999 calls which weren’t so much of an emergency
As 999 celebrates 80 years as the world’s oldest emergency service we look back at some of the stranger calls received by operators.
The world’s oldest emergency service – 999 – is 80 years old today.
The last eight decades have seen the service expand from handling more than 1,000 calls in its first week of operation in London in 1937 to around 560,000 calls a week now – around 30 million calls a year, according to BT’s archives.
The service was launched following a fire at a London doctor’s surgery in November 1935 that resulted in five fatalities, and led to a committee set up by the government to look at how telephone operators could identify emergency calls.
To mark the anniversary of the service, here are transcripts provided by BT operators of exchanges showing the humorous side of unnecessary 999 calls.
Caller: “I’m sorry to call 999 but I was looking for 101 but I don’t know the number.”
Adviser: “Do you need fire, police or ambulance?”
Young caller: “Mountain Rescue please.”
Adviser: “Where are you?”
Young caller: “I’m on the top bunk and I can’t get down.”
Caller: “I need the police please it is my daughter’s wedding day and her dress doesn’t fit anymore. I need the police to come and help me get her in it.”
Adviser: “Do you need fire, police or ambulance?”
Caller: “I need the police, I ordered a takeaway that cost me £30 and they took it to number six, when I live at number seven.”
Caller: “My laptop password won’t work, I need you to reset it for me.”
Adviser: “That’s not something we can help with.”
Caller: “Can you call my service provider and get them to ring me back?”
Adviser: “Do you need fire, police or ambulance?”
Caller: “I need an ambulance, my husband has lost his pyjamas and he cannot breathe without them.”
Caller: “Well it’s quite urgent my rabbit has escaped, I need help.”
Adviser: “Do you need fire, police or ambulance?”
Caller: “Can I get the Police, someone has stolen my snowman from my garden, can you come quickly?”
Caller: “I need to cancel my hairdressers’ appointment, it’s an emergency and I can’t get through to the salon.”
Adviser: “Do you need fire, police or ambulance?”
Caller: “There’s a seagull with a broken arm.”
