Accidentally Dialling 999...

[joko]

just curious, but what is the best thing to do if you should accidentally dial 999 -

should you

hang up as fast as you can...?

or

let it ring and then tell them its an accident, thereby wasting a bit of their time - but ensuring they don't waste more time by calling you back

i assume if they do call you back they wouldn't use the main 999 line, they likely have another non emergency phone line for that, don't they?
so you wouldn't be preventing other calls getting through - or would you?

what do you think?

thanks

[-Talbot-]

If you accidentally phone 999, please stay on the line and let the operator know who you are so that we don't waste time tracing you.


From the West Midlands Police

[Baldric]

What Bill ^^^^ said!

[ubasses]

Well I have only done it once dialling a friend whose last three digits were 999, I did not know until they answered. Just apologised and explained what had happened and I had no idea why the first three digits had not registered. They were very pleasant about about it. When they answered the first words I said were 'oh my god, sorry'

[shoota]

If you don't let them know it was an error your call is logged as an 'abandoned call' which rates an 'immediate response' with blue lights and two tones which could result in a serious accident.

It is imperative that you stay on the line and explain and that you answer any return calls asap.

[bazwillrun]

"then tell them its an accident"

theyll send an ambulance probably !!

[Canary42]

Similarly to ukasses, I did it once - apologised immediately and shamefacedly hung up. Then felt very nervous about retrying the number but bit the bullet in the end and got through OK this time.

[Canary42]

*ubasses

[New Judge]

Hanging up does, in fact, tie up that 999 connection. Unlike ordinary calls (where immediate disconnection is under the control of the person originating the call) 999 circuits have a mechanism which controls the call and prevents the call being released by the caller. If you hang up the emergency operator has instructions to hold on to the call and identify the calling number.

As has been said, speak to the operator and explain the situation.

[FrogNog]

I used to work for BT answering 999 calls.
Let the operator know it was an error and accept any ticking off you get.
It happens and at that stage you are not taking resources from the emergency services.
If you hang up they may think you are unable to carry on with the call and notify the police, who will then check it out, which is a total waste of everyone's time and money.
Do the decent thing and say sorry, wrong number.

[FrogNog]

A good tip if you are kidnapped. Dial 112 from your mobile because they can find your location on that number.
Maybe they now can on 999 too but I'm not sure.

[mrs.chappie]

Things have changed a lot since I worked the emergency switchboard in the 70s and 80s. If a caller cleared down, that was it, the call was unplugged, unless I'd heard something that made me suspicious.

We got far too many misrouted calls to get a trace every time the buzzer went off.

[woofgang]

Frognog that 112 thing doesn't work
http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=112+on+mobile+phone&x=0&y=0&sp-a=00062d45-sp00000000&;sp-advanced=1&sp-p=all&sp-w-control=1&sp-w=alike&sp-date-range=-1&sp-x=any&sp-c=100&;sp-m=1&sp-s=0

[woofgang]

I accidentally dialled 999 once when I was phoning a shop that had 2 nines, then another digit then a nine. The operator was very nice and said it often happened with that particular store.

[FrogNog]

Shame Woofgang, it used to.
I was there in the late 90s mrs.chappie.

[mrs.chappie]

They were introducing microfilm to replace paper directories when I left in 1985, Frog. I expect microfilm got replaced with a more efficient system. Would be interested to see how it works nowadays. Mind you, the exchange I worked in is long gone.

[FrogNog]

The directories were mostly computerised when I was there mrs.chappie. There was a book of special numbers but it was small and rarely used.

[mrs.chappie]

Paper directories were a nightmare, Frog. We had a set of directories at each console, of course, but for the more remote areas there was just one directory at each end of the exchange.

It was a right bu 88er when you had to leave your console and leg it to the end of the exchange just to get the directory. Mind you, it kept you fit. :o)

(Sorry to digress, Joko).