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Original poster

Have you ever phoned 999

242 replies

Woolywolf · 15/08/2021 21:10

If so when/why? I have, once when I panicked a bit after being mugged but luckily haven’t had to any other time

OP posts:
squashyhat · 15/08/2021 21:30

4 times. One when my (then boyfriend) DH fell off a ladder, once when the flat below is appeared to be on fire, once when our chimney was on fire and one for my Dad when he was elderly and confused

cricketmum84 · 15/08/2021 21:30

Only twice.

First time I got home with DD1 in the buggy, opened the door and smoke came pouring out!! Obviously called fire brigade.

Second time it was actually DD1 that called them. I had started a new medication and a rare side effect was blood clotting problems. I had a massive nose bleed that went on for an hour and then I started bleeding from my eyes. She called an ambulance... I had to be taken to a&e and have the blood vessels cauterised.

BeyondMyWits · 15/08/2021 21:31

An ambulance 3 times... My neighbour fell and broke her hip. My daughter when 14 dislocated her kneecap in an enclosed space in between 2 kitchen units and we couldn't "rescue" her and most recently I called when I was having a heart attack.

HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime · 15/08/2021 21:31

When there were flames flickering above our local TK Maxx apparently it was a controlled fire on the land behind but it didn't look very controlled to me, they did ask for more info and whether the smoke was travelling across the bypass and sent someone from the local fire station to check it out.

When a teen neighbour cut the artery in his thigh on the light of his mate car who had pretended to drive at him and actually caught him. Got covered in blood doing first aid on that one.

When an elderly neighbour fell whilst putting her bin out, I saw it out the window and by the time I got downstairs other passersby were trying to haul her up. She was clearly in pain so made her comfortable rang for an ambulance, she had broken a hip and her arm.

When my neighbours van was broken into while they were on holiday and the lads were cycling round trying more doors on vehicles.

When the car in front of me went head first into a HGV, the driver had had a stroke at the wheel, we did first aid, waited 30 mins for emergency vehicles and elderly man, his wife and adult son all died. We were called to the coroners inquest for that one. I had acute traumatic stress disorder after that one and I can still see and hear the crash now 10 years on.

smallandimperfectlyformed · 15/08/2021 21:32

@Stilldistraught

I rang 999 to report one of my dc for a crime knowing I would likely never see them again. I was right... Been 10 years now. Sad
Oh I am sorry, that situation sounds heartbreaking. I think you did it knowing you did the right thing and I hope that provides you with some comfort. Flowers
doublemix · 15/08/2021 21:32

Fire brigade - was driving home and noticed all the farmers fields had been set alight. .

Ambulance - 3 year old ds woke up at 2am with a temperature of 41 degrees and was hallucinating about snakes and monsters was very scary.

Police - lady ran into my workplace closely followed by her boyfriend who then tried to beat her up. Police arrived very quickly luckily.

Muddydoor · 15/08/2021 21:33

I lost dd at the beach. Never been so terrified.

I help people by not wearing a face mask. Too many ambulances called due to my seizures.

MrsAukerman · 15/08/2021 21:34

Twice in one day once in a work capacity.
I work in a bank branch.
First time was fire service for false alarm.
Second was a medical episode of a colleague (they're fine).

I have to say both seemed slight overreactions at the time but in hindsight I'd do the same again for each instance.

Lellochip · 15/08/2021 21:34

Three times, once for drunk uni flatmate (Was unresponsive and we were worried about spiking, but nope, just drunk)

Once to cancel an ambulance for my mum after a fall.

And once for a biker laid out by the side of a dual carriageway. I was driving the opposite direction so couldn't stop and get to him, and his motorbike was parked up properly so obviously hadn't been knocked off, but he was just lying down neatly on his back, on the pavement next to it, but still with helmet on - maybe he was suddenly unwell?

elQuintoConyo · 15/08/2021 21:35

Stilldistraught I'm so very sorry x

smallandimperfectlyformed · 15/08/2021 21:35

Ooh HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime I am so sorry you experienced that, it is no surprise you ended up with PTSD. What an awful thing you went through Flowers

SuperCaliFragalistic · 15/08/2021 21:35

Amazingly I've only called once myself but have been present when other calls have been made. Some drunk student set fire to a skip full of household junk (old furniture, mattresses etc) outside our student house. It went up very quickly and there were parked cars really close. I was drunk too but had enough sense to call the fire brigade.

cricketmum84 · 15/08/2021 21:36

@HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime

When there were flames flickering above our local TK Maxx apparently it was a controlled fire on the land behind but it didn't look very controlled to me, they did ask for more info and whether the smoke was travelling across the bypass and sent someone from the local fire station to check it out.

When a teen neighbour cut the artery in his thigh on the light of his mate car who had pretended to drive at him and actually caught him. Got covered in blood doing first aid on that one.

