CLEVELAND — It’s the one call you don’t want to make but the one you need answered; we’re talking about calling 911.
Cleveland Ward 9 Councilman Kevin Conwell tried to get an answer to that call just last week and was surprised by the response he received.
“She was on the floor and she had heard gunshots. She said it sounded like a rifle,” said Conwell.
He told her he would call 9-1-1.
“They put me on hold! It took 2 hours. I called at 1:00 a.m. and they called me back at 3:00 a.m. There could’ve been a fatality in that time,” said Conwell.
He said he realized then, there was a problem.
“I’m charged with trying to figure out issues of concern. I can’t just go back and say ‘they kept me on hold,’ I mean I’m a leader of the city. I have to try and figure something out.”
Monday he introduced the emergency resolution to city council members.
Emergency Resolution 991-2022
“Strongly encouraging the Mayor’s Administration to investigate upgrading the current 9-1-1 emergency response system to a “Next Generation 9-1-1 System” that will provide faster and more reliable emergency assistance by using updated technology to provide real-time information.”
Conwell said it would allow residents to text and send in live video of the scene, so dispatchers, officers and EMS workers know the seriousness of the situation ahead of time.
“We will be able to determine what resources we need before we get to the scene,” he said. “It’s safer for the residents and the officers.”
His fellow council members all signed on to the resolution and moved it to a second reading.
Conwell said he will be sitting down with Mayor Justin Bibb and the Safety Committee to discuss the urgency of the situation.
