Victims of recent Kansas City house fire put on hold after calling 911
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As a house caught fire, people in one of Kansas City’s Historic Northeast neighborhoods were put on hold when they called 911. The home is now a total loss.
“We’re all told to dial 911 whenever there is an emergency, and this kind of experience raises the question is that really the best thing to do? Does that even work?” Mark Logan a neighbor who called 911 said.
“There was a woman who finally she just gave up. I’m going to drive to the fire station, is that what we’re going to have to do drive to the fire station or drive to the police department these days,” Daniel Quintero a neighbor who also called 911 said.
They say the problem is urgent. In total they say they waited more than a dozen minutes for firefighters to show up with the fire department only a mile away.
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They stress this isn’t something they are pinning on KCFD, but instead on a 911 system, that’s been a cause of concern in this city for some time.
“We saw that the neighbor’s grass was on fire, so I grabbed her garden hose to put out the grass fire, started spraying water on her siding, so it wouldn’t melt. Several of us, probably a dozen or so, were on hold with 911,” Logan said.
The key words there “on hold” and on hold for minutes at a time when seconds counted.
Logan and Quintero grabbed garden hoses to help protect the homes around the house engulfed with flames.
While others had called 911 before Logan, he still felt the duty to call because no one had gotten an answer. He called at 4:38, he then was put on hold just like they were.
KCFD says they were not dispatched for another six minutes after Logan made his first call.
“We need a functioning 911 system, or people die. Houses will be lost, and neighborhoods will continue to suffer with blight,” Logan said.
“What would happen if it were an active shooter in a school and the teachers got put on hold for 10 minutes,” Quintero said.
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The Mid-America Regional Council tracks these numbers. According to them more than 97% of calls in regard to a fire in Kansas City as of April 1 are answered within 15 seconds.
They did not have information as to why this one would be an outlier.
“I hope that city leaders pay attention to this an implantation a fix quickly,” Logan said.
Everyone at the home escaped safely. Asked point blank, would the house be a total loss, if their 911 calls had been answered more quickly. Quintero said without a second of hesitation, no.
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The lots in this area of Kansas City are generally closer together, so while other homes were damaged too, neighbors are relieved this wasn’t worse.
