NEW: On the eve of an election for a new mayor and council members, DC911/@OUC_DC just had another major meltdown. For the seventh time in as many months, dispatchers failed to answer an emergency radio channel. Two @DCFireEMS units on separate high-priority EMS calls couldn’t reach DC911 on the radio after calling 10 times over five minutes (listen below). Engine 32 tried unsuccessfully to alert dispatchers that they were closer to a cardiac arrest than the engine that OUC dispatched. Engine 32 didn’t wait for permission that never came. They went anyway. After getting on the scene with a confirmed cardiac arrest and no answer from DC911, Engine 32 finally went to another radio channel to say that they took the CPR call. They also told the dispatcher on Channel 2 that no one was answering Channel 11. The dispatcher tried to explain that “Channel 11 was busy.” Busy with what? What were they dealing with that is a higher priority than a person in cardiac arrest? If they were really busy with another emergency, why didn't someone tell units on Channel 11 to standby? Even after that explanation, no one updated Engine 32’s status in the computer. So, another dispatcher called them for their status. A battalion chief had to jump in and tell them exactly what dispatchers had already been told by Engine 32. At the very same time, Ambulance 27 repeatedly called DC911 on the same channel that dispatchers had either turned down or were just ignoring. The ambulance crew was on the scene of a person with trouble breathing. The ambulance crew realized their patient needed the help of paramedics. Listen to the frustration in the crew's voice as they can’t reach dispatchers for five minutes. Only after Engine 32 gets help on the other channel does a dispatcher finally come back to Channel 11 and respond to Ambulance 27’s request. This is at least the 28th time a radio channel was abandoned for minutes at a time since OUC Director Heather McGaffin took over the agency in early 2023. This shouldn’t happen at all, much less 28 times. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN AT ANY OTHER MAJOR 911 CENTER, yet it has remained a chronic problem at DC911 for more than six years. It’s a major example of the failed leadership at this very troubled agency. McGaffin has never treated this as a serious issue, even though this is not the first critical emergency to occur when radio channels were abandoned. Despite having cameras on the operations floor that are recording 24/7, McGaffin has never publicly explained what her dispatchers were doing instead of answering the radio during any of these incidents. Lives were at stake tonight, and DC911 failed, once again, to properly handle two life-threatening emergencies. When will somebody #FixDC911? @CMRobertWhiteDC @AnitaBondsDC @Janeese4DC @CMZParker5 @CHendersonBauer @charlesallen @ChmnMendelson @BrianneKNadeau @MatthewFrumin @CMWendellFelder @DoniCrawford @CMBrookePinto @kenyanmcduffie @tweetelissa @RiniSampath @goodweather4dc @cuneytdil @EmmaUber7 @TheArtist_MBS @oigdc @kpattdc @dclinenews @tomsherwood @NFTC_News @RamirezReports @SegravesNBC4 @ANCCostello @johnson4b06 @ANCJonah @MayorBowser @SafeDC @theHillisHome @PoPville @abeaujon @SchreiberSara @CapitalJeff @Brightwoodian @AlexKomaDC @maustermuhle @DCNewsNow @MaxJMarcilla

NEW: The letters "A" and "H" and the number "8" can be difficult to clearly distinguish when taking 911 calls from the public. That's why call-takers must be diligent about confirming with the caller that they are saying "A as in Adam", "H as in Hotel", or "the number 8." That apparently did not go the way it should have during last week's large fire at 725 8th Street, SE. DC911/@OUC_DC initially dispatched the call to 725 A Street SE. The good news is that OUC caught it and quickly corrected the address. You do have to wonder if they changed it before Engine 18 and Truck 7 made a right turn out of the firehouse to go north four blocks to 725 A. 725 8th would have been a left turn, just three blocks to the south of the firehouse located at 414 8th Street SE. @CMRobertWhiteDC @AnitaBondsDC @Janeese4DC @CMZParker5 @CHendersonBauer @charlesallen @ChmnMendelson @BrianneKNadeau @MatthewFrumin @CMWendellFelder @DoniCrawford @CMBrookePinto @kenyanmcduffie @tweetelissa @RiniSampath @goodweather4dc @cuneytdil @EmmaUber7 @TheArtist_MBS @oigdc @kpattdc @dclinenews @tomsherwood @NFTC_News @RamirezReports @SegravesNBC4 @ANCCostello @johnson4b06 @ANCJonah @MayorBowser @SafeDC @theHillisHome @PoPville @abeaujon @SchreiberSara @CapitalJeff @Brightwoodian @AlexKomaDC @maustermuhle

My theory is the mount points are still in the wall in the hope that somehow a judge will let them keep the name.

