October 01, 2008

How not to run a 911 system

Dial 911

Me: "Hello, 911, my wife just called me. She just got rear ended by a drunk driver on I-80."

ESO-1: "Sorry, that's not us, where on I-80?"

Me: "Headed towards I-355"

ESO-1: "That could be more than one state trooper command. Let me give you a number that might be it. I can't transfer there"

Dial another emergency number

Me: "Hello, my wife got hit by a drunk driver on I-80"

ESO-2: "Which way was she going"

Me: "westbound"

ESO-2: "What's the nearest exit"

Me: "Right be I-355"

ESO-2: "Sorry, that's a different command. Let me give you the number of the other command. I can't transfer there."

Dialing again

Me: "Hello, my wife got hit by a drunk driver on I-80 heading westbound right by I-355."

ESO-3: "I'll get a trooper on the way to take your wife's report"

Edited down to take out the inanities that's what just happened. It took about 5 extra minutes at which point said drunk driver had traveled an extra 5 miles of random mayhem assuming he hadn't been speeding.

This is no way to run a 911 system.

Posted by TMLutas at October 1, 2008 04:09 PM