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2015/07/30 20:36:59
Subject: Dispatcher hung up on person attending shot friend, telling her to "Deal with it yourself".
He's resigned and good riddance. Someone who apparently cannot deal with emotional people on a phone have no place answering phones for the emergency services.
An Albuquerque 911 dispatcher who in June hung up on a teenage girl seeking help after her friend was fatally shot resigned on Tuesday after audio of the incident was released.
In the phone call, the dispatcher, Matthew Sanchez, told Esperanza Quintero, 17, to “deal with this yourself” as she sought help for Jaydon Chavez-Silver, who had just been shot.
Mr. Sanchez resigned from the Albuquerque Fire Department on Tuesday evening, according to Rob Perry, the city’s chief administrative officer.
The recording was released by the department on Monday after news organizations got an anonymous tip about its existence. In the audio clip, excerpted below, Ms. Quintero is heard frantically exhorting her friend to breathe, and to “stay with me.” Mr. Sanchez asks her several times whether her friend is breathing.
“He’s barely breathing, how many times do I have to tell you?” she says, cursing at the dispatcher.
“O.K., you know what ma’am?” Mr. Sanchez says. “You can deal with this yourself. I’m not going to deal with this, O.K.?” Ms. Quintero responds that her “friend is dying” before the phone call is terminated.
Mr. Chavez-Silver was killed in a drive-by shooting and the police are still investigating his death, according to The Albuquerque Journal.
Melissa Romero, a spokeswoman for the Albuquerque Fire Department, said that Mr. Sanchez had dispatched an ambulance to the scene while still on the call with Ms. Quintero, and that it had arrived within four minutes and 26 seconds, a time she said was “well below the national average.” She said that because Mr. Chavez-Silver’s medical records were sealed, she could not say whether he was dead by the time the ambulance arrived. The Journal reported that he died at a hospital.
Ms. Romero said dispatchers were taught in detail how to respond to difficult calls. “Our dispatchers go through hundreds of hours of training, so that is included in that training,” she said.
Mr. Sanchez worked at the Fire Department for 10 years, and was a dispatcher for three years and five months. An internal investigation into his conduct on the call with Ms. Quintero was terminated after he resigned on Tuesday.
I don't agree with the internal investigation being dropped just because he resigned. I think it should be continued and the result put in his personnel file so that future employers who contact the department for a reference will definitely be made aware of his behaviour.
The Laws of Thermodynamics:
1) You cannot win. 2) You cannot break even. 3) You cannot stop playing the game.
Colonel Flagg wrote:You think you're real smart. But you're not smart; you're dumb. Very dumb. But you've met your match in me.
2015/07/30 20:54:41
Subject: Re:Dispatcher hung up on person attending shot friend, telling her to "Deal with it yourself".
He if seeks employment elsewhere its under a alias
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2015/07/30 20:55:17
Subject: Dispatcher hung up on person attending shot friend, telling her to "Deal with it yourself".
EDIT: Stuff removed. I'm not going to bother, anything I try and write will probably be taken as defending his actions. (Partly my fault, I'm tired. ) I don't condone what he did, I'll make that much clear at least.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/07/30 21:29:32
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2015/07/30 21:01:13
Subject: Dispatcher hung up on person attending shot friend, telling her to "Deal with it yourself".
He should be investigated and any appropriate punishments should be applied.
It doesn't matter how lucky your day is, if you are on the front line of emergency response you don't get to take it out on the people who need your help.
Hell, if I did anything like this with anyone I work with (and I work with chronic rather than acute or emergency conditions) I would have the book dropped on me from a very great height
The internal investigation can be dropped because no matter what if finds it cannot be passed on if anyone wants a reference for him. Employment/privacy laws prevent any information from being shared other than dates of employment and if they would hire him again. The damage to his career is already done as long as any future employee knows how to google
2015/07/30 21:54:18
Subject: Dispatcher hung up on person attending shot friend, telling her to "Deal with it yourself".
A Town Called Malus wrote: I think it should be continued and the result put in his personnel file so that future employers who contact the department for a reference will definitely be made aware of his behavior.
That kind of inquiry is not allowed in the USA these days. Unless there is a conviction by a court, a new employer can't ask and the old employer can't volunteer. The closest thing you can get is that "would hire again" box being unchecked.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/07/30 21:55:29
2015/07/30 22:20:46
Subject: Dispatcher hung up on person attending shot friend, telling her to "Deal with it yourself".
A Town Called Malus wrote: I think it should be continued and the result put in his personnel file so that future employers who contact the department for a reference will definitely be made aware of his behavior.
That kind of inquiry is not allowed in the USA these days. Unless there is a conviction by a court, a new employer can't ask and the old employer can't volunteer. The closest thing you can get is that "would hire again" box being unchecked.
