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From: tep@tots.logicon.com (Tom Perrine)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: E911 Experience
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Date: 16 Jul 90 18:29:40 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 490, Message 8 of 10


With all of the negative 911 experiences being described, I thought I
would mention that, at least here in a backwater :-) of Pac Bell land
(Poway, near San Diego), 911 works!

The across-the-street neighbor's kids were visiting from college. They
parked their 60's vintage VW bus in front of our house. A passer-by
knocked on our door, "your van is on fire". My wife called 9-1-1, I
grabbed the kitchen extinguisher and headed out the door. I could hear
the fire sirens before I got to the curb. (The fire station is eight
blocks away.)

Apparently the 9-1-1 conversation went like this:

9-1-1 OP: "What kind of emergency?"
SO: "Fire"
(1-ring)
Fire? OP: "Are you calling from <our address>?"
SO: "Yes, its a car fire in front of our house"
(Five to ten second pause, then sound of sirens in the background)
Fire OP: "They are on the way", followed by questions about the fire,
is everyone out, was anyone hurt, etc.

Shazamm! I guess this is exactly the way its supposed to work.

Side Note: Even though the fire fighters were on the scene within three
minutes of the call, the van was a total loss. The kids had replaced
the fuel line with aquarium tubing "because it was cheaper". According
to the fire fighters, this accounts for more VW bug and van fires than
any other cause.


Tom Perrine (tep)                       |Internet: tep@tots.Logicon.COM
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