Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Resident describes 26-minute wait for emergency help; city says dispatch programming fixed and long-term station plan remains
Summary
At a Jan. 14 Seven Hills Police & Fire committee meeting, resident Alicia Martin said emergency responders took 26 minutes to arrive after her infant stopped breathing. City officials and the fire chief described a dispatch 'run card' glitch that they said has been corrected and outlined longer-term plans tied to development and staffing funding.
Alicia Martin, a Seven Hills resident, told the city’s Police & Fire committee on Jan. 14 that it took 26 minutes before emergency personnel reached her home after she called 911 for an infant who had stopped breathing.
Martin said she placed the call on Feb. 2 at 10:07 p.m. and that the first officer from Independence arrived about 13 minutes after the breathing stopped and paramedics arrived 13 minutes after that. "I waited 26 minutes before someone got there and help arrived," she told the committee. "Thankfully, I was able to bring my daughter back myself." She said dispatch repeatedly put her on hold and that the first officer arrived without lights or siren, walking up the driveway.
The account prompted city leaders and the fire chief to describe a pair of operational fixes they said were implemented after the incident and to reiterate that a…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
