Sad, not wacky.Boy died after 911 operator tapped wrong button

Human error was to blame for a mis-disdirected ambulance, possibly causing the death of the person who was supposed to be inside it.

Mariela Lazaro called 911 and said her son’s nose was bleeding, but she was too upset to give her exact cross streets. While searching for the address in the database, a 911 worker tapped the wrong button and located Avenue C in Brooklyn, though Lazaro was actually calling from Avenue C in Manhattan. An emergency crew rushed to the Brooklyn address, but quickly realized something was wrong.

Less than 20 minutes after the original call another crew found the correct home, but by then it was too late. The boy was dead.

It's unclear if Ian Uro could have been saved. He had been sick and he’d been hospitalized for a fever and other symptoms of the flu.

The newly installed call system has been blamed for several fatal mis-dispatches. However, in this case officials blame the operator, not the technology. (info from http://www.gothamist.com/)

No cop helped after six 911 calls about drunk driver

Tim Johnston said he made at least six 911 calls on February 5th while behind a suspected drunken driver in  Oklahoma.

He said he ended up following the driver, going out of his way, hoping an officer would show up to pull over the driver. Finally, Johnston said he gave up,  figuring he might follow the driver all the way to Arkansas without getting any response.

Johnston said once he saw the pick-up start weaving all over the highway, he had no inclination to try and pass it. However, he did decide to follow it. Since Johnston didn’t have the numbers of local police available, he said he phoned 911 when he became concerned that the driver was intoxicated and might hit another vehicle.

(info from the McAlester News-Capital.

Car burglar tasered himself, handcuffed himself, and called 911 for help

Deputees in Lake County, Florida  say Shane Williams-Allen, a serial car burglar, broke into an unmarked police car, shocked himself with a Taser and then put himself in handcuffs and could not get out.

He had to call 911 to set him free. Williams-Allen may be linked to as many as nine car burglaries. (info from http://www.cfnews13.com/) (photo from the New York Times)

Man called 911 twice for ride to Miami

A man in Boynton Beach, Florida called 911 twice claiming that someone was trying to kill him -- so he could get a ride to Miami.

Jose Rodrigues was arrested Monday morning on a charge of giving false information to a law enforcement officer. Rodrigues called 911 claiming that someone was trying to kill him. When police arrived in the area of Interstate 95 where the call was placed, they didn't find anyone and left.

About 15 minutes later, Rodrigues called 911 again. When officers arrived this time, they found a man leaning against a concrete divider wall on I-95. The man, whom police identified as Rodrigues, said he needed to go home. Rodrigues said two men put a hood over his head, tied a rope around his hands, forced him into a car and drove him to that location.

Officers noticed a disabled vehicle in a northbound I-95 lane and spoke with the driver, who said his car broke down and that he had a passenger who "got tired of waiting for a ride and walked away from the car."

Rodrigues later admitted that he just wanted a ride to Miami, police said. (info from WPBF.com)

Women made phony 911 call to commit burglary

Two women in Santa Fe, Texas faked a 911 call so they could burglarize an Emergency Medical Services ("EMS") station.

Paramedics were dispatched after a report of a man needing an ambulance. While no one was at the station, the two women, both former EMS employees, broke into the building and started burglarizing it.

The women were caught red-handed when the ambulance returned. Amanda Grigg and Heather Bemrose face several charges, including burglary and making a false 911 call. (info from KTRK-TV)

Help Haiti!

Haiti shares the island of Hispanola with the more prosperous Dominican Republic. The island is between Cuba and Puerto Rico. Christopher Columbus visited the island in 1492 and founded settlements.

Even during the best of times, Haiti has been a miserable place to live.

Its people suffered as slaves under French colonists, and after revolting and becoming "free," the country was known for turmoil and frequent government takeovers. The United States occupied Haiti from 1915 to 1934.

In 1937 Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo ordered the Dominican Army to kill Haitians living on the Dominican side of the border.

Later in the 20th Century, Haitians suffered again under the brutal and corrupt regimes of "Papa Doc" Duvalier and his slightly nicer son "Baby Doc."

Haiti is home to a proud people with a rich culture and important history, but the country is pathetically poor, with a very low literacy rate and one of the worst living standards in the world. Many Haitians left the country.

