In memory of Kyle Jacob Plush
‘Anyone who ever encountered Kyle knows he lit up a room with his larger than life, funny, smart and positive personality with inclusion of all.’
‘His friends know him as a leader with incredible potential that kept them laughing with his wit and innovative mind.’
‘He is unforgettable and we, as a family, will make sure he is never forgotten.’
At the time of this posting, multiple investigations have been launched to determine why Kyle was left to die after calling 911, on two occasions, they include:
- Why the 911 dispatcher did not relay information from Kyle’s call?
- Why were the details about his car and location mixed up?
- Why could the deputies not locate him?
Because I do not know all of the facts related to why this boy was left to die, I will not comment on the causes. What I do want to stress is how important commitment to duty is. It doesn’t matter if you are a florist, care giver, pilot or 911 dispatcher, we all must give everything we have to our work.
Below are the 7 Values of the US Army:
- Loyalty
- Duty
- Respect
- Selfless Service
- Honor
- Integrity
- Personal Courage
I believe these are 7 wonderful values to live by throughout our life. However, I would like to focus on Duty. The US Army defines Duty as follows:
Fulfill your obligations. Doing your duty means more than carrying out your assigned tasks. Duty means being able to accomplish tasks as part of a team. The work of the U.S. Army is a complex combination of missions, tasks and responsibilities — all in constant motion. Our work entails building one assignment onto another. You fulfill your obligations as a part of your unit every time you resist the temptation to take “shortcuts” that might undermine the integrity of the final product.
After learning that a 16-year-old boy died by asphyxiation and was not saved, I have to believe that everybody involved (stakeholders) did not live up to the 7 Values of the US Army when it came to doing their job regarding Kyle’s emergency. To me, Duty was lacking in many of the steps relative to saving Kyle. Looking back, I am quite certain all of the stakeholders would have done things differently, including adjusting their thought process and how they responded to Kyle’s calls.
The thing that is the most tragic about this event is that this disaster was completely avoidable. Having traveled throughout the world, I look at the US as being the beacon of hope for all difficult situations. That being the case, I do not understand how this could happen here in America? I have a 14-year-old son who I have taught to call 911 when he is in desperate need of help, but that trust in 911 is now gone for me. Unfortunately, after two calls to 911 the right people did not show up at the right time to save this precious life. This was a boy who demonstrated so much that he wanted to live, but the very people who should have rescued him let him down. To say I am grieving is putting it mildly. We are Americans and I always expect the best out of us! Finally, because of Kyle’s death, I will endeavor to be a better stakeholder for my customers, community and family. That is the only good thing that has come from this fine boy’s death.
“I am trapped inside my gold Honda Odyssey van in the parking lot of the Seven Hills…Send officers immediately,” Plush pleaded. “I’m almost dead.”