Have you ever called 9-1-1?

[Ronstar]

I did some consulting on a county 911 mapping system, and was discussing it with the IT guy at his office in the county courthouse. He called the 911 office while I was there-but he dialed 911. He realized it and hung up, but it was too late. The courthouse's sheriff deputies were in his office within a few minutes. The IT guy had a hard time explaining that one.

[Katiek]

Once by mistake. I was dialing into a conference call from home, forgot I didn't need to dial "9" and restarted with the 1-800 part. Unfortunately, in my misdialing, I dialed 911 by mistake. When my call ended, I got a call from the operator asking what my emergency was. Oops.

[Chris7]

We called for a gas leak once. Fire Engine and two police cars showed up. The police approached first and then allowed the FM to enter. We don't live in a dangerous spot at all so still felt the police approach to start was weird.

[ABQ2015]

In the early 1980's, I was living in a budget apartment while working a low level job and going to college - the apartment complex was a series of four plexes. About 3 am, I hear screams from a unit across the courtyard with the woman screaming and the man yelling that he was going to kill her. Called 911 and they wanted all this information that I was not able to provide. No police ever came and the screaming stopped. The couple was still alive the next morning. I mentioned this to another neighbor and her response was that the couple did this all the time to spice up their sex life. Boy did I feel like an idiot!

[RobbieB]

Many times.

One for some idiots that started a grass fire in the field behind my house shooting illegal fireworks.

Three to transport Pops to the hospital and one more to put him back in bed after he fell out at home.

[rodi]

FIL choked on dinner one night - my step mom was calling 911 while my DH did the Heimlich. We were able to dislodge the piece of meat - but at that point he was lying on the floor of our living room (he was partially paralyzed and in a wheelchair. The paramedics checked him out and got him back in his wheelchair.

MIL called several times over FIL's last several years... one time when he leaned back in his wheelchair and hit his head on the floor hard.... and 2 more choking situations.

[Revlefty]

Just a couple of months ago, at the final practice before our church's Easter choir presentation, one of the basses crumpled and fell off the back of the risers (about three feet down). We called 911 and they came quickly. We had quite a bit of trouble moving the risers and platform furniture around so they could get the stretcher to him.

They hauled him off to the hospital and he got checked out and kept overnight--but was back in the choir on Sunday morning--but he sang sitting down in a chair.

Someone passing out can really put a damper on a choir rehearsal.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LOL! Many years ago I called 911 when my MIL fell and cracked her head open. But what if someone passes away unexpectedly in their sleep?

It depends. When my mom was in her last days dying from cancer we knew to call the local coroner who also ran the funeral home. And that's who we called in the middle of the night.

Well, I guess in that case it wasn't unexpected.

We have the non-emergency number for our police department.

As well as the dispatch number for Customs and Border Patrol.

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katiek Once by mistake. I was dialing into a conference call from home, forgot I didn't need to dial "9" and restarted with the 1-800 part. Unfortunately, in my misdialing, I dialed 911 by mistake. When my call ended, I got a call from the operator asking what my emergency was. Oops.

Happens frequently. When Megacorp starting their UK office you had to dial 9 to get out, then 011 for UK long distance then the number. Folks would frequently drop the 0 and dial 911. We all had to get educated to stay on the line and explain what happened. I almost made the same mistake right after the HR email describing the problem.

[jimnjana]

My FIL was in the hospital, recovering from shoulder surgery. The nurse had left him in the chair, and had left his call button console on the opposite side of the bed. He tried calling out for help over the course of an hour or so. No one heard him. Since he could reach the phone he called 911. He told him what his situation was, they asked him if he knew he was calling from the Hospital and he told them his situation again. He never had any trouble getting help in the hospital again.

[LOL!]

Wow, I didn't expect to read about so many experiences. Thanks for all the stories. I'm going to talk about choking on food at dinner tonight

[Fedup]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LOL! Wow, I didn't expect to read about so many experiences. Thanks for all the stories. I'm going to talk about choking on food at dinner tonight

My husband choked on food, I had to do a few Heimlich maneuvers in the past. I never was taught anything about it, but as a small person, I did the best I could and I didn't have to call 911. It would be too late if I did.
I also got plenty of practice with my dad too, when he was alive, I took him out to eat, he often choked on food. I just didn't want to be the one he died on.

[PawPrint53]

The first time I called was driving down a major street one night in Ft. Collins, CO. I noticed that the stop light was green on all four sides, which seemed to me like an accident waiting to happen. However, the emergency operator was like, so what? Okay, my bad, I thought that maybe prevention was a good alternative to an accident.

