911 took too long to respond to drunk driver, Calgarian says

Anthony Russell was driving home early Sunday morning after his nephew's birthday party.

He drove his mother's car with his girlfriend, and his cousins were driving in a car ahead of them, from the party in Somerset to the Copperfield-Mahogany area in the southeast.

Russell spotted a driver, swerving in and out of lanes. Suspecting the driver was drunk, he tried to avoid him.

Russell's girlfriend was messaging back and forth with the people in the other car to warn them.

Eventually, it became obvious the suspected drunk driver was following them.

Feeling scared, Russell called 911. After giving the call-taker his city, something unexpected happened.

"[The call-taker] says OK, just a moment, and he puts us on hold," said Russell. "We were on hold for five minutes … not exaggerating."

Not taken seriously

Once the 911 call taker picked up, Russell said he wasn't taken seriously. He wasn't able to provide a licence plate, and said he was in too much of a panic to provide a cross street but gave the call taker his general location.

Russell said that's when the communications officer got frustrated.

"He said, 'Well, there's nothing we could do right now. It's not a serious threat. The best I can do is send a cop to circle that area.' And he hung up the phone," said Russell.

"I'm very upset, because if that's the training that the operators have it's very disappointing."

Russell said while he was on the phone with the person who took the call, the erratic driver drove off. Russell said he is not sure if Calgary 911 actually sent an officer to find the driver.

Police dispatched, Calgary 911 says

Glenda Sahlen is deputy commander in charge of operations with Calgary 911. She said police were dispatched. But by time police arrived and searched the area, the suspected drunk driver was gone.

Sahlen said Russell waited under two minutes for a police call taker, not five, but said under two minutes still falls short of their 30-second goal.

"It was approximately 3:14 in the morning, Saturday night, Sunday morning when he phoned. Hot summer night, you know, in August. Definitely our busiest time of year. So  I think that contributed to it as well."

The right call

Travis Robertson is acting sergeant of the alcohol and drug recognition unit. He said Russell made the right call.

"We want everybody to report any impaired driving that they may see. So call 911, let them know where you are and most likely, they're going to be advised not to follow this person obviously for safety reasons," said Robertson.

He said if you suspect you're being followed, try to go to the nearest police station.

"Rule No. 1 is don't go home, if that's happening. Call 911, let them know what is happening, and that you believe someone could either be impaired or is potentially following you on the roadway. Don't go home."

Russell is adamant the call took five minutes but said, time dispute aside, anything could have happened to him in that time and it took Calgary 911 to respond to his emergency.