Old Lady Takes Her Last Breath

[deanmine]

In March 2010 a Florida woman dialed 911 while alone at home to report she had breathing problems. The fire department arrived promptly, but spent 14 minutes ringing the doorbell and waiting for a deputy before breaking in. The fire chief says the dispatchers didn’t relay critical information to the firefighters, including that they could hear the doorbell over the open 911 call, and that the woman had stopped talking during the call. The incident raised questions of procedure, including waiting for a deputy to arrive.

A 911 call in February during which a sick woman died because she couldn't unlock the front door to her home has prompted the Bayshore Fire Department to try to revamp its policy for such situations.

Bayshore Fire & Rescue Chief Larry Nisbet said he reached out to local fire departments as well as peers from the Executive Fire Officer Program, a federal firefighter training course. He found that few departments have a policy written for forcible entry on medical calls.

"I was kind of surprised. I thought there would be more out there," he said.

Nisbet said he will be meeting with other local fire departments in coming weeks to put together policies for emergency situations.

The policy review stems from a 911 call Feb. 23 from Norma Stucki, a 72-year-old who was in her upstairs bed coughing and sick.

She told the dispatcher she was home alone in her two-story house at 11500 Bayshore Road in North Fort Myers. She said she would unlock the front door, but she never got there.

EMS and fire crews arrived seven minutes after being dispatched. Because the front door was locked, crews waited outside 14 minutes until a Lee County sheriff's deputy arrived. When firefighters finally unhinged the front door, Stucki was dead, pronounced so at 12:08 a.m.

Nisbet said an internal review of the call found firefighters acted properly based on the information provided. He said they were taking off the front door's last hinge when the deputy arrived.

"The guys had acted appropriately based on what they were faced with," he said. "The information we got from dispatch was a little vague."

Nisbet said certain information, if relayed to firefighters, might have prompted them to move more quickly. He said if they knew they were at the right house - a ringing doorbell could be heard on an audio recording of Stucki's 911 call - and if they knew the dispatcher lost contact with the caller, they might have unhinged the door without waiting on law enforcement.

"If some of the information was relayed, we could have gone in there," he said. "I know my guys, they're just crushed by this call."

Ron Stucki, Norma Stucki's husband, said a policy change won't bring back his wife. He said he believes more responsibility should fall on dispatch for not properly relaying information to those on the scene.

"My response is I'm angry as hell," he said. "They had a right to go in - they were called by 911."

Diane Holm, public information officer for Lee County Public Safety, said the department believes medics acted appropriately. She said a sign on the door that read "Forget about the dog, worry about the owner" with a picture of a gun concerned them, so they called for deputies.

She said the department has finished reviewing the case and hasn't made changes to policy. But Holm said the department this week hired a deputy director and operations chief - both promoted from within - so it's possible that could spark a review.

Matt Rechkemmer, the county's 911 program manager, has said the dispatcher followed policies. He said Friday no dispatch policies will be changed.

[whatsup]

sad poor women

[cortdb]

i can hear the door bell ringing too.. this breaks my heart. Wish they wouldve beat the fucking door down. What the fuck

[markswe]

Rest in peace dear lady

[LifeFlightRN]

That one hit a little too close to home as my Dad used to be a Firefighter on the North Fort Myers Fire Dept. which is not the fire dept that responded to this lady's 911 call...but it's in the same city... And had he still been there that lady might still be alive because knowing him as I do...he would've said F**k it...I'm going in... This is a pic of him with my Mom shortly before his LODD (Line Of Duty Death)at a house fire... He will ALWAYS be my hero...

[ClaraLillie]

What the actual fuck was the operator doing during all that time of dead air- scratching his arse?!? That poor old lady died alone when she could have at least been gifted a comforting voice as she faded away.

[lizzyloo]

Originally Posted by whatsup

sad poor women

"Women" is plural..."Woman" is singular.

[winvens]

Four minutes thirty seconds in she says she might pass out, yet DumbDispatcher stays mum.

Eight minutes: the doorbell starts ringing...*ding-dong* ..."Ma'am do you see them outside?" *ding-dong* ..."Ma'am?, Ma'am? Can you hear me?"...silence.

She died knowing help was but a few feet away.

[nydubber]

at 6min47sec it sounds like she says, "may the lord come get me..."

[exKitten]

Originally Posted by nydubber

at 6min47sec it sounds like she says, "may the lord come get me..."

I heard that as well.