How many times have you called 999?
Discussion
Many times...stand outs.
1) Coming back from a days climbing and saw a man taking a young girl up into the woods we had descended through. Said hello and he blanked us... Girl was scared looking too.
Should have acted there and then with hindsight, but talked it through between the four us and called the police. The other lad and I then ran back up into the wood to see if we could find them - amusingly I fell over an old dumped carpet as it was pitch black by then and I had no torch. It scared the life out of me as I thought it was a body.
Police was response was very very good TBF to them. Helo and many many boots on the ground in minutes. They were found very quickly and we saw them being brought down as we were being questioned. Man was very angry. Annoyingly, never did find out what was going on.
2) Found a girl trapped in a rolled car on a remote forest road. She was very lucky I was out walking my dogs as the chances of someone else passing were pretty much zero and no phone signal. Had to run half a mile to the top of the nearest hill to call the FB - who then got lost
I knew some of the lads so the subsequent piss take ammunition was worth the uphill run.
3) Found a group of walkers - similar area to above - their navigator had had a stroke and was in a bad way. So the group were totally lost.
Called out the air ambulance and gave them a landing grid and then ran back (about a mile) to get my 4x4 and collected the cas + some of the group to drop them at the rv point.
It was a weird day as driving up out the valley I came across an angry old dude in a car driving down. He rufused to reverse back slightly into a passing place and shouted out his window... What makes you so f
king important. I was responded with...That air ambulance you just saw land, that's there for the chap in the back of my car. I could see his wife savaging him as he reversed
4) Found a panicked old dude at dusk who had lost his wife whilst out dog walking. I was off active mountain rescue duty at the time as I had a back injury. Called the police and told them to get the team I was in out because it was going to be a long night. Found safe and well after about 3 hours of searching.
Weirdly, had more interesting emergencies just out walking then I ever did whilst doing mountain rescue.
1) Coming back from a days climbing and saw a man taking a young girl up into the woods we had descended through. Said hello and he blanked us... Girl was scared looking too.
Should have acted there and then with hindsight, but talked it through between the four us and called the police. The other lad and I then ran back up into the wood to see if we could find them - amusingly I fell over an old dumped carpet as it was pitch black by then and I had no torch. It scared the life out of me as I thought it was a body.
Police was response was very very good TBF to them. Helo and many many boots on the ground in minutes. They were found very quickly and we saw them being brought down as we were being questioned. Man was very angry. Annoyingly, never did find out what was going on.
2) Found a girl trapped in a rolled car on a remote forest road. She was very lucky I was out walking my dogs as the chances of someone else passing were pretty much zero and no phone signal. Had to run half a mile to the top of the nearest hill to call the FB - who then got lost
I knew some of the lads so the subsequent piss take ammunition was worth the uphill run. 3) Found a group of walkers - similar area to above - their navigator had had a stroke and was in a bad way. So the group were totally lost.
Called out the air ambulance and gave them a landing grid and then ran back (about a mile) to get my 4x4 and collected the cas + some of the group to drop them at the rv point.
It was a weird day as driving up out the valley I came across an angry old dude in a car driving down. He rufused to reverse back slightly into a passing place and shouted out his window... What makes you so f
king important. I was responded with...That air ambulance you just saw land, that's there for the chap in the back of my car. I could see his wife savaging him as he reversed 4) Found a panicked old dude at dusk who had lost his wife whilst out dog walking. I was off active mountain rescue duty at the time as I had a back injury. Called the police and told them to get the team I was in out because it was going to be a long night. Found safe and well after about 3 hours of searching.
Weirdly, had more interesting emergencies just out walking then I ever did whilst doing mountain rescue.
Once when my wife collapsed. Wasn't a nice feeling. Ever since when I see an ambulance I think how some families day has just been turned upside down.
Called 101 for some cows on a fast road. They took my details etc.
A few days later I get a call from the regional station.. "Hello is that GIYess? This is PC Plod. I'm just phoning to check if everything is ok at your house."
That's enough to put you in a panic!!
My son had called 999 from my house phone and left it running.
Called 101 for some cows on a fast road. They took my details etc.
A few days later I get a call from the regional station.. "Hello is that GIYess? This is PC Plod. I'm just phoning to check if everything is ok at your house."
That's enough to put you in a panic!!
My son had called 999 from my house phone and left it running.
3 times
1. Ambulance for my wife who woke up in agony one night. Paramedic came out and then confirmed ambulance was required. "She says pain is a 10 and she's had 2 children so I believe her". Was gall stones and infected gall bladder. This was long enough ago that ambulance and A&E was quick and efficient. Great job all round except that initial paramedic trampling mud into our bedroom.... funny how even in the panic going on I still had time to think "my wife's going to go crazy when she sees that!".
