Miami Beach Commissioner Responds To Dispatcher's Health Claims

MIAMI (CBS4) - A Miami Beach commissioner is responding to a 911 dispatchers claim that a growing brain tumor may have caused a delay in sending fire rescue units to the Venetian Islands home of a dying man.

CBS4's  Jim DeFede broke Damian Janee's story Tuesday night. Janee explained that he wanted to clear his name amid accusations that he let a man die. Janee took the 911 call but didn't dispatch paramedics immediately. When he finally did act paramedics were stuck at an upright Ventian Causeway bridge.  More than 30 minutes elapsed.

"Don't know what happened but apparently I had a lapse, a mental lapse in there and did not recover until about five minutes later," said Janee.

They are precious minutes that might have saved a Michael Lubin, 65.

Janee now believes he has an answer as to what happened.

"I have a large tumor, a large mass on the top of my brain. It's rather large, but it wasn't big originally. It was a little bump like all of us would get a bump in the head. And it's just been growing and growing and growing."

Commissioner Ed Tobin told CBS4's David Sutta that he isn't entirely convinced Janee's story explains everything.

"I understand this guy needs health insurance but look there is someone that is dead as result, potentially, as result of this gentleman," said Commissioner Tobin. "Hey I'm taking the sympathetic stance. The sympathetic stance is there is a man, a 65 year old man, that may be with his family today if not for a series of actions that includes this gentleman."

Janee contends he did not know he had a brain tumor until 10 days after he was suspended from his job. A job he skepticism is rooted in past accusations Janee had lapses while on the job.

"I'd like to see who was supervising and allowed him to remain employed," said Tobin.

While that is still under investigation, commissioner s approved a plan to put license plate readers on the Venetian Causeway.

"It will identify if the car has been stolen, has been reported stolen," said Miami Beach Chief Raymond Martinez. "It will identify if the registered owner of the car has a warrant."

The cameras would also provide a live camera view for 911 dispatchers, which could alert them to upright drawbridges. A tool that could have drastically changed the outcome of Michael Lubin's case.

"They have immediate visual access. So if there is any other kind of break in communication, a person can look and see that the bridge is in an upward or downward position," said resident Debbie Lebowitz.

Commissioner Tobin isn't entirely convinced.

"I don't know what the camera going to do to help the process," said Tobin. "I don't think it will."

The city will roll out the license plate readers this summer.