City of Little Rock Finalizes Internal Review of Little Rock Zoo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE :
Monday, Nov 03, 2014

Media Release

City of Little Rock Public Relations (501) 371-6801

Luis Gonzalez | (o) 501 371 4421 | (c) 501 804 4822

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Nov. 3, 2014) – Little Rock Assistant City Manager James Jones today presented a report outlining findings from an internal review of the Little Rock Zoo. City Manager Bruce Moore requested the review to examine the facts of an incident that occurred at the Zoo on Friday, Oct. 10. During this incident, a 3-year-old boy fell into the Zoo's Big Cat jaguar exhibit.

The report provides detailed descriptions of response actions taken by Zoo staff and emergency personnel. The sequence of events highlights how Zoo employees implemented an organized team effort to rescue the child as soon as distress calls were made. The team was able to extract the child from the exhibit and safely transfer him to the care of personnel from the Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services (MEMS).

Key Findings:

- Rescue efforts were led by Little Rock Zoo employees.
- Fire extinguishers and a ladder were used to rescue the child from the exhibit.
- The time between the 911 call and the MEMS and Little Rock Fire Department dispatch was less than two minutes.
- MEMS and the Fire Department arrived at the scene within two minutes of the dispatch time.
- The child arrived at Arkansas Children’s Hospital within 21 minutes of the initial 911 call.

In addition to reviewing the sequence of events that transpired during the incident, the report evaluated the Zoo’s level of preparedness during similar situations.

Zoo employees issued a Code Red after distress calls were transmitted via radio. The review revealed that Zoo staff participated in a Code Red exercise on June 10, 2014, just three months before the incident, and met on Oct. 7, 2014, to discuss revisions to the Code Red Policy. Finally, the morning of the incident, Zoo staff completed a Code Red drill at 8:30 a.m.

After reviewing the findings, Little Rock City Manager Bruce Moore issued a statement of support and gratitude toward the different agencies that were involved.

“After reviewing the report, I am pleased to see the selfless efforts that transpired during this incident,” said Moore. “We were happy to learn that the child had been released from the hospital, and I’m personally thankful that our Zoo employees, MEMS, and the Little Rock Fire Department worked in unison to save this child. I’m also thankful that our City and its citizens have access to a medical institution that can offer the type of care provided by Arkansas Children’s Hospital.”

The assessment from the internal review concluded that staff followed the appropriate emergency procedures and that proper training is in place for similar situations. The report confirms that the exhibit complies with all accreditation requirements. The Little Rock Zoo’s latest accreditation inspection was completed in July 2011 by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) Accreditation Commission. The Big Cat Exhibit was also individually reviewed. The report concluded that the exhibit meets the requirements established in the Little Rock Zoo Safety Manual and Policy.

As part of the final recommendations, the Little Rock Zoo has been asked to invest in additional signage that reminds the public to remain behind all barriers. It is recommended that signage be placed throughout the Zoo. The City Manager’s Office also asked the Zoo to add signage listing a phone number that will reach a staff member instantly in the event of an emergency.

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