2. Talking to my dad on the phone and he lost the ability to speak. I was over 200 miles away so nothing i could do. Paramedic turned up and because there was a bottle of wine out thought he was just drunk. He then checked the bottle a found it only had one glass poured so changed his mind (know this because my mum had driven over after I called her). Turned out he'd fallen earlier and banged his head and being typically stoic and not wanting to bother anyone just carried on and had a couple of paracetamol. He had a bleed on his brain. Was not pleasant seeing the old fella with a bag hanging from a hole in his skull slowly filling with blood when I got to the hospital.
3. See 2, happened again.
1. Ambulance for my wife who woke up in agony one night. Paramedic came out and then confirmed ambulance was required. "She says pain is a 10 and she's had 2 children so I believe her". Was gall stones and infected gall bladder. This was long enough ago that ambulance and A&E was quick and efficient. Great job all round except that initial paramedic trampling mud into our bedroom.... funny how even in the panic going on I still had time to think "my wife's going to go crazy when she sees that!".
2. Talking to my dad on the phone and he lost the ability to speak. I was over 200 miles away so nothing i could do. Paramedic turned up and because there was a bottle of wine out thought he was just drunk. He then checked the bottle a found it only had one glass poured so changed his mind (know this because my mum had driven over after I called her). Turned out he'd fallen earlier and banged his head and being typically stoic and not wanting to bother anyone just carried on and had a couple of paracetamol. He had a bleed on his brain. Was not pleasant seeing the old fella with a bag hanging from a hole in his skull slowly filling with blood when I got to the hospital.
3. See 2, happened again.
GIYess said:
Once when my wife collapsed. Wasn't a nice feeling. Ever since when I see an ambulance I think how some families day has just been turned upside down.
I feel the same when I see an ambulance going quickly with sirens and blue lights. Someone fighting for their life. I used to feel the same when the air ambulance came into land at a London hospital I was working at, until someone told me they were probably just popping in for a Costa.Twice. Dreadful accident on the M40. 5.00am, Northbound. Blocking the outside and middle lanes. Nearly hit it myself.
Just before the exit for the A43.
Grim. Pulled into the slip. Called 999. Police appeared very quickly.
Second time - I didn’t call - but came across a bizarre accident on the Oxford/Henley rd. right at the Oxford end. Polish fellow had stopped and was comforting a woman who had been hit on the roundabout. She was herself a first responder and knew she was quite badly injured. He was, rather bravely, dragging bits of car off the roundabout but didn’t know where he was. So he put me on to the phone.
The chap at the other end asked me where the other car was. I couldn’t see it. So looked about and located them way off in the long grass - way off.
I looked in the window as the guy asked me. Awful. But they were both alive. At this point the passenger came to. Looked at me and then, as I explained to the 999 guy, struggled out the broken passenger window and ran off.
Then the Police appeared and took over.
Just before the exit for the A43.
Grim. Pulled into the slip. Called 999. Police appeared very quickly.
Second time - I didn’t call - but came across a bizarre accident on the Oxford/Henley rd. right at the Oxford end. Polish fellow had stopped and was comforting a woman who had been hit on the roundabout. She was herself a first responder and knew she was quite badly injured. He was, rather bravely, dragging bits of car off the roundabout but didn’t know where he was. So he put me on to the phone.
The chap at the other end asked me where the other car was. I couldn’t see it. So looked about and located them way off in the long grass - way off.
I looked in the window as the guy asked me. Awful. But they were both alive. At this point the passenger came to. Looked at me and then, as I explained to the 999 guy, struggled out the broken passenger window and ran off.
Then the Police appeared and took over.
Alickadoo said:
TGCOTF-dewey said:
Called out the air ambulance and gave them a landing grid and then ran back (about a mile) to get my 4x4 and collected the cas + some of the group to drop them at the rv point.
Wow!It was lucky you had a 4x4 and knew all the jargon!
I knew the jargon as I was in a mountain rescue team at the time.
Twice last year...north London ,call rang out,about five minutes later got call back from withheld number,this was about motor cycle,club/ gang riding around causing mayhem, riding on pavement
North London again,call was answered,but bloke couldn't find street on his digital? Map , fairly well known in London,wasn't sure he'd found it,said they might attend,police popped up about an hour later,crashed car on a Sunday morning abandoned by drink/ drug? driver
North London again,call was answered,but bloke couldn't find street on his digital? Map , fairly well known in London,wasn't sure he'd found it,said they might attend,police popped up about an hour later,crashed car on a Sunday morning abandoned by drink/ drug? driver
Edited by Giantt on Monday 29th April 11:36
I've called 999 dozens of times.
