Improper 911 Response

[EJS1810 7]

Trooper tells caller seeking help, 'Too bad'

Conn. officer suspended after comment caught on tapeThe Associated Press

Updated: 2:32 p.m. ET March 22, 2005

LISBON, Conn. - A state trooper was suspended for 15 days without pay after he was recorded on a 911 tape saying “too bad” to a caller seeking help for a man injured in a motorcycle accident.

 

State police said the dismissive answer by Trooper Robert Peasley did not affect the response time to the accident involving Justin Sawyer, 21, who died of a severe head injury a week after the crash last August. Peasley was suspended on Monday.

Russell Shepard, a friend of Sawyer’s, called 911, which was routed to the state police barracks in Montville. When he reported the accident, Peasley said, “Yeah ... too bad,” and hung up, according to a tape obtained by WTNH-TV.

Wrong number?

Shepard said he was shocked, believing he reached a wrong number.

Another friend made a second call. “Yeah,” the officer responded. “Help will get there. Shouldn’t be playing games.”

A third emergency call was answered by a different dispatcher, who asked about Sawyer’s condition and advised those nearby to not touch him.

“I am absolutely outraged every time I hear that ‘too bad’ and then click,” said Sawyer’s father, Jim Sawyer. “I only know that I would have felt a whole lot more comfortable if I had heard people responding on the end of that 911 call with some heart and caring.”

State police said the comments by Peasley, an 18-year-veteran, were unprofessional, and the agency apologized if “our actions added to the family’s pain.”

© 2005 The Associated Press.

[roeems87 0]

I think I have a few things to say about this one. First of all, how in God's name could that not have an effect on the response time to that scene. If they got units rolling on the first 911 call instead of taking 3, or perhaps if the dispatcher provided some help over the phone (i.e. EMD or just something to do) before a different dispatcher answered the 3rd call. I don't know the original condition of the guy, obviously it wasn't good, but I can't help but imagine that perhaps things could have been different if that 5 minutes or dispatcher could have made the difference.

Secondly that guy should be ashamed of himself. To lose just 15 days pay is absolutely not enough punishment for someone who is (in my opinion) a disgrace to people who call themselves public servants. He's a police officer for God's sake. I don't care how many motorcycle accidents he's seen or 911 calls he's answered that are all the same (and indeed could probably be prevented), but you check your feelings at the door--all the time, with any kind of emergency services. It's the only way to get through a tour where the "stuff" hits the fan and you absolutely cannot spend time thinking about it. For him, perhaps if he left his feelings (being angry, depressed, having a bad day, or whatever) at the door, that kid would have been alive, or the kid who called would know that the help he called did everything he could in that situation to help and save his friend.

If for whatever reason he was not capable of doing his job to the best of his ability, you've got to do something about that. That person cannot be answering 911 calls. He didn't answer the phone once and do it, he did it twice. Which leads me to believe he did it before and after that call as well. Suppose that guy didn't call the third time and his friend died on the scene because help took too long to get there--even if he would have died anyway. Doesn't this cop have a conscience? You have to believe that people calling 911 are in no state of mind to deal with someone who is repulsive and not helpful, they need all the help that they can get.

He failed in his job as a 911 call-taker, a 911 dispatcher, a police officer, and (as drastic as this sounds) a person. You can't do this type of job if you don't have the heart and mind for it. You have to be able to see, care for, and help people at their worst--all the time, no matter what is going on in your life. For whatever period it takes--your shift, your call, whatever--the only person it's not about is you. He failed at that.

[Guest WolfEMT]

There is absolutely no excuse for that...none. [-X

It's one thing to have a bad day at work and be in a bit of a pissy mood, but dispatchers and call takers must keep that in check. People die when dispatchers and call takers fail to keep in mind that their actions have a direct impact on a person's life. This trooper should be fired - not retrained or suspended - fired.

[Guest pentax02839]

this officer got slap on the wrist.he should have been fired.this didnt have any effect on there response.i think it did.every minute and seconds count.

[RWC130 594]

I heard the audio on NBC last night what a heartless #@%*!!!

I know the stress levels related to Fire, Police, EMS 911 Dispatchers but...that is just unacceptable!

It's happened before and it will happen again. We are human we all make mistakes but we are accountable for our actions.

When you take an oath to serve the public that is what you must do so without prejudice to anyone or any situation.

That CT Trooper should be fired! Suspended? What a joke.

[ny10570 745]

First of all, how in God's name could that not have an effect on the response time to that scene. If they got units rolling on the first 911 call instead of taking 3, or perhaps if the dispatcher provided some help over the phone (i.e. EMD or just something to do) before a different dispatcher answered the 3rd call. I don't know the original condition of the guy, obviously it wasn't good, but I can't help but imagine that perhaps things could have been different if that 5 minutes or dispatcher could have made the difference.

From what I understand the dispatcher while being a raging c*%k about it did do his job and promptly dispatch the proper units. Thats also the reason why he only got the suspension. The punishable offense was his conduct with the caller. His job is to just relay information to the appropriate resources. Whule I agree he should get a boot up his a&& on the way out the door, you try firing a union guy for his attitude. As long as he does his job he's staying.

[x648eng119 2]

Good point, but it's still only a minor slap on the wrist. The punishment should fit the crime, and in my opinion, he deserved at least 30 days.

[DOC22 1]

Good point, but it's still only a minor slap on the wrist. The punishment should fit the crime, and in my opinion, he deserved at least 30 days.

I would say 60 or 90 days would fit a bit better.

[Guest DFFD227]

is the audio floating around the internet somewhere?

[PC414 0]

I found it at

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7267447/?GT1=6305

PC414

[roeems87 0]

Whule I agree he should get a boot up his a&& on the way out the door, you try firing a union guy for his attitude. As long as he does his job he's staying.

While you may be right, that may be difficult, I don't think it's a hard arguement to make that he didn't do his job. He may have dispatched some units promptly, but his job is two-fold... The caller and the dispatching. You can't tell me he did his job fully and to the best of his ability, if he did, this wouldn't be an issue. The way he handled his job was unacceptable, and therefore, he didn't do it. Besides that, what about other important questions, getting information on the injuries, the exact location of the accident, other people involved, giving EMD or other instructions over the phone, if he just said "help will get there," and hung up, he couldn't have done that...

End rant...

[engine968 8]

I think at the time he made those comments, he had probably already dispatched units based on a previous call that we never got to hear, where he got all the info.

Also, a 3 week suspension is not a slap on the wrist. He's either losing 3 weeks vacation or 3 weeks pay, depending on what form of suspension is used. That seems like a hefty disiplinary action to me. Imagine yourself losing that amount of pay or vacation time.

[TRUCK6018 50]

I think at the time he made those comments, he had probably already dispatched units based on a previous call that we never got to hear, where he got all the info.

Even if there were multiple calls on the incident, those are not proper statements when handling the calls. When someone calls 911, they expect help. Not sarcastic comments like too bad and shouldn't be playing games. Not only were the comments uncalled for, the tone of his voice was out of line.