A PAST 911 STORY
Thursday, June 02, 2005
This is a story from the past, Eddo wanted me to tell some of my 911 episodes when I was dispatching.
It was a quiet night as we arrived at the PD. The air was breezy, dusk had just begun to settle on the city. I used to always wonder what the night would hold, would it be quiet, would there be a foot pursuit, or would it be one of those nights when all of the wierdos and perverts decided to come out.
As I entered the building, the place was buzzing...this night I was assigned to work B side. The responsibliities of B side include entering warrants, answering multiple phone lines, dispatching animal control, answering officers on traffic stops, running drivers license checks, license plates, checking criminal histories, checking for local warrants, running teletypes, and primary call taker for 911. The intensity of B side can sometimes be overwhelming at times depending on how busy the night is.
Anyway, everything was going pretty smoothly, 911 rings, I hit the button and all I can hear is a lady screaming at the top of her lungs, "SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!, over and over she kept screaming. I kept repeating to her that I was trying to help her, but she needed to calm down enough to be able to tell me where she was located. She continued to scream, I finally got her address. I asked if she needed an ambulance, she is still screaming at the top of her lungs. I put in the call, Fire side dispatched a medic and an engine, then PD side sent two patrol cars to the scene.
My nerves were shot, I was answering the radio. letting officers know I was on 911, the lady is still screaming, I keep reassuring her help is on the way. I asked her to try to calm down so she could tell me what was wrong. She continued to scream, I asked her if she could unlock the door for paramedics, I had to continually repeat myself in a calm even tone and reassure her we were going to help her. I tried to find out if anyone else was with her, if she was hurt, no luck, she just continued to scream over and over ..... "SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!"
Medics arrive, patrol units on scene, the scene is secure, apparently nothing serious, the engine moves in. We are anxiously waiting to hear, what is going on, what is wrong. Then I hear an officer take the phone, the lady has somewhat calmed down, but still frantic...the voice on the other end says...no emergency here, the lady was screaming about her dog. I was like "WHAT??!! You have got to be kidding me!!!" This woman had almost caused me to go deaf, my patience was getting short and my stress level was at an all time high. The lady's dog had eaten a chicken bone and a piece of it had gotten lodged in its jaw.
Oh my goodness!!! I am thinking to myself, all that time, something really serious could have happened to someone else or one of the officers, because we thought a serious emergency was occurring.
So, I quietly get up and let everyone know it was time for a Mental Health Break! I had to get away for a moment of silence!
I can look back now and chuckle about it. Realizing she loved her dog like I love my kids, but hoping she doesn't have another emergency like that or at least if she does, that she can articulate to the dispatchers what is going on. I think her address will be forever imprinted in my memory in case we get any type of call from her in the future. lol!
It was a quiet night as we arrived at the PD. The air was breezy, dusk had just begun to settle on the city. I used to always wonder what the night would hold, would it be quiet, would there be a foot pursuit, or would it be one of those nights when all of the wierdos and perverts decided to come out.
As I entered the building, the place was buzzing...this night I was assigned to work B side. The responsibliities of B side include entering warrants, answering multiple phone lines, dispatching animal control, answering officers on traffic stops, running drivers license checks, license plates, checking criminal histories, checking for local warrants, running teletypes, and primary call taker for 911. The intensity of B side can sometimes be overwhelming at times depending on how busy the night is.
Anyway, everything was going pretty smoothly, 911 rings, I hit the button and all I can hear is a lady screaming at the top of her lungs, "SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!, over and over she kept screaming. I kept repeating to her that I was trying to help her, but she needed to calm down enough to be able to tell me where she was located. She continued to scream, I finally got her address. I asked if she needed an ambulance, she is still screaming at the top of her lungs. I put in the call, Fire side dispatched a medic and an engine, then PD side sent two patrol cars to the scene.
My nerves were shot, I was answering the radio. letting officers know I was on 911, the lady is still screaming, I keep reassuring her help is on the way. I asked her to try to calm down so she could tell me what was wrong. She continued to scream, I asked her if she could unlock the door for paramedics, I had to continually repeat myself in a calm even tone and reassure her we were going to help her. I tried to find out if anyone else was with her, if she was hurt, no luck, she just continued to scream over and over ..... "SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!"
Medics arrive, patrol units on scene, the scene is secure, apparently nothing serious, the engine moves in. We are anxiously waiting to hear, what is going on, what is wrong. Then I hear an officer take the phone, the lady has somewhat calmed down, but still frantic...the voice on the other end says...no emergency here, the lady was screaming about her dog. I was like "WHAT??!! You have got to be kidding me!!!" This woman had almost caused me to go deaf, my patience was getting short and my stress level was at an all time high. The lady's dog had eaten a chicken bone and a piece of it had gotten lodged in its jaw.
Oh my goodness!!! I am thinking to myself, all that time, something really serious could have happened to someone else or one of the officers, because we thought a serious emergency was occurring.
So, I quietly get up and let everyone know it was time for a Mental Health Break! I had to get away for a moment of silence!
I can look back now and chuckle about it. Realizing she loved her dog like I love my kids, but hoping she doesn't have another emergency like that or at least if she does, that she can articulate to the dispatchers what is going on. I think her address will be forever imprinted in my memory in case we get any type of call from her in the future. lol!
posted by Live, Love, Laugh | 6:31 PM
7 Comments:
Did she get into any type of trouble for misuse of 911?
Wow......I"ll bet you have story after story to tell
No she didn't get into any trouble, she was so upset, she over
reacted, I'm sure she was told to call the non emergency line or take the dog to the vet the next time. It's funny now when I think back about it.
About a month ago, I was dispatched to a minor wreck that had been holding for about an hour. This was a Friday night in Oak Cliff, and a wreck was so far down on the priority list that it's a wonder dispatch even gave it to me.
I look at the comments on my call sheet and realize that it's a hit and run with no injuries. I'm really beginning to wonder why my dispatcher gave it to me.
I head that way and dispatch sends me a message that the complainant is now reporting the suspect on his hit and run has robbed him. What? My BS-o-meter is immediately on a ten.
So I get there and determine a) there was no robbery, b) there was no hit and run, and c) (most infuriatingly) the complainant called in the robbery because he didn't think we were getting there fast enough.
Luckily for him, I had about a ten minute ride to jail in which to explain the evils of 911 abuse. Woo-hoo!! [Sorry about the length, could have been a post in itself.]
lol!! it's amazing isn't it, the calls we get that are totally off the wall.
Okay, seriously, I would have been so annoyed. She couldn't even tell you what the problem was....geez, lady.
Oh wow - some people just have no control over their stress level! Anything throws them over the edge! Understandable that she loves her dog...but still, get it together lady!
That is a little too much. In the first place you are not supposed to give chicken bones to dogs because the bones can shatter. Secondly, she should have been able to tell what is going on.
I would not want to be you if someone breaks in her house. Who knows how she would react.
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