By EMS1 Staff
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A woman who called for an ambulance after finding a stranger passed out on the street was sent to a hold message.
WDRB reported that Lori Fox was returning from a run when she found a 63-year-old woman who needed help. She called 911 and a hold message said “an operator will be with you shortly.”
“A hold message on 911 ... I just didn’t expect that,” Fox said. “I called twice.”
Fox said it took almost 40 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. Fortunately, the victim regained consciousness on the scene and is OK.
Louisville city records show that since February, over 22,500 callers have been sent to a hold message.
MetroSafe spokesperson Mitchell Burmeister said the city hired 17 new dispatchers, but employees are still required to work overtime to fill minimum staffing requirements. Burmeister also said overdose calls are causing a strain.
“In 2015, not quite 4 percent of our runs were overdose runs. So far this year, we are seeing about one in every 10 runs is an overdose,” Burmeister said. "(It) ties up the police, fire, EMS and causes a strain on the emergency response system.”
MetroSafe said that despite these problems, more than 90 percent of its calls were answered in the first 20 seconds this year.