Thanks For Calling 911....Please Hold

“911 calls not answered as operators take breaks together, study shows

Caller: "I just don't trust them"

Friday, March 24, 2006; Posted: 8:39 a.m. EST (13:39 GMT)

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (AP) -- Thousands of calls to Chattanooga's 911 call center have been going unanswered, according to records examined after a caller was unable to report a kitchen fire because three of four dispatchers were taking breaks at the same time.

Stacey Hunter and her family members called 911 from her home phone and cellular phones Monday afternoon when the fire broke out, but the calls went unanswered. Finally, Artterius Bonds, and 14-year-old nephew, Quayshaune Fountain, ended up running a half mile to get help from the fire station. No one was hurt.

"If they hadn't gone running, my house would have completely burned up," Hunter, 34, said as she stood in her scorched kitchen.

One dispatcher was taking calls and three others working the shift were taking a break, the chief said. He described the situation as an unacceptable failure of the 911 system.

But records indicate the problem is more widespread.

During one 10-month period, from January to October 2005, about 27,000 calls to city dispatchers at the 911 center went unanswered, police spokesman Tetzell Tillery said. Last month 20 percent -- about 2,000 -- of more than 10,650 calls placed were not answered, he said.

Officials said the count includes numerous caller hang-ups and repeated calls.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/24/tennessee.911.ap/index.html”

“someone just broke into the rowhouse next door. 911 called. Bets on time?”

“They here! Bam. 911 isn't a joke!”

“20 minutes”

“LOL...BM..if I may offer advice...if you are having trouble let them know the next time you are calling the media. We had a supervisor with the Sheriffs dept who had his own slanted opinion of the residents we served.

So when a call for assistance went out...it could be upwards of 30 minutes. Then one night his boys arrive REALLY LATE. I had a stop watch going. Apparently seeing a stop watch reading 45 minutes really got him in bad with the Sheriff.”

“One minute response time? Pretty damn quick in my book.”

“A certain Public Enemy song just came to mind.”

“I'll say. The last time I had to call 911, I got called back. The fire department couldn't find the house, because the computer gave the wrong (old) address. The funny thing is, the address was change when 911 was installed so the computer could find the house.”

“Oh man, what timing.

I just had a city employee banging on my door because he thought my house was on fire. The washer and dryer are on the second floor, so there's a huge cloud of steam coming out of the middle of the wall at the dryer vent. The poor guy was pretty embarassed, but I'm glad he aws at least watching out for weird things around here.”

“Most of the time long waits for emergency services can be attributed to the idiots that call 911 because the six year old down the street took their kid's toy, or the neighbors dog is barking, or something else equally trivial.”

““A certain Public Enemy song just came to mind.”
treebait
2:55:03 PM
11/21/06

Me too - They were incredible way back when.

Hit me
Going, going, gone
Now I dialed 911 a long time ago
Don't you see how late they're reactin'
They only come and they come when they wanna
So get the morgue embalm the goner
They don't care 'cause they stay paid anyway
They teach ya like an ace they can't be betrayed
I know you stumble with no use people
If your life is on the line then you're dead today
Late comings with the late comin' stretcher
That's a body bag in disguise y'all betcha
I call 'em body snatchers quick they come to fetch ya?
With an autopsy ambulance just to dissect ya
They are the kings 'cause they swing amputation
Lose your arms, your legs to them it's compilation
I can prove it to you watch the rotation
It all adds up to a funky situation
So get up get, get get down
911 is a joke in yo town
Get up, get, get, get down
Late 911 wears the late crown

911 is a joke

Everyday they don't never come correct
You can ask my man right here with the broken neck
He's a witness to the job never bein' done
He would've been in full in 8 9-11
Was a joke 'cause they always jokin'
They the token to your life when it's croakin'
They need to be in a pawn shop on a
911 is a joke we don't want 'em
I call a cab 'cause a cab will come quicker
The doctors huddle up and call a flea flicker
The reason that I say that 'cause they
Flick you off like fleas
They be laughin' at ya while you're crawlin' on your knees
And to the strength so go the length
Thinkin' you are first when you really are tenth
You better wake up and smell the real flavor
Cause 911 is a fake life saver

So get up, get, get get down
911 is a joke in yo town
Get up, get, get, get down
Late 911 wears the late crown

Ow, ow 911 is a joke”