By Julia Ferrante
Tampa Tribune (Florida)
Copyright 2007 The Tribune Co. Publishes The Tampa Tribune
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Pasco County officials are continuing to investigate whether a second dispatcher should be disciplined after others said she refused to help with a 911 call.
Maureen Thomas, who has worked for the county since 1993, is said to have declined to get on the phone when an untrained dispatcher asked her to assist a man whose girlfriend was choking on a piece of steak March 24.
A decision on any discipline is expected Monday.
Nancy McGhee, 37, was dead when paramedics arrived at her house in Land O’ Lakes, 11 minutes after her boyfriend, Chris Cooper, called for help. Cooper did not know the Heimlich maneuver.
Dispatcher Jennie Montanino has not completed her training as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher, so she asked a supervisor to help. EMDs ask set questions to determine whether lifesaving procedures should be conducted before paramedics arrive and are certified to talk callers through the procedures.
David Cook, the dispatch supervisor on duty, declined twice to get on the phone with what he described as “a hysterical caller” before agreeing to do so six minutes into the call. He was suspended for a day with pay and then opted to take early retirement.
Thomas has been on medical leave but asked to have her investigation resolved this week.
Officials also are looking into whether policies should be changed or better checks put in place to prevent similar incidents.