Board Demands Apology After Commissioner’s Profanity

It was an honest 911 misdial for a Jefferson County (Tenn.) resident, but to the dispatcher and the county’s E-911 Board, the caller’s actions demanded an apology.

The situation wasn’t helped because the caller who cursed at the dispatcher was an elected county commissioner.

The incident began when Bob Beeler was calling a friend in area code 919, and somehow ended up dialing the digits 9-1-1. An unnamed county dispatcher answered the call, and Beeler asked for his friend “Matt.” When the dispatcher said, “Jefferson County 911,” Beeler realized his mistake.

“I’m sorry. I dialed the wrong number,” he told the dispatcher, and hung up.

But following procedure, a female dispatcher called back, “to verify information and ensure that there was not an emergency at your address,” the E-911 board later wrote Beeler.

When Beeler answered, he again said, “I’m sorry. I dialed the wrong daggone number. I did it.” The dispatcher then asked for his telephone number and address, and then his name.

At that point Beeler became irritated. “Bob Beeler,” he replied. “Anything else? You maybe want to know my age or anything else?”

Then, on the tape it sounds as if he says, “Damn, you…you’re asking too many questions for a man making a mistake.”

The dispatcher tells him, “Thank you, thank you.” As the dispatcher begins to hang up, Beeler says, “Fuck you to hell.” It’s not clear if the dispatcher heard the expletives before she hung up.

The E-911 board learned of the incident and wrote Beeler a letter demanding an apology. They told Beeler that in another case, a suspect in a home invasion had been captured because a dispatcher called back to verify a hang-up call.

“All member of the Jefferson County E-911 Board…are extremely concerned and disappointed by your behavior toward the dispatcher,” the board wrote. “Your response was totally inappropriate and uncalled for.”

They closed the letter saying they, “believe a public and written apology to the dispatcher is appropriate.”

Beeler later told a reporter, “I undoubtedly hit 911, anyway, and I asked for a friend of mine, Matt,” he said. He said the dispatcher never explained why she was requesting his information, and admitted that he became frustrated.

“She never once said that asking all those questions was procedure,” Beeler said. “She just said she had to ask some questions. If she’d explained that, I would have been fine with it.”
He continued, “By that time I was mad. I apologized twice already and said I made the mistake,” he said. As for the profanity, Beeler admitted, “I shouldn’t have said (that word)—that’s the only thing I regret.”

He claimed the situation was being blown out of proportion and that he had already apologized twice in the newspaper.

“Somebody likes to get something on you. It’s just a bunch of junk. I’m sure not going to send a letter (of apology). I think two times is enough.” He didn’t explain further.