Inquest into UVic student’s drug death hears from 911 operator who took the call

The inquest into the drug death of an 18-year-old University of Victoria student last year heard testimony Friday from the 911 operator who handled the call.

Sidney McIntyre-Starko died of fentanyl poisoning in January 2024 after she and a friend collapsed in a university dorm room after consuming drugs found in a box of coolers a friend found on a street corner.

Kylie Alfano was a call taker for BC Emergency Health Services at the time, and working out of a call centre in Vancouver when the call came in.

1:14
Coroner’s inquest into UVic student’s death hears 911 call

According to audio of the call, it took Alfano and the student who had dialed 911 more than three minutes to determine the location to deploy paramedics.

The inquest heard that call takers are trained to determine an exact location before beginning triage.

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The student who had called for help had reported that her two friends were turning blue and having seizures. The call taker asked if the girls were epileptic or diabetic, but not if they had taken any drugs.

Alfano testified that 911 call takers are trained to strictly adhere to a script and not to make assumptions, and described the call as both complex and frustrating.

1:22
Security guard takes stand at coroner’s inquest into death of UVic student

It was 12 minutes into the call, with security officers now on scene and talking to the operator, that Alfano asks if it is possible the girls had ingested something.

At that point, the operator directs security to administer naloxone to both girls.

On Thursday, the inquest heard from UVic security officer Benjamin Watson, one of the first people on the scene.

Watson testified that he immediately considered the possibility of a drug overdose and asked multiple times whether the two girls who were in medical distress had taken anything.

Watson told the inquest the student who had made the 911 call initially denied drug use, and that it took several minutes before her story changed.

At that point, he immediately administered naloxone, the inquest heard.

Watson testified that, at the time, security had been trained to only use naloxone in cases where an overdose was suspected. UVic has subsequently changed its policies around when and how the overdose-reversing treatment is used.

Watson also apologized to McIntyre-Starko’s family, saying he was sorry the security team didn’t show up better, but that they “did the best we could.”

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