It's bad enough that the dispatcher who received Brittany Zimmermann's call for help soon before her untimely death last month has NOT been disciplined (her name isn't available for public consumption either, although she's a public employee).

Bad enough. But in today's Wisconsin State Journal, reporters Matthew DeFour and Patricia Simms crack open the story further in contribution to Isthmus journalist Jason Shepard's prize-worthy reporting about developments in Zimmermann's last moments of life.

The WSJ crew detail the sheer incompetence of Dane County's 911 Call Center Director Joe Norwick.

How does this guy - Joe Norwick - have a job come Mon., May 5, 2008?

• On Thurs., May 1 he told reporters the 911 Zimmermann call dispatcher was still on the job, then had to acknowledge the next day she was transferred, at her own request, shortly after Zimmerman's death April 2.
• Joe Norwick denied misleading reporters about his response.
• Joe Norwick says no changes in procedure have been made as a result of the police not being notified about the call because "the employee is really concerned about this, and almost immediately requested a transfer."
• He doubts a call to the police would've saved Zimmermann's life anyway, and calling Zimmermann back wouldn't have made any difference. (WTF?)
• Norwick calls the whole thing a mistake and sees no need for an apology.

Kathleen Falk, the same Dane County Executive who ran for Wisconsin Governor, hired this guy and is letting him keep his job? Really?

And the dispatcher gets to keep her job because she's upset. Really?

Ask Ms. Kathleen why.

Kathleen M. Falk
Dane County Executive
City County Building, Room 421
210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 608-266-4114, Fax: 608-266-2643, TTY: 608-266-9138
Email: falk [at] co [dot] dane [dot] wi [dot] us