In an emergency, call 911
Ever since I was little, I remember being told to call 911 in case of any emergency (fire, burglar, medical problem ,etc). Since everyone has a cell phone nowadays, I can understand that more and more people call 911. I've had to call four times in the last 3 years -- each time to report a traffic accident -- and was put on hold each time.
Turns out I'm not the only one
According to an April 24, 2007 report by the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials, 911 operators have a horrendously difficult time locating you when you're on a cell phone.
Even if you call 911 from a cell phone and manage to get through, there's no guarantee it will do any good. In July 2007, David Schwartz and Cheryl Gibbs drove off a road in Oregon. A witness saw the accident, dialed 911, and gave them a nearly precise location of the accident. The police went there and looked, but somehow missed a red 2005 Toyota Corolla. It was found 3 weeks later right where the witness said -- with David and Cheryl's bodies inside. (San Francisco Chronicle, July 3, 2007)
Edith Rodriguez no doubt thought that as well when she went to Martin Luther King Jr. Harbor Hospital in Los Angeles suffering from a perforated bowel. When she couldn't get help at the hospital, she called 911. 911, however, wouldn't do anything either. Edith Rodriguez died on the hospital floor. (San Francisco Chronicle, June 12, 2007)
Saturday, December 01, 2007 10:24:18 AM