Welcome to DeniseAmberLee.org.
Our mission is to change the way that 911 calls are handled. Currently, most states have no kind of standards set for the training of 911 dispatchers. Although Florida is making an effort (a bill for 911 reform was recently passed in Denise's name), it is still considered a voluntary measure to participate in the training standards. We would like to see proper training become mandatory, not voluntary. We'd like to learn from the mistakes made, move forward and fix the inadequacies. 911 is here to save lives, and when it doesn't because of confusion and procedural breakdowns, that is unacceptable. We need to restore confidence in the 911 system. That is the most important thing. 911 operators and dispatchers should be praised for doing their job correctly, not everyone can handle the high stress conditions of the job. God bless all the 911 operators out there who care and are working so hard to do their job and keep us all safe. May God give them the strength and guidance needed to do their job to the best of their ability.
WHY?: In January 2008, Denise Lee was kidnapped in broad daylight, and struggled for her life for several hours. In that time, 4 911 calls were placed, including one from Denise herself, and one from a courageous bystander, Jane Kowalski, who provided an exact location of Denise to authorities while she was on the phone for several minutes. Because those 911 calls were not all properly handled, it was possible for Denise's rapist and murderer to commit his crimes. She left behind two small boys, a husband, and a loving family. While obviously, the 911 call center did not intend for this to happen, or actually "pull the trigger", evidence shows that there were available resources to save her life, and they were not used. Denise's story is not the only one of its kind, a few months later Brittany Zimmermann, the poor college student in Wisconsin who called 911 with her cell phone, and when a dispatcher failed to issue a return call, became another unfortunate murder victim. These are merely examples of a splintered system without any national regulations, which we strive to remedy.
WHO?: The Foundation is run currently by Denise's widowed husband, Nathan Lee, and is supported by his friends, family, and members of this site.
Let's unite and make our country a safer place by improving our 911 system.
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