[cifnmedia] Maryland 911 Operator Reprimanded for Falling Asleep During Call
- From: "george mcgrath" <gmcgrath@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "WAYNE ROBINSON" <dema@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Jeff & Judy" <jrr21875@xxxxxxxxxxx>, "Claudia Thomas" <providence2@xxxxxxxx>, <cifnmedia@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "BRAD DIETRICK" <badleybreak@xxxxxxxxx>, "Bobby McGrath" <bmcgrath@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 8 Aug 2004 12:36:30 -0700
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Maryland 911 Operator Reprimanded for Falling Asleep During Call
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DAVID E. LEIVA
Associated Press
BALTIMORE (AP) -- The Anne Arundel County 911 operator who fell
asleep during an emergency call about a prowler last month has reportedly been
reprimanded.
Louis Gerber told WBAL-TV in Baltimore that he was reprimanded by
supervisors, the television station reported Thursday.
``I'm extremely sorry for embarrassing everyone in the
department,'' Gerber said in the interview. ``I can't explain it.''
Patricia Berg called 911 about 2:45 a.m. July 29 to report a
possible burglar, but after making her request for help, the Glen Burnie
resident waited. And waited - for 1 minute and 42 seconds. Gerber had fallen
asleep.
According to a tape recording, Gerber woke up only when Berg asked
him if help was coming.
``Hello?'' Berg said several times.
``Hello ... yes?'' Gerber answered.
``I was just wondering if you were still there?'' Berg asked.
``What's the problem?'' Gerber asked.
``I've already told you,'' Berg said. ``You don't remember me
telling you what was wrong?''
After a few seconds, Gerber confirmed the address Berg had given
and the call was passed along to a dispatcher.
Gerber told WBAL-TV that before he came to work, he took his
82-year-old mother to several doctor's appointments for cancer and dialysis
treatment. He said he had slept for an hour before he went to work on the
midnight shift.
``In retrospect, maybe I should have called in sick, but I
wasn't,'' Gerber told the station. ``Apparently, I was exhausted.''
He said this was the first time this had ever happened. He has
worked as a call-take for the county since 1993.
A woman reached Friday at Gerber's home said he was unavailable for
comment.
Police spokesman Lt. Joseph E. Jordan said state law prevented him
from discussing specific personnel issues, but said ``I've been here 18 years
and this has never happened before.''
Nearly 80 employees answer phones or dispatch police, fire and
medical units at the county's 24-hour emergency call center.
When police arrived at Berg's home, they found no evidence of a
break-in and no one was hurt, he said.
Jordan marveled at how the national media found Gerber's story more
interesting than last month's news about DNA evidence that linked a convicted
murderer to the killings of three women dating back nearly two decades.
``It goes to show you it doesn't matter who you arrest,'' Jordan
said. ``He's the one person everyone wants to know about.''
Related:
a.. Maryland 911 Operator Calls His Falling Asleep 'Inexcusable'
b.. Maryland Operator Falls Asleep During 911 Call
c.. Maryland 911 Operator Falls Asleep During Call
d.. Maryland 911 Operator Falls Asleep During Call
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