HCSO investigates 911 dispatch complaint

The Highland County Sheriff's Office is currently conducting an internal investigation after an allegation that an ambulance was not immediately dispatched following a 911 call.

Washington Township resident Nick Mahaffey told The Highland County Press this week that he filed a complaint with the HCSO on Nov. 15. Mahaffey said that on Nov. 10, his wife suffered a seizure, and he placed a call to 911 at 8:03 p.m. After the squad did not arrive as soon as expected, Mahaffey said that his mother contacted the HCSO to ask when they could expect the squad.

When Mahaffey realized that the ambulance had not yet left Hillsboro, he decided to drive his wife to Highland District Hospital. 

According to radio logs from Hillsboro Fire and Rescue, they were dispatched at 8:27 p.m. but did not make a transport. 

Mahaffey said that he passed the squad on the way into town and made contact with paramedics. They offered to transport her, but he elected to drive her to the hospital. 

Highland County Sheriff Ron Ward said that his office is reviewing the incident.

"(Mahaffey) filed a complaint with our office, and we are doing an internal review of it now, and that's all I have to say about it," Ward said.

Mahaffey emphasized that he does not have an issued with Hillsboro Fire and Rescue because "they can't respond until they're dispatched. It wasn't the squad's fault." 

Mahaffey said that he previously worked at the HCSO as a corrections officer, but he resigned in December 2008. 

"This could easily have cost someone their life," Mahaffey said. "Every one of us in our community relies on 911. You teach your kids, as soon as they learn their numbers, that if something happens, you call 911. If someone is not doing their job, the job they are expected to do and paid to do, it's hard to enforce that logic." 

A public records request has been made for the dispatch logs and the 911 call, according to Mahaffey, but he has not received them yet. 

Ward said that Mahaffey indicated that he wanted the records, but "he has not made a formal request." 

When asked the procedures of making a formal request, Ward said, "That is listed under Section 149 of the Ohio Revised Code."

Section 149 of the ORC states, "'Public record' means records kept by any public office ... A public office or person responsible for public records may ask a requester to make the request in writing, may ask for the requester’s identity, and may inquire about the intended use of the information requested, but may do so only after disclosing to the requester that a written request is not mandatory and that the requester may decline to reveal the requester’s identity or the intended use and when a written request or disclosure of the identity or intended use would benefit the requester by enhancing the ability of the public office or person responsible for public records to identify, locate, or deliver the public records sought by the requester."