🚨 CALGARY 911 DISPATCH MISTAKES DELAYED SEARCH FOR 11-YEAR-OLD PARKER WELLS, CITY REVIEW REVEALS
A recent review by the City of Calgary has revealed that 911 dispatch mistakes delayed the initial police search for 11-year-old Parker Wells by approximately one hour. Parker went missing from a care facility in July, and tragically, his body was discovered two weeks later in an underground pipe system following a massive community search.
According to city officials, an internal review of the July 16 calls showed a lapse in adherence to existing procedures rather than a lack of policy. The first call to 911 was made at 10:53 a.m. Although the caller did not initially want to file a formal missing person report, dispatchers received enough information to trigger an emergency response. A supervisor also reviewed the call but failed to escalate, reassess, or reopen the file. The facility called back at 11:24 a.m. to officially report Parker missing, and police were ultimately dispatched at 11:41 a.m.
Iain Bushell, the city’s director of emergency management and community safety, noted that this delay was a missed opportunity to dispatch police earlier based on the critical information provided. In response to the tragedy, Calgary 911 has implemented stricter oversight measures. Calls flagged as not requiring police assistance are now reviewed every 15 to 30 minutes by two supervisors instead of one. Additionally, dispatchers have been seated closer to senior staff to improve mentorship and guidance.
All employees have now completed mandatory reviews of the missing persons policy, and training for new recruits has been extended by a week with a new focus on critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and problem-solving. Appropriate disciplinary action has been taken, with officials confirming that one individual is no longer employed by the city following the review.
🔗 Source
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/parker-wells-911-review-9.7353950
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French version on page two / Version française à la page deux
