Have You Ever Dialed 999 , If So Why?

[EDDIE51]

I was watching the TV show ''999 what's your emergency'' and was astounded at some of the reasons people dialed 999. One man called because he was living in a Salvation Army hostel and he said '' they keep coming into my room and playing loud music'' I laughed at that one, visions of the Salvation Army brass band playing in his bedroom.
I have dialed 999 4 times, once for a fire, twice for a robbery and once for a car crash.
How about the rest of you?

[Kromovaracun]

Once - woman and her baby were knocked off a bike by a car on my way home, probably about 5 years ago now. Baby was unharmed (though rattled obviously), but the woman had taken the fall and injured her leg and was lying in the middle of the road.

[nailit]

Have rang loads of times to report different things. Earlier on this year there was a lad beating his girlfriend up outside my block of flats so rang 999. When the police turned up she denied that he had hurt her in any way, don't know why I bothered.
When I was in my early 20's I was been threatened by a neighbour. I had to walk to a telephone box to report him and took a knife with me for protection. The police turned up and arrested *ME* for having a knife. Never trusted them since!

[murraymints]

lol at your new avatar nailit xx

[nailit]

its only fitting minters ;-)

[murraymints]

he needs a hair cut !

[Rtaxron]

I have watched all the 999 prog, incredible at some of the callers request.

I need an ambulance to get home, I have a bad foot!
Whats the weather going to be like for tomorrow!
My cat keeps being sick!

And there's the abusive, sexual ones, who want to talk dirty!

What a wast on the resources.

[Mamyalynne]

Many times over the years , always from necessity sadly.

It's sad to watch that programme and see how many people who need real help aren't getting it, discounting the drunk and frivolous calls of course.

[tamborine]

When My lovely olde barn was alight through a ciggy butt. 6 panic horses saved but alas not the barn

[vulcan42]

Once many years ago when my ancient motor bike burst into flames when I tried to start it. Fire brigade arrived very quickly but just used water instead of foam and they sprayed burning petrol onto the garage door which then caught alight. The firemen were embarrassed, not sure if it was because they set fire to the doors or, because it was early and they were still in their pyjamas.

[Stephen_G]

Did so by accident once!

Was setting up my Karma Chameleon phone (Remember them?)

and tipped it over to check the power pack was properly connected - got quite a shock when it rang and it was the Police. I'd leaned on the 9 button. They were OK when I explained what had happened.

[EDDIE51]

Just seen another episode of 999 What's your emergency? and if anything some of the calls were even worse. One was ''I think my phone charger is damaged'' another was '' I have bought a new TV and its too complicated''
A large % of the false calls are from people with mental health problems who can't get any other help which I can understand.

[nailit]

EDDIE, I once spent time in the nick with someone who was obviously abnormal..(I read his letters to him and helped reply) his crime? He rang 999 because he wanted to see a fire engine! He was bought up in some kind of home and was a resident of the same home when some idiot judge decided that he was a public danger. Prisons are obviously full of dangerous people...

[jourdain2]

Just once, this June, when I awoke to find that OH was practically rigid with pain (idiot man did not want to disturb me) and was having a heart attack - been building since 3.00a.m.- so the b*****y idiot tried to get up and do some exercises to ease it !!!!! I ask you!!

They were wonderful. As soon as I mentioned 84 year-old male, history of heart problems etc., there was an ambulance and crew here in 15 mins. and the shifted him to the cardiac care ward straight away. He's fine now, but we do have a lot of appointments with doctors which we have to keep.
T.B.H. I felt a bit of a fraud when I was ringing, having grown up knowing that you don't trouble a doctor unless absolutely necessary.

[nailit]

jourdain, really hope OH is doing well now. Must have been scary?

[EDDIE51]

Nalit, when I worked in a jail one of my main jobs was reading and writing letters for inmates who could not read or write. I had to tell more than one guy his wife had left him!

[sherrardk]

I've rung twice - once for a car on fire outside of our house and once for someone shooting at our house. Himself phoned them when I accidentally gave birth to our eldest daughter at home and when his head went bang (not at the same time).

[jourdain2]

It was, nailit, and very hard work for me for quite some time keeping things going. Neighbours were wonderful.
He's doing fine now except that his legs area bit swollen which means that his heart is under pressure - back to the doc's who has changed his medication.
Thank you so very much for asking. It is appreciated. :)

[Buenchico]

Most of you lot seem to avoid emergencies!

I made at least two hundred 999 calls for ambulances during the decade or so I was in charge of first aid in a secondary school. (My record was five in aweek, three of which were on the same day!). As far as I can rember though, I only had to make just one 999 call to the police during my time at the school (and I can't recall requiring the fire brigade there).

During the four years I ran a railway station, I had to call about a dozen ambulances, with just one 999 call to the Fire Brigade. Emergency calls to the police were far more common though, both using the 999 number and the internal emergency number for BTP headquarters. I probably made around a hundred in total. (There were also a couple of 'immediate risk to life' emergency calls to the signaller).

Other than that, I've dialled 999 a few times to alert the police to traffic hazards (e.g. when fallen branches, just after a bend, were causing drivers to swerve into the path of oncoming traffic) and used the emergency phones on motorways to alert them to similar hazards (e.g. a 15' long aluminium ladder between lanes two and three on the M25!)

I've also called the police on 999 after seeing someone apparently breaking into a house and to several incidents in pubs I've worked in, as well as calling out the fire brigade to a warehouse fire.

I'm sure that there were a few more incidents, which don't immediately come to mind, too!

[nailit]

jourdain, keep us all updated. Weird kind of site this, all fisty cufts but some serious support when needed :-)

[jourdain2]

Thank you, nailit. :) X