Dallas Firefighters Change Policy To Avoid Violent Confrontations
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Dallas firefighters are drawing the line about which emergencies it will race to the scene of.
That's after Dallas Fire-Rescue crews beat police officers to the scene of a domestic assault and had a violent encounter with a man carrying a knife.
For decades Dallas firefighters rushed to any medical emergency or fire without hesitation.
Not anymore after an incident over the weekend that was so traumatizing for firefighters it has led to a change in policy.
It was at a North Dallas apartment complex off Hillcrest on Saturday night where police and fire were dispatched to a domestic assault.
Even though Dallas Police officers were called seven minutes before Dallas Fire-Rescue, firefighters arrived first and encountered a man with a knife who started charging at them.
Firefighters were able to avoid injury but it took another 15 minutes for officers to arrive.
In the wake of it, Dallas Fire-Rescue says it will stage its crews at a safe location for all shootings, stabbings, aggravated assaults and mental health emergencies.
"We are told her anything that's going to be potentially violent we are going to be basically waiting around the corner until until that scene is cleared by police officers," said Jim McDade of the Dallas Firefighters Association. "So if it's taking 15-20-30 minutes for police officers to get there that's how long we're going to be waiting."
Dallas Police says this was just an isolated incident and the result of 911 call that was coded incorrectly.