City Admits Mistake, Dispatcher Is Fired

Erie County (Penn.) public safety director Harry Love was pretty direct—dispatcher Andrew Pennock acted inappropriately when handling a call reporting a medical emergency, and has been fired. Love also said a logging tape of the 911 call might be used to help train other dispatchers how not to handle calls from agitated persons. In this case, a man dialed 911 to report his father was unconscious. Love wouldn’t detail the conversation, but said that both the caller and Pennock were heated. But he said dispatchers are trained to remain calm and handle callers who are upset or otherwise excited. He said Pennock was fired for not following the standard protocol for handling such medical calls. Read more here.