CPS Worker Pleaded for Cops to Come Before Powell Blew Up House\

[x635 4,066]

This is an absolutelty horrible event. It's also another black eye for the Dispatch field. Hopefully, some dispatchers and agencies will learn from it.

When in doubt, especially with assisting another agency, SEND THEM OUT!

http://gma.yahoo.com/cps-worker-pleaded-cops-come-powell-blew-house-032332551--abc-news.html

[Guest alsfirefighter]

I agree. Couldn't understand what the thought process was on that one. What a sad situation. All I hope is that the little boys didn't suffer in their moments, physically or emotionally.

[xfirefighter484x 234]

An absolute disgrace. IMHO that is Gross Negligence on the dispatchers part!!!

[NWFDMedic 58]

An absolute disgrace. IMHO that is Gross Negligence on the dispatchers part!!!

Is it negligence on the dispatcher's part or a problem with established policy or both? We send police all over the place for 911 hangup calls, just to make sure the situation is safe, even if the callback produces a valid reply. We send fire and EMS departments to automatic alarms, even if the callback confirms an accidental or false activation. Why on earth would we not send the police to someone requesting the police? Maybe in the initial stages this may have been triaged below the GSWs and stabbings (although this would have been a mistake IMO) and the incident still would not have been avoided, but it should have at least been put in the system. Telling someone help is not on the way is deplorable for any system to allow.

[PEMO3 523]

Below is the complete transcript from the AP of the first phone call. It reads like an Abbott and Costello "Who's on First" script. Someone needs to go back for training. Very disturbing.

Transcript from the Associated Press

Police have released a series of recordings from 911 calls made Sunday when authorities in Washington state say Josh Powell locked himself and his two young sons in his house and lit it on fire. The following transcript comes from a social worker who had just arrived at the home with the boys for a court-ordered supervise visit. The transcript has been edited to remove personal information.

DISPATCHER: Good morning.

SOCIAL WORKER: Hey, I'm on a supervised visitation for a court ordered visit and something really weird is happened. The kids went into the house and the parent, the biological parent, his name is Josh Powell, will not let me in the door. What should I do?

911 OPERATOR: What's the address?

SOCIAL WORKER: It's 8119 and I think it's 89th -- I don't know what the address is.

911 OPERATOR: OK, that's pretty important for me to know.

SOCIAL WORKER: I'm sorry, just a minute. Let me get in my car and see if I can find it. Nothing like this has ever happened before in these visitations, so, I'm really shocked and I can hear one of the kids crying but he still wouldn't let me in. OK, it is one, uh, one ... Oh, just a minute I have it here. You can't find me by GPS?

911 OPERATOR: No.

SOCIAL WORKER: OK, it is - I still can't find it. But I think I need help right away. He's on a very short leash with DSHS (Department of Social and Health Services), and CPS (Child Protective Services) has been involved. And this is the craziest thing. He looked right at me and closed the door. Are you there?

911 OPERATOR: Yes, ma'am, I'm just waiting to know where you are.

SOCIAL WORKER: OK. It's 8119 189th St. Court East, Puyallup, 98375. And I'd like to pull out of the driveway because I smell gasoline and he won't let me in.

911 OPERATOR: You want to pull out of the driveway because you smell gasoline but he won't let you ...?

SOCIAL WORKER: He won't let me in.

911 OPERATOR: He won't let you out of the driveway?

SOCIAL WORKER: He won't let me in the house.

911 OPERATOR: Whose house is it?

SOCIAL WORKER: He's got the kids in the house and he won't let me in. It's a supervised visit.

911 OPERATOR: I understand. Whose house is it?

SOCIAL WORKER: Josh Powell.

911 OPERATOR: OK. You don't live there, right?

SOCIAL WORKER: No. No. I'm contracted to the state to provide supervised visitation.

911 OPERATOR: I see. OK. And who is there to exercise the visitation?

SOCIAL WORKER: I am, uh, and the visit is with Josh Powell. And he's the husband of ...

911 OPERATOR: And who's supervising?

SOCIAL WORKER: I supervise.

911 OPERATOR: So you supervise and you're doing the visit? You supervise yourself?

SOCIAL WORKER: I supervise myself. I'm the supervisor here.

911 OPERATOR: Wait a minute. If it's a supervised visit you can't supervise yourself if you're the visitor.

SOCIAL WORKER: I supervise myself. I'm the supervisor for a supervised visit.