Haiti was the first independent nation in Latin America, the first post-colonial independent black-led nation in the world, and the only nation whose independence was gained as part of a successful slave rebellion. Haiti is the only predominantly French-speaking independent nation in the Western Hemisphers, and one of just two (with Canada) that designate French as an official language

And now, an earthquake has caused thousands of poorly made buildings to collapes, killing as-yet-uncounted tens of thousands of people.

President Obama, the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense have changed their schedules to deal with the crisis. I changed my blogging schedule to ask readers to donate some money to help, and to encourage others to donate, too.

Google has made it easy to make a donation to help the people of Haiti. Please CLICK to give, and post this information wherever you can.

(Some info above came from Wikipedia)

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Drunk shooter called 911 and was arrested

Two people in Breedsville, Michigan were jailed after a late-night shooting incident. There were no injuries but there was bullet damage to the floor of their home.

Officers responded to a 911 call reporting a person being shot. They determined that no one had been shot, but a gun had been fired five times. The cops learned that the 911 caller had been in possession of the gun while intoxicated.

The caller resisted arrest and had to be subdued by several officers. Another person at the house had fired the rounds and was also intoxicated.

Breath tests at the scene indicated both had more than twice the legal limit for driving while intoxicated.

Police seized a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum handgun. One person was booked for firearm possession while intoxicated and resisting and obstructing a police officer. The other was booked for firearm possession while intoxicated and reckless discharge of a firearm. (info from http://www.heraldpalladium.com)

Drunk jailed for multiple false 911 calls

A man in Jacksonville, Florida called 911 because his arm hurt, and ended up in jail, not the hospital.

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Reginald Higgins called 911, and was angry when the rescue unit that responded told him he didn't need a ride to the hospital. An officer said Higgins appeared intoxicated and slurred his speech as he spewed profanity at the officer and told him to leave.

When Higgins told the officer that he was going to call 911 again and request a different ambulance, the officer advised him not to do it. He did anyway -- four times. Higgins was arrested and charged with making false 911 calls.

(info from First Coast News)

Kid's mother called 911 because of his game playing

Boston police say a frustrated woman called 911 because she couldn't get her 14-year-old son to stop playing the Grand Theft Auto video game and go to sleep.

Officer Joe Zanoli recently said the mother called for help around 2:30 a.m. on a Saturday to say that the teenager also walked around the house and turned on all the lights.

Two officers  responded to the call and persuaded the boy to obey his mother.

Zanoli says the mother's 911 call over video game obsession "was a little unusual, but by no means is it surprising..."(info from The Boston Herald)

Wacko woman arrested for 48 phony 911 calls

Caryn Sodaro of Lochbuie, Colorado was arrested recently following a four-month investigation. Police say she made 48 phony 911 calls threatening suicide, asking police to shoot her and claiming that her mother was dying of a heart attack.

Weld County sheriff's spokesman Shane Scofield says the woman used a prepaid cellphone that didn't have a name registered to it. With the help of the phone company, investigators were able to trace the calls to Lochbuie, about 18 miles north of Denver.

Sodaro was being held without bail on suspicion of attempting to influence a public official, a felony, and two misdemeanor offenses of false reporting and resisting arrest. (info from Colorado Connection.)

Not 911:Flashing red Batphone can be delivered before Christmas

Now everyone can have a red phone with a flashing light like Batman.

When there’s trouble in Gotham City, Police Commissioner Gordon calls caped crusader Batman, the secret alter ego of millionaire Bruce Wayne.

At Wayne Manor, the flashing red Batphone is answered by Alfred the butler, who tells Wayne about the trouble. Then Wayne and his young ward Dick Grayson put on their superhero costumes. As Batman and Robin, they race from the Batcave in the Batmobile to battle evil-doers, or rescue citizens in distress.

Now everyone can have a bright red flashing Batphone just like a superhero. When an emergency call -- or even an ordinary call -- comes in, a bright red light centered in a shiny chrome ring starts flashing to attract attention.

The Batphone has classic sixties styling, with heavy-duty construction, a two-year warranty, and is made in the USA. It gets all of its power from the phone line, and doesn’t require a power cord or batteries. It can work on an ordinary home phone line, or on an "analog extension port" in a business phone system.

The phone rings when the light flashes, unless a purchaser prefers the bell to be disconnected for silent signaling, or an optional high-pitched "BatSignal" or buzzer to be installed instead of the bell. Price with the bell is $122, including Priority Mail shipping to all 50 states.

Order online at www.GetABatPhone.com, or call toll-free 1-888-225-3999.

Wacko called 911 to complain about burger

A woman in California called 911 because Burger King did not prepare her Western Cheeseburger the way she wanted it.

Here's a partial transcript from a recording provided by Burger Club NY.

Caller: I'm over here at Burger King in Laguna Niguel ... I'm at a drive-through right now. I ordered my food three times. They're mopping the floor inside and I understand they're busy -- they're not even busy. I've been the only car here. I asked four different times for them to make me a Wester Barbecue Burger. They keep giving me a hamburger with lettuce, tomato and cheese, onions.

I said, "I'm not leaving. I want a Western Burger." I just got my kids from Tae-Kwon-Do, they're hungry.

She gave me another hamburger, it's wrong.

The manager... whoever she is, she said, "do you want your money back?" I said "no, my kids are hungry and I have to jump on the toll freeway."

Dispatcher: OK, so what exactly is it you want us to do for you?

Caller: Send an officer down here. I want them to make me...

Dispatcher: Ma'am, we're not going to go down and enforce your Western Bacon Cheeseburger.

Caller: What am I supposed to do?

Dispatcher: This is between you and the manager. We're not going to enforce having a hamburger. That's not a criminal issue there's nothing criminal there.

Caller: So I just sit here and watch?

Dispatcher: You need to calmly and rationally speak to the manager and figure out what to do between you.

Caller: She did come up and I said, "Can I please have my Western burger?" She said "I'm not going to dealing with [you]"... she walked away.

Dispatcher: This is not a criminal issue...

Caller: You're supposed to protect me...

Dispatcher: What are we protecting you from, a wrong cheeseburger?

911 hang-up leads to drug bust

A 911 hang-up call in Lockport, New York led to an arrest for marijuana possession.

A State Police trooper went to a home to investigate a hang-up emergency call and while the trooper was interviewing the homeowner, he found several bags of marijuana.

Mark B. Sweeney was charged with unlawful possession of pot and was issued a ticket to appear in court. (info from The Buffalo News)

Man lied to 911 about robbery rather than let wife know he spent the money

Jordan Dominque of Panama City Beach, Florida initially claimed he had been robbed outside a store, but later admitted to deputies that he had lied when surveillance video showed no attack.

The man conceded that he had reported the fake robbery “just so that he could tell his wife that his money had been taken and that he had not just spent it,” a Bay County Sheriff’s Office report said.

Dominque was charged with making a false report of a crime. He was arrested and taken to jail.

Dominque had called 911 from inside the store, claiming he was getting into his car when a man dressed in black hit him and took $100 cash from him.

A deputy consulted the store’s surveillance video and saw no such attack. The video showed Dominque enter the store, then leave and go to his vehicle. He sat in his car for a short amount of time, then reentered the store and used the store’s phone to call 911.

“When I confronted him, he admitted to me he was having money problems at home,” the deputy noted. “He stated he called 911 knowing that no such crime had actually been committed, just so that he could tell his wife that his money had been taken and that he had not just spent it.” (info fro mthe News Herald)

Kid called 911 when parents took game from him

A 15-year-old boy told police in Buffalo Grove, Illinois that his parents had taken away his video game system and asked whether they were within their rights.

Police told him they were.

The teen called 911 but then hung up, said Cmdr. Steve Husak. Officers went to the house, and after hearing the story, told him that his parents have the authority to take away his Xbox as punishment.

He also was advised to listen to his parents. Husak did not know why the boy was being punished. (info from The Chicago Tribune)

Broke and horny, man called 911 for sex

A man in Tampa, Florida was arrested for repeatedly calling 911 looking for sex, and claimed that 911 was the only number he could dial after running out of cellphone minutes.

Joshua Basso made sexual comments to the 911 dispatcher and asked if he could go to her house. Investigators say she hung up, but he called back four more times.

He was arrested about 15 minutes later at his home and charged with making a false 911 call. Basso reportedly told officers that he didn't think he would get in trouble for calling 911. He is listed as unemployed with arrests for theft and other crimes dating back to 2001. (info from the New York Daily News)

Drug dealers busted after accidental 911 call

Two drug dealers in Yukon, Oklahoma were arrested after one of them accidentally called 911 from his cellphone during a drug deal.

During the call, the men were heard and recorded discussing their drug business. One said, "They can sell it. it's dope, but it's not good dope."

The men counted out illegally obtained pills, marijuana, and ecstasy whil the phone transmittted from inside one of the suspects' pockets for 30 minutes.

"Hello 911?" the dispatcher asked.

