Whistleblowers say Snohomish County 911 center is in crisis
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A baby stops breathing. A husband collapses - unconscious. An intruder threatens a 14-year-old girl home by herself.
They're real stories, and real emergencies. All of these victims relied on Snohomish County's largest 911 center - SnoPac - for help. But it was help that was either late or never arrived.
It's 9:56 at SnoPac's Everett call center, when the call comes in. An operator answers, "911, what's your emergency?"
A couple's three-month-old baby has stopped breathing. A SnoPac dispatcher asks, "is he conscious?" The dispatcher sends help and starts talking the father through CPR. "Keep going, don't give up," she tells him.
At 10 p.m., medics arrive at the huge apartment complex. But at the wrong apartment. The radio transmissions from that night confirm as the responding medics ask SnoPac over the radio, "they said that's it's not the right residence, can you confirm please?"
For the first time during their emergency call, the dispatcher verifies the apartment number and realizes medics should be at the opposite side of the huge complex. She reassures the father still providing CPR, "just so you know, the fire department's there, I want you to continue until they take over."
10:04 - four minutes after they arrive on scene -- medics finally arrive at the right apartment.
Increased Complaints
SnoPac insiders say it's just another mistake at SnoPac 911.
"This problem has just completely snowballed," says one whistleblower.
SnoPac insiders risked their jobs to tell KOMO 4 Problem Solvers that the 911 center is in crisis.
Many insiders contacted us as part of our months-long investigation of Snohomish County's largest emergency call center. "It's a desperate situation," says another whistleblower.
Our investigation began last November with Teresa Flood's 14-year-old daughter, Jana. She was home alone when a masked intruder banged on the windows of their rural home.
Terrified, Jana called 911 -- twice. Dispatchers sent a deputy, but never told him to contact her. "Had the intruder that we dealt with - the evening with my daughter - not gone away," says Flood, "I don't even want to contemplate what I could have come home to."
I used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain SnoPac's internal complaint logs. They revealed that in the past two years, complaints about SnoPac doubled.
In one instance, a man collapsed unconscious in his bathroom, but dispatchers sent medics to a home seven miles away. His wife believes, "my husband could have died."
Another family feared an armed burglar might still be in their rural home. But an hour and a half later, after three desperate 911 calls, still no deputy.
"I needed their help and I didn't get it," said homeowner Cindy Welk.
In February, I confronted Murray Gordon, the Chairman of SnoPac's Board of Directors, with our findings, asking him if he thinks there's a problem at the 911 center.
Chief Gordon answered simply, "I don't." However, Gordon promised me they would review the training and procedures.
Insiders worry about mistakes
But since then, several whistleblowers contacted me saying the situation has only gotten worse.
"The potential for critical error is there and it's going to happen," one whistleblower said.
All the whistleblowers told me if their identities are revealed, they would be fired. All tell me veteran dispatchers have left in droves. Of 87 full-time positions, 16 are unfilled.
Insiders say that leaves them seriously understaffed, forcing massive mandatory overtime and fueling a dangerous increase in mistakes.
"I'm witnessing people falling asleep at their positions," says one whistleblower, "people are very tired, they're burned out."
Several police officers and firefighters confirm SnoPac is in crisis. One firefighter, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "Firefighters and police officers are the ones that are at risk, and the citizens that depend on the 911 calls."
In just the first two months of this year, complaints are on pace to once again more than double.
For weeks I've requested an interview with SnoPac administrators. They never returned my calls. I took our investigation to Snohomish County Councilman John Koster.
"I think there's concerns for me," says Koster.
And he called SnoPac's director to face the council at a law and justice committee meeting. Over an hour session, Koster asked Executive Director Tom Howell about the increase in complaints, overtime issues, and staffing levels.
"Why are we losing people as fast as we're hiring them? Is it training? Is it pay? Or is it overtime?"
Howell answered, "The pay and benefits are good, I think a lot of it's overtime." He told councilmembers that SnoPac is addressing the serious understaffing.
But whistleblowers insist this problem has been building for more than a year and is getting worse.
"And that's what is so frustrating and confusing is: Why?" a whistleblower said. "Why, why, why, why why? Why didn't you hire anybody, why weren't you hiring anybody? What have you been doing?"
Again, SnoPac director Howell refused to talk to KOMO 4 News and so did Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon, even though he holds a position on SnoPac's Board of Directors.
Those whistleblowers came to KOMO 4 Problem Solvers because they have nowhere else to go. But they know the lives of people in Snohomish County depend on fixing SnoPac's problems.
Councilman Koster plans to bring the concerns over staffing levels and overtime to SnoPac's Board of Directors and the county executive. And he plans to call SnoPac Director Howell back in three months for an update.
