- Choking child – Wisc.
- Denise Lee murder kidnapping – A motorist reported seeing a “child” in distress in an adjacent moving car, but no officers were alerted. The victim was actually Denise Lee, who had been kidnapped from her Sunrise (Fla.) home hours earlier, and who was later found murdered.
- Univ. murder 911 – La. In Jan. 2008 a 23 year-old woman at Louisiana Technical College (Baton Rouge) shot and killed 3 fellow students, and then killed herself. Several persons dialed 911 to report Latina Williams was shooting a .357-magnum revolver at students.
- Grandmother rescue – Mi.13 year-old Dylan Dyer was home from school sick, and pulled his grandmother from the house when her oxygen tank malfunctioned and became involved in a fire. Dyer dialed 911 for help and reached Livingston County (Mich.) dispatcher Mara Spicer, but then left the phone to pull his 57 year-old grandmother outside.
- Chief’s shooting – Mich. – the chief of police of a small town was shot and seriously injured during a car stop, and neighbors reported the incident
- Goff testimony – Fla. – testimony of Rick Goff, father of kidnap-murder victim Denise Lee, at the state legislature in support of a voluntary, unfunded dispatcher certification law
- Murder victim 911 – Fla. – Olidia Day fled in her car from her ex-boyfriend when he arrived at her home. She dialed 911 for help and reached a Sunrise (Fla.) dispatcher, and then drove to the Plantation police station, where she was shot and killed by the man, who then killed himself. A controversy followed about the calltaker’s performance, and the incident was highlighted on a “Dr. Phil” episode.
- Murder 911- Ken. – caller reports that neighbor needs help finding her missing husband, who was later found in the brush murdered
- Soldier’s murder – NC – caller outside a nightclub reports shots fired
- Profane remark – In May 2008 Sheila Jones reported an abusive ex-boyfriend during a 911 call, then hung up. But before the call stopped being recorded, a Nashville (Tenn.) dispatcher made a profane remark while only he was on the line. – Tenn. (news story)
- Check this tape archive for Denver (Colo.) area incidents hosted by a scanner Web site
- “Man down” call mishandled – Three Denton (Tex.) dispatchers were discipllined for their miss-handling of a 911 call reporting a man down. (news report)
- Accidental shooting – A 911 caller in Roanoke (Tex.) reports an accidental shooting.
- Missing child hoax – A woman dials 911 to report a 3 year-old child missing in North Carolina, but officials later determined the child was never missing, not at the flea market, and was out of the country (news story).
- Baby delivery – Sarasota County (Fla.) 911 dispatcher Janet Jones helped deliver a baby by talking the father-to-be through the procedures. (news story)
- Flood victim – At 5 a.m. a St. Louis County (Mo.) woman drove into a flooded roadway and had to crawl out onto the roof and call for help. Also listen to part two of the long call.
- Bradenton (Fla.) murder – In May, 2008 a restaurant worker is pulled outside by her ex-boyfriend and shot several times, and he then flees. Read a news account
- Horse accident – In April 2008 Mark Newby dialed 911 to report that his wife Sue had fallen off a horse while riding in a remote canyon outside Boise (Id.). The dispatcher wasn’t familiar with the location, and it took several minutes to pinpoint the exact location. The dispatcher stayed on the phone with Newby for 29 minutes. One month later police served a serach warrant on Newby’s home, on suspicion that he murdered his wife, and found Mark Newby had committed suicide.
- Burglary in progress – In June, 2008 a Lawrence (Mass.) woman and her 10 year-old daughter hid from a burglar who crashed through their front door at 9 a.m. The mother whispered a description and the suspect was captured up the street with stolen items.
- Murder-Suicide – In June, 2008 a Oviedo (Fla.) 14 year-old dialed 911 after his father shot his mother, and the father then shot himself. The first call to Seminole County SD is silent, and the dispatcher called the teen back.
- Bank robbery – In June, 2008 a woman held up an Orlando (Fla.) bank, prompting a teller and two customers to dial 911 for help.
- Flood victims – A woman and her 17 year-old nephew died when their car was swept off a rural road as they were delivering newspaper in Allegan County (Mich.) in June, 2008. The woman’s son-in-law dialed 911 to report it, but was frustrated with the calltaker’s response. Read more here.
- Boy helps mother – In June, 2008 a 10 year-old Euless (Tex.) boy dialed 911 for help when his mother fell ill, reaching a Tarrant County 911 dispatcher.
- Factory murders – In June, 2008 an office worker and job applicant were murdered by an apparent robber at a soda bottling factory in Concord (NC), and a worker dialed 911 to report finding the victims.
- Child murder – In June, 2008 a woman dialed 911 and told an Edgecombe County sheriff’s dispatcher that a 13 year-old child was unconcious. Police later arrested the parents for murder, saying the child had been tied to a tree as punishment for misbehavior.
