“It just took kind of a slap in the face, across the board, to all the different departments.”

Gwinnett County, Ga., resident Lisa Hall. Her husband died two years ago after she couldn’t get through to 911 operators for more than five minutes, emblematic of problems with 911 delays in the Atlanta area. Many agencies have since made significant improvements. Atlanta and Gwinnett and Fulton counties have all made substantial strides, with nearly all emergency calls now answered within 20 seconds. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)