The second time was several decades later when my DH, who was undergoing chemo for breast cancer, did a face plant in the bathroom at 1:00 am and couldn't get up. The firefighters came first, followed by the paramedics. I just wanted them to put him back into bed (he's a big guy, and I couldn't lift him), but they took him to the hospital where where they pronounced him okay after hours of waiting, and gave us a taxi voucher home.

[Packman]

I had someone call 911 for me one time. I was in a car accident. No, my car was not damaged. No, I wasn't driving. No, I wasn't a passenger. No, I wasn't a pedestrian. I was the only person in the waiting area of a barber shop trying to get a haircut. A women drove through the front of the place and sent me flying. I ended up in the back of the shop. No one saw me fly through, so they thought everyone was alright. I had the wind knocked out of me and I couldn't speak. So I got up and sat in one of the barber chairs and finally one of the employees saw me. I wasn't badly hurt, just some glass cuts and bruises, but I went to the hospital just to make sure. Busy night in the ER so I had to lay there for 5 hours. They took X-rays and said I could go home. Now it's midnight, I'm single at the time, and have no ride back to my car. Called for a taxi twice and none showed up. I found a cop in the parking lot of the hospital and asked if he could give me a ride. He said it was against policy. I told him I'd tell him a story he'd remember for the rest of his life if he gave me the ride. So he did and we had a big laugh about it. Strange, but all true! I should have sued the women behind the wheel, but decided not to. She was not hurt but was crying wildly at the scene. I actually felt a little sorry for her. Her insurance paid for the ambulance and ER, and bought me a new suit since it was ruined.

[bhoferp]

We bought a new car last year. DH adjusted the rearview mirror. Since the car was new, we hadn't noticed the small red triangle on the lower right that says 911. I was pushing everything I could think of to try to stop the call from going through, but once it starts, there is no stopping it. We were totally embarrassed, but explained our mistake with great apologies. Our kids said maybe we bought too much car.

I've called 911 twice when DH has fallen and once when MIL had chest pains. Our service here is excellent and quick. I always ask that they turn off the siren once they get in our subdivision so as to not disturb the neighbors in the middle of the night.

[zedd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LOL! Wow, I didn't expect to read about so many experiences. Thanks for all the stories. I'm going to talk about choking on food at dinner tonight

Choking on food, boy that takes me back....

I have EoE, an allergic inflammatory disease of the esophagus. Seems to flare up for a time then goes into remission, One fine morning I made a plate of swirled eggs and toast, not unlike most mornings. The toast for some reason just wouldn't go down. Imagine drowning in your own saliva. I panicked which made the situation worse. Was tempted to call 911 but at the time we lived in town not five minutes from the hospital.

DW drove me to the ER where they took good care of me.

Someone with EoE having an "episode" doesn't benefit from the Heimlich maneuver.

What you guys gonna have for dinner?

[mystang52]

I've called 911 a few times, but the first was the most upsetting. Our 70-something neighbor banged on our door for help as he couldn't wake up his wife. DW and I went over and the woman was clearly dead on the bed, in a grotesque "pose." I called 911 while DW performed CPR, but it was to no avail. This was 35 years ago or so, and the memory still haunts me.

[growing_older]

I have called several times for several different reasons. I am always impressed with their speed and abilities. They have my most sincere respect and support.

[Blue Collar Guy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris7 We called for a gas leak once. Fire Engine and two police cars showed up. The police approached first and then allowed the FM to enter. We don't live in a dangerous spot at all so still felt the police approach to start was weird.

i can tell you stories for days about the fake 911 calls that are made to lure in the police just to ambush them.

[pb4uski]

I've called 911 a number of times..

Most memorable was the summer of 1977. I had just graduated college and was at home in the early morning (probably about 6 am) getting ready for work, as was my roommate. We both hear a scream from the girl living right above us... roommate heads for his bedroom to get on pants (was in his underwear) and I head for the back door to take the outside stairs to see what is going on. As I open the door I see a man on the stairs with a shotgun pointed away from me (I shot trap as a kid so I knew what a shotgun was) and it goes off and I see the muzzle flash. I immediately reverse course, close and lock the door, grab the phone and retreat to the bathroom and call 911. Meanwhile, the girl upstairs shows up at the door so my roommate lets her in and closes and locks the door. Roommate later goes outside himself and talks down her husband (a friend) who had come home to find his wife in bed with another man and decided to take a shot at him.... he did wing the guy with a few bird shot and did a real good job on the corner of the building.

Anyway, by the time the cops got there everything was under control... other than I had to show the cop how to unload the shotgun.

Another time was when DS had a sledding accident that knocked him out cold. And a few times to report cars off the road during snowstorms.