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Pocono News Section
Dispatching Error May Have Hurt Firefighting Efforts
Dispatching Error May Have Hurt Firefighting Efforts - Tuesday, October 16, 2007 at 4:54PM EST
Reported by: Andy Mehalshick
Tuesday, Oct 16, 2007 @04:54pm EST
WEST HAZLETON, LUZERNE COUNTY- The questions about 9-1-1 are being raised by a very angry West Hazleton Fire Chief.
Bob Ward says this is not the first time that his fire department was not called "first" for a fire in their town - and this one was just around the corner from his fire station. "I am upset about this....again it happened," said Ward.
Ward and his men fought a raging fire at an apartment building on Oak Street Monday night. The flames gutted the building, leaving three people homeless. The Chief was angry then, and today. WBRE News on the scene as he and State Police Fire Marshals look for the cause of the blaze. Chief Ward still wants to know why his firefighters weren’t called first.
"The dispatcher on duty apparently dispatched the ambulance instead of the fire. Our ambulance is dispatched on "Alpha" numerical page, the fire department is voice tone activation, which was a big delay in the fire department. We're only three blocks away. This is the third time this has occurred that we haven't been dispatched to a fire in our community," claims Ward.
Chief Ward says he thought this problem would be worked out but claims it just keep on happening. "It’s upsetting, now its time to get things ironed out - whatever I have to do, get commissioners involved, whatever I have to do. I want something done today so it doesn't happen again. I got life and property at stake in town people depends on 9-1-1 if it doesn't work it has to be fixed," said Ward.
Late Tuesday 9-1-1 officials did meet with Chief Ward to talk about the situation and we also spoke to Phil Veet, the Deputy Director of the 9-1-1. “The problem in West Hazleton was the result of dispatcher error—he dispatched by alpha pager instead of voice pager. We will take corrective measures internally to make sure it doesn't happen again. Safety is our top priority."
Veet also said he was unaware of any other prior dispatching problem in West Hazleton but would look into it.
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