Article: Sheriff has to own up for 911 debacle

Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer tried to explain why, on the first business day for the regional dispatch center, it took 13 minutes before emergency personnel got to a fire and why calls reporting the blaze went unanswered.

But the details he released Friday didn't change the frightening facts: The fire at 2449 Wheeler Ave. in Harrison Twp. was roaring by the time trucks arrived. An 81-year-old woman was taken to the hospital.

Though she is expected to recover, what if she had not been able to get out?

First of all, technical glitches -- with unanswered phone calls to 911 ringing up to 22 times -- resulted in the loss of four to five minutes for that reason alone. In addition, one ...

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