A sincere thank you.
- I want to say thank you to all the emergency services and dispatchers out there. I have needed emergency help four times in my life. The first two times were for my children and 911 was not available, they did get the help they needed, but not near as fast as the later two times when 911 was available. The last time I talked to 911 was because they called me; I had been in so much pain when I talked to my daughter, that she found a way to get them to me from over 1,000 miles away. Thanks again for being there when we need you.
- —Guest PersonWhoGotHelp
Crossed wires
- Most of my emergency services experience is as a volunteer or part-timer, while my full-time career is in IT. Several years ago, I moved to Europe and took a job at the international headquarters of a large bank, which also had a major presence in the US. The bank had leased a special telephone connection between our world HQ and the US office, so we could call our colleagues in the US on an internal extension and pay less for the calls. The first time I used that service, I was quite surprised to hear a woman's voice announce "911, what is your emergency?". Obviously, the phone company had misconfigured the connection. For months, when calling our US office, more often than not I got the 911 center. I had a hard time convincing several of the telecommunicators that I was not deliberately making crank calls.
- —Guest Old EMT
It's really not that complicated
- From time to time, someone would call our station directly to report an emergency. Our SOP in such situations was to take the caller's name, address and phone number, to make sure they would get help, and then to ask them to call 911. I happened to answer such a call one evening, but when I asked the caller to hang up and then call 911, she told me she couldn't, because she didn't know the number. No matter how much I tried to explain that 9-1-1 is the number, she just didn't get it. I finally gave up and notified dispatch of the situation.
- —Guest Old EMT
From TV ad to false alarm
- One evening when answering a call for a "fall with injury" we found the residence dark and no one came to the door. The dispatcher told us that a friend of the patient had flagged down a PD car to explain that the patient had told him on the phone that he was injured and could not come to the door, so we and the PD broke in. In the backs of our minds, of course, is the possibility that someone might take a shot at us after we enter this dark house, so we are nervously searching the house calling out "ambulance service" and "police" when the homeowner comes home. To explain what had happened, he played his outgoing answering machine message: "I've fallen, and I can't get up." He thought it was funny; we didn't.
- —Guest Old EMT
Oops!
- When I was about 7 or 8, I accidentally called 911 because my plush poodle was "sick". I hung up. I also got in big trouble. I knew from that moment that I would NOT do that again, and i don't call 911 unless it's a medical emergency.
- —Guest nonameplease
Our taxes pay for this system....
- I called 911 for the sheriff's office phone number and got a summons for 911 abuse. Instead of simply telling me it was not an emergency and hanging up,she used an excessive amount of time getting my information to ensure the delivery of a summons. Are you serious!!! My taxes pay to use this sevice. It should be the responsibility of the dispatcher to end a non emergengy call quickly and inform the caller of penalties instead of using up 15-20 minutes gathering information to ensure more waisted time of our deputies to deliver petty summons.
- —Guest jessica collins
Good Cleaning....
- If you have a "9-1-1, Poison Control," or other such button on your home phone, UNPLUG IT before you give it that good, hard cleaning you've been meaning to do!
- —Guest CarlW
Re: some dispatchers
- Why do some 911 dispatchers ask crazy questions? I've heard this on 911 calls reported on the news: Someone says, for ex., "I was shot," and the dispatcher asks "who shot you?" WHO CARES? Wouldn't it more important to ask if the shooter is still on the premises? I called 911 once to report that I heard gunshots outside. They asked me how far away. How would I know? I'm no expert, I told them they weren't right outside the house but could have been a block away, could be more. The guy told me to call back if I heard it again! Another time I called about something going on at a neighbor's house across the street. He asked if the neighbors were home. Again, I DON'T KNOW! I was home in bed at 1:00 AM when the trouble started. Am I supposed to go across the street and investigate the problem myself before I call the people who are trained to handle this stuff? I don't think so!
- —Guest1957
Actual dispatcher
- I am a 911 dispatcher & although there are areas out there that don't take each & every call seriously we do. Our Comm Center treats every call as if it is an emergency & we treat every caller with respect. It makes me sick to know that there are areas out there or dispatchers out there that think certain things are a joke. No matter what you call for you will get the same treatment every time. Yes we do get the calls that are jokes,people calling cause a fast food joint messed up etc but we turn those over to the cops. As a fire dispatcher I personally love my job & just knowing that I am helping someone with either a small emergency or a large one it doesn't matter. Each time that phone rings you should get treated with respect, professionalism & care, we are there to help you no matter what. If you don't treat your callers (the people calling withe an emergency) that way you need to find another job.
