Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: "Marc T. Kaufman" Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: E911 -- All Operators Are Busy Message-ID: <10516@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 6 Aug 90 22:12:56 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University Lines: 28 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 546, Message 4 of 11 In article <10455@accuvax.nwu.edu> claris!onymouse%.UUCP@ ames.arc.nasa.gov (John Debert) writes: > From article <10210@accuvax.nwu.edu>, by apple!well.sf.ca.us! >well!droid@uunet.uu.net (Marty Brenneis): -> 911 Operators are provided by the local 911 agency. In some counties -> this is a common answer point for all emergency services in the -> county. In other counties it is the various cities that answer. >Perhaps this explains why 911 operators can get away with being rude, >abusive and even openly hostile to callers. The 911 operator has a specific mission: To get the information needed to properly dispatch aid, as quickly as possible. This means the operator MUST be in control of the conversation. A recent TV newscast propogated a complaint from a citizen that she was mistreated and insulted by the 911 operator. But they played the tape, and it seemed to me that the 911 operator was just being insistant, trying to get the information from a hysterical woman. (she had been shot by her brother, and 911 wanted to know whether the brother was black, white or mexican. Civil rights groups were offended, but if you were a cop, wouldn't you want to know who to look for)? Marc Kaufman (kaufman@Neon.stanford.edu)