They're real stories, and real emergencies. All of these victims relied on Snohomish County's largest 911 center - SnoPac - for help. But it was help that was either late or never arrived.
It's 9:56 at SnoPac's Everett call center, when the call comes in. An operator answers, "911, what's your emergency?"
A couple's three-month-old baby has stopped breathing. A SnoPac dispatcher asks, "is he conscious?" The dispatcher sends help and starts talking the father through CPR. "Keep going, don't give up," she tells him.
At 10 p.m., medics arrive at the huge apartment complex. But at the wrong apartment. The radio transmissions from that night confirm as the responding medics ask SnoPac over the radio, "they said that's it's not the right residence, can you confirm please?"
For the first time during their emergency call, the dispatcher verifies the apartment number and realizes medics should be at the opposite side of the huge complex. She reassures the father still providing CPR, "just so you know, the fire department's there, I want you to continue until they take over."
10:04 - four minutes after they arrive on scene -- medics finally arrive at the right apartment.
Increased Complaints
SnoPac insiders say it's just another mistake at SnoPac 911.
"This problem has just completely snowballed," says one whistleblower.
SnoPac insiders risked their jobs to tell KOMO 4 Problem Solvers that the 911 center is in crisis.
Many insiders contacted us as part of our months-long investigation of Snohomish County's largest emergency call center. "It's a desperate situation," says another whistleblower.
Our investigation began last November with Teresa Flood's 14-year-old daughter, Jana. She was home alone when a masked intruder banged on the windows of their rural home.
Terrified, Jana called 911 -- twice. Dispatchers sent a deputy, but never told him to contact her. "Had the intruder that we dealt with - the evening with my daughter - not gone away," says Flood, "I don't even want to contemplate what I could have come home to."
I used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain SnoPac's internal complaint logs. They revealed that in the past two years, complaints about SnoPac doubled.
In one instance, a man collapsed unconscious in his bathroom, but dispatchers sent medics to a home seven miles away. His wife believes, "my husband could have died."
Another family feared an armed burglar might still be in their rural home. But an hour and a half later, after three desperate 911 calls, still no deputy.
"I needed their help and I didn't get it," said homeowner Cindy Welk.
In February, I confronted Murray Gordon, the Chairman of SnoPac's Board of Directors, with our findings, asking him if he thinks there's a problem at the 911 center.
Chief Gordon answered simply, "I don't." However, Gordon promised me they would review the training and procedures.
Insiders worry about mistakes
But since then, several whistleblowers contacted me saying the situation has only gotten worse.
"The potential for critical error is there and it's going to happen," one whistleblower said.
All the whistleblowers told me if their identities are revealed, they would be fired. All tell me veteran dispatchers have left in droves. Of 87 full-time positions, 16 are unfilled.
Insiders say that leaves them seriously understaffed, forcing massive mandatory overtime and fueling a dangerous increase in mistakes.
"I'm witnessing people falling asleep at their positions," says one whistleblower, "people are very tired, they're burned out."
Several police officers and firefighters confirm SnoPac is in crisis. One firefighter, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "Firefighters and police officers are the ones that are at risk, and the citizens that depend on the 911 calls."
In just the first two months of this year, complaints are on pace to once again more than double.
For weeks I've requested an interview with SnoPac administrators. They never returned my calls. I took our investigation to Snohomish County Councilman John Koster.
"I think there's concerns for me," says Koster.
And he called SnoPac's director to face the council at a law and justice committee meeting. Over an hour session, Koster asked Executive Director Tom Howell about the increase in complaints, overtime issues, and staffing levels.
"Why are we losing people as fast as we're hiring them? Is it training? Is it pay? Or is it overtime?"
Howell answered, "The pay and benefits are good, I think a lot of it's overtime." He told councilmembers that SnoPac is addressing the serious understaffing.
But whistleblowers insist this problem has been building for more than a year and is getting worse.
"And that's what is so frustrating and confusing is: Why?" a whistleblower said. "Why, why, why, why why? Why didn't you hire anybody, why weren't you hiring anybody? What have you been doing?"
Again, SnoPac director Howell refused to talk to KOMO 4 News and so did Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon, even though he holds a position on SnoPac's Board of Directors.
Those whistleblowers came to KOMO 4 Problem Solvers because they have nowhere else to go. But they know the lives of people in Snohomish County depend on fixing SnoPac's problems.
Councilman Koster plans to bring the concerns over staffing levels and overtime to SnoPac's Board of Directors and the county executive. And he plans to call SnoPac Director Howell back in three months for an update.
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