2008 News

March 4, 2008

Bucks County Commissioners Provide Update on Ongoing Emergency Communications Investigation

Today the Bucks County commissioners are providing an update on the ongoing 911 call center investigation.  Immediately following their press conference on Feb. 13, commissioners directed Emergency Services Division Leader John Dougherty and Human Resources Director Carmen Thome to conduct a more comprehensive review of the events of Jan. 29. Their findings to date are below.

Personnel-related items:
A more in-depth analysis of activities during the morning of Jan. 29, including one-on-one interviews and review of all available records, reveals four dispatchers out of the 10 originally given a disciplinary action (DA) for allowing a 9-1-1 call to ring six times have now been found to have been working within the parameters of their defined duties.  They have subsequently had their DAs rescinded.

Upon further investigation, the disciplinary actions that were issued to the other six dispatchers and several supervisors were reevaluated and now include discipline which ranges up to five-day suspensions.  

Specifically, six dispatchers have now received a one-day suspension; three supervisors have received two to five-day suspensions; and the director of emergency communication has submitted his letter of retirement.

Operational items:
At the request of the commissioners, last Thursday the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) conducted a review of the county’s emergency communications quality assurance program.  Their report, including recommendations, will be considered by the commissioners once it is received. That report is expected within two weeks.

At their press conference two weeks ago, the Bucks County commissioners provided the best information available to them at the time.  They are committed to sharing more information as it continues to become available during the course of the investigation.