francene--blog. Year 2013
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Oct 11th

10/11/2013

 
Picturewww.emergencycallservice.com
London Fire Brigade received 100 unnecessary calls a week in the last year. It revealed some of the strangest 999 calls in a bid to cut down on the number of non-emergency calls they receive. These include a lost set of false teeth, a spider crawling onto a pillow, and an elderly woman who asked for help after she threw water at fighting dogs, forgetting her dentures were in the glass.

Firefighters were asked to help find a mobile phone after its owner said it had fallen down the toilet. An au pair rang about getting help to close a window.  A woman called about a squirrel in her kitchen and another rang after a bat flew into hers. A man wanted help changing a tire. Services have been called for a hamster bite, hangover help, no toilet paper, and a son's refusal to go to bed. The control room was also asked to send someone to retrieve a shoe stuck on a garage roof, and a woman called 999 when she feared a fox in her garden might bite her because it had an odd look on its face.


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Emergency services respond to real emergencies, so if you do find a squirrel in your kitchen or you lose your keys down the toilet, don't dial for the fire brigade. People with phobias should get friends to help them and if residents find an unexpected animal in their home they should call the RSPCA.

Isn't it amazing the way our society has developed? On other news items today, the lead female meerkat collects 'rent' from every other female in her group, and elephants understand human gestures even though they've never seen them before. Of course, we're 'civilized'. Nothing shows human beings caring side better than setting up a special service where anyone can call in a time of need. This special quality is often portrayed as something outstanding in science fiction stories like 'ET', with the poignant pointing at his heart and saying 'hurt'. Humans are outstanding; even we don't really know what beings from other planets might think of us.


Picturewww.thebureauinvestigates.com
Here's how it all began. London deployed the first emergency number system on 1 July 1937 using the number 999. This soon extended to cover the entire country. When 999 was dialed on the old-style telephone, a buzzer sounded at the exchange and a red light flashed to attract an operator's attention.

Southern California Telephone Co. began using 116 as an emergency line for Los Angeles, California in 1946. The emergency number 999 was adopted in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1959. The first 911 emergency phone systems went into use in Haleyville, Alabama in 1968.

In many countries, the public telephone network uses a single emergency telephone number, sometimes called the universal emergency telephone number or the emergency services number. The number to call for help differs from country to country, typically a three-digit number so that it can be easily remembered and dialed quickly.

Have you ever called the emergency number?


Anita-Clare Field link
10/10/2013 08:08:16 pm

I worked for several years at The Royal London Hospital at London's Air Ambulance. I was astounded when I was deployed at LAS headquarters by the amount of people calling 999 for the most bizarre things. I have sadly had cause to call 999 on many occasions in the past two years and they have been wonderful. Yes they asked loads of questions but you can understand why.

Francene Stanley link
10/10/2013 10:16:23 pm

So sorry to hear about you having emergencies, but glad that you found the service wonderful after your hard work earlier. Karma.

Rajlakshmi link
10/10/2013 08:19:17 pm

woaa people actually for situations like that!! Indeed these services should only be used for real emergencies.

Francene Stanley link
10/10/2013 10:17:07 pm

Some people don't seem to have the common sense they were born with.

Lisa Mallis link
10/10/2013 08:36:26 pm

Interesting to hear the history of 911 (or 999!) I often hear stories of people calling for "non-emergencies" but to see so many in one place is both humorous and disheartening. (Really - to get a cell phone out of a toilet . . . ummm plumber anyone?!) Thanks for sharing!

Francene Stanley link
10/10/2013 10:18:09 pm

I wonder if the person planned to use the cell phone afterwards.

Amy link
10/10/2013 09:37:25 pm

Francene, the 911 system is such a blessing in our country. I've only called 911 twice: when our oldest son Matthew was a toddler, her suddenly had a seizure, and it happened twice. We didn't know what it was, and thought he was choking. We called 911 in a panic. Within minutes there were parametics in our living room, some who lived just across the street form us! They rushed him to the hospital. After the second episode two days later, we took him to be tested and got him on anti-seizure meds. Thankfully he outgrew this condition and today is a big healthy grown-up man. I've always been extremely thankful that paramedics were so close at that scary time.

Francene Stanley link
10/11/2013 03:11:58 am

How wonderful to have someone arrive so quickly to give help and support.

Magical Mystical MiMi link
10/11/2013 05:44:24 am

Wow those are some crazy 999 calls and I'm sure we could match them all and then some here in America. I've only had to use 911 - thankfully - a hand full of times and each time was a true emergency.
Great post.
I love your site. :)
Found you at UBC on FB. :)

Francene Stanley link
10/11/2013 07:29:39 pm

It's great to know someone is within reach when you need them.

Alana link
10/11/2013 08:07:29 am

Have called our 911 twice. The first time, when my toddler son got hold, somehow, of a bottle of antacids and was helping himself (no problem, fortunately). The second time, we were driving somewhere local and saw what might have been domestic violence, or maybe even a crime; we weren't sure and called. That was some years ago and (of course) we never found out what happened with it.

Francene Stanley link
10/11/2013 07:30:43 pm

Wow. Two great calls. Maybe your alert was just in time to prevent something bad happening.


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    Author

    Francene Stanley, author of many published novels. If you like my writing, why not consider purchasing one of my books? You'll see them on the sidebar below.
    Born in Australia, I moved to Britain half way through my long life.

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