A resident of Georgia recently experienced a distressing situation when he dialed 911 to report a potential home invasion, only to find the dispatcher on the other end of the line seemingly preoccupied with a breakfast order. This incident has sparked an investigation into the operations of the 911 call center in Chatham County, Georgia, as reported by local CBS affiliate WTOC.
The investigation revealed that a significant number of calls to the center are abandoned each month due to a perceived lack of responsiveness from dispatchers. However, the incident involving the Georgia man, identified as Dylan Johnson, was particularly alarming. Johnson called 911 on February 14, 2025, after his wife, who was home alone with their five-month-old daughter, reported suspicious activity around their Windsor Forest residence.
Johnson recounted his wife’s distressing call to him while he was at work around 9:30 a.m., informing him of someone lurking around their home, knocking on doors and windows. He expressed his panic and fear, not knowing what he would find upon returning home.
After initially trying the county’s non-emergency line, Johnson dialed 911 three times. When a dispatcher finally answered his call, he could hear her conversing with others and seemingly placing a breakfast order. The dispatcher’s attention appeared divided between Johnson’s emergency and her meal, as evidenced by her utterances of “McGriddle” during the call.
Police eventually responded to Johnson’s call, but by the time they arrived, the suspected intruder had fled. Johnson’s family was left shaken but unharmed.
When questioned about the incident, Chatham County Chairman Chester Ellis expressed his disapproval, stating that a dispatcher’s personal activities should never interfere with their duty to respond to emergency calls. Ellis confirmed that the incident was under review. However, no immediate response was received when further updates on the review were sought.