Dispatch Software Company Responds To Lawsuit Alleging Glitch Nearly Cost 2 Women Their Lives
Nov 1, 2019, 9:20 PM | Updated: 10:42 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Two Utah women who were attacked inside their home in 2015 said their calls for help went unanswered due to a software glitch in the 911 system. On Friday, one of the companies named in the lawsuit said it is indicative of a much bigger problem.
Bre Lasley was stabbed and beaten by a man who broke into her Salt Lake City home over four years ago.
She was only saved after a Salt Lake City Police officer heard the screams of her sister — not a 911 call.
The 911 calls from inside the home are chilling — repeated cries for help can be heard, along with the dispatcher trying to determine the address of the emergency.
Dispatchers claimed they never could hear the address. Lasley was using a cell phone and they were unable to trace her location.
“There is someone outside of my apartment screaming bloody murder and screaming for help as loud as she can,” one 911 caller told dispatch.
It was a separate burglary call that brought officers to the neighborhood — but by the time they heard Lasley’s sister’s screams, it was almost too late.
On Wednesday, Lasley spoke exclusively with KSL about the night she almost died.
“He beat me up,” Lasley said. “He beat my sister up. It was terrible. We were fighting for our lives.”
In the lawsuit, Lasley claimed the 911 software is to blame — something the company, “Priority Dispatch” said is simply not accurate.
“In order to be able to help someone, you need to be able to where they’re at,” said Jeff Clawson, founder of Priority Dispatch.
Clawson claimed his company’s software was never used that night because Salt Lake City dispatchers never even made it past step one — identifying where the call was coming from.
“It’s awful,” Clawson said. “You know somebody is in a terrible situation and you don’t know where on earth to send the help.”
Dispatch Software Company Holds Press Briefing
Salt Lake City's Priority Dispatch is holding a press briefing to clarify 911 response process in light of new litigation
Posted by KSL 5 TV on Friday, November 1, 2019
Lasley’s sister claimed she shouted her address several times, something disputed in Friday’s press conference by Priority Dispatch.
“(The woman) should probably be angry. They should probably be upset, and they should probably push for some aspect of change,” said Ron McDaniel, president of Priority Dispatch.
The change McDaniel referred to involves updates in the 911 system and the ability to quickly track calls coming from cell phones. He said in 70-80 percent of 911 calls in the United States, the dispatcher has no clue where the call is coming from until the caller reveals their address.
