Posted on 04/13/2005 11:12:46 AM PDT by tuffydoodle
Mom not laughing at 911 dispatcher's 'joke'
By Leila Fadel
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
WATAUGA - Lori came home to find her daughters fighting that Monday evening. Her 12-year-old had kicked a hole in the door, and the girls were hitting and throwing things at each other. She feared one or both would be seriously hurt.
She called 911 and asked for help. Her 12-year-old daughter was out of control, she told the call-taker.
"OK. Do you want us to come over to shoot her?" the dispatcher asked, according to a recording released this week. For five seconds, the line went dead.
"Are you there?" the call-taker asked.
"Excuse me?" Lori said.
Mike Forbess, a dispatcher of five years for the Watauga Department of Public Safety, then told her he was joking and apologized. But Lori cannot get his comment out of her head.
"This is a slap in the face that my child was not important enough, my call for help, my 911 call was not important enough that he had to make a joke about it," Lori said Monday. She asked that her last name not be used to avoid identifying her daughters, one of whom has emotional problems.
Forbess immediately told his supervisor about the call. He received a letter of reprimand two days later. Forbess received a second letter of reprimand from Chief David Van Laar on Monday, the same day the Star-Telegram obtained a copy of the 911 call recording, and of Forbess' disciplinary records.
The mother, however, said her faith in the 911 system remains shaken. She said she plans to file a formal complaint.
"I do not have words to tell you how shocked I am that someone is allowed to do this," she said. "You don't do people like this, and then get a slap on the wrist."
In his letter to Forbess, Van Laar wrote: "This type of response cannot be tolerated, and this letter shall serve as notice that any future unprofessional responses while answering the 911 line will be cause for termination."
But the reprimand is not enough, the mother said.
The next time she has an emergency, she said, she won't feel safe calling 911.
"This man does need to be disciplined," Lori said. "How can a person in this line of work be so unfeeling that he asked a person who needed help, 'Would you like us to come over and shoot your child?'
"That's an interoffice disciplinary action," she said of the reprimands. "That doesn't do anything.
Van Laar made no excuses for the dispatcher.
"The reason I didn't take tougher action is, he immediately owned up to his supervisor and said he made a mistake," Van Laar said. "He's a good employee. He just made a severe mistake which is inexcusable. ... This is not something you should hear on the other end of a 911 call."
In an interview Monday, Forbess said he is sorry for his comment to the woman. In five years with the department, the dispatcher has never been disciplined for his handling of 911 calls.
Forbess has received two commendations from community members for his work. He was disciplined once with a written warning for working an unauthorized shift for a co-worker.
"I am so sorry for what I said to that lady, and I can never make it up to her," Forbess said. "I'm ashamed of my actions, what I said and what I did. I would take it back if I could, but I can't. I'm just very sorry that I did it. It was a poor choice of things to say."
Forbess said that he sometimes tells jokes or changes his tone of voice to ease the stress of a caller. In this case, he said, his words made the situation worse.
"I admit what I did. It was stupid, it was inexcusable and I'm sorry," Forbess said. "I know it's not enough for her or for the papers or for the rest of the world. I've taken the punishment that they gave."
Chief: Um yea Mr. Forbess . . .
Forbess: I know Chief, I received the letter of reprimand, I admit guilt and apologize for the mistake, and really just want to get back to doing a good job and helping people
Chief: Yea, ummmm, so if you can admit your mistake and apologize, that would be greaaaaat mmmmkay?
It's enough for me. Now get back to work.
Sure as hell sounds like it.
You should listen to the audio at the link. It's hilarious.
I heard that one on the radio the other day and it's the first thing i thought off when i read this post :)
Such a great call. I give credit to the dispatcher, i would have been fired before i hung up.
Adult males tend to end arguments among children.
"She wasn't looking for easy money when she called"
Uh, what was she looking for? Someone to come over and do the job that she failed to do?
She wanted to take the easy way out, by having the cops take over her parenting, such as it is.
"I think she´s looking for some easy money"
I think you hit the nail on the head.
He's been on the job for five years! He's doing a fine job.
I would have cracked a joke too. The mother can't control her daughters? That's her problem, not mine.
Okay, lady, has the guy groveled enough for you. What's next? A million dollar lawsuit alleging emotional distress? Get real? Get a life! Should the dispatcher have said this? No. But sheesh, if that's the worst thing that happens to you then life is good. On the other hand, lady, it sounds like you've got some serious problems with your girls.
I always call 911 when my cats get into a fight.
Somehow I get the feeling that wasn't the first time that household made a call to 911.
You're right.
Rule 62 all round
Yeah, I don't understand why there isn't three-digit non-emergency numbers. Even Xlinton proposed that idea in 1996.
Hmm, couldn't dad administer the needed discipline? Oh, wait, silly me. Dads aren't necessary.
OK everyone needs to check out this 911 call:
Burger King 911 Call
"Woman: Well . . . that is . . . that . . . you're supposed to be here to protect me.
Dispatcher: Well, what are we protecting you from, a wrong cheeseburger?"
Good GRIEF!!! The land of fruits and nuts!!!
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