"How much of the 'X' do you want? 50....50%?" a suspect said.

Police tracked the call to a house and arrested Mark Clair and Shannon McAlister for drug possession with intent to distribute.

Klare Ly, Community Affairs Specialist with the Yukon Police Department said, "It's weird how we get our cases sometimes but we're happy to take drugs off the street." "I think you can file this under the stupid criminals file," she explained.

Officers estimate that the drugs recovered had a street value of about $20,000. In total, 514 pills in the form of illegally obtained prescription drugs and ecstacy pills; 70.5 grams of marijuana; and 2.2 grams of a white powdery substance were recovered from the drug bust. Both men are facing multiple felony charges including possession of a CDS; possession of a CDS with intent to distribute; conspiracy to commit a felony; and possession of marijuana. (info from KSBI TV)

Woman called 911 to say she was driving drunk

Mary Strey of Granton, Wisconsin was charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, after she called 911 to report that she was driving drunk.

“Somebody’s really drunk driving down Granton Road”, the caller stated when a 911 dispatcher answered the phone.

The dispatcher asked if the caller was behind the drunk driver, to which the caller replied “No, I am them.”

The dispatcher asked, “Okay, so you’re calling to report you’re driving drunk?”

She replied, “Yes.” Later, she stated, "I was drinking all over, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be driving".

The dispatcher told Strey to pull her vehicle over, and she complied. She waited for a deputy to arrive with her hazard lights flashing. According to the police report, Strey failed field sobriety tests, and a preliminary breath test showed she had a blood alcohol content of .19, more than twice the legal limit to drive.

She was given a citation for operating a vehicle with a prohibited alcohol content of .10 or more. She’s due in court in December, facing charges of first offense operating under the influence. (info from WSAW TV)

Ohio 911 operator in troublefor sleeping on the job

A 911 dispatcher in Warren County, Ohio, has been accused of sleeping on the job and been placed on paid administrative leave.

County Administrator Dave Gully took Shawn Mason off the job last week. He was to remain on leave until a disciplinary hearing.

Mason has a history of sleeping when he's on the clock, according to county officials. He was written up for dozing two years ago, and then given a verbal warning in September.

The most recent incident happened this month when another employee took a medical call, put it in the system and waited for Mason to send for help. When the call wasn't dispatched, Gully said, the call taker went to Mason to find out what happened. Mason was sleeping.

This allegation comes as the Warren County call center is under intense scrutiny because of a call where Ryan Widmer reported that his wife, Sarah, might have drowned in their bathtub. The dispatcher in that case, Ron Kronenberger, was not asleep, as an earlier report suggested. But he appeared confused, at one point asking Widmer if he is Sarah's mom and later failing to tell Widmer how to perform CPR. Kronenberger was not disciplined.

An outside human resources firm is reviewing the what occurred on Aug. 11, 2008, the night when Widmer reported finding his wife unresponsive.

Because of the high-profile nature of the case - Widmer was convicted of murder, but later awarded a new trial because of juror misconduct - the Kronenberger call, and the most recent sleeping allegations, are getting a lot of attention. Frank Young, the former emergency management director, abruptly resigned after the initial sleeping report surfaced.

Questions arose about whether the sleeping incident was an isolated one when a supervisor reported having trouble keeping dispatchers awake at night. Commissioners, as a result, have since called for the county emergency operation center to be analyzed. (info from the Cincinnati Enquirer)

I need a break.

I began blogging on 5/7/06. I started writing one blog, and gradually built up to five blogs a day. I got out of bed at 3:30AM to start my daily writing.

I did it for fun, but lately it has seemed too much like work. I'm not sure that I am officially "burned-out," but I have definitely lost enthusiasm for the daily grind of blogging.

Since the blog obligation was only to myself, and I have no contract, it's an obligation I am free to suspend, cancel or modify at will. No one has a paid-up subscription for words they won't receive.

Therefore, after 2,715 posts, I have decided to take some time off. I need to finish writing a few books, and some essays, and maybe I'll even try poetry and songwriting. My to-do list includes many unread books and un-watched DVDs. I want to spend more time swimming, and walk my dog more often.

The break will last at least a few weeks, but might even be several months. J. D. Salinger has not published an original work since 1965, but I won't be away that long. Even if I don't come back full-time until the Fall, I might pop back in occasionally if I think there's something worth saying.

I am continuing to write BookMakingBlog, my blog about writing, editing and publishing.

CUL/mnm