911 OPERATOR: OK, but aren't you the one making the visit? Or is there another parent there that you're supervising?

SOCIAL WORKER: I'm the one that supervises. I pick up the kids at their grandparents'.

911 OPERATOR: Yes. And then who visits with the children?

SOCIAL WORKER: Josh Powell.

911 OPERATOR: OK. So, you're supposed to be there to supervise Josh Powell's visit with the children?

SOCIAL WORKER: Yes, that's correct. And he's the husband of missing Susan Powell. This is a high-profile case.

911 OPERATOR: How did he gain access to the children before you got there?

SOCIAL WORKER: I was one step in back of them.

911 OPERATOR: So they went into the house and he locked you out?

SOCIAL WORKER: Yes. He shut the door right in my face.

911 OPERATOR: Alright, now it's clear. Your last name? ....

(Exchange in which caller provides personal information.)

911 OPERATOR: And what agency are you with?

SOCIAL WORKER: Foster Care Resource Network. (Pause). And the kids have been in there by now approximately 10 minutes. And he knows this is a supervised visit.

911 OPERATOR: How many children?

SOCIAL WORKER: Two, Braden is five and Charlie is seven.

911 OPERATOR: And the dad's last name?

(Long Pause)

SOCIAL WORKER: Powell. P-O-W-E-L-L.

911 OPERATOR: Two L's? Two L's at the end of Powell?

SOCIAL WORKER: Yes.

911 OPERATOR: His first name?

SOCIAL WORKER: His first name is Josh.

911 OPERATOR: Black, white, Asian, Hispanic, Native?

SOCIAL WORKER: He's white.

911 OPERATOR: Date of birth?

SOCIAL WORKER: I don't know. He's about 39.

911 OPERATOR: How tall?

SOCIAL WORKER: 5' 10", 150 pounds.

911 OPERATOR: Hair color?

SOCIAL WORKER: Brown.

911 OPERATOR: Did you notice what he was wearing?

SOCIAL WORKER: No, I didn't notice what he was wearing.

911 OPERATOR: Is he alone?

SOCIAL WORKER: I don't know. I couldn't get into the house.

911 OPERATOR: Are you in a vehicle now or on foot?

SOCIAL WORKER: I'm in a vehicle. I'm in a Prius. A 2010 Prius. The door is locked. He hasn't opened the door. I rang the doorbell and everything. I begged him to let me in.

911 OPERATOR: ... Please listen to my questions. What color is the Toyota Prius?

SOCIAL WORKER: Gray. Dark gray.

911 OPERATOR: And the license number?

SOCIAL WORKER: I don't know I can look ...

(Social worker provides license number.)

911 OPERATOR: Alright, we'll have somebody look for you there.

SOCIAL WORKER: OK. How long will it be?

911 OPERATOR: I don't know, ma'am. They have to respond to emergency, life-threatening situations first. The first available deputy will respond.

SOCIAL WORKER: This could be life-threatening. He went to court on Wednesday, and he didn't bring his kids back and this is really - I'm afraid for their lives.

911 OPERATOR: OK. Has he threatened the lives of the children previously?

SOCIAL WORKER: I have no idea.

911 OPERATOR: Alright. Well, we'll have the first available deputy contact you.

SOCIAL WORKER: Thank you.

911 OPERATOR: Bye.

The Associated Press

Edited February 9, 2012 by PEMO3

[SECTMB 612]

Is it negligence on the dispatcher's part or a problem with established policy or both? We send police all over the place for 911 hangup calls, just to make sure the situation is safe, even if the callback produces a valid reply. We send fire and EMS departments to automatic alarms, even if the callback confirms an accidental or false activation. Why on earth would we not send the police to someone requesting the police? Maybe in the initial stages this may have been triaged below the GSWs and stabbings (although this would have been a mistake IMO) and the incident still would not have been avoided, but it should have at least been put in the system. Telling someone help is not on the way is deplorable for any system to allow.

DITTO, time for this dispatcher to find another career.

[xfirefighter484x 234]

Is it negligence on the dispatcher's part or a problem with established policy or both? We send police all over the place for 911 hangup calls, just to make sure the situation is safe, even if the callback produces a valid reply. We send fire and EMS departments to automatic alarms, even if the callback confirms an accidental or false activation. Why on earth would we not send the police to someone requesting the police? Maybe in the initial stages this may have been triaged below the GSWs and stabbings (although this would have been a mistake IMO) and the incident still would not have been avoided, but it should have at least been put in the system. Telling someone help is not on the way is deplorable for any system to allow.