- —Guest dispatcher
Actual dispatcher
- I am a 911 dispatcher & although there are areas out there that don't take each & every call seriously we do. Our Comm Center treats every call as if it is an emergency & we treat every caller with respect. It makes me sick to know that there are areas out there or dispatchers out there that think certain things are a joke. No matter what you call for you will get the same treatment every time. Yes we do get the calls that are jokes,people calling cause a fast food joint messed up etc but we turn those over to the cops. As a fire dispatcher I personally love my job & just knowing that I am helping someone with either a small emergency or a large one it doesn't matter. Each time that phone rings you should get treated with respect, professionalism & care, we are there to help you no matter what. If you don't treat your callers (the people calling withe an emergency) that way you need to find another job.
- —Guest dispatcher
Funny 911
- Sometimes the calls can be humorous. Such as the sweet little old lady who called 911 to report her male neighbor was exposing himself thru his bathroom window, which faced her bathroom window. When the officers arrived she took them to her bathroom window and showed the officer. Sure enough her male neighbor was shaving, bare-chested, but was only visible from the chest up thru the window. The officer told the lady that sure the neighbor should use a little more discretion, but he was hardly exposing himself deliberately. She says, "Oh, really officer?" Just stand up on this toilet seat and see what you can see!!"
- —Guest KaliDispatcher
I could be here all day....
- I have been a 911 Operator for 9 years, I could be here all day telling stories from the one about little old ladies that call 911 because the clock is talking to her all the way to the news media that calls and hangs up to call back, to hang up and call back again and again and again..... I don't mind the children calling if they are big enough for me to effectively communicate with and I have actually gone with our PR Officers to schools and done skits to help teach young children the proper way to use 911. (My favorite is when I get to do McGruff.)
- —Guest 911 GIRL
Oh 911 ~_~
- It seems that the 911 staff have no respect for kids. I remember calling them when I was about 12 and our neighbor was sitting outside with blood running down his face. I didn't know it back then, but he was in shock and just sat there. When I called 911 and told them about it, the operator just said "did he ask for help?" I answered "He's bleeding, for goodness sake, just send someone" and she just continued to say "if he didn't ask for help then he doesn't need it. Call us back if he asks for help". I mean, who does that? I ended up telling my mom and when she called them, they dispatched an ambulance right away. Seriously, kids cry wolf. I get it, but to assume every child is doing that is just insane.
- —Guest 911 call
Are you kidding me?
- One evening I called 911 when I was hit with extreme chest pain, cold sweats, vomiting and dizziness. I crawled into the bathroom with the phone and dialed the dispatcher. I gave my location and symptoms, but started to pass out. He became clearly frustrated with me when I could not be more responsive. He then insisted that I find a way to crawl to the door to let the paramedics in. I told him they had my permission to break in the door...I couldn't move. He said I would have to figure out a way to get to the door anyway. Crawling on my hands and knees, I made it and opened the door. The responders came and stood outside telling me to secure my dog or they wouldn't come in. I'm flat on the floor and the dog is just sitting there and they won't come in. Luckily, my brother showed up and took my dog into the bathroom. It turned out to be a panic attack (my 1st), but I thought they were sure requiring a lot from someone who could have been suffering a major heart attack!
- —Guest 911 caller
I can justify this...
- I was 12 and my friend was 15. We were going to a church project with the youth group. My phone was out in my youth pasters SUV. He said, dont get out of the car, and behave. 1 minute in to it m friend gives me my phone and i asked "who is it?" i see "911: Emergency" on the screen and i hear an operator saying "911 operator, state the emergency." So i get on the phone and explain, calmly. He says "let me talk to ur friend!" so i give my friend the phone and my friend hung up. I knew i dont call back, so i was just waiting for them to call back... they did but on a different phone number and they asked my location just to see if their tracking equipment was working i guess. Now the 911 operator doesnt even believe that my friend called so he wants to talk to an adult, he talked to my youth paster to confirm that there was no emergency. It wasnt me, even though it was on my phone. its like a roller coaster talking to 911, its a real adrinalin rush, not really a thrill though.
- —Guest ME (my stage name)
