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Subscribe to RSSEmergency dispatchers are often the first point of contact when tragedy strikes. Dealing with people in difficult situations such as shootings, home break-ins and fatal accidents are all part of the job.
But for Aurora, Colo., 911 dispatcher Kathie Stauffer, it took all she had to show strength on the outside -- all the while nervous on the inside -- during her five-hour ordeal directing police and other resources to the movie theater where a gunman was shooting at patrons during the midnight premiere of the latest Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises."
After word of the shooting spread through the dispatch center early Friday, Stauffer knew that in order to help those at the scene she had to remain calm and professional.
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"You have to mentally break away," she told NBC station KUSA in Denver. " You can't identify too much."
The night started out relatively quiet. "My screen was very empty," she told the Denver Post.
Then around 12:40 a.m., call after call started to come in all from the same place -- the Century Aurora 16 cineplex.
"They're saying somebody is shooting in the auditorium," she said.
Scores had been shot and help was needed quickly. Stauffer calmly radioed to a few officers and directed them to the scene.
A few minutes later, she and the other dispatchers directed every officer in the city to respond to the scene of the shooting that would leave 12 dead and dozens wounded.
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Once at the theater, officers pleaded for assistance, gas masks, ambulances and medical care. During the chaos the 39-year-old mother of two kept her composure, even while thinking of her own children.
"Every call with a kid, I'm thinking of my own," she told the Post. "That's really what I'm struggling with now -- not to think about my own daughter every time."
The next few hours were crucial. Stauffer directed resources to police while fellow dispatcher Cheri Brungardt, 32, worked with the fire and rescue dispatchers.
Watch US News videos on NBCNews.com
The scene was so big, personnel on the ground didn't have enough gear and other agencies still had not arrived.
"It's hard though because we want to help people. We sent help but sometimes that's not enough." Stauffer told KUSA as she wiped away tears.
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"Our job is to send help, and the guys we sent to help were calling for help and we couldn't help them," Stauffer said. "Normally, they get on the radio and the magic dispatcher gets them what they need. This time, they kept calling. They needed help and they couldn't get it."
Both dispatchers told the Post they know it will take time to get over what happened. Stauffer has been off the police dispatch and has been moved to fire duty since the shooting.
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- Video: How easy is it to get assault weapons?
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Leave a Comment:
As a 911 dispatcher for 5 years , I know the feeling of helplessness that they felt knowing they could not get help there fast enough. Gun control laws will never get a faster response time to crime. The only way to speed up the response time to crime is an armed citizen. It is sad that the criminals only prey on the people that they know can't defend themselves and they always will, the liberals that want to restrict your ability to defend yourself only help them.
This story isn't about the shooter or gun control; it is about the dispatchers.
Listen to the /FIRE DISPATCH/ recording. The response was tainted with a control freak
Police were so frustrated that at 21 minutes into the response - they started transporting the wounded to hospitals in the back of squad cars.
The site was announced secure yet @ 23 and then again at 25 minutes then again at 34 minutes in - first responders were being retuned or routed to staging.
liveleak.com/view?i=e91_1342808686
In My Opinion; The dispatchers did a great job - "aurora mall command" not so much.
Next time in Aurora, try the Asian spiced hot wings at the Piper Inn. Best in town!
Everyone is talking about his red hair. Looks to me like it is a wig from the costume party store????? Has anyone noticed his dark hair at the back of his neck and on sideburns?
Those dispatchers and first responders do a thankless job everyday. And judging from some of the comments on here...they get no respect either. Blaming the police? Yeah, they were there in 90 seconds! Blaming parents who bring their children? Seriously? Blaming the victims? How many people sit down before going to a movie or whatever and say "okay now, what if some mad man comes in, throws tear gas canisters, and starts shooting everyone with an assault riffle with a 100 round magazine capable of killing 70 people a minute? Yep, we'll still go, but get the kids a sitter. " Ridiculous, no one does that. You all can say a lot of things about that night...the integrity of that 911 operator isn't one of them, or the police, or the ambulances and paramedics, the doctors, nurses, surgeons. I pray that not one of us will be put into the position that everyone that night was put in.
Cops rarely ever show up until the crime has been committed, even in most homocides the killing is over before they get to the scene. A couple of well armed citizens may have been able to take this guy out or at least kept him preoccupied until the police got there. Not to get into a gun control argument but some one carrying a good 9mm concealed might have got a face shot in or lower legs to slow this nut down.
Restrict the purchasing of these high capacity magazines, restict the imports of all assault rifles but not U.S. made weapons. If I had been in that theater I may have died also but I would have got a few rounds into that monster before he took me out, if being lucky enough to not be shot in the first few seconds of his entry. The nut case in Norway killed many more than this sociopath and they have some of the toughest gun laws in the world. Only the bad guys will have guns if you ban them, criminals will get them no matter if you ban them or not. What you don't want to do is give the criminals another lucrative market selling guns. Prohibitions don't work in this country, that was obvious in the 20's with alcohol and the war on drugs we have lost years ago!