I can tell you if that was me on that transcript, saying what that 911 Operator did, I would have been pulled off the floor as soon as the call was concluded, if not sooner!!

Deplorable!!!!!!!!!!!

And it sounds like the 911 Operator was being a bit of an as.... errr jerkoff....

[grumpyff 1,159]

WOW,

giving the dispatcher the benefit of the doubt, as I do not work that side of the radio, Could this be a weakness in the agencies dispatching protocols or training? Or was this more a human error. Either way hindsight is 20/20. Going by the transcript that PEMO3 provided, there was no threats of violence or weapons, just the mention of the smell of gas, and contempt of a court order. That should have gotten a response from FD for the gas, and PD response. I could see the response by PD being delayed if there were other higher priority jobs at the same time such as a threat to life. Granted the father was suspect in the mothers disappearance 2 years ago, but where there any threats to the children/others that the social worker should have been informed of? The children were removed due to the grandfather's child p***.

[v85 212]

I'm not sure where the failure was, with the dispatcher or protocols, but obviously something went wrong. I can tell from the first line of the transcript. I have never heard of a 911 line being answered "Good Morning" anywhere.

[JM15 386]

Yeah I thought the good morning was weird too lol

[Guest alsfirefighter]

I can tell you if that was me on that transcript, saying what that 911 Operator did, I would have been pulled off the floor as soon as the call was concluded, if not sooner!!

Deplorable!!!!!!!!!!!

And it sounds like the 911 Operator was being a bit of an as.... errr jerkoff....

And that is because what he/she did doesn't fit within the policies of YOUR agency. I love how anyone can criticize something like this after knowing the tragic outcome. Look at that transcript...am I the only one that picks up that it seems like he is following a script (CAD input program)? Why doesn't the person doing the supervised visit get on the hook as well? What if something went down when she was in the house? She wasn't prepared and didn't know the address. Could the dispatcher have upgraded the call? Maybe...I don't their agency, their policies or how their CAD prioritizes. I'm willing to bet there are other agencies that would label that a service call. Only thing I think that I don't get is when mentioning the gasoline nothing else was prompted about that fact or questioned. Was it there when you got there? Or was this after he closed the door. Why not do a system check and call there at least and make contact? In the end if he still did it I would have bluntly asked..."Josh..did something happen to your wife? and if so...where is her body so we can get her to her family."

[20y2 43]

The transcript shows that the dispatcher prioritized the call as a low priority call FOR PD. I don't quite think that they probed too deeply into the smell of gasoline for the FD side of the response but that's another story. What exactly did the dispatcher do 'wrong'? They got the information of the caller, got a description of the suspect and a location and said that they would be sending a deputy. I don't see negligence, malfeasance, or misfeasance. Dispatching is an imprecise science at best and no one script will EVER get the right information.

[IzzyEng4 427]

All though the actions of the dispatcher are most certainly questionable as to his/her line of questioning, the social work seems to have lost her "professionalism" when giving the information to the dispatcher from the beginning. Now I'm not placing blame on the social worker at all for the outcome of this tragic event, but just maybe it may have been place on a higher priority, maybe not because of the dispatcher's line of questioning.

First off she did not identify herself as to who she was at the start of the call, which she should have and by the sound of the dialog read, she seemed to be in a panic. She is an agent of the DSHS and should have acted accordingly while on the phone. Her first line may have set the tone for the dispatcher after he answered and she said "Hey, I'm on a supervised visit.....and something weird really happened....." As a former dispatcher, this would unfortunately put into my mind "okay BS call". Granted I shouldn't be complacent. Also too much information was asked by the dispatcher (and given obviously by the social worker).

She didn't know the address of where she was at first as well and had to look at where she was. Also she was more involved with telling the dispatcher about Powell personally and why he was on a "short leash" rather than getting to the problem that was occurring at the time. ECT, ECT, ECT.

I can go on back and forth but you can blame the dispatcher all you want, however when the investigation goes through, the social worker unfortunately gonna get raked over the coals as well.

The system failed on all ends, not just one.

Edited February 10, 2012 by IzzyEng4