The delay caused by a technology gap and human error in the response time to a fire Jan. 27 near Martintown is regrettable, but there are opportunities for Green County authorities to learn and improve practices.
As chronicled in a Jan. 31 story in the Times, it took more than a half-hour after Eric Fey first reported a fire at the home he rents on North Clark Road before the Browntown Fire Department arrived at the scene. The home was destroyed.
No fault belongs with the Browntown department. Its volunteer firefighters actually responded very quickly once contacted. The problem was that it took longer than it should have to get the correct address and send the right department.
The first problem was technological. Fey called 911 from his cell phone. It's not known exactly what time he placed the call, but because of its location near the state line, his signal was picked up by the nearest cell tower in Stephenson County, Illinois. That sent the call to the Metro Freeport dispatch center, rather than the Green County Sheriff's Department.
That is an unintended gap in the coverage of cellular 911 in Green County that may or may not be able to be remedied. But it's certainly something Green County government and law enforcement officials should examine. They must at least determine where such gaps in the coverage occur in the county.
When Freeport transferred Fey's first call to the Green County Sheriff's Department, it was 1:58 a.m. Another problem in this particular transfer is that the number of the caller did not show up on the Green County dispatcher's screen. And once the Freeport center released the call, it no longer had a record of it, either. There is an opportunity for Green County to work with neighboring centers to determine protocol for securing the number and signal of an incoming call.
That Green County didn't have the phone number in its system became a problem when the dispatcher who talked to Fey didn't get his name or cell number, misunderstood his address, and didn't ask for the community he lived in. The dispatcher ended up calling the Brodhead Fire Department in error.
It wasn't until Fey called a second time, again transferred from Metro Freeport, that the correct address was recorded and Browntown's fire department was called. By then, it was about 2:13 a.m. - at least 15 minutes after Fey's first call was transferred to Green County. The Browntown Fire Department was on the scene in about 15 minutes.
Green County dispatchers don't have a checklist of information they are to secure during an emergency call like Fey's, the Times was told. But Green County Deputy Jeff Skatrud acknowledged the dispatcher "should have asked the name and (complete) address."
While Skatrud said the dispatcher won't be disciplined for his mistakes, there is an opportunity for the county to learn from them. Perhaps a requirement to get the most basic but vital information would be helpful.
Mistakes will happen. In the case of a high-stakes emergency like a house fire, that's extremely unfortunate, but acceptable. What would not be acceptable is if Green County authorities don't use the opportunity to learn from the mistake and improve practices that help ensure the safety of county residents and properties. We trust that they will.
As chronicled in a Jan. 31 story in the Times, it took more than a half-hour after Eric Fey first reported a fire at the home he rents on North Clark Road before the Browntown Fire Department arrived at the scene. The home was destroyed.
No fault belongs with the Browntown department. Its volunteer firefighters actually responded very quickly once contacted. The problem was that it took longer than it should have to get the correct address and send the right department.
The first problem was technological. Fey called 911 from his cell phone. It's not known exactly what time he placed the call, but because of its location near the state line, his signal was picked up by the nearest cell tower in Stephenson County, Illinois. That sent the call to the Metro Freeport dispatch center, rather than the Green County Sheriff's Department.
That is an unintended gap in the coverage of cellular 911 in Green County that may or may not be able to be remedied. But it's certainly something Green County government and law enforcement officials should examine. They must at least determine where such gaps in the coverage occur in the county.
When Freeport transferred Fey's first call to the Green County Sheriff's Department, it was 1:58 a.m. Another problem in this particular transfer is that the number of the caller did not show up on the Green County dispatcher's screen. And once the Freeport center released the call, it no longer had a record of it, either. There is an opportunity for Green County to work with neighboring centers to determine protocol for securing the number and signal of an incoming call.
That Green County didn't have the phone number in its system became a problem when the dispatcher who talked to Fey didn't get his name or cell number, misunderstood his address, and didn't ask for the community he lived in. The dispatcher ended up calling the Brodhead Fire Department in error.
It wasn't until Fey called a second time, again transferred from Metro Freeport, that the correct address was recorded and Browntown's fire department was called. By then, it was about 2:13 a.m. - at least 15 minutes after Fey's first call was transferred to Green County. The Browntown Fire Department was on the scene in about 15 minutes.
Green County dispatchers don't have a checklist of information they are to secure during an emergency call like Fey's, the Times was told. But Green County Deputy Jeff Skatrud acknowledged the dispatcher "should have asked the name and (complete) address."
While Skatrud said the dispatcher won't be disciplined for his mistakes, there is an opportunity for the county to learn from them. Perhaps a requirement to get the most basic but vital information would be helpful.
Mistakes will happen. In the case of a high-stakes emergency like a house fire, that's extremely unfortunate, but acceptable. What would not be acceptable is if Green County authorities don't use the opportunity to learn from the mistake and improve practices that help ensure the safety of county residents and properties. We trust that they will.
