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From: claris!netcom!onymouse@ames.arc.nasa.gov (John Debert)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: E911 -- All Operators Are Busy
Message-ID: <61569@bu.edu.bu.edu>
Date: 28 Jul 90 21:44:34 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 525, Message 7 of 8


 From article <10007@accuvax.nwu.edu>, by 0003513813@mcimail.com (John
C. Fowler):

> The County of Los Alamos (population approximately 20,000) has E911,
> one 911 operator, and five 911 lines available.  My question is, what
> do 911 services do if there are more calls than operators available?
> Surely not "Thank you for calling 911.  All of our operators are
> currently busy, but if you will hold, the next available operator will
> assist you."

Believe it or not, yes, that is exactly what happens - at least in
some places.  I made a 911 call in the Motnerey Bay Area last Sunday
and after three rings got the recording saying "All 911 operators are
busy on other calls, please stay on the line and your call will be
answered in the order received."  In San Jose, the very same thing
happened more than once in the past year.

In San Jose, at least, it seems that there are just barely enough
people working the 911 board and if more than one is absent at one
time, there are delays. I heard a radio dispatcher say this week on
the air that the 911 staff was so small that dispatchers had to take
911 calls themselves. (Dispatchers do not take calls but dispatch full
time.)

(Does anyone know if it's true that Pa Bell provides the 911 staff?)

jd
onymouse@netcom.UUCP