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Original poster

What was this 'emergency' phone call?

19 replies

MysteryCallWTF · 27/05/2022 08:01

DD is in the city centre waiting for her bus to work. Several fire engines sped by with sirens and lights on, and at that exact moment her phone rang. The caller ID said 'Emergency Call' and her exact location was displayed as an address on the screen. In her surprise she fumbled to answer it and accidentally ended the call. Her bus arrived, she got on it, and they didn't call back.

Neither of us have ever had a call like this - anyone have any idea what it could be? She definitely hadn't accidentally pocket dialled 999 and they were calling her back (my first thought) because the phone was in her hand and there's no 999 calls in her log.

The fire engines were likely a coincidence but it did seem odd that they went past precisely as her phone rang.

Any ideas?

OP posts:
ponkydonkey · 27/05/2022 08:03

It's new and alerts you

www.gov.uk/alerts

ImInStealthMode · 27/05/2022 08:06

ponkydonkey · 27/05/2022 08:03

It's new and alerts you

www.gov.uk/alerts

Interesting, thanks for sharing that.

Sounds like a great way to cause mass panic and confusion! Confused

Original poster
MysteryCallWTF · 27/05/2022 08:09

Well that looks scary!

She's just said the phone was speaking in a 'robotic voice' even though she hadn't answered and it was ringing even though it was on silent.

Can't see anything happening locally on the news or Twitter though.

OP posts:
GinaDonatella · 27/05/2022 08:14

If you live in an area with high crime will it go off more frequently….

Original poster
MysteryCallWTF · 27/05/2022 08:15

She's just done an 'artist's impression' of what the screen looked like, not like the one on the link but not like what happens if you call 999 either.

Some sort of scam maybe?

What was this 'emergency' phone call?
OP posts:
LadyDanburysCane · 27/05/2022 09:17

If she goes to the link that @ponkydonkey posted there are instructions on how to check the alerts you missed…..

kimfox · 27/05/2022 09:21

Thanks for sharing - no idea about this and would have had a mini panic if I hadn't known & got one! It says they are testing so you might get an alert as part of the test - probably what happened to OPs DD.

User478 · 27/05/2022 09:30

999 calls don't appear in your call history. So she might have pocket dialed.

I think it's a safety thing.

rbe78 · 27/05/2022 09:31

GinaDonatella · 27/05/2022 08:14

If you live in an area with high crime will it go off more frequently….

It's not to alert you of ongoing crimes, it's to do with things like floods, wild fires, public health emergencies etc.

They are running tests on the system at the moment in some areas. Past tests are here:
www.gov.uk/alerts/past-alerts

@MysteryCallWTF Did it happen on 23rd May? That's when the last test was.

Mangogogogo · 27/05/2022 09:33

Mine kept 999 in my call log. It was traumatising so I deleted it myself.
if they’ve changed this I’m glad :)

RaspberryToo · 27/05/2022 09:41

999 does remain in your call log - of course it does and it can be used in evidence as well.

ImInStealthMode · 27/05/2022 09:45

Is it an iPhone? Could be the built in alert set off by accident?

I only discovered that was a thing when I was trying to turn my music volume up when running (so not looking what I was doing). If you repeatedly press the power button it sets off a siren and starts a countdown, if you don't turn it off it automatically contacts emergency services (and your emergency contact, if you have one set up).

RaspberryToo · 27/05/2022 09:49

Is she an emergency contact for someone else?

Original poster
MysteryCallWTF · 27/05/2022 09:54

Still none the wiser! Nothing has been reported locally.

I'm leaning towards it being a scam of some sort, but how would a scammer know her exact location?

@rbe78 no, it was this morning. Doesn't look like it was an alert given that the screen looked different to the one in the link anyway. Although it did ring/vibrate on silent and her phone did say something in a 'robotic voice' even though she didn't answer.

@ImInStealthMode no, a fairly old Android phone.

@User478 her phone was in her hand because she was checking the bus app, so definitely not pocket dialled. Also 999 does stay in your call log - I still have a 999 call on mine from when I needed to call the police a few months ago.

OP posts:
Original poster
MysteryCallWTF · 27/05/2022 09:55

RaspberryToo · 27/05/2022 09:49

Is she an emergency contact for someone else?

Only me and it definitely wasn't me!

OP posts:
user1492771818 · 27/05/2022 10:07

Test or scam and a coincidence. I'm not aware of emergency vehicles carrying a microcellular transmitter. (small mobile phone tower)

Figgyroller · 27/05/2022 10:14

Maybe on a major tangent, but does she have a running watch with an emergency contact feature? My Garmin can be set to ring someone if a certain combination of buttons are pressed (in case of injury or such like). I appreciate it was the phone ringing rather than dialling but it may be set to herself as emergency contact?

NOTANUM · 27/05/2022 10:31

ponkydonkey · 27/05/2022 08:03

It's new and alerts you

www.gov.uk/alerts

The technology behind this is smart! It sends the message to everyone based on base station location so doesn’t need to know phone numbers.

Pinkywoo · 27/05/2022 10:51

RaspberryToo · 27/05/2022 09:41

999 does remain in your call log - of course it does and it can be used in evidence as well.

It doesn't in my phone? I had to call an ambulance for a customer and a few weeks later went to check the date and it wasn't there.

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