Once upon a time I grabbed some toilet paper out of the linen closet because I had to go to the bathroom. Except my arm would not come out. My elbow skin had gotten caught on a rusty nail head and my arm.would.not.come.out. I immediately got claustrophobic and freaked out.
I called 911 and then 5 firemen showed up in my hallway. They ended up having to lift me up horizontally and remove everything from the shelf in the closet before I was freed. They offered to take me in the ambulance to get a tetanus shot, but I humbly declined.
The only times I called 911 were 1) someone sneaking in through my neighbor's window (who wasn't my neighbor), which was probably overkill because dude had a ton of weird friends, 2) a suspected drunk driver, and 3) a naked and seemingly mentally unstable woman in my driveway (probably one of the aforementioned neighbor's friends).
It probably depends where you live and how much burden is on law enforcement (larger city, LEO to resident ratio, etc).
I try to avoid calling the cops if I can help it because if anyone involved in an incident is not a straight, cigender, white person, I know things can end badly. And even if not, there are many minority communities who have had a traumatic history with cops and wouldn't appreciate them being around.
I would feel weird about calling 911 for non-emergencies too. I wouldn't be able to do it for solicitors. MH did it this winter (at my encouragement) when our neighbor started an open burn right after Christmas (for boxes, wrapping, etc.) and the flames started leaping up pretty high. It was pretty close to trees, our fence, etc. We're on 0.25 acre residential lots in the northeast, where everybody's outdoor water is turned off for the winter. If wind spread the fire unexpectedly, WTF would any of us have been able to do? It's against local ordinances anyway, but seriously dude? The fire department sent a truck.
The most recent time I called 911 was this summer. My car died at a stop light, I had my 6 day old DS with me, I couldn't move the car, and I was afraid of being rear-ended on a green light, or DS overheating (because the issue was electrical, so I had no AC, no power windows, and it was almost 90 outside). So I called 911 to have an officer come behind me with flashing lights and put DS in his air conditioned car while we got my car handled.
Both of those felt like the edge of my comfort level with 911 usage, because I felt like they both had emergency potential, but weren't yet an emergency.
Once when I had a huge PP bleed and it wouldn't stop. It was legit reason. Hospital and emergency d/c. 2nd time DH had a bit of scare when DD lodged herself into the side of the bed and looked as if she wasn't breathing well. Turned out okay but he was freaked out. Still had to go to the hospital by ambulance just in case.
We don't call for things that aren't truly emergencies.
Yes we have called. Generally we try to call the non-emergency line for noise complaints and 911 for more serious issues. They may not have been life of death issues.
I have called twice. Once because my DD2 fell off their playset landing on her neck and then passed out. The other because DD3 was really sick and woke up talking nonsense and reaching for things that weren’t there.
I have never had to call non emergency so I don’t know if they would tell me to call 911 or not.
Also, and maybe flameful, I have no idea what 311 is.
It's supposed to be the non-emergency number. That they tell us not to use....
When we lived in NYC this was the help line to basically all government organizations. Since it is such a big government there, I can understand why they might want police matters routed elsewhere.
I called 911 when I saw someone with a gun chasing someone into an alley like 20 years ago. I really can’t see too many reasons I’d call 911 beyond a crime in process.
Our city 311 non emergency number has limited hours but there is an app. Unfortunately the “upgraded” app isn’t quite as good as the old one. I’ve used it when work trucks were illegally blocking entrance to our one-way street or when an obviously stolen car was on the street for a while.
I have called 311 for noise complaints and had them tell me to call 911. I just didn’t call 911.
Post by PennyCandy on Jan 30, 2020 10:30:41 GMT -5
I've had to call many times, but never for a non-emergency. I was a school nurse for a few years. I had a particularly challenging school with a lot of mental health struggles and had to call for things like severe asthma attacks and broken bones fairly often as well. I had to call a couple of times as a kid too, but again for legit emergencies.
I have called 311 a few times: 1. I found a pile of hypodermic needles on the sidewalk (they told me to call 911) 2. Saw a homeless man staggering/walking on the Schuykill Expressway (told me to call 911) 3. Some rando creepy guy pulled over and followed my daughter and a friend and then gunned it away as soon as they starting running home (I was not concerned for them, just wanted a report of the car JIC there were any other incidents)
911: During a Code Blue I saw a man (who we all knew bc he was always around walking in costumes) walking down the street at 10 PM wearing only a satin negligee and bathrobe. The news had literally said, "If you see someone outside (homeless/in distress) call 911"
Post by BicycleBride on Jan 30, 2020 10:42:02 GMT -5
Our city has a dispatch number and 911 but they both go to the same place. I’ve seen several dispatchers on Facebook kind of roll their eyes over the dispatch number and say “just call 911” but I can’t bring myself to do it unless it’s an emergency. I’ve called 911 multiple times very very erratic drivers on the interstate. I called the dispatch number once for a questionable thing. I saw two kids (young, not teenagers) walking on the flood wall which means they got past the barrier that is supposed to keep people from doing that. It’s 1-2 stories off the ground on both sides. I was driving and I couldn’t think of anything else to do. I was very torn but I couldn’t live with myself if they had fallen and I hadn’t done anything.
Post by DotAndBuzz on Jan 30, 2020 10:43:26 GMT -5
I called 911 when I witnessed a really bad accident on the highway.
Called the non-emergent line when I saw a kid who looked to be about 10 or 11 walking his bike down the sidewalk in just socks, a t-shirt and shorts in the dead of winter (it was seriously like 10 degrees outside, snow and ice all over), mid-morning on a school day. The lady on the phone said she was getting a lot of calls about him, and they were trying to find him (he was in an area with a lot of potential turns he could take), so she appreciated my call for his location and direction he was headed, and I hope that kiddo got whatever help he needed.
Also called non-emergency when someone started pounding on our door at 4 in the morning. I guess that one could have been deemed an emergency - my dog certainly thought it was.
I work with 911 dispatchers and they get so.many.calls that are non-emergencies. Including ridiculous ones and butt dials. If you don't want to be put on hold when you're in a life threatening situation then please don't be one of those people who call 911 for a non-emergency. That said, dispatchers may still answer your non-emergency line. Calling the right number just makes it clear to them how to prioritize callers.
I know my town's non emergency number when it's clearly not an emergency, otherwise they tell everyone to call 911 for everything. I found a baby raccoon that was so cute but obviously hurt so I scooped it up in a box and called animal control. It was off hours and it went directly to 911. I nearly shit my pants. I was like no I didn't want the cops and she said it's procedure. So they sent a cop out to wait with me until the on call animal control person came. Seems like a waste but the cop hung out with me and we were oohh'ing and aaahh'ing how adorable it was.
I know my town's non emergency number when it's clearly not an emergency, otherwise they tell everyone to call 911 for everything. I found a baby raccoon that was so cute but obviously hurt so I scooped it up in a box and called animal control. It was off hours and it went directly to 911. I nearly shit my pants. I was like no I didn't want the cops and she said it's procedure. So they sent a cop out to wait with me until the on call animal control person came. Seems like a waste but the cop hung out with me and we were oohh'ing and aaahh'ing how adorable it was.
Yeah, when I called about the hypodermic needles I wasn't even sure what the procedure was. I just thought maybe someone should come get them? Lots of kids and dogs walk along that sidewalk. The lady that answered was all, "No, really, I'm tx. to 911, you are not diverting services. It's OK." The cop that came was totally cool and actually did a psuedo-investigation and bagged up a bunch of other stuff that was around the needles.
I have called 911 several times, most was for my elderly neighbor who had a lot of medical issues. The only time I did not was I was a passenger in a car on the highway and there was a semi that was all over the road. We stayed far enough behind the semi to see what was going on, and to describe the location tothe EMS operator. .
Post by Wallflower on Jan 30, 2020 11:24:35 GMT -5
I've never called 911 and I think I'd be really reluctant to unless it was a critical situation.
I did end up at the state patrol's non-emergency line once … I had a horse wander through my neighborhood. I started with my town's animal control and then sent me to the staties. (As an aside, it is totally surreal to work at your desk, look up, and see a horse walking by.)
The patrolman was a bit of an ass, though - asked if I was sure it was a horse and not just a large deer. I responded, "well, it was black and white and had a fly mask on, so yeah, pretty sure."
Once upon a time I grabbed some toilet paper out of the linen closet because I had to go to the bathroom. Except my arm would not come out. My elbow skin had gotten caught on a rusty nail head and my arm.would.not.come.out. I immediately got claustrophobic and freaked out.
I called 911 and then 5 firemen showed up in my hallway. They ended up having to lift me up horizontally and remove everything from the shelf in the closet before I was freed. They offered to take me in the ambulance to get a tetanus shot, but I humbly declined.
Then I died of embarrassment. The end.
Did you also pee your pants? Because if you had to go to the bathroom at the beginning of this ordeal, it sounds like you were stuck a while.
I've never called 911 and I think I'd be really reluctant to unless it was a critical situation.
I did end up at the state patrol's non-emergency line once … I had a horse wander through my neighborhood. I started with my town's animal control and then sent me to the staties. (As an aside, it is totally surreal to work at your desk, look up, and see a horse walking by.)
The patrolman was a bit of an ass, though - asked if I was sure it was a horse and not just a large deer. I responded, "well, it was black and white and had a fly mask on, so yeah, pretty sure."
Man I wish i could have a horse stroll through the neighborhood where I work or even where I live. Lucky.
Post by sparkythelawyer on Jan 30, 2020 11:48:52 GMT -5
I call if someone's life is at stake. Because calling them may put someone's life at stake.
That being said, whenever I need to call the non-emergency line (to report things like parking on the street overnight) they just route me over there anyway. Gah.
My area uses 911 for everything. But I live in a village inside a town inside a county, each of which has separate police and EMS. Where you are located and what the exact issue is determines which of these responds to your call. So the 911 dispatchers are responsible for involving the correct group of first responders. For example, I live on a main-ish street that is owned by the county, despite being in the village and town. So anything having to do with the street (car accident, sign down, roadkill, etc) is handled by the county. But medical emergencies for residents of the houses on the street fall to the town. Noise complaints and other "outside" stuff that isn't street related is on the village. It's very weird and complicated, so I guess they figure best to let the professional dispatchers sort it out so we don't constantly have the wrong jurisdiction responding.
I would never call 911 unless there was an active current emergency or injury/medical emergency. I had a carbon monoxide leak in my house (everyone was out) and I still called the non emergency line. If I was able to get in touch with the fire department directly I would have done that. This is because there IS a way to call our police directly. If the only way you have to get in touch with a police officer is 911, then do what you have to do. I mean - if you need milk you should go buy it (LOL), but if you need a police officer and 911 is the only way they can be reached then that is the system that they've set up and you should use it. If you called the police precinct I lived in in NYC they just didn't answer the phone.
I thought 311 was a NYC thing. If it is and you're calling 911 for a solicitor, good luck! I don't know why anyone would tell you to do that.
California highway patrol used to have a number you could call to report incidents that wasn't 911 - when it isn't something that needs an ambulance but could become dangerous without intervention. Things like a large object that fell on the highway, broken down car blocking a lane, etc. (the highways around here have lots of turns and hills and generally don't have break down lanes. If you break down, you need to be pushed off the road to an exit or you block traffic).
They seem to have gotten rid of it and tell me to call 911 instead. Last time it was an old man whose car broke down in the second from right lane so he got out and started to just wander on the highway.
I will call if I witness an accident that probably caused major injuries - spinning off the road into a tree, car flipped, etc. They need help and may not be able to call. A few times, I've seen flowers at the site afterwards
I probably call 2-3 times a year for something. On average, one "I hope they survive to walk away" accident and one "how did that bed end up in the carpool lane?" style problem.
Once upon a time I grabbed some toilet paper out of the linen closet because I had to go to the bathroom. Except my arm would not come out. My elbow skin had gotten caught on a rusty nail head and my arm.would.not.come.out. I immediately got claustrophobic and freaked out.
I called 911 and then 5 firemen showed up in my hallway. They ended up having to lift me up horizontally and remove everything from the shelf in the closet before I was freed. They offered to take me in the ambulance to get a tetanus shot, but I humbly declined.
Then I died of embarrassment. The end.
Did you also pee your pants? Because if you had to go to the bathroom at the beginning of this ordeal, it sounds like you were stuck a while.
OMG thankfully I did not! It was a #2 situation but once the panic set in I totally forgot about it.
Oh, and then everyone in the neighborhood wanted to know why the firetruck and cops were at our house.
I once called the local precinct to report a theft (it was at work - someone stole my iPod at a special event) and apparently if they don’t answer, it automatically routes the call to 911. It makes sense, I suppose, but when the dispatcher asked what my emergency was, I was very much “OH NO this isn’t an emergency”
Post by onomatopoeia on Jan 30, 2020 15:14:23 GMT -5
I've called 911 a few times , once when I drove by a guy who was wandering all over an on-ramp to the highway doing karate chops at passing cars. Another time when I saw a guy passed out on the sidewalk, and the third time was when I saw a woman trip at the library and fall and crack her head open.
I also called it once when my dog fell through the ice at the pond near our house. The cops, fire fighters and an ambulance all showed up (it's a small town). By that time she had gotten herself out and I felt really silly but they were all so wonderful and honestly I think happy to have something dog-related to do.
Once when I was about 10 my mom suddenly fainted and I called the hospital to ask them to send an ambulance (we had no 911 in our rural area at the time). The hospital told me to call the ambulance station directly. Somehow I had the presence of mind to ask them the number, I still remember writing it on the wallpaper beside the phone, my heart beating a mile a minute. The ambulance station then thought I was pranking them (I guess because I was young?) despite me begging them and were about to hang up on me when my dad grabbed the phone and started yelling at them. Thankfully she was ok but I'll never forget how helpless I felt.
I was once on hold with 311 for 42 minutes before they took my call.
I called 911 when I saw someone walking haphazardly on an interstate highway and when I came across a homeless man bleeding profusely. I think those are the only 2 times.
My county directs you to call 911 for all "crimes in progress", even ones that aren't life-threatening. DH called the non-emergency number last week to report a restraining order violation (the woman wasn't doing anything violent, just sitting on the porch crying) and they transferred him tp 911.
Where's the poster who called 911 because she was high and got stuck trying to take her sweatshirt off and thought she was going to die? That's my favorite story. Alex something? She might have pink hair?