Months after a house fire in Queens left two small children dead a new report finds the city’s 911 response system has ongoing problems affecting ambulance dispatch times.
A Department of Investigation inquiry found that emergency response dispatchers failed to promptly notify EMS of the April fire, leading to a seven minute delay in ambulances being dispatched to the scene.
The DOI says its report reveals significant flaws in the system overall.
Problems include the system requiring several staff members to take multiple steps before dispatching an ambulance, which the report says leads to a higher potential for errors and delays.
The report also says dispatchers were not adequately supervised during the deadly fire, and that at least one dispatcher with a history of mistakes had not been reassigned.
The dispatch computer system also does not allow for smooth exchanges of information between EMS and the FDNY.
In response, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said, “Our goal is to do the best job possible on every emergency call we handle and that’s the standard I expect of everyone involved – including our dispatchers. We’ve implemented several procedural changes and are investing in technology to make certain that there’s no delay sending ambulances to fires.”
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