- Road rage shooting – In June, 2008 a Jeffersonville (Ind.) woman dialed 911 to report she had shot a motorcyclist who had allegedly threatened her. The victim survived and the prosecutor was considering what charges were appropriate.
- Toddler sings 9-1-1 – In June, 2008 a Guthrie (Okla.) 3 year-old remembered her mother’s “song” on how to dial 911 from her Blackberry device. She used “nine, one, one, green….” repeated as a song to make the call when her pregnant mother fainted. The mother recovered.
- Missing children – In June, 2008 a Pasadena (Tex.) mother called 911 to report her two young children missing. Police later arrested the father, who led police to the bodies of the girls, both stuffed into luggage, burned and left in a city park. The father was charged with murder.
- Helicopter crash – In June, 2008 two medical helicopters collided approaching Flagstaff (Ariz.) Medical center. Six persons were killed and one injured. This tape by a scannerist documents the FPD initial response.
- Missing woman – In July, 2008 a Canadian woman disappeared from Cary (NC) while in the middle of a divorce. A friend called 911 to report her disappearance, and ask what she should do.
- Missing child – In July, 2008 an Orange County (Fla.) grandmother called 911 to report her daughter had stolen money and a car. Cindy Anthony called back an hour later after learning that her 3 year-old grandaughter was missing (Call #2).
- Delayed response – In August, 2008 a Fulton County (Fla.) woman dialed 911 for help after suffering breathing problems. The dispatcher misunderstood the name of the street (“Wells” instead of “Wales”) and units were dispatched to the wrong location, resulting in a delayed response. The victim, Darlene Dukes, did not survive.
- Fatal fire – A Nov. 1, 2005 fatal fire just outside the Ocala (Fla.) city limits raised questions about why it took 16 minutes for the first engine to arrive, and if the city and county should have automatic aid agreements. Listen to three tapes.
- Drowning 911 call – In Aug. 2008 a husband in Lebanon (Ohio) dialed 911 to say his wife had fallen asleep in the bathtub and drowned. But police later arrested Ryan Widmer for murder.
- Bear attack 911 call – In July, 2008 Petra Davis was participating in a 24-hour bike marathon event outside Anchorage (Alas.) when she was attacked by a bear. Participant Pete Basinger stopped on the remote trail, dialed 911 and gave directions, took medical advice and comforted Davis for 23 minutes until paramedics arrived.
- Stabbing 911 call – In Aug, 2008 a Sugarland (Tex.) couple woke to find a female intruder in their bedroom, a former co-worker with a grudge. The suspect, Lydia Munoz, assaulted the husband, stabbing him in the head with a knife. The wife excitedly dialed 911 for help. The couple subdued the suspect and police arrived to arrest her. The victim recovered.
- Snow cave-in 911 call – In Aug, 2008 a family hiking along a moutain creek southwest of Bellevue (Wash.) dialed 911 when a shelf of thick snow collapsed on their two teenage sons. Eastside Regional Communications Center dispatcher Becky McCracken stayed on the line with the mother for 60 minutes.
- Small plane crash – In Aug, 2008 a single-engine plane crashed after take-off from the North Las Vegas (Nev.) airport, killing the pilot and two persons in a residence that was struck and set afire.
- Who Wants to Be…? – The quiz show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” asked a 911-related question on its show. Watch the video clip (Quicktime required).
- County commissioner curses – In Aug., 2008 Jefferson County (Tenn.) commissioner Bob Beeler misdialed and reached an unnamed 911 dispatcher, and when the woman called back to verify the mis-dial, cursed at her. The E-911 Board later asked for a written apology, which Beeler declined to write, saying he’d already apologized verbally twice.
- Locked inside car – King County (Wash.) dispatcher Manny Apostol recalls the woman who dialed 911 to say she was locked inside her car after it died. She couldn’t get out, and was frantic. Apostol helped–he’s a hero.
- Assault 911 call – In Sept. 2008 Nevada district judge Elizabeth Halverson was allegedly attacked by her husband with a frying pan and seriously injured. She dialed 911 during the attack to report what was occurring, and the call caught snippets of conversation with her husband.
- Baby left on doorstep – In Sept. 2008 someone left a small baby on the doorstep of a Newton (Mass.) home, prompting the elderly resident to dial 911.
- Dog dials 911 – In Sept. 2008 “Buddy,” a trained German Shepherd assistance dog, dialed 911 when his master fell ill. The resident’s address is also listed in CAD as having an assistance dog, so the dispatcher knew the situation, just from listening to the barking during the 29-second phone call.
- Train crash -On Sept. 12, 2008 a Los Angeles Metrolink commuter train crashed head-on with a freight train, generating many 911 calls from the passengers. LAFD released four of the calls.