When an elderly neighbour fell whilst putting her bin out, I saw it out the window and by the time I got downstairs other passersby were trying to haul her up. She was clearly in pain so made her comfortable rang for an ambulance, she had broken a hip and her arm.

When my neighbours van was broken into while they were on holiday and the lads were cycling round trying more doors on vehicles.

When the car in front of me went head first into a HGV, the driver had had a stroke at the wheel, we did first aid, waited 30 mins for emergency vehicles and elderly man, his wife and adult son all died. We were called to the coroners inquest for that one. I had acute traumatic stress disorder after that one and I can still see and hear the crash now 10 years on.

Oh gosh that's an awful thing for you to have to go through. I'm so sorry Thanks
CharlotteRose90 · 15/08/2021 21:37

For the police once when I saw a car in the local lake near me and thought someone was in it.

For an ambulance countless times I rely on blood transfusions and Ivs so I have to call them pretty much often.

lannistunut · 15/08/2021 21:37

Yes - once found a person unconscious in the street. Once a child went a funny colour, I called 111 and got told to call an ambulance.

36degrees · 15/08/2021 21:37

Yes, when an upstairs neighbour at the flats I lived in fell asleep after the pub with his chip pan on. I couldn't get his attention through his letterbox or by banging on the door and there was a lot of smoke.

The woman next door had a massive go at me firstly when I woke her up and secondly when the fire service turned up because she hated where we lived and thought she'd be given a new flat if the building burned down. Total eye opener to the kind of abuse the emergency service personnel must get.

Phoned 999 for a person with a head injury in the street, for a relative when he had a heart attack and a stabbing at work. Had an ambulance phoned for me for pre-eclampsia and falling off a trampoline during a competition - not at the same time Grin.

fruitsaladyummyummy · 15/08/2021 21:39

I used to live in a city centre apartment and my balcony was at eye level with a very popular bridge. I rang 999 almost weekly for people climbing over the railings.

MotherWol · 15/08/2021 21:44

Several times for road traffic incidents, including a couple of weeks ago when a motorcyclist was hit by a car. Also when I was walking to work and saw a woman having a seizure, and a few years ago when a drunk man was hammering on a neighbour’s door in the middle of the night (I think she’d kicked him out).

Mumsgirls · 15/08/2021 21:44

Saw a car driven by youth, swerving side to side then went through a red light, nearly causing a crash.No idea if police could or would have acted.

FishfingerFlinger · 15/08/2021 21:45

Only once - I was on the phone to my very drunk DH trying to talk him into a getting a cab, when he suddenly started slurring heavily and then went unresponsive. I panicked and called the police (thinking there would likely to be someone in the vicinity who could check on his welfare). While I was waiting for a call back I managed to reach DH again and he got into a cab. I was very apologetic when the police called me back a few minutes later but they couldn’t have been nicer about it.

beigebrownblue · 15/08/2021 21:45

Yes, most recently somebody was stabbed on our street.
They survived.

Police came pretty quick
Other times 999 is the only service to attend quickly. You can forget 101 which takes several days at best.

smallandimperfectlyformed · 15/08/2021 21:46

Once for a colleague at work who collapsed- it was all very odd, she didn't want to go to hospital and mentioned later on she didn't know if the paramedics hands were clean - we felt she may have had an ED as she collapsed after we said about eating a shared lunch, it looked like it may have been a panic attack. Once because I found a man laying in the street- he was an alcoholic known to the ambulance services. Once because there was a big fight outside Tesco's. 3 times for service users when I worked with adults with learning disabilities- ambulance all times, one tbh was a waste of their resources but the other 2 were needed for MH reasons. Once because I could see a fight from my office window, once because I saw a gang chasing someone (that was terrifying but to give them their credit the police came quickly) and Once because I heard a gang plotting an attack and they had weapons on them (all in separate places, I don't live in somewhere really terrifying!). Once because my neighbours were shouting and I was worried about dv and Once for my daughter who was unconscious- that was the scariest of all. She was resuscitated quickly (by me doing CPR under the control persons instructions) and recovered but we never really got to the bottom of what caused it. Touch wood, never had to call the fire brigade!!

Waxonwaxoff0 · 15/08/2021 21:47

Called police once when I heard my housemate screaming, being assaulted by her boyfriend.

Inim · 15/08/2021 21:47

Once when I couldn’t find my then toddler DS, and realised the door was unlocked (I live in a town centre so freaked out) ending up finding him hiding behind a toy box down the side of the wardrobe whilst still on the phone to them Blush
I only live in a small flat and panicked when I couldn’t find him anywhere, he wasn’t even 2 yet I didn’t think he even knew how to hide- he was crouched down behind the box with his hands over his eyes and found it hilarious!

Greyhare · 15/08/2021 21:50

Four times I think, twice for the corn field opposite being up in flames (different years) once for a car crash outside my house and once for DH who phoned 111 for chest pains and they were sending an ambulance out, he then collapsed so I phoned 999 to see if ambulance was coming, thankfully it was and he was ok.