911 Operator Hangs Up On Caller During Mass Shooting

win231

win231

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An assistant manager who hid behind a counter during the massacre at a Buffalo grocery store says a 911 operator hung up on her because she was whispering.
Latisha Rogers, 33, ducked behind a customer desk and called for help as the gunman stalked the aisles at Tops supermarket.
Rogers told her story at a recent church service, saying she tried to explain she had to whisper so the gunman wouldn't hear her. But she says the operator hung up on her and she had to call her boyfriend and tell him to call 911.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/911-dispatcher-took-buffalo-shooting-002733684.html
 

win231 said:
An assistant manager who hid behind a counter during the massacre at a Buffalo grocery store says a 911 operator hung up on her because she was whispering.
Latisha Rogers, 33, ducked behind a customer desk and called for help as the gunman stalked the aisles at Tops supermarket.
Rogers told her story at a recent church service, saying she tried to explain she had to whisper so the gunman wouldn't hear her. But she says the operator hung up on her and she had to call her boyfriend and tell him to call 911.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/911-dispatcher-took-buffalo-shooting-002733684.html
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This was the 18 year old mass killer ?
I haven't clicked on the link.. but surely the operator would be trained to recognise someone whispering.?. many people in mortal danger whisper down the phone for help
 
hollydolly said:
This was the 18 year old mass killer ?
I haven't clicked on the link.. but surely the operator would be trained to recognise someone whispering.?. many people in mortal danger whisper down the phone for help
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You would think so.and that they might have equipment that could amplify it.
 

Perhaps some sort of code words could be introduced, so that a caller doesn't have to go through the whole rigmarole of explaining what the problem is?
 
Murrmurr said:
That's a great idea!

But yeah, not only will some 911 operator/dispatchers hang up on a whispering caller, they'll actually call you back if you have to hang up or the call drops, which naturally reveals your hiding place. This has gotten people killed!
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Most places i've lived the policy has been that if they can't determine what the emergency is they send everyone: Police, fire, paramedics.

If you're hiding to call 911: common sense says 1) mute phone 2) ennable GPS locator. If you live in a crowded urban setting i would suggest mastering doing those things quiety 'just in case you ever need to.
 
feywon said:
Most places i've lived the policy has been that if they can't determine what the emergency is they send everyone: Police, fire, paramedics.

If you're hiding to call 911: common sense says 1) mute phone 2) ennable GPS locator. If you live in a crowded urban setting i would suggest mastering doing those things quiety 'just in case you ever need to.
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When panicked and scared, probably the last thing that will occur to most people is mute phone and enable GPS, but all 911 operators should be trained to suggest it asap. Another good idea, Fey.
 
Lavinia said:
Perhaps some sort of code words could be introduced, so that a caller doesn't have to go through the whole rigmarole of explaining what the problem is?
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This may be something to consider. Maybe most people aren’t aware, but pilots use codes when an emergency situation arises. These are called “squawk codes.” There are three distinct squawk codes that are used for the three different types of emergencies. Pilots enter the code that pertains to the type of situation they are dealing with into the transponder. From there, the Traffic Controllers know what to do.
 
oldman said:
This may be something to consider. Maybe most people aren’t aware, but pilots use codes when an emergency situation arises. These are called “squawk codes.” There are three distinct squawk codes that are used for the three different types of emergencies. Pilots enter the code that pertains to the type of situation they are dealing with into the transponder. From there, the Traffic Controllers know what to do.
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Is "Goodbye, y'all" one of the codes?
 
I wonder if that 911 operator will get into trouble. She should have had sense enough to know that the woman could not talk in at normal volume! I think that faux pax needs to be looked into and perhaps retrain that operator (at the very least).
 
Gives ya that warm, fuzzy, protected feeling.
And reminds me of a time several years ago when people called 911 & got a busy signal.
And another caller who was on the phone with a 911 operator while she was holding an intruder at gunpoint & told the operator to "Hurry up; I have him lying on the floor. If he gets up, I'll be forced to shoot."
The moronic operator said, "Ma'am, put the gun away; you don't want to shoot him."
The victim said, "Not until the police get here."
The intruder (hearing the call) used the distraction to rush the homeowner & she shot & killed him.
The operator asked, "What was that noise?"
The victim said, "Now you don't have to hurry; he's dead."

I might have added: "Could you send a cleaning crew?"
 
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I was under the impression that all emergency operators were trained for whispering and had at their disposal amplifiers.
I know when I was working for C.R.E.S.T.( Citizen Radio Emergency service teams) we all had amplifiers that could be switched on to bring in a weak signal.
 
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