If you were wondering about the weather issues at the White House UFC event, this may give you an illustration of the concerns. I believe this lightning was east of DC. @capitalweather

As the proud son of a teacher, I know our schools are the backbone of a strong community. I've got a plan to make sure all our kids and educators have what they need to succeed and thrive — in school and beyond. For more information, head to miguelward1.com/priorities/e…

really nice streetery in the Village last night. So sad we tore them out so 14th street and AdMo could have more parking spaces.

Gorgeous colors at dawn in Washington DC today 🌅

1610 16th St NW illegal dumping @311DCgov

#Sunrise on Tuesday over the Tidal Basin in #DC! @capitalweather @KaitlynMcGrath

Good Sunday morning! The heat hangs on today with highs in the upper 80s to low 90s, though you'll notice decreasing humidity and a nice breeze by this afternoon. Just the chance of an isolated shower or storm. Nice day tomorrow with plenty of sun, lower humidity, and highs in the upper 70s to mid-80s. Gradually heating up again midweek with our next shower and storm chance arriving Wednesday. Photo by Brian Paeth

Colorful sunrise in Washington DC today 🌅

#Sunrise on Saturday over the Old Post Office tower in #DC! @capitalweather @StormHour

Have you seen these little guys? They are everywhere and I don’t remember seeing them before. SMASH EM!!! That’s because they are lantern fly nymphs and are highly invasive. They are everywhere!!

If you have had trouble using/obtaining service from the 311 app, sound off here.

Beautiful sun pillar at sunrise in Washington DC today 🌅

🚨 ANOTHER DC911/OUC WATER RESCUE FAIL 🚨 As long as you have an address and call type, it shouldn't take 911 four minutes to dispatch firefighters and EMS to any emergency. Just look at these times from Friday night's drowning (and listen below): · 9:58 PM: A fireboat reports a person in the Anacostia River at James Creek Marina. (Time elapsed: 10 seconds). · 10:02 PM: OUC finally dispatches the water rescue assignment. (Time elapsed: 4 minutes) A 4-minute delay for a person in the water. This joins a growing, dangerous pattern of DC911/@OUC_DC failures during water rescues, including one just two weeks earlier. It's also a reminder of another mishandled emergency. It took DC911 four minutes to dispatch @dcfireems to the fatal 2019 Kennedy Street fire. That call also came in by radio—from a DC police officer desperately trying to save the two people who ultimately died. Kennedy Street is what originally prompted my renewed focus on OUC. Instead of admitting a mistake, then-director Karima Holmes made excuses. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration helped cover it up by allowing OUC to be the only city agency involved in the Kennedy Street tragedy to "investigate" itself. OUC has continued to "investigate" itself through at least 20 subsequent deaths involving dispatch delays and errors. The lack of transparent after-action reports, robust quality assurance, and real accountability is exactly why—seven years later—we are still talking about unacceptable 4-minute dispatch times. Thanks to @HCBright10 and @matthewyoung31 for their assistance on this incident. #FixDC911 #DC911 #911Fail @CMRobertWhiteDC @AnitaBondsDC @Janeese4DC @CMZParker5 @CHendersonBauer @charlesallen @ChmnMendelson @BrianneKNadeau @MatthewFrumin @CMWendellFelder @DoniCrawford @CMBrookePinto @kenyanmcduffie @tweetelissa @RiniSampath @goodweather4dc @cuneytdil @EmmaUber7 @TheArtist_MBS @oigdc @kpattdc @dclinenews @tomsherwood @NFTC_News @RamirezReports @SegravesNBC4 @ANCCostello @johnson4b06 @ANCJonah @MayorBowser @SafeDC @theHillisHome @PoPville @abeaujon @SchreiberSara @CapitalJeff @Brightwoodian @AlexKomaDC @maustermuhle