Caretaker for 6-month-old Who Died Saturday Had Trouble Reaching Dallas 911, City Says

A 6 month old died Saturday night after a caretaker was unable to reach emergency services amid an ongoing issue that is creating a backlog of calls at the 911 call center, the city of Dallas said. The child's caretaker called 911 multiple times, but hung up before speaking to a call taker. When the call takers called back, they were unable to reach the caretaker, the city said in a prepared statement Tuesday. The infant was taken to two area hospitals, but did not survive, according to the city. Dallas police are investigating the death and have not released any additional information. The city saw a spike in calls at the 911 call center on Saturday at the same time the caretaker was trying to get through. More than 400 callers were placed on hold, WFAA-TV (Channel 8) reported. The city has been dealing with what it labels a ghost call issue since November. It has said that when a T-Mobile customer makes a legitimate call to 911, their phone will continue to dial 911 multiple times and the calls register as hang-ups.This forces operators to call back every number that registers as a hang-up to verify whether emergency assistance is needed. If no one answers, police will be dispatched to the scene.The city said there is no evidence that the ghost call issue is connected to the child's death. The caller was using a T-Mobile device.   Continue reading...