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Distracted dispatcher sends medics to wrong address; man dies waiting

A 911 dispatcher faces a three-day suspension after she was distracted by her personal cellphone and failed to supervise a trainee

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VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A 911 dispatcher faces a three-day suspension after she was distracted by her personal cellphone — causing the person she was training to send paramedics to the wrong address. The victim, who was suffering from a heart attack, died while waiting for the paramedics.

Bob Hill, 58, died of a heart attack on Sept. 4 on a racquetball court while playing handball with friends. Fifteen minutes passed before ambulances arrived from Volusia County, because they were sent to the wrong recreational center.

“No one answered the door when we tried to reach Certified Training Officer Shauna Justice, but she admitted her mistake,” said Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson. “We messed up. She was very remorseful about what happened, very caring about it. She admitted to what her mistake was.”

Full story: Man dies while waiting for misguided paramedics

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