Global Courant
Strong storms that swept through the St. Louis area over the weekend completely “overwhelmed” the region’s 911 systems, a government official said in response to complaints of long delays in handling sometimes dire calls for help.
Officials expressed regret on Wednesday over the deaths of a woman in the city and a child in St. Louis County. They said they were still investigating the responses, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
The storms that blew into the area on Saturday downed hundreds of trees and power lines, leaving tens of thousands without power for days.
The city received more than 1,000 calls in an hour at the height of the storm, St. Louis Public Safety Director Charles Coyle said at a news conference.
It was the same in St. Louis County. “The system was completely overwhelmed,” said Doug Moore, a spokesman for Democratic County Executive Sam Page.
MISSOURI REPORTED 8 ROAD DEATHS, 4 DROWNING IN THE FOURTH WEEKEND OF JULY
Strong storms that swept through the St. Louis area over the weekend completely “overwhelmed” the region’s 911 systems.
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A tree fell on 33-year-old Katherine Coen’s car near an entertainment district in St. Louis. Another fell on a home in Jennings, killing 5-year-old Robert Lawrence.
In both cases, people said they tried again and again to get help. A spokeswoman for Lawrence’s family has said it took the boy’s mother 45 minutes to get to emergency services and that her son was alive when she first tried.
Coyle said Saturday’s storm created a unique situation due to a “regional weather catastrophe.” But he said improvements are being made to the 911 system that should help.
Coyle said new software kicks in when an operator isn’t immediately available, prompting callers to press ambulance or fire department buttons if they need them. He said the department has also raised about three-quarters of the money needed to build a new, more efficient shipping center by 2026.
