How many times have you called 999?
Discussion
3 times that I can remember.
2 were in relation to an old neighbour:
We hadn't seen him for a day or so, and no response when knocking on his door. Police turned up fairly quickly, broke in, and found him in bed, alive, but starting to suffer hypothermia. Taken to hospital, and recovered ok. Speaking to the previous owners of our house, a similar thing had apparently happened 10+ years earlier.
Following this incident, he still refused to make any changes/have central heating installed/get a mobile phone etc.. He wasn't suffering dementia - totally with it, just stubborn and very tight with money (although we understand he wasn't short of a bob or two).
Sadly, the second time was a few years later, and repeat of the same thing, except when the police went in, they found him already passed away.
The first time I called 999, however, was when I was about 14 or so. We were on holiday and my parents were driving us along the coast road at Whitby. It was a windy day with some fair sized waves. I noticed a small fishing boat that was quite close to the beach when it sent up a red flare. I don't recall whether it was from Navy cadets, or a public information film, but I knew it was a distress signal. I remember insisting my dad stop the car and I ran into the nearest hotel/guest house and asked to use their phone (no mobiles in those days), then called 999 and asked for the coastguard and gave them details of the location etc.. They thanked me for the call and said they had just been been alerted a couple of minutes previously. I think from the local paper, I later learned that the fishing boat had had an engine failure and the lifeboat had been sent out and towed the boat back to harbour.
2 were in relation to an old neighbour:
We hadn't seen him for a day or so, and no response when knocking on his door. Police turned up fairly quickly, broke in, and found him in bed, alive, but starting to suffer hypothermia. Taken to hospital, and recovered ok. Speaking to the previous owners of our house, a similar thing had apparently happened 10+ years earlier.
Following this incident, he still refused to make any changes/have central heating installed/get a mobile phone etc.. He wasn't suffering dementia - totally with it, just stubborn and very tight with money (although we understand he wasn't short of a bob or two).
Sadly, the second time was a few years later, and repeat of the same thing, except when the police went in, they found him already passed away.
The first time I called 999, however, was when I was about 14 or so. We were on holiday and my parents were driving us along the coast road at Whitby. It was a windy day with some fair sized waves. I noticed a small fishing boat that was quite close to the beach when it sent up a red flare. I don't recall whether it was from Navy cadets, or a public information film, but I knew it was a distress signal. I remember insisting my dad stop the car and I ran into the nearest hotel/guest house and asked to use their phone (no mobiles in those days), then called 999 and asked for the coastguard and gave them details of the location etc.. They thanked me for the call and said they had just been been alerted a couple of minutes previously. I think from the local paper, I later learned that the fishing boat had had an engine failure and the lifeboat had been sent out and towed the boat back to harbour.
Twice.
First time was when my disabled mum fell over at 1am. I went through to her bedroom to see her struggling for breath, so I called the ambulance. They were there in literally two minutes and saved her life.
Ordinarily I would have been in bed by then, but by some miracle I was still awake.
Second was late at night and a clearly drunk driver bouncing off kerbs and weaving over the road. I told 999 the exact location, car make, model and number plate but was clearly told 'We can't do anything'.
Very disappointing. That was about 15 years ago now, so hopefully procedures have changed.
First time was when my disabled mum fell over at 1am. I went through to her bedroom to see her struggling for breath, so I called the ambulance. They were there in literally two minutes and saved her life.
Ordinarily I would have been in bed by then, but by some miracle I was still awake.
Second was late at night and a clearly drunk driver bouncing off kerbs and weaving over the road. I told 999 the exact location, car make, model and number plate but was clearly told 'We can't do anything'.
Very disappointing. That was about 15 years ago now, so hopefully procedures have changed.
3 times (ish)
1. Mum tripped over the cat, and broke her ankle badly. It's a relief when you hear the sirens...
2. Reported someone reversing up the A1 dual carriageway. Police said they would be gone by the time they got there.
3 (ish). Daughter woke up very chesty and struggling. NHS direct asked if her chest was rattly. Sounded it to me. Bit of chaos followed. They called ambulance out (hence this ish - I did not dial 999), and as we lived in a rural area also an emergency volunteer who was amazing. Oxygen had largely sorted out before the ambulance got there (20 minutes). Horrible filthy night, and that journey even in a normal car would be 30 minutes. She went in and it was diagnosed at Croup. Easy to deal with when you know what it is!
1. Mum tripped over the cat, and broke her ankle badly. It's a relief when you hear the sirens...
2. Reported someone reversing up the A1 dual carriageway. Police said they would be gone by the time they got there.
3 (ish). Daughter woke up very chesty and struggling. NHS direct asked if her chest was rattly. Sounded it to me. Bit of chaos followed. They called ambulance out (hence this ish - I did not dial 999), and as we lived in a rural area also an emergency volunteer who was amazing. Oxygen had largely sorted out before the ambulance got there (20 minutes). Horrible filthy night, and that journey even in a normal car would be 30 minutes. She went in and it was diagnosed at Croup. Easy to deal with when you know what it is!
Big Nanas said:
Second was late at night and a clearly drunk driver bouncing off kerbs and weaving over the road. I told 999 the exact location, car make, model and number plate but was clearly told 'We can't do anything'.
Very disappointing. That was about 15 years ago now, so hopefully procedures have changed.
I called 999 about 3 years ago for a car on the A1 swerving all over the road late at night, they took all the car details and said "it's a hire car so not a lot we can do", was on the road for another half hour, car still swerving, didn't see a single police car.Very disappointing. That was about 15 years ago now, so hopefully procedures have changed.
Only other time I've called 999 was seeing an old lady trip on the curb and having a probable broken hip. I Waited with her along with a couple of other witnesses, until two off duty paramedics drove past within 5 minutes of each other and took over, much more use than me!
I once saw two fellas on hard shoulder of the M1 at 06:00hrs having a full-on fist fight.
Great start to their day
Called it in.
Later that afternoon, had a call back from an officer thanking me & confirming they got there before anyone ended up in front of a car.
Then he asked me if I’d seen who started it
Sadly no, it was well underway when I passed them, at a regulation 70mph officer…
Think there were a couple of other car-related calls….nothing exciting though….
Great start to their day
Called it in.
Later that afternoon, had a call back from an officer thanking me & confirming they got there before anyone ended up in front of a car.
Then he asked me if I’d seen who started it
Sadly no, it was well underway when I passed them, at a regulation 70mph officer…
Think there were a couple of other car-related calls….nothing exciting though….
Just the once I think.
Asleep in bed on a Sunday night around midnight I was woken by a car skidding at speed and crashing into the gable end of my timber framed thatched cottage!
Startled and getting dressed I could hear blokes shouting to get out of the car etc.
I get outside into my garden and there was an XR3 slammed sideways into the house with 3 drunk b
ds trying to get out and do a runner. Passenger was struggling to get out but driver was out and shouting about running, so a grabbed him and told the passenger who had a cut head that I knew him.(local digger driver). Police were there within a couple of minutes.
Next day when I was talking to the police, I said how quick they arrived was amazing and it turns out that they were chasing the car but lost them as they were local lads and turned down my little country lane to escape without being seen and the police had carried on down to the local town.
A long drawn out insurance claim followed.
Asleep in bed on a Sunday night around midnight I was woken by a car skidding at speed and crashing into the gable end of my timber framed thatched cottage!
Startled and getting dressed I could hear blokes shouting to get out of the car etc.
I get outside into my garden and there was an XR3 slammed sideways into the house with 3 drunk b
ds trying to get out and do a runner. Passenger was struggling to get out but driver was out and shouting about running, so a grabbed him and told the passenger who had a cut head that I knew him.(local digger driver). Police were there within a couple of minutes.Next day when I was talking to the police, I said how quick they arrived was amazing and it turns out that they were chasing the car but lost them as they were local lads and turned down my little country lane to escape without being seen and the police had carried on down to the local town.
A long drawn out insurance claim followed.
Twice.
Driving late at night, a 4x4 came flying round a corner on the wrong side of the road heading towards me. No time to react, luckily it was more of a glancing hit rather than a head on. Pretty much just remember headlights, a loud bang then a ringing in my ears and dust from the airbags floating in the cabin, followed by a load of shouting and revving coming from outside the car. In my head I started stting myself thinking they were going to kick the crap out of me so panic dialled 999. Still in shock so don't think I really make much sense, but luckily some of the locals had heard and already called. Local's got me out the car, the blokes from the 4x4 had scarpered as although there wasn't much damage it was tangled up in some railings. About 5 minutes later 4 or 5 police cars arrived on the scene, closely followed by a couple of fire engines and a couple of ambulances. Turned out there was reports of a 4x4 matching that description that had been involved in an armed robbery earlier that evening 
Apparently the police helicopter and dog teams were deployed, although I didn't hear anything else about it afterwards.
2nd time was more embarrassing, managed to somehow dial 999 while driving. Phone was in my bag on the back seat and the touch screen in the car had frozen so I was unable to hang up. Absolutely mortified, it felt like an age with me profusely apologising before the operator was convinced to hang up
Driving late at night, a 4x4 came flying round a corner on the wrong side of the road heading towards me. No time to react, luckily it was more of a glancing hit rather than a head on. Pretty much just remember headlights, a loud bang then a ringing in my ears and dust from the airbags floating in the cabin, followed by a load of shouting and revving coming from outside the car. In my head I started s
tting myself thinking they were going to kick the crap out of me so panic dialled 999. Still in shock so don't think I really make much sense, but luckily some of the locals had heard and already called. Local's got me out the car, the blokes from the 4x4 had scarpered as although there wasn't much damage it was tangled up in some railings. About 5 minutes later 4 or 5 police cars arrived on the scene, closely followed by a couple of fire engines and a couple of ambulances. Turned out there was reports of a 4x4 matching that description that had been involved in an armed robbery earlier that evening Apparently the police helicopter and dog teams were deployed, although I didn't hear anything else about it afterwards.2nd time was more embarrassing, managed to somehow dial 999 while driving. Phone was in my bag on the back seat and the touch screen in the car had frozen so I was unable to hang up. Absolutely mortified, it felt like an age with me profusely apologising before the operator was convinced to hang up
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