New Smyrna Beach Fire Chief David McAllister has not returned calls as to why the death of a 9-year-old girl Saturday from injuries suffered in a fire the night before had not been relayed to the media for at least two days.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Numerous media outlets throughout Florida and across the country are reporting the death of a 9-year-old girl who succumbed to her injuries Saturday after she and an 8-year-old boy were apparently playing with one or more cigarette lighters in a backyard shed.
The stories are being generated from an AP re-write story. Headline Surfer placed two calls to the office of Fire Chief David McCallister, the first at 8:15 a.m. that went straight to voice mail and the second taken by his administrative assistant at 8:30 a.m., saying she had heard the voice mail message and sent him a message, but hadn't heard back from him.
The News-Journal reported the death at 4 p.m., quoting McCallister and Fire Marshall Jeff Lariscey, as saying the girl died Saturday at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando where she had been airlifted from the scene of a 6 p.m. Friday fire from the scene in the 300 block of Conrad Drive.
The city fire department put out a press release Friday with basic details that had two young children who suffered burns from a fire in a shed. But the city did not issue a press release to local media that the child had died. The News-Journal said its story that the city didn't release the deceased victim's name because of her age, but the victim's name is typically released by authorities once closest relatives have been notified. Media outlets like the Orlando Sentinel posted a story at 9:27 p.m. Monday.
Headline Surfer e-mailed McCallister at 9:53 p.m. Monday trying to confirm the death, but got no response. The Internet newspaper called the Volusia County Sheriff's Dispatch Center asking to speak to a patrol supervisor, but he didn't responded despite two more follow-up calls to the dispatch over the course of an hour.
Dispatch relayed a message from New Smyrna Beach Sgt. Shane Riggle that Headline Surfer could call the PIO the next business day and get information.
Headline Surfer sent a lengthy e-mail to McCallister, Police Chief Ron Pagano and City Manager Pam Brangaccio overnight and copies it to Mayor Adam Barringer and Commissioners Judy Reiker, Jack Grasty, Jim Hathaway and Lynne Plaskett, but got no response. A return receipt showed McCallister opened the e-mail at 4:50 a.m. but as of 9 a.m., still had not responded.