Most were when i was working in the reception of a Caravan site as a callow youth - having several thousands families with young kids + OAPs in a field leads to a multitude of calls for heart attacks, missing kids, fires, etc. I did draw the line at calling an ambulance for someone with severe sunburn though.
Since then, mercifully few occasions. Once i was FOS for a head-on collision on a major A-road. That was horrible, feels like they are taking forever to get there but it was only about 15 minutes before the cavalry arrived. Once when my mum fell over in the garden, and once (under instruction from the Midwife) when my second child was born.
Most were when i was working in the reception of a Caravan site as a callow youth - having several thousands families with young kids + OAPs in a field leads to a multitude of calls for heart attacks, missing kids, fires, etc. I did draw the line at calling an ambulance for someone with severe sunburn though.
Since then, mercifully few occasions. Once i was FOS for a head-on collision on a major A-road. That was horrible, feels like they are taking forever to get there but it was only about 15 minutes before the cavalry arrived. Once when my mum fell over in the garden, and once (under instruction from the Midwife) when my second child was born.
Off topic, apologies
Police received a 999 call, they were concerned, sounded like someone was being strangled, They traced the call, arrived at the house, broke in, searched downstairs, nothing, called out, no one answered, the Controller said that they could still hear muffled cries. they went upstairs, burst through the bedroom door and found a Dalmatian puppy chewing on a phone.
Police received a 999 call, they were concerned, sounded like someone was being strangled, They traced the call, arrived at the house, broke in, searched downstairs, nothing, called out, no one answered, the Controller said that they could still hear muffled cries. they went upstairs, burst through the bedroom door and found a Dalmatian puppy chewing on a phone.
Once, many years back. I was on the bus and a drunk fella got on. His mrs was mucking about outside the bus and not even making an effort to get on, so the driver closed the doors and drove off.
The drunk went to grab the driver who slammed the brakes on, sending him through the front windscreen!
Police and ambulance were called. He just ended up with a few cuts and bruises.
The drunk went to grab the driver who slammed the brakes on, sending him through the front windscreen!
Police and ambulance were called. He just ended up with a few cuts and bruises.
5 times in all, I think, but nothing all that interesting.
First time (possibly) was when I was very small - about 2 maybe. A child called the fire brigade from our house, and they duly turned up. My brother - 3 yrs older than me - reckons he'd remember if it was him and denies it. I reckon I was too young to dial the phone (1970s rotating dial affair) and also be understood by the operator, but maybe I was advanced for my years
It does sound like the sort of thing I'd do, but who knows?
First time (possibly) was when I was very small - about 2 maybe. A child called the fire brigade from our house, and they duly turned up. My brother - 3 yrs older than me - reckons he'd remember if it was him and denies it. I reckon I was too young to dial the phone (1970s rotating dial affair) and also be understood by the operator, but maybe I was advanced for my years
It does sound like the sort of thing I'd do, but who knows?
Just the once when son aged about 5 at the time came through in the middle of the night projectile vomiting thick blood
The call handler said that the wait for an ambulance at that time was about 3 hours
I hung up, called grandparents to come to look after his baby sibling and drove him straight to A&E
I can only imagine there were a lot of people worse off than us that night for there to be such a long wait
The call handler said that the wait for an ambulance at that time was about 3 hours
I hung up, called grandparents to come to look after his baby sibling and drove him straight to A&E
I can only imagine there were a lot of people worse off than us that night for there to be such a long wait
daqinggregg said:
Never had cause to. But I did have a colleague who called 999 for an ambulance, when he broke his finger playing basket ball; after relentless ribbing from me, he told me to "go make love to myself," only not quite so politely.
In the same way that one of my mates has a daughter who works in the local A&E.A young lad limped in one night after stubbing his toe.
Notch 8 said:
daqinggregg said:
Never had cause to. But I did have a colleague who called 999 for an ambulance, when he broke his finger playing basket ball; after relentless ribbing from me, he told me to "go make love to myself," only not quite so politely.
In the same way that one of my mates has a daughter who works in the local A&E.A young lad limped in one night after stubbing his toe.
One lad stuck a bottle up his arse, there must have been a vacuum or suction as he couldn't get it out without feeling as if his colon was going to come out with it, couldn't drive because he couldn't sit down, too far to walk to the hospital, couldn't put his rousers or pants on, he called 999, who were backed up with real emergencies being saturday night, some hours later and soaked in sweat he arrived.
Nursing staff had all on to stop laughing, they just lubed him up and told him to brace himself.
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