Have you ever called 9-1-1?

[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?

 

[REWahoo]

Are you in a big hurry for an answer to your question? Hope you didn't have an unpleasant surprise this AM...

 

[LOL!]

No surprise that I know of, but college-age son sleeps 'til noon. And I wouldn't be posting here if I found someone dead … I would be tweeting.

 

[Dawg52]

911 would be my call.

 

[zedd]

Moments after being involved in a high speed collision I dialed 911. I was stumped by the "Do you really want to dial 911?" prompt from my cell phone. Fortunately a good Samaritan was on-scene and made the call.

As to your second question, no, if someone passes away unexpectedly in their sleep I don't believe they would be able to dial 911.

 

[H2ODude]

MIL lived w us for 8 years. Called 911 maybe 4-5 x for falls in which we felt it unsafe for us to get her up (even though she weighted <100#). Ah, don't miss those days.

 

[Ronstar]

I vaguely remember calling 9-1-1 several years ago. I can't remember what for (I think it was a car accident-not mine), but I was in a rural area and 9-1-1 asked me for the address. There wasn't an address and I had a hard time getting them to understand it.

A few days ago I came upon a car/deer accident. A lady was in the road ditch consoling/hugging the dear and asked me to call 9-1-1. I didn't think 9-1-1 was necessary - I called the sheriff.

 

[Christine]

Yes - when I were visiting my mum and her ticker started acting up. She got pale and weak with cold sweats.

And it was good I did - she got a heart attack a few hours later - laying in her bed in the emergency heart ward.

 

[zedd]

One must always consider their ability, willingness and need to dial 911.

For most people the need to dial 911 would constitute a Really Bad Day (RBD).

 

[Car-Guy]

I've called 911 several times and for different reasons. Once to report a fire, once to report a really bad traffic accident that I witnessed and once to call for an ambulance. In all cases, response times were was amazing.

If someone passes away in your home (as in the OP question) you should call 911 as soon as possible (when you recognize it.) I've known a few families where someone has died at home. In my state, if you "suspect" someone has died at home and call 911, they send an ambulance "just in case" and to verify the death and the police to start the "initial" investigation.

 

[LOL!]

I called the sheriff.

How did you know the sheriff's phone number? In our location, it is practically impossible to reach law enforcement without dialing 911. Their number is not in the phone book nor painted on their vehicles.

@H20Dude, I only had to call 911 one time for my MIL.

 

[Car-Guy]

As to your second question, no, if someone passes away unexpectedly in their sleep I don't believe they would be able to dial 911.

 

[Ronstar]

How did you know the sheriff's phone number? In our location, it is practically impossible to reach law enforcement without dialing 911. Their number is not in the phone book nor painted on their vehicles.

@H20Dude, I only had to call 911 one time for my MIL.

I googled the county sheriff and got the phone no from his website. Then I called the office and talked to the dispatcher.

Wow - I didn't know that some law enforcement agencies didn't publish their phone numbers.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Bucket list item?

 

[REWahoo]

I googled the county sheriff and got the phone no from his website. Then I called the office and talked to the dispatcher.

Wow - I didn't know that some law enforcement agencies didn't publish their phone numbers.

The sheriff's non-emergency number is well-known in these parts, largely because you have to call to notify them when you will be doing any outdoor burning. Most folks living out here in the puckerbush have to do some occasional brush cutting, then dispose of it by burning. $500 fine if the fire dept shows up and you haven't called it in beforehand.

 

[jollystomper]

Our most vivid call was when one of our sons was 10 and had a bad asthma attack and his inhaler didn't seem to be helping. I'll never forget the look in his eyes as we waited for what seemed like forever. It was a look I never want to see again.

 

[Maenad]

I've called a number of times, once when I hit a deer in Montana; once when I saw someone driving towards me, onto a highway off-ramp. Most recent was when my neighbor's house alarm was going off for long enough that it was obvious that they weren't around.

