Madison's 911 Wake-Up Call

From the Wisconsin State Journal:

Dane County residents should not doubt the community's 911 services despite a controversial error involving homicide victim Brittany Zimmermann, the 911 center director said Thursday.

"We haven't stopped operating just because of this call," county 911 director Joe Norwick told County Board members at a late afternoon meeting Thursday.

"People make mistakes. People in a very stressful job make mistakes. We've told you what they are; we've told the public what they are. We hope no mistakes happen every day in the 911 center. Can I guarantee that? No. Can I work on opportunities to limit mistakes? Yes."

...In many cases, Norwick was vague. He said he didn't know how many calls the center takes each year, that mistakes are infrequent, that he was unsure how many complaints are received by the center every year, and that he doesn't know what budget requests he will make to improve service.

Norwick also offered an apology, something he refused to do at a news conference a week ago.

"I would like to apologize to both the (victim's) family and the media for any misstatements made" last week, Norwick said.

...At a news conference about 911 problems last week, Norwick incorrectly stated the dispatcher involved was still on the job, and that she had hung up on the call from the victim's cell phone.

Officials have since said the dispatcher transferred to another county job and it's not known how the call was disconnected.

Union representatives of the dispatcher, who has not been publicly identified, say she didn't hang up on the call, and that the disconnect was on the other end. The dispatcher didn't hear anything on the phone, went on to answer other calls, and forgot to call back later, officials have said.

Madison Police Chief Noble Wray has insisted the call provided evidence that should have prompted the dispatch of a police car. No officers were dispatched until after the victim's fiance found her body.

...As the board meeting began, District Attorney Brian Blanchard urged officials to tell the public as little as possible about the slaying of the UW-Madison student in her West Doty Street apartment.

"At this time, what matters most is doing justice in the homicide case," Blanchard said. "Our odds decrease with every new leak."

Before the meeting, officials cautioned each other about how much they should say during the first official discussion of a controversial mishandled 911 call.

"There is a potential for litigation in this case, so all members should remember that anything they say or any response from staff has the potential to be used in court," board Chairman Scott McDonell told board members in a written statement handed out before the meeting.

It's difficult to discuss the state of Madison's 911 center when officials are trying to say as little as possible to protect themselves in the event of litigation, as well as to keep from leaking something that might harm the homicide investigation.

Everyone is clamming up and dodging. The public wants answers, not obfuscation.

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk has said that she won't fire Norwick.

I wouldn't be surprised if she changes her mind on that one.