Statement from the family of Kyle Plush
August 12, 2019
Our 16-year-old son Kyle lost his life on April 10, 2018, when he was trapped in our van, pinned
under a seat. Though he was able to use Siri to call 911 twice through the cell phone in his
pocket, police never found him. This is a nightmare that no family should ever have to bear
again.
Last year, we began talking with Cincinnati City Council members, attending City Council Law
and Public Safety committee meetings and voicing our concerns about the operations of the
911 call center. The city commissioned two studies and spent well over $100,000 for these
reports that revealed more questions than answers.
At the November 2018 City Council meeting, every member of Council raised questions and
expressed concerns about the lack of thorough findings. Greg Landsman summarized much of
what was expressed that day, stating, “Frustration today is with the report, the questions that
remain, the fact that there were key people who weren’t interviewed, that we are not doing
what we all said that we would do… Be as transparent as humanly possible.”
Though we had hoped the city would do the right thing and continue the investigation, nothing
happened after that meeting. Our frustration is that as it stands, we can’t confirm that a
tragedy like Kyle’s couldn’t happen again. That’s unacceptable. We hired attorneys and experts
who have started a more thorough investigation of what went wrong the day our son was taken
from us.
In order for the city to have credibility about their ECC action plan or any reforms, they need to
be honest about what happened. They failed our son. This sentiment was echoed by Mayor
John Cranley, Chief Eliot Isaac, and other City Council Members. Kyle showed incredible courage
in the final moments of his life, calling 911 – not once, but twice – and yet, he didn’t receive
help. This lawsuit will help us learn about the people, processes and technology that led to this
failure, and help us determine whether the ECC changes are targeted at the true problem.
Our family continues to channel our grief into the Kyle Plush Answer the Call Foundation to
reach out and encourage improvements within the 911 community. We’ve visited 60 centers
across six states in the last year. We’ve heard stories from people across the country about the
difference our message is making to help uplift communities and encourage everyone involved
in 911 operations to be their best selves every day they answer calls. We can’t change what
happened to Kyle, but with determination and commitment, we hope to change the future.
The Kyle Plush Answer the Call Foundation’s mission is to uplift families and communities and advocate
for common sense public policy that fosters safer, friendlier, and more resilient communities.