Calling 911

I

Irish Exit

Verified User
If any of you have called 911 in your area, it is insanely red tape-y? I had to call this evening over a tree in a power line glowing and sparking and felt like I was on the phone for a minute just answering questions before they even asked why I was calling. It was my name, my address, my telephone number, an alternate telephone number, and the address for which I was calling about (which had no address so I had to explain to them what was closest address) before we got to the whole "What is your emergency" part. No big deal as for my current need to call them, but if this were a medical emergency or something like that, it would have been an insane waste of time going through most of that to say, "Help me, somebody is dying!!!" You would think that anybody who would want to skip to the meat, it would be that call.
 
Yea a lot of people who haven’t worked in a first responders role feel that way cause when you’re the one making the call it’s a hair on fire situation.

The reason dispatchers do that is that those mundane questions are important. That information communicated clearly prevents mistakes from happening that can have serious consequences. Secondly it also serve to calm the caller down so they communicate clearly and effectively.

Now having been on both sides I know what it’s like to make a 911 hair on fire call needing a responder imeadiatly and I know what it’s like to be in a responder role and being dispatched unclear information.
 
I called 911 last summer for the same reason -- we saw a large tree fall across a power line on the way home. The falling flaming debris started a small grass fire underneath. It was in an area without cell coverage so we had to backtrack to where we found signal. The first question was "What is the nature of your emergency?" After explaining the particulars the dispatcher said that someone else had also reported it and that the fire dept. was on its way.

Maybe part of the issue is the prevalence now of cell phones that don't allow them to pinpoint a location like they used to be able to do?
 
ThatOwlWoman said:
I called 911 last summer for the same reason -- we saw a large tree fall across a power line on the way home. The falling flaming debris started a small grass fire underneath. It was in an area without cell coverage so we had to backtrack to where we found signal. The first question was "What is the nature of your emergency?" After explaining the particulars the dispatcher said that someone else had also reported it and that the fire dept. was on its way.

Maybe part of the issue is the prevalence now of cell phones that don't allow them to pinpoint a location like they used to be able to do?
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It’s actually the other way around. They can pinpoint where you are more accurately if you’re on a cell phone.
 
Kacper said:
If any of you have called 911 in your area, it is insanely red tape-y? I had to call this evening over a tree in a power line glowing and sparking and felt like I was on the phone for a minute just answering questions before they even asked why I was calling. It was my name, my address, my telephone number, an alternate telephone number, and the address for which I was calling about (which had no address so I had to explain to them what was closest address) before we got to the whole "What is your emergency" part. No big deal as for my current need to call them, but if this were a medical emergency or something like that, it would have been an insane waste of time going through most of that to say, "Help me, somebody is dying!!!" You would think that anybody who would want to skip to the meat, it would be that call.
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In my area it's all automated ... your 911 connection knows the GPS/GIS Location
 
Bourbon said:
In my area it's all automated ... your 911 connection knows the GPS/GIS Location
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So does mine which makes it more idiotic. It is like that have to test you to see if you are telling the truth first. You call them and hang up and you will have police knocking on your door in minutes.
 
Kacper said:
So does mine which makes it more idiotic. It is like that have to test you to see if you are telling the truth first. You call them and hang up and you will have police knocking on your door in minutes.
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And the fire department and EMS.
 
Kacper said:
So does mine which makes it more idiotic. It is like that have to test you to see if you are telling the truth first. You call them and hang up and you will have police knocking on your door in minutes.
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That maybe true based on the amount of Crank Calls they're getting, but I bet the Call is still being Routed while you're getting interrogated ...

emergency-services-test-solution-network.jpg
 
Bourbon said:
That maybe true based on the amount of Crank Calls they're getting, but I bet the Call is still being Routed while you're getting interrogated ...

emergency-services-test-solution-network.jpg
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If by routed, you mean they are already sending someone, I doubt it was in this case. I live close enough to the fire Department that I can hear their sirens as soon as they turn them on. I was off the phone for over a minute before I heard them. I thought it was kind of silly to send them anyway because it isn't like they can spray water on an electrical fire. They should have called the power department, but they have yet to show up despite the fire department saying they would be here in 20 minutes about 12 hours ago. Tree still up there in the lines. Sparks still randomly popping like lightening bugs. I guess the rain has kept the tree from bursting into flames again. I guess once the transformer shorts or the line falls, they will get around to doing something.
 
Kacper said:
If by routed, you mean they are already sending someone, I doubt it was in this case. I live close enough to the fire Department that I can hear their sirens as soon as they turn them on. I was off the phone for over a minute before I heard them. I thought it was kind of silly to send them anyway because it isn't like they can spray water on an electrical fire. They should have called the power department, but they have yet to show up despite the fire department saying they would be here in 20 minutes about 12 hours ago. Tree still up there in the lines. Sparks still randomly popping like lightening bugs. I guess the rain has kept the tree from bursting into flames again. I guess once the transformer shorts or the line falls, they will get around to doing something.
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Nope ... crosschecking and validating ...

In other words, covering their ass just in case.
 
Kacper said:
You would think he would have told him where he was at. 16 is old enough to know that makes a huge difference.
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He did, he told them the parking lot at the school where he was. On his 2nd call, he told them the vehicle type but they still didn't find him in time.
 
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