If you're in an emergency situation, calling 911 is almost an instinct. It's the best way to get help fast, or so we thought. Sadly, Lacey Guyton, a mother from Michigan, learned that 911 isn't always willing to help, and the revelation left her in distress.
It all started when Lacey was packing up her car after a visit with her grandparents in Waterford. She secured her 2-month-old daughter, Raina, in her car seat and left the diaper bag in the car. Lacey drives a car with a push-button start and a key fob. The key fob was in the diaper bag, but the car has a button on the handle to unlock it. When she hit the button, it didn't work. She realized, to her horror, that Raina was locked in the car, and she couldn't get in.
Lacey asked her grandmother to call 911 while she attempted to break a car window with a chunk of asphalt. They were both horrified to discover that 911 wouldn't come — instead, the 911 dispatcher referred them to a tow truck company.
Lacey and her 2-month-old daughter, Raina, were visiting her grandparents when the unthinkable happened.
Due to a malfunction with Lacey's car, baby Raina was locked inside on a hot August day. While Lacey frantically worked on breaking a window to free her baby girl, Lacey's grandmother called 911.
The 911 operator informed Lacey's grandmother that 911 doesn't unlock vehicles. They told her to call a tow truck company for further assistance. Baffled, Lacey's grandmother relayed the information to Lacey.
Lacey knew there wasn't time to wait for a tow truck. She looked at Raina and couldn't tell if the previously crying child was falling asleep or passing out because of the heat. She called 911 again and got the same dispatcher, who told her the same thing.
Luckily, Lacey was able to find a tool that helped her break her rear windshield.
She smashed the window and crawled through to free Raina, who was still perfectly healthy. Even after retrieving the key fob, the car still wouldn't unlock.
Lacey picked up Raina and worked on cooling her off. She was grateful that her baby girl would be OK and shuddered to think of how much worse things could have gotten.
The tow truck didn't show up until 12 minutes later. Anything could have happened in those 12 minutes.
Lacey was completely appalled at her experience and took to Facebook to share the story. She acknowledged that she'd received a call from the Waterford police chief, who apologized and said the dispatcher would receive additional training.
Lacey's post has gotten some serious attention, as many people didn't feel that "additional training" was enough. People have taken to the Waterford Police Department's Facebook page to share their feelings on the matter.
Lacey's story apparently wasn't the only story about issues with the Waterford Police Department.
While there were some helpful comments on what to do if you found yourself in that situation, one thing was clear: You should never find yourself in a situation where the police aren't willing to help you.
It looks like the Waterford Police Department is going to have a long way to go to earn the area's trust again, but we hope it works out for them.
The most important thing is that Lacey and Raina made it out of the scary situation safely.
