Multi Car Crash in Bloomingdale – Dispute over 911 Response

UPDATE: Official response from the Office of Unified Communications:

“Our preliminary findings show that this incident was handled and dispatched expeditiously. DC 911 received 12 calls for this incident at virtually the same time (to the minute). The first call, received at 2:42 p.m., was answered within 12 seconds, and was sent to dispatch in less than a minute. The first DCFEMS unit was on the scene within 3 minutes and 56 seconds of the initial 911 call. The spike in call volume did in fact cause some callers to put in queue (on hold). However, no one was on hold as long as it has been claimed. Instead, most calls that came in were put in queue for a little over one minute. There was one call that held for 3 minutes, and by the time it was answered the responders had already been dispatched. Our call takers are trained and prepared to accommodate and manage all calls despite the sudden change in call volume we experience from time to time when a highly visible incident such as this occurs.”

Whoa. Chase reports:

“On First between U and V NW.

The word is that a guy, his current gf and his ex got into an altercation and started chasing each other in their car. Didn’t sound like anyone was hurt.”

Russell W. Warnick also reported just after 3pm:

“Insane car accident just now at 1st/V Street NW. The light blue car was the only moving vehicle at the time. The driver was taken away in an ambulance, she could walk, appeared to be mostly shock. It took far too long for emergency services to answer the phone. Six minutes.

Multiple people attempted 911 @dcfireems and were getting hung up on. Outrageous.”

Update:

Per follow-up from @OUC_DC: First 911 call was answered within 21 seconds; @dcfireems showed up in less than four minutes. One call waited 3 minutes amid deluge of wireless 911 calls at same time. cc: @PoPville https://t.co/D9fnt26CVa

— Jack Gillum (@jackgillum) January 28, 2019