El Pasoans raise concerns over 911 Response times
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- For decades, Americans have been taught to call 911 in an emergency. But some El Paso residents say when they needed help, the system failed them.
One woman said her emergency call was placed on hold. Another man said he waited hours for police who never arrived at the scene of a crash.
“If we waited any longer, he wouldn't have been alive. He would have died,” said El Pasoan Eliza Martinez, recalling a recent emergency involving a family member. Martinez said doctors later told her her son's lung was filled with blood clots.
“It infuriated me,” she said. “I'm concerned had it been someone in the middle of a heart attack, they would have died by the time somebody picked up the call.”
While Martinez says her concern is with being placed on hold, another El Paso resident says his problem was the delay in response.
Wesley Lawrence says he was rear-ended in a hit-and-run crash on U.S. 54 in December 2024. The driver fled, and Lawrence said his car was totaled. He called 911 at around 5 p.m.
“I waited four to five hours on the side of U.S. 54, waiting for law enforcement to come, at least to take a statement or gather evidence,” Lawrence said. “Unfortunately, no one never came.”
Police eventually arrived at his home to file a report 11 hours after the incident, he says.
“I've seen the stories of countless El Pasoans some hit by drunk drivers, others in hit-and-runs where the response times are often very, very dismal,” Lawrence said.
The El Paso Fire Department operates the city’s 911 dispatch center. A department spokesperson said emergency calls are handled through a priority-based system. That means both police and fire units are dispatched depending on the severity of the situation.
Calls involving injuries or weapons are typically classified as “Priority 1, Code 3,” which receive the fastest response.
Both Martinez and Lawrence say they understand triaging emergencies is necessary but they also believe more needs to be done to ensure timely help for everyone.