EAST NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Officials with the Emergency Communications Center in Nashville are apologizing following an apparent mistake made during a 911 call in East Nashville last week.
The call came in around 6:30a.m. on Tuesday after a large tree had fallen at an apartment complex on Greenwood Avenue. The massive tree flattened a half dozen cars, completely crushing them to the point where they were barely recognizable.
But residents who live in the apartment complex are wondering why it took nearly 30 minutes for the first responders to show up.
"No one would've made it out of these cars alive, it's worrisome. I wonder what went wrong?" says Maria Bascetta who had her Subaru wagon destroyed by the downed tree.
No one was injured but at the time of the call it was unclear if anyone was in the crushed cars.
On a 911 tape a caller can be heard telling the dispatcher "If anybody was walking through the parking lot they’re dead," leaving people like Maria to wonder why there wasn't a greater sense of urgency to respond.
"Looking at all of the cars, all of us are lucky we’re alive," she says.
On 911 calls a dispatcher can also be heard saying "I’m sending the fire department to help you now, stay on the line," but a Nashville Fire Department Spokesperson says they were never alerted by the Emergency Communications Center about the incident.
Official with the ECC say they are investigating what went wrong and that disciplinary action against the dispatcher may be possible.
