An absolute disgrace

We teach our children to be safe, to call 911 in an emergency, and to trust firemen, policemen, and medical professionals. We tell them that if they need help, the police or firemen will help them. This 5 year old boy did exactly what he was taught, he called 911 when his mother collapsed in their Detroit home. His first call was ignored, and when he called again a couple hours later, he was scolded for "playing on the phone", and threatened with the police coming to his house to get him in trouble for making prank calls. You can watch a clip on the CNN story that includes part of one call, where the dispatcher is threatening him. Two different operators took the calls, and neither operator took his pleas seriously. By the time they dispatched police to "discipline" this child, the mother was found dead. She had an enlarged heart, and most likely would have survived with prompt treatment. The operators were suspended, and then ALLOWED TO RETURN TO WORK! Charges of neglect have been filed, and they could face up to a year in jail. What about the LIFETIME this boy has to face without his mother??
Now, here are a couple issues with this story. First of all, my husband has worked as an EMT, and responded to plenty of calls where they KNEW it was not a real emergency. In the township he trained in there is a woman who has a "thing" for emergency personnel, and will call in claiming one ailment or another just to get the crews to her house. They still HAVE to respond. It's part of the oath they take, and their duty as emergency workers. Even hang-ups require response, and rightfully so. I called 911 when being attacked, and had the phone ripped from the wall. The police never got to verify what the situation was, but they responded within minutes, and probably saved me and my children from serious harm.
Secondly, this story happened in a major city, where so many youth already grow up with distrust for authority figures like police and firemen. What happens when this boy is a teen, and thinks to himself "Fuck the police, they didn't help my momma, they let her die."? I realize Detroit is a large city, and prank calls are a problem, but you just cannot take that risk of blowing off a call. No matter what happens to those dispatchers, that mother is gone, and nothing can bring her back.

My heart breaks for this family, nothing can change the tragedy that they've experienced. I do hope Detroit gets a clue, and removes these dispatchers permanently, or at least until their trial is over.

Hat tip to SJ at Blogging Baby for this story.