TV station questions dispatchers' handling of cardiac arrest call. Listen to 911 recording & read reports from Ocean City, Maryland.

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Transcript of call

Read Ocean City Critical Incident Report

Read Ocean City Incident Report

This is an interesting story on TBD.com from WJLA-TV reporter Kris Van Cleave about an October 3, 2009 call to 911 in Ocean City, Maryland. The family of 52-year-old Richard Rehmman has been working with the TV station in an effort to learn more about any changes made following delays in getting help when Rehmman went into cardiac arrest and died while working on his boat.

Documents it took almost 4:30 for the 911 call to be processed and paramedics to be dispatched. The caller did not have the exact address but pretty quickly gave the closest intersection. There were also delays in providing CPR instructions or other medical assistance by phone. There is a claim that one call taker “froze” when asked to provide guidance to the caller. The TV station also documents equipment problems for the paramedic crew. 

An email from the Ocean City fire chief to the town manager indicates there is some validity to the claims by Rehmman’s family.