911 didn’t answer because call taker was ordering pizza
A 911 operator in Broward County (FL) is accused of missing a call involving a man who fainted while she ordered her lunch.
Francis Francois, a Broward emergency operator, was on the job in September placing her lunch order and apparently for co-workers too.
Meanwhile, at the Clearsight Opticians in Fort Lauderdale, a man had fainted and the workers inside called 911 but got not response and no call back.
“He started to convulse, had a seizure, fell out of the exam chair,” Clearsight’s Jared Goodman said. “I thought there would be more than one person answering the phone. I can’t believe there is just the one lady.”
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Brittany Wallman, Sun-Sentinel:
The only call-taker who was available at the time, Frances Francois, was on the phone with Poppy’s Pizza for eight minutes, a Broward Sheriff’s Office investigation found. Four more call-takers who were supposed to be on duty at 11 a.m. that morning weren’t — and offered “no plausible reasons for their tardiness,” Broward County administration officials found. Eight were busy on other calls.
“I’m so sorry,” Francois said on the recorded line to Poppy’s Pizza, when she was momentarily distracted from her lengthy lunch order. “It’s real busy.”
As 911 call tones and visual alerts went off in the Sunrise dispatch center, Francois relayed a complex order of six pizza slices, a calzone, pasta fagioli — including a conversation about how to pronounce it — two tuna subs and a chicken philly, according to the recorded call.
No supervisor noticed.
According to BSO, the call-taker admitted to her mistake and received a written reprimand in December.
BSO released the following statement after the investigation: “When we were made aware of the complaint, immediate action was taken. An internal affairs investigation was conducted and determined the employee did violate agency policy. As a result, she was disciplined.”
As for the young man who passed out, he reportedly regained consciousness and was OK.
