Contains spoilers for “Only Murders in the Building” Season 4, Episode 2 — “Gates of Heaven”
The fourth season of “Only Murders in the Building” on Hulu has commenced with an intriguing new enigma, causing ripples among our beloved detective podcasters. In the episode titled “Gates of Heaven,” Charles-Haden Savage (played by Steve Martin) finds himself in quite a predicament as he grapples not just with ghostly apparitions of his late stuntwoman, Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), but also with the real-life appearance of Jan Bellows (Amy Ryan), his ex-girlfriend from season 1. Since Jan has been behind bars since her arrest for attempting to kill Charles, this reunion is far from joyous for the aging actor turned true crime podcaster.
When Jan appears in his closet, Charles immediately calls 911. Unfortunately for Charles, he finds out he’s one of many people in line for emergency services that day. It takes hours for a human voice to answer, and by then, Jan is gone. Luckily, he doesn’t need 911’s help at this point — Detective Donna Williams (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) arrives at his apartment with a SWAT team looking for Jan.
Can something like this happen in real life? While Charles’ experience is exaggerated for the sake of comedy, some 911 call centers have put Americans on hold before due to equipment, electrical, or operational failures. Generally, you may be asked to wait if your situation isn’t a time-sensitive emergency, or if the call is determined to be a non-emergency by the operator. If it is an emergency, your call will be answered in the order in which it was received. Recently, some cities have been coping with a staffing crisis, which has left budgets on a shoestring. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in 2024 that half of the people who called 911 in DeKalb County were put on hold, and in Atlanta, 13% of callers were forced to wait 20 seconds or more before speaking with a human in 2023. And citizens are understandably upset.
Delayed response time for 911 calls can cause tragedy – and change
Many individuals calling 911 and finding themselves in a prolonged wait can’t help but feel frustrated. Fortunately, under certain circumstances, these situations have sparked significant advancements in legislation.
In 2024, specifically, the Kansas City, Missouri Board of Police Commissioners revealed their intention to scrutinize their 911 system in accordance with Cathryn’s Code, which bears the name of Cathryn McClelland, a woman who suffered a collapse at her home. Her son Joel dialed 911 but was transferred through two distinct systems due to how their family’s cell phone connected to the receiving tower, causing a delay of ten minutes in dispatching an ambulance to the McClellands’ residence. The phone misled the 911 operators into believing that the house was located in a different county than its actual location, even though Joel informed the operator early on where his family resided. By the time aid arrived at Cathryn McClelland’s doorstep, her heart had already stopped. She sustained brain damage and tragically passed away at the hospital a few days later.
KSHB news states that after his wife’s passing, Frank filed a lawsuit against the county and was awarded a $4 million settlement. However, what truly matters is that Cathryn’s Law was implemented, resulting in regular reviews of emergency 911 calls within the city to guarantee swift assistance for those in need. This measure aims to avoid repeating the unfortunate comedy-like scenario where Charles waited all day for a response from 911, as seen in fiction, and prevents future incidents similar to Cathryn’s tragedy.
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2024-09-03 15:30