How many times have you rang 999?

[TazzyDrunk]

Only once when I was about 8 for a bit of a joke.

Once when I was first on the scene at a bad accident on the motorway in the middle of the night

Never. (Thank god).

Yet.

Twice. First time, I was having my second planned home birth but the maternity unit couldn’t get in touch with the on call midwives. They wasn’t in any rush to make contact. I started to push with contractions so DP called 999. First response Paramedic came up the drive around 8 minutes later, just as the placenta delivered. It was all super fast and intense! Another ambulance followed around 5/6 minutes after that.

Second time, my horrible nightmare neighbours were having their windows smashed in by some violent thugs, screaming and shouting and threatening to kill them. It was really scary. Police arrived within 10 minutes and neighbours also got evicted for various reasons discovered by the police.

A few times I've called the police on a guy breaking in to a house, kids climbing on scaffolding, kids jumping between shop building on the roof, on my neighbour who were screaming and shouted they hit there new born, when a guy was threatening a neighbor I've called the police to help my uncle who was trying to commit suicide across the country, I've called the fire brigade once when kids were setting a tree on fire and ive called the ambulance a few times like when a good friend had a heart attack

Twice once when my Dad collapsed with what turned out to be a burst stomach ulcer.
Second an older lady came into work having an angina attack and her spray wasn't helping.
Dialled 111 for a patient at work clearly behaving serious mental health issues who needed help quickly but it was a Saturday so no-one else available.

Only once, for me when labour ward turned me away and I began to give birth at home.

Twice
Once due to my mental

Once. A man was "pleasuring " himself outside my house. In the morning broad daylight.

Once when I woke up and my baby was coming, they arrived within 6 minutes but it was too late baby had decided to come out by himself and surprise me 🤣. Scary at the time

Once when above baby was 2 years old and fell from sofa and went unconscious - this child likes to scare me

3 or 4 times for police.
I often dream I'm trying to call 999 but never get through

4 times.

Twice for ambulances as I'd witnessed strangers having a fall or fit. I did my very basic first aid (put something soft between the man's head and the bin he was hitting it on during his fit) while I was on the phone for the ambulance.

The third time was as a drunk man screamed and shouted on my driveway, threatening to beat up dh. Funnily enough it wasn't even us he wanted, it was one of our neighbours that he was screaming for, but because our light was on he thought we'd be a good target as a "hostage".

The last time was because of a DV incident for a different neighbour. It was the middle of the night and I heard her and the kids screaming while he shouted obscenities at them. I was on the phone to the police when we heard him hit her, so dh went out and intervened. Police arrived quickly and removed him.

About twenty plus times I think. Abusive ex H. Neighbour with numerous nasty exes. Rather riotous half way house across the road has also helped clock up the numbers.

5 times.

Ambulance 4 times and Fire Brigade once.

Only once, an ambulance for an elderly woman who'd had a fall in the street.

Once for my son when he was a baby , he stopped breathing and they came very quickly . I recall standing in the road waving them in to the house while dh tried to get him to breathe .

3 times I think.
First, ambulance for a van crashed into a wall opposite our house (busy road, but no other vehicles involved). he died.
2nd, police for gatecrashers drawing a knife and threatening party goers (I was responsible adult at my sister's 18th, and these were NOT any of her friends).
3rd for ambulance, when DH had anaphalactic shock at home - (he has severe peanut allergy) but we have no idea what caused at, some food must have been contaminated, because we never have nuts in the house. scariest time of my life - his tongue and throat swelled up, and he was panicking about not breathing. The Operator kept asking "is the patient breathing?" and i truthfully answered Yes, but was also trying to convey his/my panic that this might stop at any moment.

Lots!
1 fire and countless calls for an ambulance to a DD with brittle diabetes

Police about 20 times in an 18 month period.
No, I'm not a serial 999 caller. At the time there was a house opposite us that had been turned into an unofficial teenage hostel. As long as the mother was kept in weed she didn't give a shit what or who was going on.
Kids shagging in the street, drug deals, kids stoned out of their trees running naked down the street, fights (many), drunk kids.....
Eventually the council evicted her and boarded up the house because we were not the only ones to complain

Ambulance for DS when he decided breathing was optional as a baby

Ambulance for dd when she woke up in full blown anaphylaxis. We still dont know what caused it and may never know.

Lost count of ambulances, but then I do work in a care home.

Once when I was a teenager and a baby I was looking after had a fit.

Then never until 6 years ago when I fell and seriously (open fracture) broke my leg. Luckily I had fallen holding a phone handset. Then again a year later when I was coming down with sepsis. I had a sudden feeling that I had to get to hospital NOW and I was unconscious by the time I got there. Dh was on his way home and I had been waiting for him but just knew I couldn't wait. It's actually one of the signs os Sepsis "I feel like I might die".

Then last year several times for my teenage son who had mh problems and kept running away when he felt suicidal. The cops were so helpful and brought him home safe, he got the help he needs and is doing much better.

I really hope I never dial 999 ever again!

More times than I care to count due to a seriously ill mum

But I do have a story that makes me wonder what the youngsters are taught in school

I came across a serious bin fire in the city centre.. With 3 youngsters.. Late teens Standing beside it

When I said have you reported it they said they were trying to decide if it was 112 or 121

I said 999 to be greeted with disdain.. Not. From a mobile Mrs its different these days

Really watch and learn boys.. 999 hello fire service..

Their faces were a picture

Twice. Once when I saw someone get hit by a car crossing the road, once when an elderly lady fell in the street and hit her head.

A couple dozen times. I used to be a first aider in a place of public assembly. I've also witnessed a couple of car crashes.

Once successfully
Once not

Twice - once when I was about 11 and put my hand through a pane of glass and cut my artery! That was messy.

And again when I was about 40 and the grill pan caught fire. It was actually much less serious than it looked and the FB put it out in about 20 seconds. Ultimately it worked in our favour because I had ordered a new kitchen but couldn’t afford a new cooker but after extinguishing the fire the fire brigade had to declare the cooker unsafe and I was able to claim a new cooker on our household contents insurance.

I am so grateful to live in a country where I can make stupid mistakes and totally screw up and expert, trained help is at there at the end of a phone.