We need a mental health care system in this country, that guy had some issue's but no access to mental health care because we have none! The records should be open when they try to purchase guns for the ATF check or state police check.
Dont blame "society" for the criminal acts of individuals. Society is fine -- I own so called "assault rifles" and a lot of ammunition. I order ammunition online and there is nothing wrong with that. I dont shoot that often but I HAVE to re qualify with my federally issued firearm every six months. Ammo is expensive - so it is cheaper to buy online and practice than pay $15/box at the gun shop. Clearly there are a lot of uses for a firearm. Even a so called assault rifle. They are good for home self defense because you can shoot through the door or a wall at a cowardice perpetrator. It is common sense to most people but some people just don't get it or let their politics get in the way of common sense.
The bottom line is it is a fact that has been upheld in court that the police are NOT your personal body guards and they are NOT liable when you get shot. They are there to respond - stop the criminal activity without getting themselves hurt or killed - and gather evidence and investigate the crime. Your personal safety is your responsibility.
I applaud the dispatchers for their composure. The police, fire dept., doctors/nurses all did an awesome job under terrible conditions that night. A home grown maniac was on the loose and he had a head start!
From everything I have heard and read the 911 operators, the dispatchers and the police did a good job in a bad situation. I can only imagine the feeling of sitting there in dispatch knowing how awful the situation is and staying calm while relaying the requests from the first responders. It takes a special person to do this. Great job.
Actually, from everything given, we're damn lucky he didn't make it back out on the street and blend back in with the rest of the police and sherriffs deputies. and he nearly did just that had it not been for the lack of a few outward identifying items that any SWAT team member has, such as a radio handset on the top of their vest and or the words SWAT clarly emblazened on that same vest. Had he done that and blended back in, he could have at that point in time turned the entire picture in his favor and it would have been far far worse.
Secondly, the dispatchers did everything they could do and they did it under less than desireable circumstances and shold be commended for one helluva job. No one is God and no one has a crystal ball or a magic wand to provide whats needed when its needed right at that split second. It just doesn't happen.
This persoon , was probably enamored , of the Columbine massacres and then really fueled up with the Norwegian mass murderer , who's actions probably pushed him into going one -up , on this sort of travesty . KGK
we dont need to ban guns. but body armer? deer never carry wepons that we all need to agre on.
Agree, and 100 round drum magazines! I can't see the legitimate need for a magazine over 15 rounds!
Do you actually think weapons are for hunting?? What does the second amendment say about hunting? Do the crooked cops wear body armor?
Building bombs is already illegal; so gun control in of itself will not prevent these events, but that didn't stop the shooter from building bombs in the latest massacre and it didn't stop the guy in Europe who killed all those kids on the island after blowing up that building with a bomb he built.
Difference is Europe and the Middle East usually release their motive for committing such atrocities and our government isn't (yet).
The fact of the matter is it's the family members that have to live with it, the world did not stop because of this life goes on get this off the news it's not new any more
i noticed several commits about 6000 rounds of ammo being so exessive and yes it sounds like a lot but ive3 been to matches where that much is shot up in 3 days of shooting by just a couple people. so it insnt so unusual to buy that much ammo. my kids and I sometimes go through 250 rounds of 22 ammo in a day target shooting
IT IS ABOUT TIME HOLLYWOOD TAKES RESPONSIBILITY---
back in the 60's a bunch of concerned parents railed against westerns because they were "too violent" and they basically got them taken off tv....where can you find a western today except in old reruns...but just look at those old westerns you see very little of what is portrayed today...the bad guy gets killed or taken to jail and the good guy wins...good message.
BUT LOOK AT THE ULTRA VIOLENCE AND DETAILED BLOOD AND GUTS THAT TOOK ITS PLACE!!! video games, movies, TV all portray the seemy side of life to the nth degree and look what happens...they did not have school shooting and mass murders in the 50's and 60'...gangsters are glorified, explosions are commonplace, woman dressed and acting like sluts...I am so tired of what is called entertainment that used to be called sin (and still is!!!)
I AM MAD AS HELL AND I WANT IT STOPPED...CLEAN UP YOUR ACT HOLLYWOOD AND TONE DOWN THE SEX AND VIOLENCE OR YOU WILL SEE MORE MASS MURDERS BY KIDS INFLUENCED BY WHAT YOU TURNED OUT AS ENTERTAINMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We're reaping the reward of all those violent video games we let these kids play with when they were young too.
Some do and some don't have a sound grasp of reality.
Its TV,its not real. How about teaching your children values and respect and not letting the tube be there parent.
We all know most parents let the public schools teach their kids while they're at work and the TV in the afternoon.
@bepatient --- its NOT video games - it is the violent Christian culture that we instill on children from a very early age here.....onward Christian soldiers!! LOL
I dont see the need for your brand new suv to go over 75mph either. Ban em all, limit ALL cars to 75mph EXCEPT police cars.
ONE beer for EVERYONE, who in there right mid needs more than ONE beer?
You dont need more than ONE visit to mcdonalds ONCE a month, ban multiple trips to mcdonalds this will help your high blood pressure.
