911 calls go unanswered ---> Leadership --> are you hiring the right people for the job? Your manager has no idea!

Boy's calls for help go unanswered

911 operator told him to stop playing on the phone

A Detroit boy who called 911 to report his mother had collapsed and was told by an operator that he shouldn't be playing on the phone.By the time authorities arrived following Robert Turner's calls on February 20th, his mother Sherrill Turner was dead.

Lawyer Geoffrey Fieger is planning a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Sherrill Turner's family.Fieger says Robert's mother -- who had an enlarged heart -- would have survived if help had been sent immediately.

According to the 911 transcripts, when Robert first called 911 about 6 p.m., an operator asked him to bring an adult to the phone. Robert told the operator he couldn't.

At one point, "she hanged up on me," Robert said Friday. The recording indicates the dispatcher hung up after saying she would send police. They did not arrive.

Robert called back around 9 p.m. At that point, an operator told him he shouldn't be playing on the phone and threatened to send police if he did not put his mother on the phone.

Robert said he was scared and hung up.

qualityg says … I’m not going to bash the 911 systems; I’m going to re-post an answer I gave to an Email question I received last July (2005).

“What do you think is the most important process in a company?
- Jackie B.

Years ago I gave the standard quality response “ the most important process that any company has is the process (es) that adds value to the customer.” About ten years ago I changed my answer and still believe the “hiring” process is the most important process in the company.

Many people have debated me on that answer and there is truth to there arguments. So if it’s not the most important I say it is the most important “undervalued” process in a company.
We all know most American Management spout employees are the most important assets to a company. Then why are they considered an expense that needs to be reduced to make up for debt or loss of revenue (because it’s easy)?

Human Resources doesn’t carry much weight when it comes to being considered a critical department within an organization. However, when you stop looking through narrow eyes and open your self to systems thinking (end-to-end), the HR department is at the beginning and the end of an employees process.

HR hires and HR conducts your exit review and papers.Now, think in terms of process control and understand that most problems occur early on in a process and they intern cause multiple downstream problems and bottlenecks.

Quality Experts and Process Improvement Teams will attack and try to correct all the “symptoms” downstream (often blaming a person and not the system). The process originated by placing employees in jobs they are not qualified for or can no longer do the job as technology increases and more skills are required (just a few examples).

Maybe the HR representatives are not qualified or have the tools to do their jobs.You see Jackie, Management owns the hiring system. It is not a worker’s fault if placed in a job where failure is guaranteed. It is not the worker’s fault if a company slashes training and education that is required as new technology is implemented.

It is Management’s job to replace the worker if they are not performing and place them in a job where they can take pride of their work (do we really think people want to fail).

qualityg says … most managers do not see the value in HR processes. Most managers will blame the employee. Most managers do not understand sytems thinking. Most managers will not put money and best resources up-front in the design phase of process development. Most managers will wonder what happened after the company settles for millions of dollars in lawsuits. Most managers will continue to re-act instead of doing prevention. Most managers feel HR personnel are the slugs of the company and go there when no one elso wants them. Most of these type of managers are idiots! Most of them make major decisions.

How much do you want to bet that in future stories about this tragedy the manager or supervisor of the worker will state how much they all learned from this and will go back and give workers updated training!