 

[pacergal]

I have called 911 many, many times in my former work life. A couple of times in personal life, once for witnessed car accident and once for DD illness/asthma.

 

[zedd]

Perhaps google something like "houston police dispatch"

How to Contact HPD

• Dial 9-1-1 to report an emergency.
  Helpful information on using the 9-1-1 Emergency Number.
• Dial (713) 884-3131 to request non-emergency police service for locations within the city limits of Houston. If you live outside the jurisdiction of the Houston Police Department and have a problem or situation that requires police service, please contact your local law enforcement agency.

 

[Racer X]

DW accidentally called 911 once back in the pre-cell phone days when your fingers were used to dialing 9 to get an outside line at work. She realized her mistake and tried to hang up before the call was placed. A few seconds later, the phone rings - checking to see if someone called 911. DW is mortified, explains it was a mistake, apologies profusely.

About 10 minutes later two officers show up at the front door. Just checking to make sure things were OK. Was DW being forced to claim everything was OK by me? Am I being difficult? Have I been drinking? So the officer decides he wants to interview DW alone, so I got to go outside with the other officer and sit in the back of his squad car.

Of course all was OK, and it was all cleared up in 5 minutes or less. But that was the day the new neighbors got to see me in a police car. Good times.

 

[LastOfTheBoomers]

I walked out of my apartment one morning (this is back in the 80's) and my car was gone - I went up and called 911 and they said was it just stolen? I said no - they said call back on the non emergency number.
It sure felt like an emergency to me!

 

[LOL!]

Perhaps google something like "houston police dispatch"

Thanks! I found some phone numbers for my law enforcement folks that I could not find before. Although I vaguely remember calling the same number years ago and got no answer. I think I did call after 5 pm though.

 

[travelover]

DW accidentally called 911 once back in the pre-cell phone days when your fingers were used to dialing 9 to get an outside line at work. She realized her mistake and tried to hang up before the call was placed. A few seconds later, the phone rings - checking to see if someone called 911. DW is mortified, explains it was a mistake, apologies profusely.

About 10 minutes later two officers show up at the front door. Just checking to make sure things were OK. Was DW being forced to claim everything was OK by me? Am I being difficult? Have I been drinking? So the officer decides he wants to interview DW alone, so I got to go outside with the other officer and sit in the back of his squad car.

Of course all was OK, and it was all cleared up in 5 minutes or less. But that was the day the new neighbors got to see me in a police car. Good times.

Just one question. Have you stopped beating your wife? Yes or no.

 

[Silver]

I have called 911 only once, years ago when I lived in Pennsylvania. Around 2AM my dog started barking, and when I looked outside in the back of my home I caught sight of a man prowling around the house.

The local police were there promptly, and started searching the wooded areas close to my home. There were ultimately three cars and four officers. After about 20-30 minutes of searching the sergeant came to my front door and we talked on the front porch. As he was telling me that they searched and could not find him, I noticed a man in the shadows trying to hide behind a tree, so I pointed and said "there he is". I'll never forget the embarrassed look on the sergeant's face, but since I knew these woods better than they, it made sense I could see him more easily. The sergeant came back after putting him into one of their cars and said he has been arrested for unlawful "lingering" and trespassing. No idea what ever became of it. Never heard anything about it again.

 

[tinlizzy]

I had a bad 911 experience. My neighbor has a very bright garage light and the complete darkness and a loud, weird sound woke me up. The electricity kept flashing on and off so I got up to investigate the sound. I look out the front window and the telephone pole in front of the neighbor's house looks like a Roman candle! Sparks and flames are shooting out of it (arcing?) and the tree is beginning to burn.

I call 911 and she hassles me. She repeatedly asks me if this really a 911 situation and tells me that I should call the electric company. I tell her that I'll call the electric company and ask her if it would be okay to call 911 again if someone gets electrocuted or the one of the houses catches fire. She sends a police car. The officer called the fire dept and more officers and the electric co.

I'd still call 911 again the same situation.