- Man stuck in vent -In Sept. 2008 a man with a psychiatric history climbed into an air conditioning vent of the Knoxville (Tenn.) Museum of Art and became stuck. He dialed 911 to report his condition, outlining that he was a secret agent on a mission.
- Home invasion -In Sept. 2008 a Texas man invaded the Tarrant County home of a couple armed with various weapons, apparently intending to rob them. The couple fought back, eventually knifing the man several times as the wife talked with a Tarrant County dispatcher. The 12-minute logging tape captured much of the fighting. Just after police arrive, the suspect, Heradio Ibarra, died from the injuries inflicted by the residents.
- Baby delivery -In Sept. 2008 Belmont (Mass.) police dispatch supervisor Ted Pendergast fielded a call from a mother about to deliver her baby. Nine days later mother and baby visited the comm center to thank Pendergast (read story).
- Baby delivery & heart attack – In Sept. 2008 Central County (Mo.) 911 dispatcher Sheryl Hauk handled a baby delivery and heart attack victim with 12 days–at the same rural highway intersection. The first 911 call is from a mother who was enroute to the hospital for her sixth child, and Hauk talks to the father. In the second call, a 64 year-old man dialed 911 when he started feeling chest pains while driving on the same highway as the couple. Read about the incidents and her reunion with the three people here.
- Stabbing – In Oct. 2008 an Ocala (Fla.) woman called to say that she had stabbed her boyfriend, who was declared dead on the scene. The call includes the dispatcher asking several investigative questions of the caller.
- Officer shooting – In Oct. 2006 a Fresno (Calif.) man dialed 911 and claimed to be having a dispute with his male paratner. When two officers arrived, he fired on them with a rifle from an upper floor balconey. The officers sought cover and were later rescued, while the man dialed 911 and talked to a dispatcher. This is his second 911 call. The officers recovered and later went back to patrol duties. The man later killed himself after a stand-off. Investigators said he made up the story about his partner–in fact, he had a girlfriend.
- Burglary – In Sept. 2005 a Fort Wayne woman heard glass breaking at her home and dialed 911 to report a burglary. She then hid under a desk as dispatcher Katrina Mace talked to her for 10 minutes. The suspects came into the room and were standing right next to the victim, unseen under the desk. The call was scheduled to appears on the Discovery Channel “Call 911″ program in the fall, 2008 season.
- Officer shooting (911 call and radio, 30 min.) – In Oct. 2008 a Houghton County (Mich.) resident dialed 911 to report a dispute, with one person chasing a vehicle driving backwards up the street, possibly holding a golf club. When Dep. Mark Bukovich arrived on-scene, the man with the golf club attacked him and the deputy shot and killed him.
- Man run over by train – In 2006 Truman Duncan was working in a Cleburne (Tex.) rail yard when he fell under the wheels and was nearly cut in half. He was able to dial 911 from his phone for help. Read about his incident here.
- Murder by beheading – In Oct. 2008 a North Canton (Ohio) woman broke in to her grown son’s trailer home after he didn’t answer the phone or respond to knocks at the door. She found him dead–and beheaded–in the bathroom. She then dialed 911 to report her find, reaching a Stark County dispatcher first, then a North Canton dispatcher.
- Suicidal man shot by police – In Sept. 2008 a Cary (NC) former Marine was suicidal, prompting his fiance to dial 911 for help. Police arrived at 4 a.m. and talked to the man, but at one point he ran to kitchen and grabbed what appeared to be a gun (later determined to be a BB gun), and police shot him. Read more here.
- Joe McCain dials 911 – In Oct. 2008 Joe McCain, the brother of Presidential candidate John McCain, dialed 911 while stuck in traffic, and reached an Alexandria (Virg.) dispatcher. McCain cursed when asked by the dispatcher if he were calling for a traffic situation. The dispatcher called back, heard voicemail and left a message. Joe McCain then called back to complain about that call. Also listen to McCain apologizing on WTOP radio.
- Dispatcher fired for hang-up – In Nov. 2008 Milwaukee County (Wisc.) dispatcher Don Busche was fired after Sheriff David Clarke claims he hung up on a 911 caller who was in the midst of a dispute. Busche claims the firing is in retaliation for his filing a complaint with state officials over comm center working conditions that aggravate his asthma. Read more and listen to a radio station interview with Clarke here.
- EMS Response Delay – In Nov. 2008 a man driving along a highway near the Dallas/Fort Worth airport suffered a heart attack, and a passerby dialed 911 for help. There was confusion over the location, and some question about which jurisdiction should respond–the airport fire department or Fort Worth units. The first part of the recording is the passerby’s 911 call, followed by 10 minutes of telephone logging tapes of dispatchers at the airport and Fort Worth PD.