Residents say delay in response allowed fire to spread


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(KSL News) Residents of a South Salt Lake apartment building say 911 dispatchers delayed fire crews, causing more damage to their homes than necessary.

Residents say delay in response allowed fire to spread

Peggy Betty called 911 when she saw the fire. She said, "I told them there was a big blaze fire, and they kept saying 700 East, and I said, ‘No, off of 300 East.'"

Dispatchers were already working a fire off 700 East on Saturday morning when the call came in about another fire on 300 East. Residents say that because dispatchers gave the wrong address to fire crews, fire from a shed was able to spread to a car and part of the apartment building.

Residents say delay in response allowed fire to spread

However, fire officials say the response time was standard. South Salt Lake Fire Deputy Chief Kevin Bowman said, "As far as I know, our response was pretty good on this, to the best I can tell."

Officials with the dispatch center say response time for a fire can feel much longer than it actually is and that people often complain about when crews arrive due to their perceptions.

No one was injured in either fire.

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