January 16, 2003

PRESS RELEASE
To: Newsroom
For Immediate Release
Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Assistant to the Fire Chief
Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Shreveport Fire 911 Officer and Grateful Family to be Featured on National Talk Show

The Shreveport Fire Department and Communications Officer Violet Anderson will be featured on an upcoming segment of the nationally syndicated Jenny Jones television show.

Anderson, who left for Chicago today to tape the show tomorrow, is being recognized for her actions in dealing with a 911 emergency call in May of last year. In that call for help, Charles Burton of 305 Yolonda Lane was frantically asking for an ambulance because his baby had drowned in the bathtub.

Mr. Burton repeated the address of the emergency several times during the phone call as Officer Anderson was having trouble getting medical instructions through to the distraught father. On the tape, which will be aired during the program, Burton dropped the phone and can be heard screaming the child’s name and begging for God’s mercy. The phone then hangs up. Officer Anderson immediately called the home back and began calming Burton and delivering lifesaving CPR instructions over the phone.

With Officer Anderson still providing medical instructions and support to the family, firefighters and paramedics arrived on the scene. Paramedics treated the child, who when pulled from the water was blue, and transported him to Willis Knighton Pierremont. The child made a full recovery. The family is also scheduled to appear on the show.

The exact date for the airing of the program, which will be dedicated to and feature other 911 Communications saves, has been slated, although it will be in the first part of this year. It is just a great reminder that because of the medical training provided to Fire Communications Officers, emergency 911 service in Shreveport begins when the citizen picks up the phone, not just when firefighters arrive on the scene. ###