According to a report from KSHB 41 Kansas City, the Kansas City 911 system is getting a new audited system. The reform—Cathryn’s Code—comes after a local mother collapsed and, tragically, passed away. 911 emergency services were called by a young child—but the response was confused and slow due to problems with the system. Here, our Kansas City wrongful death attorney provides an overview of the incident, the settlement, and the city’s new 911 auditing system.
Mother Collapses and Dies After Slow, Confused 911 Response
In July 2019, Cathryn McClelland, a 40-year-old mother of two and a local nurse, tragically passed away after collapsing at her home in the Prairie Village section of the Kansas City area. Her husband was out of town when the incident happened. Her eight-year-old son called 911. Heroically, the young child provided the dispatcher with all of the necessary information. However, there was a serious and avoidable delay in emergency response. To start, the call was initially not taken seriously, causing a delay of more than ten minutes before dispatchers sent help. Further, the call was wrongly routed to the local fire department before emergency medical services. Ultimately, CPR was delayed. Ms. McClelland tragically died at the scene.
Local Officials Agreed to Settlement in Wrongful Death Case
Two separate local bodies agreed to wrongful death settlements in this tragic case. In the Summer of 2024, both the Kansas City, Missouri, City Council and the Board of Police Commissioners for Kansas City, Missouri, (KCMO) agreed to wrongful death settlements of $2 million for the family ($4 million in total).
Cathryn’s Code Adopted to Ensure 911 System is Properly Audited
Beyond the wrongful death payment to the grieving family, Kansas City officials have also adopted a change to the 911 system called “Cathryn’s Code.” It is designed to improve emergency response time and reduce the risk of similar problems in the future. Indeed, in August of 2024, Kansas City implemented the new policy. Among other things, it mandates regular audits of the 911 call system to ensure faster and more reliable responses in the future.
As outlined by the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), the auditing of the 911 system in Kansas City involves detailed evaluations to ensure the effectiveness and reliability of emergency communications. It also includes the implementing an auto-attendant feature—which will help to enable callers to directly select services like police, fire, or EMS to reduce wait times. The feature and others will be tested thoroughly to ensure they function across properly.
Contact Our Kansas City Wrongful Death Lawyer Today for a Free Consultation
At House Law LLC, our Kansas City wrongful death attorney is a compassionate, experienced advocate for clients. We are devoted to helping grieving families get the justice that their loved one deserves. Contact us today for a no-cost, confidential initial appointment. From our Kansas City office, we provide legal services for wrongful death in Missouri and Kansas.
Tags: brain injury, personal injury, traumatic brain injury
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