[audio/video] Strange calls and other 911-related tidbits

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Audio of people calling 911 regarding:

• a woman wants to know a quiet place to sit
• a woman wants to know if its safe to put a turkey at 200 degrees
• a man needs someone to get ice off his windshield
• a funny police chase
• a woman is watching a movie of a guy beating someone with a bat
• a ‘rude’ woman won’t get a dollar refund for her taco

George Clooney’s motorcycle accident 911 call.

911 caller arrested for wanting to know the names of police officers because they were cute.

Emergency calls from a hospital about Edith Rodriguez, the woman who died from being overlooked in emergency room (I remember seeing this on the news but never heard the 911 tapes).

• from an onlooker
• from the woman’s husband
• from the news cast

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A Dispatcher’s Plea: “No, I Am Not 911!”

No, I am not 911!

I am a public safety dispatcher who fields emergency and non-emergency calls from the public. I dispatch law enforcement, fire or emergency medical help, and coordinate the activity of field units by radio. I also handle many other duties to assist the public and members of the public safety agencies for whom I work.

“911″ is the telephone number that you dial when you have a life-threatening emergency, and you need help quickly. The number was selected to allow quick dialing and direct routing to the nearest public safety communications center. It’s maintained by the local telephone company and consists of computers and switching gear to accept your call, route it to my communications center and, in most cases, display your address and telephone number.

I am a person. 911 is equipment. Please don’t use the term “911″ when you intend to refer to me. No one likes to be referred to as a piece of equipment. For example, don’t say, “I talked to 911 and they said….” Instead, say that you, “dialed 911 and talked to the dispatcher.” That makes me feel more like a valuable person.

And please don’t use “911″ to encompass everything that I do. Handling 911 calls is a critical part of my job, but it’s just one small portion of the many tasks that I perform.

The majority of the calls I handle are non-emergencies. People call with parking problems, barking dogs, questions about the law, and just advice on how to handle an everyday life situation. I help track all the activity performed by the officers, deputies, firefighters and EMS personnel by writing logs or entering information into computers. I make telephone calls for tow trucks, taxis and assistance from alarm companies. I coordinate responses when our jurisdiction needs help from other agencies, including the state police, county sheriff, transit and university police, the FBI or Coast Guard. At some agencies, I may also greet visitors at the police department’s front counter, or assist in booking prisoners into the jail.

As you can tell, there are literally scores of tasks that a public safety dispatcher performs. It’s not all “911.”

So, call 911 if you have an emergency. But please don’t call me “911.” I’m a public safety dispatcher.

Thank you.

Source

Other videos:

Footage of a collapsing roller coaster.

 

 

Sometimes having a bad day is a blessing in disguise

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The following “ponder this” lesson became reality on a few occassions…an example at the end of the post.

As you  might remember, the head of a company survived 9/11  because  his son started  kindergarten.

Another  fellow was alive because it was his turn to bring donuts.

One woman was late because her alarm clock didn’t go off in time.

One was late because of being stuck on the NJ  Turnpike because of an auto accident.

One of them missed his bus.

One spilled food on her clothes and had to take time to change.

One’s car wouldn’t  start.

One couldn’t get a  taxi.

A man who put on a new pair of shoes that  morning, took the various means to get  to work.  But before he got there, he  developed a blister on his  foot.  He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid.  That is why he is alive today…

When you’re stuck  in traffic, miss an elevator, turn back to answer a ringing telephone … all the little things that annoy you, consider this is exactly where God wants me to be at that very moment.  The next time your morning seems to  be going wrong, the  children are slow getting  dressed, you  can’t seem to find the car  keys, you hit every traffic light, don’t  get mad or frustrated.  It may be just that God is at work watching over you.  May God continue to bless you with all those annoying little things and may you remember their possible  purpose.

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I was in a hurry one night to get home after a hard day at work.  While driving down the rain-soaked highway, my wipers kept getting stuck so I had to pull over a few times.  Then I had to slow down to avoid hitting a deer.  Those two annoyances caused me complain and mutter, “God, where are you?  All I want to do is go home and relax from a hard day at work.  Is that too much to ask?”  When I reached the city and pulled up to the first stop light, a truck skidded off the road and hit a car that pulled up next to me seconds before.  It was a bad accident.  Anyway, to shorten a much longer story, my question was answered.  I was annoyed for a few minutes but was able to enjoy a safe and peaceful night at home.  I totally believe “the steps [or annoyances] of a good man are ordered of the Lord.” Psalm 37:23

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Can you relate?  Were you ever spared a disaster because of an inconvenience?

