911 Call Describes Moments Prior to Fire Departments Arrival at Fatal Hyattsville House Fire

MEDIA CONTACT: Mark E. Brady, Chief Spokesperson, 240-508-7930, mebrady@co.pg.md.us

This is a recording of just one of the 911 callers reporting a neighbors house on fire.  This call occurred around 4:00 am, Wednesday, January 19, 2011.  The callers calm demeanor is impressive despite the scene she was describing.  She provided key answers to the call-taker that handled the information in an expeditious and professional manner.


The caller was on on a wireless land line phone or cell phone and provided important information to the call-taker while walking in the immediate area of the house fire.  The call-taker entered the initial call as soon as he had the who, what, when and where and then entered additional information that he was able to glean from the caller.  This information, primarily, about children still inside, was relayed from dispatchers to responding Fire/EMS personnel.  Firefighters arrived within four minutes of dispatch and removed the two young girls from their burning home.

Prince George's County Public Safety Communications Center (PSC) is the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for Prince Georges County. This means that all 911 calls in Prince Georges County are routed to the center for dispatching of proper emergency personnel.

PSC consists of approximately 190 authorized personnel that are responsible for all aspects including call taking, dispatching, technical support, radio system, and personnel functions.

Prince George’s County processes over 1.5 million 9-1-1 calls per year. By utilizing a Computer Aided Dispatch System, they are able to coordinate dispatching for the Police Department, Fire/EMS Stations, 9 Municipal Police Departments, and the Sheriff’s Department. Both our 9-1-1 Call-Takers and Dispatchers are trained to provide advanced emergency medical dispatch services.

Should you have any questions or comments please e-mail PSC@:
911customerservice@co.pg.md.us

This Email link should be used for Feedback and Informational purposes ONLY.