911 fire caller gave correct location, wrong address

The Grant Park man who watched his home burn to the ground Saturday night says he feels misled by city officials who had earlier blamed firefighters’ slow response on a caller to Atlanta 911.

“I knew they weren’t really telling the truth yesterday (Tuesday),” said Wilford Reed, who lived in the home for nearly 40 years.

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MIKKI K. HARRIS / mkharris@ajc.com

Wilford Reed (left) lived in the Atlanta home for nearly 40 years.

• Overworked Atlanta 911 center cited in delayed response | Video

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At Tuesday’s meeting of the Atlanta City Council’s Public Safety Committee, officials said the first caller to reach the city’s understaffed 911 center gave the wrong address: 358 Grant St. The correct address was 342 Atlanta Ave.

But the caller also referred to Atlanta Avenue — where the Reeds lived, at the intersection of Grant Street — on two separate occasions.

After giving the 911 operator the wrong address, the neighbor again mentioned Atlanta Avenue — in fact, saying the burning home was on the corner of Grant and Atlanta.

Miles Butler, director of Atlanta’s 911 Communications Center, said the call-taker worked with the address that was given.

“I did review the tapes, and when we receive an address with clean numbers, we have to respond to the location,” Butler said. “Yes, he did give the intersection but also numbers, and that is what populated as a confirmed address. It’s a Catch-22 if the fire was at the other location and the fire apparatus were sent to the intersection.”

Fire crews finally arrived at the scene at 11:15 p.m. Saturday — at least 20 minutes after the fire started — after being alerted by a neighbor of the Reeds that the crews were dispatched to the wrong address.

By the time the hoses were turned on the blaze, the home was more than 50 percent destroyed, said Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran.