Idiots calling 999 for stupid reasons

[Bodgeitandleggit]

Just seen this on the bbc website for some of the stupid reasons people call 999.. the London fire brigade alone receives 100 calls a week in the last year then what about the ambulance/police services... I think a wasted call should have a fixed penalty of £100 as it would not only stop the idiots but the revenue can go towards the costs of running these services

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-24479558

 

[joe-90]

Yeah you don't want to wake the firemen up, they've got a hard day decorating ahead.

 

[Bodgeitandleggit]

Yeah you don't want to wake the firemen up, they've got a hard day decorating ahead.

Oh Joe........... you are awful, but I like you

 

[cajar]

A £100 penalty would discourage people from ringing in genuine emergencies until they are sure, costing lives in the process. ie is the house on fire or is it a bonfire in the garden or chimney, or is has that car run off the road or just been parked in a bad position. If people had to wait for doubt to evaporate, they would likely carry on with their business and ignore it. Look what happened in china when a judge ruled that if you take an injured person to hospital you must feel guilty (and therefore have caused the accident) - it resulted in people ignoring a child who had been run over by a van (who died btw).

Best course of action is what they do, from time to time publish the silliest ones to remind people. The control room can cope with turning them away, its not like 3 appliances turned up to get that womans teeth out the road is it?

 

[Bosswhite]

Agree with ^^^^^^^^.
Being an Ex Firefighter there is a difference between malicious calls (False alarms) and unnecessary calls.
Those that make deliberate False alarm calls can result in arrest and a fine.

an unnecessary call can be dealt with at the Control centre, whilst some of these unusual calls are a waste of time there is the odd occasion that they can be a real emergency, and not explained to the telephone operator in a manner that can be readily understood.

Joe-90 is right, it was a s*d being woken up in the middle of the night for nothing, it affected my decorating expertise.

 

[longdogs]

When I think of some of the customers I have to deal with, it's not surprising that some people make these ridiculous calls. I'm sure a lot of these calls are made by the 'unmentionables' because everything comes too easy for them and they don't really understand the concept of a real emergency. Obviously, that's not mentioned in the report.

 

[big-all]

whilst 10 a day seems a lot
if they are getting say 1000 calls a day its not as bad
of course if they only get 100 calls its very bad

you will always get people that dont understand regardless off how many times you tell them
they will usually be the poorest in society so giving them a fine would be an unfair punishment

 

[Bodgeitandleggit]

whilst 10 a day seems a lot
if they are getting say 1000 calls a day its not as bad
of course if they only get 100 calls its very bad

you will always get people that dont understand regardless off how many times you tell them
they will usually be the poorest in society so giving them a fine would be an unfair punishment

Maybe I was a bit harsh saying fine them £100 but there should be some form of educating them or discouraging them.. like another poster said it may deter the genuine people form calling and I would not want to happen.. but these people need to realise while they are messing about real emergencies could be wanting... as for hoax calls I would give them six months in jail

 

[Bosswhite]

whilst 10 a day seems a lot
if they are getting say 1000 calls a day its not as bad
of course if they only get 100 calls its very bad

you will always get people that dont understand regardless off how many times you tell them
they will usually be the poorest in society so giving them a fine would be an unfair punishment

Maybe I was a bit harsh saying fine them £100 but there should be some form of educating them or discouraging them.. like another poster said it may deter the genuine people form calling and I would not want to happen.. but these people need to realise while they are messing about real emergencies could be wanting... as for hoax calls I would give them six months in jail

The problem is to them it is an emergency, its up to the Fire Control to decide on the situation
Deliberate false alarms are a different matter

 

[big-all]

hoaxers need to realize the dangers
but again some will not be able to comprehend the dangers but this can often be helped by school visits and the odd horrible bit off footage

i am afraid there is many a parent who rather than be horrified by hoaxing 999 calls will just have the attitude that kids do things like that and be more concerned you are stopping them watching big brother

 

[JBR]

The real problem is common sense: we don't do it any more, not since someone had the bright idea of a 'nanny state'.

 

[EFLImpudence]

They want to make up their minds.

Don't they like squirrels?

http://www.hantsfire.gov.uk/theserv...istrescues/animalrescue/animalrescuesmall.htm

http://www.forest-and-wye-today.co.uk/news.cfm?id=25044

http://news.stv.tv/north/240492-ter...rvice-after-becoming-trapped-in-moray-quarry/

 

[jockscott]

From the Forest of Dean article you linked to EFL

When I received the call from a local friend to say what had happened I rushed over to make sure the sheep was safe. Luckily, the dog hadn’t bitten the sheep but to be on the safe side I gave it an injection.

Poor sheep

 

[EFLImpudence]

I hadn't read them.

Sheep was in the mud 'up to its stomach' - just its legs, then.

 

[jockscott]

I wonder if "Injection" is something the farmer gave the sheep back in his barn ??