Can we Count on 911?
You've probably heard the scary story of the young Detroit boy who called 911 in search of help for his ailing mom. Instead of receiving help, he was berated and ignored by the 911 operator. Three hours later, he placed a second call and was chastised again. Police eventually arrived, too late to save his mom.
On the other hand, we have the news yesterday of a teenage girl from Buffalo, NY who has been accused of making 1,000 fake 911 calls, some lastimg nearly an hour, during which she taunted operators by saying, "You can't catch me." And I've seen some statistics this week that point to just how many 911 calls are pranks or accidental. I certainly don't envy the job of a 911 operator, but I surely hope I get one that believes me - or my child - until all evidence points to the contrary.
As a person with diabetes, I'm aware of the importance of teaching my kids how to use the 911 system. Being married to a person who has had bouts with hypoglycemic unawareness has made this need even more apparent. So we've gone over 911 with Jake, and are starting to do so with Ryan.
We talk about what constitutes an emergency, and we've introduced our kids to uniformed police officers and firemen, and told them that it's important to unlock the door for these folks during an emergency.
But now we need a strategy for when 911 thinks they are playing a joke. I've posted the names and phone numbers of two trusted, usually home neighbors, along with a very simple phrase: "My Mom/Dad has diabetes and needs help now" (in the hopes that some detail will lend authenticity to the call). I debated role playing a scenario where the 911 operator questions the call, but am not sure if that is too much potentially unsettling information. "OK, Jake, if Dad's passed out and Mom's not home, call 911, and if they don't believe you, say XYZ"... well, we'll get there eventually.
Scary, though, that this system works so poorly.
posted by Kassie @ 1:55 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
I always thought that no matter who calls 911 they had to send someone I mean I had a domestic problem in a deaf home and they just left the phone off the hook and it took a while but someone showed up ... I was so upset to hear they did not send anyone god this is scary .
we got a great book for our kids that tells several different scenarios that require dialing 911 (It's Time to Call 911: What To Do in an Emergency). the book has its own keypad and when you dial 911 it makes siren noises and says something like "911, let's go!" but if you push some other combination of numbers it just beeps at you. it's a great way to let kids push the 911 buttons without having to use the phone.
also, i remember when i was in grade school and babysitting my two year old brother. he pushed 911 and never said anything and a policeman still showed up. i don't know about the timing, but someone was sent to our house. it's really scarry, though.
Our neighbor's son kept calling 911 and hanging up. A cop finally showed up to make sure whoever was calling wasn't incapacitated in some way.
I can see in Detroit where they must get upwards of hundreds of calls a day and trying to determine the cranks from the legitimate calls.
I think it's a great idea to have a script for kids to read...if they're old enough. Maybe practice reciting the call if they aren't old enough to read.
Another idea that we did was to call the town emergency services to let them know about my mother-in-law who has emphysema (she moved out thank god, LOL). This way it's on record that our address has someone with a health condition and if they see a call coming from our address, then they know to come no matter if the call is perceived as a crank or not.
Now we've let them know about Brendon.
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