Who Should Answer Your 911 Calls and Why?

Emergency digits are called as such for a reason. The most popular one globally is 9-1-1 while some other countries have 1-1-2 and 1-1-9 like in Europe, Middle East and Asia. However different they may be, these three-digit emergency numbers serve as the most recognizable codes all around the world.

If there is something people need to know about 9-1-1, the television has thoroughly informed the public of how powerful this number is. The number will direct you to a person working in one of the 6,000 Public Safety Answer Points or PSAPs in the country. These people are considered to be the anonymous heroes of today in the entire emergency communications system. But are all calls really directed to one of those PSAPs?

In all of the emergency situations that happen every year, there are those cases where calls will not be redirected to those people who have the appropriate emergency knowledge and preparedness for any situation. In some cases, some calls would only direct people to personnel inside the establishment they are currently in, if they are not in their homes. While some will find this technique odd and impractical, some establishments and officials believe that this is the best way emergency situations can be handled. With people behind PSAPs hotlines, you would have to wait for a period of time for them to respond. But if help is given inside the premises of the establishment, actions can be given faster.

One case from Laguna Niguel, California though can prove otherwise and verify the importance of having well-trained people respond to emergency situations, when Janet Williams choked on her cup of hot chocolate and marshmallows. According to an interview with Fox 11, she had difficulty breathing when she choked on the mallows. Her daughter called 911 to ask for help. The operator gave an accurate instruction on what the daughter could do to help her mother. And that saved Janet Williams’ life.

This proves how important it is that emergency responders are well-trained in different situations. In Williams’ case, every second counted and those seconds could save lives. This is also why the worst situation anyone could ever be in, when in an emergency situation, is falling on the hands of untrained people. But that’s not the only factor that could lead to these unfortunate tragedies.

There are situations when 911 could not be dialed, and this could end up badly. Take for example Kari Hunt’s case. In December 2013, Kari Hunt was killed by her estranged husband. In the midst of the commotion, her daughter tried to call 911. The call was unsuccessful because the motel they are staying in, does not have that specific option. And so the situation ended tragically with Hunt’s death. When 911 is not programmed in the MLTS/PBX phone system, it can lead to more tragedies that what’s anticipated.

Another case which also ended up tragically happened in November 2014 when Samuel Macaseib, who works at the US Post Office in Oakland California, was found unconscious with a head trauma injury in the office. Because of the company’s rules, all emergencies should be directed to an IT administrator, who will decide if they should call 911 or not. And instead of the well-trained call takers from PSAPs, they have their own internal emergency responders to take care of the situation. And if it’s something they can’t handle, 911 calls can only be made by Postal Police. And because of this complicated and long process, it took 53 minutes before help was given to Macaseib, costing him his life. 

Techniques and strategies of different companies during emergency situations vary. And while their effectiveness are still up for debate, there is one thing that could be helpful. Some of the culprits usually regarded in these tragedies are:

• Cost
• Lack of public awareness
• Low technology

But this is not the case because if appropriate safe communications is provided across all communications platforms, a big improvement will happen in this aspect.

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