Ban ban ban ban and then ban some more......
Idiots
Does a spoon make someone fat?? How about we outlaw knives, forks, and spoons!!! Then we can cure the epidemic of obesity in this country too!! I am sorry but in the history of mankind, no bullet, knife, gun, etc. has ever committed murder/homocide/suicide etc. The individual is always at fault. Taking away our right to bear arms is just heading down the same slippery slope this country is already sliding down. If people were carrying concealed weapons, the 'James Holmes' of this world would think twice before being so stupid. Making it illegal or even harder than it already is to own guns and ammunition will not stop these psychos from obtaining anything, they will just get them illegally.
compare the crime rate in cities (in Texas for example) that permit civilians to carry concealed weapons, against cities in California (or other states). No comparison.
They needed help and could not get it. That's the reality of life you need to protect yourself and your loved ones. Have you seen the movies were the bad guy try to rob the bar and it turns out to be a cop bar. Well that's how all place could be if the anti gunner could grasp the concept of criminal's and mad men don't follow the laws. And guns are only scary in the hands of, well criminal's and mad men.
Yep, 100 percent correct. The guns are not the problem. Bad guys are always going to get their hands on guns. The question is. is there more good guys that carry, our bad guys with guns?
I mean sure lets let kids play video games where they go around shooting people and cops and stealing cars and so forth then sell them real guns when they grow up warped in the head and expect them to be responsible when all they had to do was press the reset button on the console when they lost.
911 dispatcher's get a lot of $hit tossed on their plates.
A drunk / domestic couple (possible weapons) , a car break-in 4 hours ago, kid's doing grafitti right now, maybe a robbery in progress, my boyfriend texting me that he will kill me. Etc, etc, etc........
911 dispatcher's learn priorities real quickly, or something bad is going to happen.
Aurora 911, PD, and FD got swamped that night, and on top off all the calls they had already.
Graffitti vs. a car break in= priorities.
Car break in vs. a mass shooting= priorities
911 keeps ringing=priorities
911 does this everyday in most major towns, but don't hear most of it until this happens.
Kudos to Aurora 911.
@bepatient- why dont you stop trying to find excuses for why things are how they are and look in the mirror. That is typical egotistical bull@!$%# to blame everything and everyone else for our bad decisions. Video games??? reallyyy?? Come on man wake up.
Yea right, we have a 24 year old dressing like the Joker and killing women and children like they're nothing.
Wake up! Something is wrong with young people when life has no more value to them than that and we simply are not seeing the value of life expressed in movies or video games now are we?????
He died his hair and called himself the joker.... he wasn't dressed like the joker. And like I said, you are basically saying that humans can do terrible things and blame it on "hollywood." At what point do we make them take responsibility for their own actions?? This "kid" was in a PhD program, he was no dummy. I think its hard to pinpoint any one cause for his actions, but to say with conviction that video games and movies were to blame is down right ignorant and sad.
Are you brain dead or something?
He dyed his hair or "died" as you called it and called himself the Joker.
What more is there I can say to support my case that Hollywood and Video games influence people's minds?
Why do you think propaganda films work?
I can count to potato too.
Yea they influence our minds, your right. Lets sue those bastards fer maken us so stewwpid!!
spoons make people fat too right?
@esbee- you need to seriously re-evaluate your logic. If you really think 'hollywood' is the cause of murders, etc. you are truely lost.
I do!
He didn't get the Joker get up from going to church.
enough said. I think you should sue hollywood for creating such a monster!!
There will be more coming down the pike until we wise up.
@bepatient - what he "got" was a sense that it is OK to be violent because "god" is going to forgive him and that - because he ate the flesh and drank to blood of a jewish zombie - he is going to live forever!!! Christians are the most violent and reviled people on planet earth. And like you they cannot distinguish between reality and myth!
BACK TO THE SUBJECT AT HAND: The 911 dispatcher's despair .......people have NO idea how hard it is to be in an emergency situation, remain calm and quick acting. Yes, experience helps but then they have to hang up when done and turn around and deal with yet another emergency. No one gets a moment to themselves to say a prayer or "get their wits about them"... they just have to keep moving ! Can YOU imagine how hard that job is and how stressful it is knowing that you couldnt do enough?? Remember, that is a very giving person helping you so if you arent a giver, you may not understand all it involves. I say Hats off to this poor dispatcher feeling like she couldnt do enough... many wouldnt care, just move on to the next situation ! It might be US needing a 911 dispatcher next... dont forget to say THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!
So many people talk about the 6000+/- rounds this guy bought. Or banning assault weapons...really any weapon that can assault someone is an assualt weapon. No I will never give up any of my AR's. nor will I ever give up my ammo I have collected for years. You really think you are safe with all weapons ban? Even if they ban and or took ever weapon....people who wan to do these things will find weapons.
To many people believe everything the news or gov tells you. Far to many people in this country are brain washed cattle.
idiots like you want to make me vomit
I agree you are too stupid to own any guns.
"idiots like you want to make me vomit"
You are what's referred to as government owned sheeple.