# Missoula 911 dispatcher reported refinery explosion as joke



## Hal9000 (Apr 6, 2010)

Clicky the linky:

Missoula 911 dispatcher reported refinery explosion as joke



> Missoula County authorities are investigating after a 911 dispatcher apparently broadcast a false report of an explosion last week as an April Fool's Day prank.
> 
> The request for an emergency response came over the airwaves shortly after 8:30 a.m. on April 1, and the dispatcher told local fire and medical emergency services to respond to the Conoco bulk plant in Missoula for a large fire or explosion.



And five days later...


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## DrParasite (Apr 6, 2010)

hopefully the dispatcher will be fired


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## Hal9000 (Apr 6, 2010)

I once had a different agency call in a request medical response to a "man down, not responsive, not breathing" while our unit was waiting for a parade to finish.  In the end, we had to navigate the parade and go code to reach the location, only to find...no one around.  The call had come in over our secondary dispatch using a unit number callsign, so we asked dispatch about it.  They had heard it as well, but indicated that no such unit was out or scheduled to be on air.  

The voice file was logged, and it was immediately sent to law enforcement. After about a week, law enforcement discovered that two firemen had used access to the secondary dispatch system to fake a medical call close to the July 4th city parade area.  Those people were very justifiably terminated.  There are certain things that one should know not to do. I'm very surprised to see that a dispatcher did this.  On the other hand, Missoula is a small town of 57,000, so maybe it was some new, undisciplined dispatcher.

Perhaps time will tell.


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## MTEMTB (Apr 6, 2010)

The airwaves are not to be used for those type of jokes.

Look at what happened in Bozeman with that explosion. Butte with the plane crash. Miles City with the downtown fire.
Bet none of those dispatchers in those towns would not think they are funny.


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## firecoins (Apr 7, 2010)

I reported a ninja attack as a joke. Cowboys were dispatched in response.


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## Hal9000 (Apr 7, 2010)

firecoins said:


> I reported a ninja attack as a joke. Cowboys were dispatched in response.



Cowboys?  Seriously?  Totally a job for space pirates or lumberjack commandos.


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## Foxbat (Apr 7, 2010)

A year or two ago there was a pretty big fire in Pittsburgh. I think there were rowhouses on fire; so, during that fire, someone with a stolen portable transmitted a fake mayday. As I recall, fire department handled it pretty well, they quickly did accountability and made sure everyone was OK, but you can imagine what the consequences could have been... I don't know if they caught the guy.


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## Hal9000 (Apr 7, 2010)

Foxbat said:


> A year or two ago there was a pretty big fire in Pittsburgh. I think there were rowhouses on fire; so, during that fire, someone with a stolen portable transmitted a fake mayday. As I recall, fire department handled it pretty well, they quickly did accountability and made sure everyone was OK, but you can imagine what the consequences could have been... I don't know if they caught the guy.



Did they at least figure out which unit lost the portable, and at which time.  I wonder if it was one of those odd people that pretends to be in emergency services.  The thread about the "police officer" comes to mind.


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## MTEMTB (Apr 17, 2010)

Read in the paper that the dispatcher was suspended for 1 week.


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## Hal9000 (Apr 18, 2010)

MTEMTB said:


> Read in the paper that the dispatcher was suspended for 1 week.



Yes indeed:


http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_bf1bd5da-494f-11df-b93b-001cc4c002e0.html



> A 911 dispatcher in Missoula who broadcast a false report of an explosion as an April Fool's Day prank will be suspended for one week but will not be prosecuted.
> ...
> "the matter is better resolved through internal disciplinary proceedings rather than a criminal prosecution."


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## LngJohnSlvr (Apr 18, 2010)

Hal9000 said:


> Did they at least figure out which unit lost the portable, and at which time.  I wonder if it was one of those odd people that pretends to be in emergency services.  The thread about the "police officer" comes to mind.



We have a guy where I live that listens to ALL of the radio banter and shows up in the Emergency Room every time a serious patient comes in... he gets mad when the docs refuse to let him help... hes a bit of a wierdo... but oh well!


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## CAOX3 (Apr 18, 2010)

I dont get people, reporting fake maydays, dispatching hoax emergencies.

What are we five?


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## LngJohnSlvr (Apr 18, 2010)

CAOX3 said:


> I dont get people, reporting fake maydays, dispatching hoax emergencies.
> 
> What are we five?



The same guy I commented on earlier just (As in today) tried to respond to a call... he heard it on the radio, said his own made up call sign, and tried to go to the address... thankfully he called dispatch and said he didn't know where it was... so... he never got there... still though, that makes me worry...


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## Hal9000 (Apr 18, 2010)

LngJohnSlvr said:


> The same guy I commented on earlier just (As in today) tried to respond to a call... he heard it on the radio, said his own made up call sign, and tried to go to the address... thankfully he called dispatch and said he didn't know where it was... so... he never got there... still though, that makes me worry...



Apparently five, and in some cases, mentally unstable as well. Sounds like LJS' guy needs some form of help.


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## Veneficus (Apr 18, 2010)

"Dating, just one of the many things you will find in the yellow pages"

I have to admit, I never really saw the draw playing around with a radio. Of course I never felt compelled to self dispatch because somebody "might need my help" either. 

I am thinking people who do this sort of stuff clearly don't spend enough time at work.


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## LngJohnSlvr (Apr 18, 2010)

Veneficus said:


> "Dating, just one of the many things you will find in the yellow pages"
> 
> I have to admit, I never really saw the draw playing around with a radio. Of course I never felt compelled to self dispatch because somebody "might need my help" either.
> 
> I am thinking people who do this sort of stuff clearly don't spend enough time at work.



This guy is fairly mentally unstable...


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## DrParasite (Apr 19, 2010)

I stand by my initial comment.  a week is not enough, he should be fired, because he has demonstrated that he lacks the maturity to do the job properly.


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## LngJohnSlvr (Apr 20, 2010)

DrParasite said:


> I stand by my initial comment.  a week is not enough, he should be fired, because he has demonstrated that he lacks the maturity to do the job properly.



Much agreed!


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