Strange. Not very useful as it doesn't give you any idea as to the actual skills of a person. Are they best in a team or on their own? Are they punctual? etc.
The Laws of Thermodynamics:
1) You cannot win. 2) You cannot break even. 3) You cannot stop playing the game.
Colonel Flagg wrote:You think you're real smart. But you're not smart; you're dumb. Very dumb. But you've met your match in me.
2015/07/31 00:25:08
Subject: Dispatcher hung up on person attending shot friend, telling her to "Deal with it yourself".
Ensis Ferrae wrote: From what I understand, he had already done his job as a dispatcher (as in, he sent the requisite units to the location of the caller).
That said, I don't think he was in the correct line of work, if he can't handle a little expletive.
Isn't the dispatcher also meant to give first aid instructions to the person calling such as keep pressure on the wound, elevate it if possible and so on?
Information like that can mean the difference between life and death for the casualty whilst they wait for the ambulance.
The Laws of Thermodynamics:
1) You cannot win. 2) You cannot break even. 3) You cannot stop playing the game.
Colonel Flagg wrote:You think you're real smart. But you're not smart; you're dumb. Very dumb. But you've met your match in me.
2015/07/31 01:13:06
Subject: Dispatcher hung up on person attending shot friend, telling her to "Deal with it yourself".
Ensis Ferrae wrote: From what I understand, he had already done his job as a dispatcher (as in, he sent the requisite units to the location of the caller).
That said, I don't think he was in the correct line of work, if he can't handle a little expletive.
Isn't the dispatcher also meant to give first aid instructions to the person calling such as keep pressure on the wound, elevate it if possible and so on?
Information like that can mean the difference between life and death for the casualty whilst they wait for the ambulance.
I think their job is merely to get information and then relay the information.
They will simply calmly ask you questions until help arrives. I don't think they are meant to tell you to do anything.
2015/07/31 01:37:56
Subject: Dispatcher hung up on person attending shot friend, telling her to "Deal with it yourself".
Traditionally dispatchers were mainly just the means of getting the service to the person. Ask "what/who/where" and make sure the right resources are dispatched. Need a cop? Send a cop. Stuff's on fire? Send the firefighters.
More and more dispatch centers are moving to a "emergency medical dispatch" system though. Under that system the person that calls 911 is actually coached on how to provide assistance and ends up as the first link in the prehospital chain and this can mean the difference between someone being DOA or surviving.
d-usa wrote: It honestly depends on the type of dispatch.
Traditionally dispatchers were mainly just the means of getting the service to the person. Ask "what/who/where" and make sure the right resources are dispatched. Need a cop? Send a cop. Stuff's on fire? Send the firefighters.
More and more dispatch centers are moving to a "emergency medical dispatch" system though. Under that system the person that calls 911 is actually coached on how to provide assistance and ends up as the first link in the prehospital chain and this can mean the difference between someone being DOA or surviving.
I've an old army buddy who was a dispatcher for a while after he got out, and I think this is accurate to a point.
I think that, regardless of the "type" of dispatching unit you're calling, the amount of time you get, will be somewhat dependent on how busy the switchboard is. If it's lit up like the 4th of July, you're probably not going to get much time, unless your situation warrants it (such as say, a 4 or 5 year old kid calling, or something like that)
2015/07/31 06:13:15
Subject: Dispatcher hung up on person attending shot friend, telling her to "Deal with it yourself".
The thread title is a bit misleading IMO. The guy did dispatch the needed help after all, not tell the caller she'd get none. Not exactly a professional way to end a 911 call but resigning "voluntarily" is probably already a way harsher punishment than that would have netted him.
Sadly dispatchers aren't always having a good day. We had a really good one a few years back. A man calls in, asking for help since his wife is beating him. The (male) dispatcher says to "man up and hit her back" then hangs up.
2015/08/03 01:25:16
Subject: Dispatcher hung up on person attending shot friend, telling her to "Deal with it yourself".
Spetulhu wrote: The thread title is a bit misleading IMO. The guy did dispatch the needed help after all, not tell the caller she'd get none. Not exactly a professional way to end a 911 call but resigning "voluntarily" is probably already a way harsher punishment than that would have netted him.
Sadly dispatchers aren't always having a good day. We had a really good one a few years back. A man calls in, asking for help since his wife is beating him. The (male) dispatcher says to "man up and hit her back" then hangs up.
As someone who works in emergency dispatch, I really don't understand this mindset. If you can't handle the job, don't take it. Just like cops and fire fighters, emergency dispatchers can't just have a 'bad day'. The results of having a bad day can lead to death or serious injury.
Voluntarily resigning can mean this person would retain their pension or benefits, depending on how their dispatch services are structured. Getting fired loses you those. Being able to resign is not the worse that could happend, nor harsher than they deserved.
) I don't condone what he did, I'll make that much clear at least.
