HIALEAH, Fla. – Eric Johnson stopped to help during a traffic accident in Hialeah and he couldn’t believe how long it took for authorities to respond.
Johnson said several witnesses of the traffic crash were calling 911, but they weren’t getting through to dispatch to request help.
“It rang I think 13 or 14 times, didn’t answer,” said Johnson, the president of the Firefighters Union.
Bryan Calvo, a Hialeah councilman, said the 911 system needs to be fixed immediately and he is concerned about public safety.
”It’s shocking to hear that over 32,000 calls went unanswered to 911 in the last two years,” Calvo said referring to an independent report published March 2022 after the mayor’s office commissioned it.
The investigators concluded that the dispatch unit was “woefully” understaffed and “grossly neglected” and needs immediate attention.
“Unfortunately, we need your help! We are very, very desperate,” Andrew Glassmer, a 911 dispatcher, told officials during a public Hialeah council meeting. “The future outlook for our division is poor if drastic, rapid changes are not made.”
Mayor Esteban L. “Steve” Bovo Jr. said the public can trust the 911 system in Hialeah and added that it runs better than the one for Miami-Dade County.
“I don’t think the mayor is receiving the proper and correct information,” Johnson said.
Calvo was asking anyone with complaints about the 911 system in Hialeah to contact his office at 305-883-8035 or email at bcalvo@hialeahfl.gov.
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