Man kills intruders while talking to 911 [audio/news/video]

Joe Horn witnessed his neighbor’s house being robbed and notified the authorities.  I guess he figured they were taking too long so he took the law into his own hands–while remaining on the phone!

Read the news story here.

Note: I realize this incident took place November 14, 2007.  I’m not interested in the date so much as the content.

__________

Apparently he was acquitted by a Grand Jury…

__________

Was this crime justified?

The most chilling 911 call on 9/11 [audio]

I’m sure many people heard this clip–but I haven’t until today.  It’s the chilling 911 call sent from Kevin Cosgrove.  He was on the 105th floor of the World Trade Center with another man, Doug Cherry.

OTHER 9/11 VIDEOS

MAN TRIES TO CLIMB DOWN THE WTC

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Nadya Suleman’s 911 call made last year released [video]

Last year before the octuplets were born, Nadya Suleman thought one of her children, JJ, went missing and frantically called 911.  See the CNN video below to find out where the child was.  The call was placed October 27, 2008.

Related Links

• CNN comments on this 911 call with more details

Related articles by Zemanta

• Octo-Mom Threatened Suicide in 911 Call (abcnews.go.com)
• One of the unintended downsides of the EMR (gruntdoc.com)

Boy calls 911 to get help with math problem [audio]

This is so cute.  A four-year-old boy calls the police to ask for help with a math problem.  Towards the end you hear the  mother scolding her son for calling 911.

Audio

Kleenex moment…’Freeway the Fawn’ [video]

When a pregnant deer is fatally injured after being hit by a car, good samaritans try to save the fawn. This segment was taken from Episode 305 which aired on October 15, 1991 on CBS. This particular version of the segment was taken from a 30-minute syndicated episode, so small parts of it may have been cut out to make room for commercials.

McNuggets shortage causes woman to call 911 [audio/photo]

A McNuggets “Emergency”

Floridian called 911 three times over McDonald’s chicken shortage

MARCH 3–Angered that her local McDonald’s was out of Chicken McNuggets, a Florida woman called 911 three times to report the fast food “emergency.” Latreasa Goodman, 27, last Saturday called police to complain that a cashier–citing a McDonald’s all sales are final policy–would not give her a refund. [To listen to Goodman's 911 calls, click here, here, and here.] When cops responded to the restaurant, Goodman told them, “This is an emergency. If I would have known they didn’t have McNuggets, I wouldn’t have given my money, and now she wants to give me a McDouble, but I don’t want one.” Goodman noted, “I called 911 because I couldn’t get a refund, and I wanted my McNuggets,” according to the below Fort Pierce Police Department report. That logic, however, did not keep cops from citing Goodman for misusing the 911 system. Even after being issued a misdemeanor citation, Goodman contended, “this is an emergency, my McNuggets are an emergency.” The McDonald’s devotee is seen at right in a mug shot snapped after a previous encounter with police. Last month, a Florida man was arrested after he called 911 to complain about his displeasure with a Burger King combo meal. (2 pages)

Source: The Smoking Gun

Toddler gets car keys lodged in his eye [audio/video]

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Watch this MSNBC news clip of a toddler who had car keys lodged in his eye.  It has an audio clip of the 911 call and xrays of the embedded keys.  The boy was transported by medevac to hospital.

Has your child ever had anything embedded in its body?

[technology] Next generation 911

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In a few years, you could be able to send photos of a purse-snatcher caught in the act or photos of a vehicle accident to 911. It’s all part of what’s called Next Generation 911, and 911 districts in the Houston area are gearing up for it.

Basically, what it means is that you could use any communication device from anywhere to reach 911.”

Full story

Q: Have you ever had to dial 911 on your cell phone?  What was the emergency?

Woman calls 911 and operator suggests shooting the child

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A woman calls 911 after coming home and finding her two daughters fighting.  The dispatcher suggested ’shooting’ them.  The operator gets reprimanded for his actions.

Full story

Video/Audio Clip

Q: What are your thoughts about the dispatcher’s comment?

Eyewitness footage of the 9/11 South Tower collapse

I found this video filmed by an eyewitness of the south tower collapse. He was in the building when it started crumbling and had to use the camera light to guide the firefighters out.  It’s a bit blurry.  Graphic sounds, too–or so I thought.

That’s when I came across an even more bone-chilling video found here.  This was filmed by someone who was right beside the tower.  It’s remarkably clear, is 13 minutes long, is not for the faint-of-heart.