WICHITA, KS — The family of a 22-year-old woman who died in an apartment fire in Kansas' largest city after 911 dispatch errors believes the center has “systemic problems,” and the local firefighters' union calls for an independent investigation .
The family of Paoly Bedeski in Wichita released a statement Thursday, The Wichita Eagle reported. It was the family's first since the fatal fire and came two days after the city firefighters' union held a news conference to detail “significant and devastating” emergency room failures in Sedgwick County, where the city is located.
Dispatch failed to provide the number of Bedeski's third-floor apartment to firefighters and waited 17 minutes before sounding a second alarm to bring more crews to the scene. Bedeski called 911 just before 4 a.m. on October 13 to report that her apartment was on fire.
County officials said they are still gathering information and expect an advisory board to review the details next week. But President Ted Bush of the local firefighters union has said publicly that the dispatcher's mistakes delayed the response to the fire and prevented Bedeski's rescue, and the Sedgwick County Commission also said it supports an independent investigation.
The family's statement, released by the lawyer, said: “These failures cost Paoly her life.”
“The Bedeskis now call for immediate correction of these systemic problems and accountability for those responsible, emphasizing the need for adequate protection for the residents of the province,” the statement said.
Elora Forshee, director of Sedgwick County Emergency Communications, has said Bedeski's call was not comprehensible enough for the dispatcher to understand that she was trapped.
Audio of the conversation, posted online by The Eagle, showed that much of the first 50 seconds of a terrified-sounding Bedeski's conversation was difficult to understand. However, she clearly stated the name of her apartment complex and her apartment number after the dispatcher asked her to repeat herself.
Bedeski's voice is not heard after the first 50 seconds of the four-plus minutes of audio. About 45 seconds after she last hears her voice, the dispatcher says, “Hello? I want you to say your apartment number clearly and distinctly.”
He then reports the fire to the fire brigade, giving the address of the apartment complex but not the apartment number.
As for the delay in sounding a second alarm, Forshee said the issue was “addressed on the spot” with additional training.