911 Awards

On a January day in early 2011, Duluth 911 Dispatcher Brent Giesen answered a 911 line and was immediately thrust into a very difficult situation. The caller was virtually unable to speak and Brent deduced that medical attention was necessary. As the caller was using a cell phone, her location was not immediately apparent but Brent was able to discern a single word which gave him a clue. He kept the phone line open continuing to try to solicit information from the caller while at the same time using the technology at the 911 Center to verify and pinpoint her location, which he was able to do. The responders arrived just in the nick of time.

As it turns out, the caller, in an apparent suicide attempt, had hanged herself but subsequently experienced a change of heart. Brent's determination and resourcefulness gave this caller a second chance at life.

Possible Medical Emergency

On June 10th of 2010 Duluth 911 Dispatcher Jeff Hunt received a 911 call from a Duluth resident reporting a possible medical emergency, exact location unknown. The caller stated his sister and her 5 year old son were traveling across the country. The 5 year old had called the reporting party, his Uncle, by cell phone stating they were pulled over to the side of th road and his mom would not wake up. The 5 year old was unable to tell his Uncle exactly where they were.

After several phone calls to relatives and the cell phone company, and with the help of fellow dispatchers and available technology, Jeff was able to ascertain that the mother and child were in the state of Georgia and he was able to pinpoint their location. Through perseverance and teamwork, Jeff was able to get them the assistance they needed.   

A Life Saved

In January 2011, James Ostrander and a friend were driving over the Oliver Bridge returning home from a day of fishing. Suddenly the driver lost consciousness and slumped over the wheel. Mr. Ostrander, the passenger in the vehicle, was able to grab the wheel and pull the vehicle over. He was unable to find a pulse on the driver. Mr. Ostrander flagged down Mark and Shanna Waters who happened to be passing by. Mr. Waters dialed 911 and the call was received in the Duluth 911 Center by Dispatcher Paula Schneller. Paula gathered the necessary information for dispatch, entered the call for service, and then proceeded to give CPR instructions to Shanna Waters who relayed the information to her husband and Mr. Ostrander who both performed CPR on the victim.

The patient has recovered and is doing well.

Through persistence and dedication Emergency Communications Specialist Linda Vukich was able to assist a distraught victim who had intentionally shot himself in the face. The victim was almost completely unable to speak. She was determined, using calm, patient, repetitive persistent techniques on him for nearly 23 minutes, calling him back each time he hung up on her, until her co-workers were able to get him the help he needed.

The victim had called 911 from his home phone and he disconnected before the call was answered in the 911 center. When Linda attempted to call the number back it was busy. She called Qwest to check for conversation. They found none on the open line. A short time later, Linda answered another 911 call from a cell phone. Though difficult to understand, it appeared to be a male asking for help. Within a couple of minutes, she was able to determine it was the same person who had called and hung up. She was now able to verify his location and his name from what appeared on her computer screen. The caller was unable to communicate it himself, but she was able to understand his "yes" when she read it back to him.

Linda assured the caller to stay on the line with her and that she was doing everything she could to help him. As the call progressed, he became more cooperative. Eventually she was able to ascertain where the gun was, what type of injuries he had, and was able to talk him out of the house and to have him remain still until help arrived. When help was close, Linda gave the caller instructions to ensure a safe entry for responders.

Finally both law enforcement and medical personnel were on the scene and able to initiate the critical care this victim needed. Linda was able to breathe a sigh of relief until the next 911 call came in.

Thanks to the empathy and persuasive efforts of 911 call taker Linda Vukich, this person was given a second chance.