ST. LOUIS — City officials at a press conference Wednesday defended their response to a weekend incident where people reported calling 911 for a dying woman for more than an hour before help arrived, saying first responders did the best they could under the circumstances. They also said they are working diligently to fix longstanding problems with the system.
Public Safety Director Charles Coyle expressed regret for the death of 33-year-old Katherine Coen after a tree fell on her car in the Grove during storms Saturday afternoon, and said his department was continuing to investigate what happened to calls for help.
But he also reiterated that the 911 center was overwhelmed amid Saturday's thunderstorms, when heavy rains and gusting winds toppled trees, knocked out power lines and prompted minor flash flooding: More than 1,000 calls came in between 3-5 p.m., roughly double the normal load.
