ... she really just wasn't getting it."
Because of a dispatcher error, Kowalski's information was never relayed to police, who were at that very moment scouring the area for King and Denise Lee.
"One dispatcher thought the other had sent it out," John Davenport, then sheriff of Charlotte County, told ABC. "The other thought she, the other had sent it out. And they didn't send it out."
Denise Lee was shot and killed just three miles from where Kowalski reported the incident in the car. In September, a jury said King should be put to death for the abduction, rape and murder of the young mother.
"There is not a doubt in my mind that Denise would still be here today if that call had been dispatched," Nathan Lee told "Good Morning America."
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2009-10-22 15:42:54
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Training issues, not thinking, not comprehending?
This is not the first instance of 9-1-1 dispatch mis-communication, so why is the victim's husband, Nathan Lee, apparently alone in the national spotlight to push for Emergency 9-1-1 reform? This tragedy could have happened to any one of our families, so we should find incentive to inquire on the skills and abilities of our local 9-1-1 systems.
| | 10/25/2009 7:30:09 AM | Emergency 9-1-1 Still Fails When Needed Most | | 
trippy_hare
Arvada, CO
age: 27
| Take an incredibly stressful job, where people do nothing but yell and scream at you all day.
Add in the bizarre working hours.
Splice in a pretty pathetic pay rate.
Now, multiply everything by about, oh, a whole f**king LOT.
The psych damage a 911 operator must endure, by itself, is f**king staggering!
The biggest problem is funding- who is going to train new recruits- and what new recruits could you possibly get who are WILLING to listen to screaming- possibly dying- people, every second of their entire shift?
Yes, mistakes happen- because for the time being, 911 operators are human. Yes, the mistakes are tragic, given the nature of the job. But they cannot be eliminated- it just isn't possible.
Now, if he was only pushing for reform, I'd sympathize.
But this c*cksucking LEECH has the NERVE to sue?! Thanks to him being a total bastard, the county will have even LESS funding- during a f**king RECESSION- which means pay cuts, or layoffs, of the operators they already have, and a hiring freeze to boot.
So he's going to make the problem WORSE, IN EVERY CONCEIVABLE WAY.
Good job, bastard. Way to honor your wife's memory.
| | 10/25/2009 7:46:21 AM | Emergency 9-1-1 Still Fails When Needed Most | | 
kcexpedition
Kansas City, MO
age: 48
| Truely a sad story, and I would be very mad also.
If it were my wife, I would be seeking answers too. And yes maybe we should look at better training in some areas of 9-1-1. But overall I think they are trained and do a great job. They are human though, and sometimes make mistakes.
Do I think he deserves $200,000....only if he donates it to the training of 9-1-1 operators, because he said...
"[We're] making sure this doesn't happen to another family," Lee said on ABC News' "Good Morning America."
It said in the story that she was shot just three miles from where the lady had seen her, but it didn't say how long after the call to 9-1-1 it was, if it was just three miles in a moving vehicle, it would only have been a couple of minutes and I doubt anyone could have gotten there in time anyway.
| | 10/25/2009 8:03:53 AM | Emergency 9-1-1 Still Fails When Needed Most | | ying_n_yang
Toledo, OH
age: 47
| shit happens .... human errors unfortunately happen
grieve and move on ....
this man is looking for a pay check and not really interested in reform.
if he was his dollar amount he is asking for would be like 5 bucks and
he would be demanding that more intensive training takes place.
humans by nature are prone to make mistakes but in this society people ,
for the most part , only see $$ signs when tragidies like this happen.
kinda like payback time and pay me time . why should his neighbors be forced
to pay for this tragidy thru higher insurance premiums the city or county
will most likely be forced to pay and then higher taxes .
what happened was not done with malice or intent , just a human error .
no amount of money will ever bring a loved one back and seeking financial gains
thru a lawsuit like this will only punish the residents of this county more
then anyone else .
and there is no possible way to prove that if the correct info was given to the
police that this woman would still be alive today.
one can strive for perfection but none will ever reach it !!
| | 10/25/2009 11:03:57 AM | Emergency 9-1-1 Still Fails When Needed Most | | 
layla22
Peoria, IL
age: 56
| this is truly a tragic situation, and the grief over the loss of this wife and mother must be immense and ongoing.
nathan lee appears to be turning his anger and grief into a positive fight against the mistakes which allowed for mrs. lee's murder.
if the wrong people were in dispatcher jobs-----placed there by favoritism rather than performance merit and competency----sadly, the taxpayers will probably wind up paying.
if the wrong people were in supervision and managment, not adequately knowlegable or vigilant in training and supervision issues--- and placed there by favoritism, organizational politics or advanced through the old peter principle----sadly, the taxpayers will probably wind up paying.
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