Despite difficulties, firefighters want Durham to send 911 calls to outside agencies in peak times

Name: Despite difficulties, firefighters want Durham to send 911 calls to outside agencies in peak times
Uploaded: 2021-09-28T22:43:00.000Z
Duration: 2 min 36 s
Description: As Durham continues struggling to handle 911 calls, some officials are calling for the city to adopt a mutual aid agreement with another emergency communications center. But city records obtained by WRAL News show routing 911 calls through an outside agency has led to confusion and delayed responses in the past.

As Durham continues struggling to handle 911 calls, some officials are calling for the city to adopt a mutual aid agreement with another emergency communications center. But city records obtained by WRAL News show routing 911 calls through an outside agency has led to confusion and delayed responses in the past.

Posted 9/28/2021, 10:43:00 PM Updated 9/29/2021, 5:23:22 PM

>>> YOU CAN HAVE YOUR VACCINE

QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY LOCAL

MEDICAL EXPERTS DURING OUR NEXT

VACCINE HOTLINE.

IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK

WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL FOR

FREE.

IT'S TOMORROW FROM 4:00 UNTIL

7:30.

>>> AS ANSWER TIMES LAG AND

COMPLAINTS CONTINUE AGAINST THE

DURHAM 911 CENTER, SOME WONDER

IF THE CITY NEEDS TO ASK FOR

HELP TO TAKE CALLS.

WE EXAMINED PUBLIC RECORDS THAT

REVEAL MORE ISSUES WITH THAT

ARRANGEMENT, THE LAST TIME IT

WAS IN EFFECT.

SARAH KRUEGER IS PURSUING

ANSWERS IN AN ONGOING WRAL

INVESTIGATION OF THE ISSUES AT

THE CENTER.

SHE JOINS US LIVE AT THE

CENTER.

>> Reporter: RALEIGH WAS TAKING

SOME OF DURHAM'S 911 CALLS FOR

A A WHILE.

THAT ENDED ON JUNE 1st.

IF YOU ASK SOME PEOPLE, THAT

ENDED TOO SOON.

>> Reporter: IN JUNE, I FILED A

PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST FOR 911

ISSUES REPORTED BY FIRST

RESPONDERS.

FRIDAY, I FINALLY GOT IT.

IT SHOWS A NUMBER OF

COMPLAINTS, INCLUDING FIRST

RESPONDERS SEEING CALLS ROUTED

THROUGH RALEIGH SLOWING THEM

DOWN TO FIRES, INJURIES AND

THREATS OF SUICIDE.

ONE PERSON WROTE, THIS ABSOLUTE

FAILURE CAUSED A 15 MINUTE

DELAY IN INTERVENTION.

AS THESE ISSUES COME TO LIGHT,

SOME ARE WONDERING IF DURHAM

DOES, ONCE AGAIN, NEED TO ASK

FOR SOME OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE.

>> DO WE NEED TO INVOKE MUTUAL

AID AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER

CITIES TO TAKE THE CALLS?

>> Reporter: THAT IS A

COUNCILMAN IN A MEETING LAST

MONTH.

TODAY, HE TELLS ME HE FEELS

ASSURED THAT CITY STAFF IS

ADDRESSING THE ISSUES.

>> I WILL REMAIN VIGILANT AND

ASK QUESTIONS.

I WILL GIVE THEM TIME TO HONOR

THE ANSWERS THEY GAVE AND DO

THE WORK THEY SAID NEEDS TO BE

DONE.

>> Reporter: THE FIRE UNION

SEES IT DIFFERENTLY, TELLING ME

WITH RALEIGH'S ASSISTANCE, AT

LEAST IN 911 CALLS, THEY WERE

ANSWERED.

I ASKED THE CITY IF IT WOULD

CONSIDER ASKING FOR OUTSIDE

HELP.

A SPOKESPERSON TOLD ME EFFORTS

FOCUS ON BRINGING ADDITIONAL

STAFF FROM CITY AND OTHER

AGENCIES, FIRE, EMS AND POLICE

INTO OUR CENTER TO EXPAND OUR

ABILITY TO TAKE CALLS.

THEY ADDED THAT SINCE THE TIME

I REQUESTED THE RECORDS OVER

THE SUMMER THE CENTER IS ON THE

PATH OF MAKING SIGNIFICANT

PROGRESS TOWARD ADDRESSING OUR

STAFFING ISSUES.

>>> THE CITY POSTS REGULAR

UPDATING AT THE 911 CENTER

RIGHT HERE.

I CHECK IT PERIODICALLY TO SEE

HOW THINGS ARE GOING.

IN THE LAST WEEK EMMA NINE NEW

PEOPLE WERE BROUGHT ON BOARD.

59 OF 83 POSITIONS ARE

CURRENTLY FILLED BETWEEN 24 OR