Atlanta councilwoman wants answers on 911 delay

Atlanta City Councilwoman Joyce Shepherd said a slow response to a fire Saturday night in Grant Park mirrors widespread complaints she’s been receiving about the city’s 911 operations.

The councilwoman said she was put on hold about two weeks ago when she saw what she thought was an altercation in her neighborhood.

“That is unacceptable,” Shepherd said Monday. She’s asked Atlanta Fire Rescue Chief Kelvin Cochran and deputy police chief George Turner to appear at a public safety committee meeting Tuesday to explain Saturday night’s delay in Grant Park.

Miles Butler, director of Atlanta’s 911 call center, is also expected to address questions on the fire Tuesday, said Atlanta police Sgt. Lisa Keyes. Butler was on city-mandated furlough Monday, she said.

Neighbors of the Grant Park couple whose home was gutted by fire say it took at least 25 minutes before firefighters arrived to douse the blaze.

Susan Whatley, who moved into the neighborhood with her husband earlier that day, placed a call to 911 on behalf of her new neighbors. She said she finally talked to a 911 operator after waiting on hold for about two minutes.

“I told them the fire had been going on for at least 10 minutes,” Whatley said. “I told them, ‘The whole house is on fire.’ “

The couple who lived in the home got out safely shortly after the blaze broke out at about 11 p.m. Saturday.

Atlanta Fire Rescue spokesman Capt. Bill May said on Sunday it was possible a wrong address was given to the 911 operator, which could have caused some confusion.

Whatley said she did not know the Reeds’ address but gave the 911 operator her own address, which is two doors down from the fire at 342 Atlanta Ave. She said there was at least a 15-minute gap between her call and firefighters’ arrival.

As the fire continued to burn, another neighbor ran a few blocks up the street to a police precinct office and grabbed an officer.

When the officer arrived at the scene, the fire had been burning for more than 20 minutes, according to multiple witnesses. The officer called for help on his police radio and neighbors say firefighters arrived roughly five minutes later.

An initial review by the fire department indicated crews arrived at the scene within six minutes after learning about the fire over the radio, May said.

A computer malfunction has prevented the department from being able to trace the calls, he said.

— Staff reporters Chandler Brown and Bill Rankin contributed to this story.