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From: john@karnak.cactus.org (John B. Meaders Jr.)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: San Francisco P.D. and 911 Priorities
Message-ID: <13168@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 8 Oct 90 00:53:53 GMT
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In article <13070@accuvax.nwu.edu> optilink!cramer@uunet.uu.net
(Clayton Cramer) writes:

>Is there any sort of model for how 911 calls are to be prioritized?
>Wouldn't a scuffle in the middle of a call be reason to suspect that
>someone was being hurt?  Or am I just dense?

I watch Rescue 911 quite a bit and get the opinion that 911 service is
great.  This is very disturbing that these operators don't even take
the time to found out what exactly is going on.  If I were an
operator, and the phone hung up on me, I would take this as an
emergency and get someone there immediately.  I hope I don't get in
any kind of trouble in SF where I would need 911 (I don't have any
plans to go to SF in the near future anyway, but just suppose I did
:-) because I think I would be in serious trouble.

I doubt SF has a model for prioritizing.  Something out of the
ordinary going on during a call (shots fired, scuffle, scream, etc.)
should definitely clue a 911 operator that something isn't right.
But, I guess SF probably goes on a FIFO (first in, first out) basis
:-) (just joking :-)).  SF should definitely change their 911 system
so that they don't get any more of these instances.  


John B. Meaders, Jr.  510 Manchester Ct., Hopewell, VA 23806 
Voice: 804-458-2983   Net: john@karnak.cactus.org or john@karnak


[Moderator's Note: Given my 'druthers, with Chicago and its relatively
efficient 911 system and San Fransisco, with the highly publicized
mistake by 911 dispatchers, I think I'd still rather be in SFC.  PAT]