Falk honors dispatcher; questioned about her motives - WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and Sports

MADISON (WKOW) -- Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk on Friday celebrated the birth of a baby recently born along a highway. At the very same time, she faced questions about why she was doing it.

The questions centered on the timing and the setting of a news conference Friday morning to honor 911 Center dispatcher Nathan Waite, who helped Kimberly Lodewyk of McFarland deliver her 12-week premature baby.

You've seen Lodewyk and her amazing story before. We interviewed her and her husband last week when she gave birth in her car near Highway 51 in McFarland.

The Lodewyk's were headed to the hospital after her water broke. Her baby, Katerina Rose Lodewyk, couldn't wait that long. Her husband pulled over and called 911.

Eleven days later, we saw Lodewyk again alongside the dispatcher Waite in the county executive's conference room. Lodewyk extolled "the fabulous job they did bringing Katerina into this world, and I'm still standing, and I feel great."

"This was an 8-degree day, so one of the biggest concerns I had is that the baby stay warm," said Waite.

Shortly after this celebration, however, questions came about why the news conference was held.

The 911 center is currently the foremost issue in the race for county executive.

The estate of murder victim Brittany Zimmermann is suing the county, citing Falk and another dispatcher, Rita Gahagan, with negligence, causing emotional distress to the Zimmermann family. A call from Zimmermann's cell phone was mishandled April 2.

Last November, police arrested Michael Voltz for the death of Mark Johnson in Madison's Lake Edge Park. The handling of noise complaint calls to dispatchers also came under intense review. The Dane County Coroner ruled Johnson's death a homicide as a result of multiple head and chest trauma from a physical attack.

At Friday's news conference, Waite deferred responding to a question about whether the celebratory event had any political ulterior motives. "I think to even ask that question kind of diminishes the amazing things that happened that day," he said.

"The important message is that day to day, the confidence to call 911 should be there," said Dane County Medical Director Dr. Paul Stiegler, "and this is an example of that."

Falk herself also cited a need for confidence. "Dr. Stiegler said you know, these are the kinds of cases we need to make sure people see and hear about," said Falk. "I think it was very appropriate, I think these kind of heroes should be recognized."

Falk's challenger in the April election for County Executive, Nancy Mistelem, was suspicious of the timing. "When people do their job right every day, do we celebrate every day when people do their job right," asked Mistele. "That's essentially what we're saying now is you get a commendation and attayboy for doing the right thing. This might have been extraordinary circumstances where if Kathleen Falk is going to celebrate the good, maybe she needs to also shoulder the bad."

It's not overly unusual to have dispatchers help with roadside births in dane county. County officials estimate it happens 10 to 20 times a year. Falk said a roadside birth of a baby that's 12-weeks premature was "rare."

Falk also said today's news conference was held because this week marks the 20th anniversary of the county's 911 center. She also unveiled statistics compiled this week that reviews all calls make to the dispatch center in 2008.

According to county data, people called 911 in Dane County 176,795 times last year. Most of those, 118,119, were by cell phone.

On average, calls to 911 were answered in 7.3 seconds. Only four-percent of the time did it take longer than 20 seconds. The average conversation with a 911 dispatcher lasted one minute, 50 seconds.

More than 22,000 times to either 9-1-1 or non-emergency lines, the caller disconnected before a dispatcher answered.

In the county's budget that board members approved in November, funding was included to hire nine new dispatchers, as well as implement a standardized protocol that prompts workers what to ask for police calls. The program is similar to what dispatchers do now for medical and fire calls.

Interim 911 center Kathy Krusiec said the new computer program should be implemented by the end of the year. On March 1, she said the new dispatchers will receive some basic training.

A new, permanent 911 center director is expected to be hired by April 1.

Email me at cagnelly@wkowtv.com