Honolulu Fire Department Sorry for 9-1-1 Dispatcher
Updated: May 26, 2011
By Leila Fujimori, Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Original publication date: May 24, 2011
A fire dispatcher’s dismissive and condescending tone with a frantic 911 caller reporting the deadly Waikele fireworks explosion led the Honolulu Fire Department to issue an apology Monday.
Fire Capt. Terry Seelig said the department is regretful not only for the curt responses by the dispatcher to the caller, but to everyone who hears the remark with an obscenity after the call ended.
The 911 tape, released to Hawaii News Now and “The Carroll Cox Show,” contains desperate pleas from the supervisor of the men working for Donaldson Enterprises at the Waikele bunker, which blew up April 8. Five men died as a result of the blast.
The man excitedly screams for help, saying, “Can you guys hear me?”
The fire dispatcher says, almost casually, “Hello, hello. What’s going on?”
The caller says with extreme desperation in his voice, “They’re stuck in the fire! The fire’s in the storage. They’re all in there right now. They’re getting burned right now!”
“OK. What’s burning?”
“The bunker. The bunker is on fire! Waikele Storage. Geez. Hurry up!” the caller pleads.
The 911 operator says, “OK. We are already on our way, sir. What exactly is burning?”
The caller says, practically crying, “You guys (expletive),” and mumbles something unintelligible.
The dispatcher says,?”OK. Calm down. You’re not helping me by being, uh, out of control.”
“I can’t believe this is f—-g happening to me. Oh, my God! Oh, my God!”
The caller hangs up.
The 911 operator says, “What a f—-g idiot.”
Seelig pointed out that the department had already sent trucks during the calls, and an ambulance also was on the way.
However, the department is also having all dispatchers undergo remedial training to respond appropriately to callers, he said. Seelig said he could not comment on action, if any, taken by the department against the individual dispatcher, but did say he was remorseful.
Copyright © 2011 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy
