Mike,
Devil's night I gave a friend a ride home. My truck was hit. I saw movement. I thought it was a person running out who had run into the side of my truck doing 25 mph. I grabbed the phone and had 911 plugged as I was getting out and started dialing as I was walking around to the passenger side of the truck to see if I could help the person. Then I heard laughter and saw kids running away. I hung up the phone. Before I could get into my vehicle, they had called me back and were very clear and concise. I informed them what had happened and that I found egg on my truck and that no one needed help.
On the other hand, ever other time I have called, in many cases they do not send out anyone or bother to inform the police. I have had to call a second time and they threatened to have me arrested for fake calls. The ex's BF was there at the house threatening to kill me, but as I was a guy, I would not call first. I would only call after.
I have called in my car (* changing towers as I move so I understand location and direction *). I have told them my number is x and my location is y and I am headed in direction z. As I am slow and clear I can hear the disbelief as to why I would be calling them. Just because I handle stress better and when someone is chasing me in a vehicle and or throwing things at from their vehicle I do not freak out, I react. Those at the other end of the phone think it is a fake.
But every time I have or was with someone and they called and hung up, not the average person called back but a specialist. I believe they are better trained they are the people who can read over the phone others.
Yet every time I called directly, including Tuesday morning when I got hit by two deer running out. She asked where I was. I said I am on Fenton Rd (* and I spelled it out using words for letters*) at address 5166. But it may also be called Denton Hill (* and I spelled it out using words for letters *) as the street name changes at the next street north of me. Her reaction was to yell at me. "Don't you know where you are at?". This being the second deer accident in less than three weeks, and this time the deer that did the most damage did not make it and knowing I would have to argue with the insurance company as I had not had a chance to get the first one fixed, I yelled back. "Of course I know where I am. I am trying to give you enough information to let the officer know where I am and or if you are on a map and you do not see one name but the other you will know where I am." Her reply, "I am sorry, if you do not know where you are at, How can I help you. You must stop yelling at me." My reply, "STOP! Get a supervisor and reply the tape. I was calm until you yelled at me. I was calm until you told me I did not know where I was. I was calm until you implied that I was not being cooperative." I gave you the information. I dropped my tone and voice and gave it to her again the same way. She then got it.
I have other examples as well of where from my experience the operators cannot handle someone who has information and or gives it to them in a calm fashion. They do not trust you or respond to your call. They argue with you and yell at you when you were calm.
But every time I get irrational and yell and or hang up, then I seem to get better service.
Like I said about the police conditioning me, so have the 911 operators in my area.
Now, if you say it is otherwise in your area that that is good news.
If you say that it is much better everywhere else, I just happen to live int eh worst place in the country for 911 service I would believe. Why would I believe you?
1) You are in the business I am not. You would have information I would not.
2) I know the people they have to choose from for the jobs around here.
So, like I said no disrespect. I have bed examples in everything I do. Be it interface with the police or with the border patrol or Homeland security or 911.
Well, after reading this, I have to say I'm sorry that you had the experience that you did. IMHO, the people you dealt with were not professional at all, and that is sad. These people are in the business to help others, and by what you're saying here, they should get another job, because having patience is a huge part of it.
To adress a few more things:
Speaking only for the depts I dispatch for...every 911 call gets a cop. If I took a call from someone who said someone was there making threats to them and I didn't send a cop, I may as well start looking for another job. Poor actions on their part.
As I said, I dispatch for 2 towns, and its crucial to make sure when we ask the location and they say High St., that I ask in Middletown or Portland? Cell phones are worse, especially if the person is not familiar with the area. We do have a GPS screen which gives the general area, but I personally don't like to rely on it 100%, so I'll try to ask for landmarks, businesses in the area, etc., to attempt to get a better location. Nothing sucks more than to take a cell call and the person has no idea where they are. But the dispatcher shouldn't yell at the person.
On another note, you may find this story interesting. A dispatcher took a 911 cell phone call from an elderly male, who sounded very much in distress. He gave his location, said he didn't know how much longer he was going to make it, and then hung up the phone. The caller was in a different town, so the 1st dispatcher contacted the dispatch center in the town where this elderly male was. The 2nd dispatcher then made a few attempts to contact the elderly male, but he (the elderly male) kept hanging up on him. However, he was also stating to the 2nd person that he was sick. The 2nd dispatcher asked him a number of times if he was ok, and the elderly male said yes. The dispatcher did nothing else. Turns out both the elderly male and an elderly friend living with him died.
This dispatcher, who was facing a suspension over this, ended up quitting. He had 17yrs on the job.
Now, if a cell phone call comes in, even if it was dialed by mistake or the phone hangs up, we still call it back to make sure everything is ok. I took one a few weeks ago from a female who said she just got beat up, gave her location and hung up. I attempted to call back, but nobody would answer. I sent a few cops to the general area, as well as contacted the cell phone provider, to see if they could trace the number and give a location as to where this person may be.
It was a prepaid cell phone registered to someone who didnt live in the area, and the cops found nothing. But, I at least covered myself. I've taken calls from people who are calling in a medical. They then tell me that everything is ok, or the person is going to the hospital by private vehicle. I make them say on the taped line, that they don't want an ambulance, but I still send a cop to verify that everything is ok. Its my rear on the line if I didn't and it turns out someone ends up dying.
As I said...there are some good ones and some bad ones. Its too bad that they all can't take their job a bit more serious, considering they're in the business of helping others.
).
