911 excerpts in Amish shootings

[MaineDem]

Excerpts of transcript of 911 calls made Oct. 2 in connection with gunman Charles Carl Robert IV's siege at an Amish schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pa. The callers identified in the transcript are Amos Smoker, a farmer who first reported the presence of a gunman at the school; Roberts; and Roberts' wife, Marie.


In some cases where the transcript indicates the line went dead, it is because the call was transferred to state police and was not recorded by Lancaster County, the prosecutor's office said.

10:35:29

911 Dispatcher: Lancaster County 911, do you need police, fire or ambulance?

Smoker: Yes, this is Amos Smoker.

911 Dispatcher: OK.

Smoker: There's a, there's a guy in the school with a gun.

911 Dispatcher: OK, what, what, what school, where at?

Smoker: White Oak Road.

911 Dispatcher: What city, township or borough is that in? ...

Smoker: Bart Township.

911 Dispatcher: OK, stay on the line, it's state police.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/10/10/911_excerpts_in_amish_shootings/?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+News

[qanda]

1. Why were there so many dropped calls?

How are we prepared for the possibility of a terrorist attack if we can't even manage the emergency of one crazed gunman?

[MaineDem]

2. A possible explanation...

"In some cases where the transcript indicates the line went dead, it is because the call was transferred to state police and was not recorded by Lancaster County, the prosecutor's office said."

However, it seems to me that the dispatchers were not as sharp as they should have been. I know hindsight is perfect and a lot was going on and we don't have the full picture but, from reading this partial transcript, it appears to me that time was wasted. We'll know more I'm sure.

[MissB]

3. It sometimes sucks to live just outside a city.

In my case, whenever I have to call 911 (which is fairly frequent because of car accidents), I tell the dispatcher which fire department and which police department they need to contact. I figure it may save them a couple of minutes.

When I've called the non-emergency police number, I've been volleyed back and forth between the county sheriff's department and the city police department. I tried to file a police report on some stolen property recently and I seriously went back and forth 10 times talking to the same two police officers. I knew it had to be county, but they kept sending me to the city, who sent me back to county..................

You'd think 911 operators would be a bit more on top of things, but I've listened to them trying to figure out which agency to dispatch. In an emergency, I prefer to just tell them.

[MaineDem]

4. You're right

I live in a rural area with no local police force so I should be more attuned to the problems.

I know the dispatchers are doing the best they can and I probably shouldn't have been as quick to criticize them as I was.

[crikkett]

5. I object to publicizing 911 calls in cases such as this.

I don't know whether to call it voyeurism or pornography.
It certainly doesn't seem to be respectful of the victims.

Sigh.
:(