911's (allegedly) a joke at Indy Star

From a blog. I have no idea how credible it is.

http://ruthholladay.com/index.php?blog=1&title=death_in_the_newsroom&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

 

I have to admit, the phrase "Christless fiasco" is a keeper.
I hope this guy's family sues Gannett to within an inch of its soul-less, union-busting, paper-killing life. I hope his family ends up with the rights to Al Neuharth's testicles and takes possession using garden shears and a pen-knife.

 

Ruth Holliday worked there for many, many years, and just recently left as a columnist.

Obviously, she seems to have the same "Gannett is evil" mantra that nearly every other ex-Star employee seems to have.

I don't think I've met one that has anything good to say about Gannett. I know CNI was revered, but it's ridiculous.

 

Someone please tell me that it's illegal to block 911 access on phones.

Won't a cell phone with no service plan still call 911?

 

I can't remember who, but some cell company got in a boatload of trouble with the FCC because their system would not let the phones dial 911 if you were out of their coverage area.
Also, if you have Vonage, you can dial 911, but it cannot tell them where you are as it should.

 

What are the chances of THAT ending up on Romenesko?

.5%?

 

The Star didn't block access to 911, it routed the call to the security desk and then, I'm guessing, security puts the call through to a 911 operator, with, maybe?, the original caller still on the line.
The post wasn't that clear, so it is hard to say.
Regardless, that is a bad system.
Most places now, if you call 911, you get through immediately and the security desk either listens in or is notified. Security needs to know what it is going on, that way paths can be cleared and people let in.
Funny thing about newspapers, they tend to go on and on about things like having AEDs at public places and making sure that you have people trained to handle an emergency. But newspapers themselves tend not to have these things.
A lawsuit will be filed and it will be settled out of court. I'm guessing in the low seven figures.

 

Nobody there owns a cell phone? I wouldn't defend the practice of bungling emergency calls, but if a guy collapses next to me, I wouldn't mind blowing a couple 'anytime' minutes.

 

They work for Gannett. How the hell could they afford them?

 

Even bums and hobos have cell phones these days ... they keep them in their handkerchief tied to the end of a stick.

 

As the blog post makes clear, his coworkers did call 911 on their cell phones after the fiasco with the security guard who didn't speak much English.