In a disturbing case of emergency services abuse, an Ohio woman has admitted to making nearly 400 false 911 calls, a reckless stunt that has cost taxpayers and potentially endangered lives. Kesha Kennedy, 34, of Zanesville, pleaded guilty this month to a staggering array of charges including disrupting public services and making false alarms, revealing a deeply troubling misuse of emergency resources.
Kennedy’s behavior, which dates back to 2020, involved a relentless string of fake emergency calls, often multiple times a day, aimed solely at securing ambulance rides for personal amusement. The Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office reported that this blatant abuse not only strained local emergency services but, in one tragic instance, contributed to a fatality. The South Zanesville Fire Department was diverted from a critical call involving a person struggling to breathe—who later died—because they were busy responding to Kennedy’s latest false alarm.
The case is a glaring example of how individual irresponsibility can place unnecessary burdens on public services. Each of Kennedy’s faux emergencies resulted in taxpayer-funded ambulance rides and hospital visits, which were promptly deemed unnecessary by medical professionals. According to prosecutors, her actions amounted to using first responders as her personal entertainment, with each fraudulent call and hospital visit draining valuable resources from real emergencies.
A forensic psychologist who assessed Kennedy diagnosed her with a “factitious disorder,” indicating a compulsive pattern of deception. Muskingum County Assistant Prosecutor John Litle described Kennedy as “a liar,” underscoring the gravity of her deceitful behavior. The prosecutor’s office noted that Kennedy’s misuse of the 911 system extended beyond Muskingum County, with similar incidents reported in at least four other Ohio counties, including Licking County, where she also faced charges for abusing the emergency system.
In one particularly outrageous episode, Kennedy faked severe medical issues at Licking Memorial Hospital. She pretended to be unable to walk, feigned unconsciousness, and even claimed she didn’t understand her rights due to her supposed disability. The hospital staff quickly dismissed her absurd claims, revealing the extent of her deceit.
Assistant Prosecutor Litle criticized the current system’s inability to prevent or quickly address such abuse. He called for better mechanisms to track and report fraudulent 911 calls, emphasizing the need for reforms to prevent similar incidents in the future. “350 pointless ambulance runs is absolutely ridiculous,” Litle declared, highlighting the urgent need for improved oversight and accountability within emergency services.
Kennedy’s case serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of exploiting emergency systems for personal gain. As she awaits sentencing, her actions have already underscored the critical need for systemic improvements to safeguard public resources and ensure that emergency services are reserved for those truly in need. Her case should prompt a reevaluation of how emergency calls are monitored and managed, ensuring that public safety is not compromised by those who choose to treat it as a joke.
