When calling the emergency services why do I have to repeat everything 5 times?

Answer 1

Part of it's to make sure that they've got it right and another part to get out the bits that you've not told them.

Answer 2

I am a 9-1-1 Operator.
I don't know why some of you encountered problems.

I know this much,
today we live in a society where nearly everyone has a cell
phone. Do you have any idea how many cell phone calls we get in a 24 hour period??
Alot.

In many of these calls the lines are full of static/or you are fading in and out and we cannot make out what you are saying. We have you repeat where you are several times until we can make out your location.
and we will ask questions like --what color is your house/what vehicles will be in front ?
(some houses are Not numbered). This insures that the officer finds you house and doesn't spend time driving up and down that block looking for you.

Many times, people live in rual areas or are in a major car
accident in a rual area---you would be surprized how many people do not know where they are....or even what county.
I can't count the times I've contacted neighboring counties and had them send their deputies out to check their areas for an injured person in a roll-over.

If you live in the city, chances are you have "enhanced" 9-1-1. Which means your address pops up on our screen;however, if you are calling from a cell phone--nothing pops up on the screen but your phone number, the tower it hits and your carrier.

If you are getting the **** beat out of you and hang up before telling us where you are....it take us 20-30 minutes to fax the request to your carrrier requesting that info and to receive the information--
and then it may not be enough because you may be in trouble in an area rather than your home address.

Also, many people that call 9-1-1 are hysterical and getting the information is like pulling teeth-- the person is not telling you what you need to know, unneccessary information is given and pertinent information is not.

While it seems that you have been waiting hours, many times it hasn't been that long, it just feels like it....and maybe the officers were tied up with a "man with a gun" call, or some other urgent calls too.

We do all we can to help people.
We love our jobs.
It would be nice if everything ran smoothly and according to
procedure, but many times it doesn't.

So please be patient,
there is nothing we want more...than to send the help
you need.

Hopefully, you will never need to call 9-1-1
but if you do....please help us--help you.

Answer 3

Because most folk calling these services are in panic mode and talk too fast and shout too loud, so the operators need to make sure they have the correct information. Also, you are through to a BT operator first, then they put you through to the relevant service who are trained to ask the right questions to get the right, relevant info from the callers. 5 times repeating things is a bit much, but if you were shouting down the phone, they will be less likely to understand your message.

Answer 4

They're just so busy. The call systemi n UK is crap and takes longer but they do try. A lot of emergency calls are unecessary and are slowing everything right down tho. My friend is a paramedic and most of her calls through the day or night are from people that have a slight tummy ache or something else that she didnt need to go to. Or drunk people that abuse her. I guess education would be good to outline what the ambulance or police should be called for as people dont seem to know anymore.

Answer 5

i know what you mean. I went through it and watched loads of people gathered round a man in a busy high street car park where he got beaten up- by which time i called and the cop shop was right around the corner and they could have come and stopped it for how long they kept asking me questions. I couldn't beleive nobody even called the cops and for someone like me who did- they were beating around the bush about it. I understand that some may be hoaxes but surely they can tell if someone sounds desperate on the line then they ought to take it seriously, what if a bomb was to go off and you had evidence? We may as well be doing the body count as we stand!

It makes my blood boil. There's a lass on here who's not gonna be pleased with our comments- she's a copper herself and she thinks she can talk on behalf of the entire service and she represents the entire met- i bet she'll even fend for the telephone operators too!

Don't like the system and that man could have been stabbed- the guys who were beating him up had knives on him and if something went wrong- it was all because of the bloody spanish inquisition into the lengthy phonecall! What a joke!

Answer 6

Maybe you are difficult to understand when you are excited? Maybe you are giving complete answers to the questions? Just calm yourself and answer the questions completely.

(and why are you calling emergency services so often that you would know that you have to repeat everything 5 times when you call them? or did you just call them once and the first two questions apply?)

Answer 7

When i once called the police, 20 years ago, the woman on the phone, a half civilian/have police person, that wore a police uniform, answered from the front desk of the local nick, and happened to live down the road. I could say xyz happened, by freds pizza place, and they'd have someone take alook.
Now, the nick is closed at night, calls go to an area 15 miles away, staffed by people 10 miles way from that, who need a post code.
Some drunk came trying my keylock, at 3am! and hearing someone trying to force the door, called the "response" centre.
While on the phone, they gave up, as i relayed information, but before the possible? lack of severity of the incident was fully relayed, they jumped in, and asked, if the still questionable burglar/drunk, was alright? They were concearned about Him! He wandered off, into a joining road, which, as its over the road, i dont actually know the name of! They had my address and postcode, but sorry, they Needed the Name of the road! Dont they have a map?
So in answer to the question, its because of cost cuting, and the person you speaks to has no idea of your locality, and rates the severity, if needed, passes you on to the more serious line, who has no idea of your locality, who passes you to the really serious line (now miles away) who really dosent have a clue what county your in.

Answer 8

I could give you a quick answer: Because no one cares. I once witnessed a robbery and called the police and that's what happened:

1. I had to explain everything 5 times
2. Although I gave them the adress, they were driving past the place several times
3. They told me that they wouldn't catch the guy anyway, because he was a chav and they all look the same.

I seems that they don't see the importance of commitment and most of all the importance of fast action in emergencies. I bet some of them stop at McDonald's on their way to emergencies.

It is a fast food society where everything is automized, in many service jobs people don't know anymore how to deal with self-agency or on the other hand they are so limited by ridiculous beaurocratic rubbish that their hand are tight.

Answer 9

I suppose to make sure you are not giving a hoax call, and wasting time and money calling out the emergency services for nothing.

Answer 10

the reason that you have to repeat everything when you call the emergency services is so that they can ensure that they have correct details and therefore can deal with situation correctly.

Answer 11

Tell me about it, i witnessed a man beating the life out of a teenage girl. The guy was huge, looked like he was on steroids or something. I shouted my fiance to come with me to help her and the guy pulled a knife out of his pocket. We convinced him to let my boyfriend and myself go but he wouldn't let the girl go. I called the police and had to tell them 3 times what was happening it took a further 20 minutes before anyone came and they only sent one police officer who looked like it was his first day out of school, by this point the man had carried the girl away. The only thing left for the policeman to do was pick up the girls teeth which had been kicked out of her mouth and drive in the direction they went. He didn't even ask for a description!