Channel3000.comMadison News


E-Mail News Alerts
Get breaking news and daily headlines.
Browse all e-mail newsletters
Related To Story

County Board Members To Hold Community Meeting On 911 System Next Week

Local Officials Invited To Speak, Answer Questions

UPDATED: 7:57 am CDT May 15, 2008

Several members of the Dane County Board of Supervisors announced plans to hold a community meeting next Monday in connection to the county's 911 system and the ongoing controversy about whether a call from the cell phone of a slain University of Wisconsin-Madison student was mishandled.

VIDEO: Watch The Report | TALKBACK: What Do You Think?

The meeting, which is set for 6 p.m. in Fitchburg, will feature comments from several local officials with time for questions from the public regarding the death of Brittany Zimmermann, 21, in early April and the call that came from her cell phone to the Dane County 911 Center.

Dane County 911 Center director Joe Norwick, Dane County executive Kathleen Falk, Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney and Madison Police Chief Noble Wray have been invited to speak at the hearing.

Board members said they want to give Dane County residents an opportunity to get direct answers to questions.

It will be the second meeting in connection with the 911 Center's response to a 911 call from Zimmermann's phone.

On May 8, two county committees grilled Norwick. In the meeting, some questions, like the number of complaints against the 911 Center, didn't have immediate answers.

"In answer to how many (complaints) since 2004, I've been here 9 months. I would really have to research that," Norwick said at the meeting on May 8.

Norwick said that every complaint is investigated and the person is given some resolution.

Local officials said that a 911 dispatcher said she didn't hear anything when she answered the call from Zimmermann's phone. They said that the operator hung up on the call and didn't call the number back because other calls were waiting. No police officers were sent to investigate.

Officials said that the dispatcher violated protocols in not calling the cell number back.

  SURVEY
Which public official do you most want to ask a question of in relation to the ongoing 911 center controversy?

However, the dispatcher's union representative last week refuted those accusations. She said that the dispatcher said she didn't hang up on the call and complied with 911 center policies when she didn't call the number back.

Some county board members are urging community leaders to offer assurance to the community at Monday's meeting.

"We want to focus on what the expectations of the 911 centers are, how the technology is changing, but most importantly, we want to hear what the peoples' concerns are," said Eileen Bruskewitz, Dane County supervisor for District 25.

Word of the board members' meeting comes a day after WISC-TV, Wisconsin State Journal, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee filed a lawsuit to ensure local officials comply with several open records requests regarding the 911 center and the ongoing investigation into the call.

Reporters for the outlets have requested to inspect and copy the audio files of any 911 calls from Zimmermann's home, an un-redacted report of the 911 center's investigation into the alleged Zimmermann call and all documents related to the Zimmermann call and the investigation into the incident produced from the Dane County Public Safety Communications Center, Madison police and the mayor's office.

The meeting will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday in the lower level of the Fitchburg Community Center at 5510 Lacy Road.

Stay tuned to WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for continuing coverage.




Links We Like
If you’re thinking about upgrading your home you should also consider upgrading your insurance. More Details

Harmless mole or deadly skin cancer? Find out how to tell the difference, and see all the risks and signs of skin cancer. More Details

If you want to be able to retire comfortably it’s important to know how much of your salary to save each month. Find out what’s best for you with these helpful tips. More Details

Keep your finger on the pulse of the automotive industry and get info on all the latest trends that are hitting the road today. More Details

Like online video? Then you'll love Now See This.

Links We Like includes a selection of information, tools and resources from our partners and sponsors.

Diet & Fitness Tools

This 10-minute workout makes it easy to fit cardio into your day--anytime, anywhere, and without equipment!  More Details

SparkPeople

Premium Weather

Premium Weather
How will the weather affect you? Know for sure. Monitor storms, animate your forecast, create personal alerts! Try it now! or Log in here.