911 - Please hold, all operators are busy.....

[JetGirl]

There is no new thing under the sun.
Twenty years ago, an event occurred and I told my friend to dial 911. Nobody ever picked up. It just rang and rang...so long that I actually had things under control and told her just go ahead and hang up. Ten minutes later, my phone rang and it was 911 dispatch telling me we should not have hung up. I explained that they took so long, we fixed the problem... she told me the delay was due to relay...county to local back to county back to local. Whatever. As stated upthread, don't rely on others.

 

[BiscuitNaBasket]

The Sheriff runs Public Safety Communications (PSC), including dispatch and control. They have a venue to air complaints: Internal Affairs

In a city like Indianapolis, being on hold for 911 is unacceptable. Call and complain, then call Raphael Sanchez.

 

[MCgrease08]

I came home to a break-in a few months ago, two year old daughter in tow. Based on what I saw/ heard it was very likely the burgler(s) were still inside when I opened the front door.

I was unarmed at the time, so I backed out and called 911. Got the on hold recording for approximately 5 minutes. After I got through to dispatch it took another 15 minutes for a single patrol car to arrive. This was at 5:30 p.m. on a weekday and the house is about 4 blocks from the northside sub station.

I felt pretty helpless. From that day forward I made a commitment to my family that I would carry at all times when legally possible.

 

[Yup!]

I'm the first to admit we need to be self sufficient. You should not leave your personal safety in another's hands, however at times I need more resources than I can possibly provide. I'm shocked to see that many others have received this recording in times of needs as well.

It shouldn't be something that we accept. If the city is going to have a 911 system, it needs to operate as intended. I'd rather NOT have it and know that ahead of time, than have it not work when I need it.

 

[Car Ramrod]

I called a week or so ago to report that a car had flipped on its roof on 465. I got the busy dispatcher message as well. It's a good thing I wasn't being raped or on fire, or even worse, raped while on fire.

 

[BiscuitNaBasket]

I'm the first to admit we need to be self sufficient. You should not leave your personal safety in another's hands, however at times I need more resources than I can possibly provide. I'm shocked to see that many others have received this recording in times of needs as well.

It shouldn't be something that we accept. If the city is going to have a 911 system, it needs to operate as intended. I'd rather NOT have it and know that ahead of time, than have it not work when I need it.

That's what has me puzzled. We're just a select group of people and very few at that. To see that it is this common amongst any group is ridiculous.

 

[MCgrease08]

It's a good thing I wasn't being raped or on fire, or even worse, raped while on fire.

I hate it when that happens.

 

[firecadet613]

I came home to a break-in a few months ago, two year old daughter in tow. Based on what I saw/ heard it was very likely the burgler(s) were still inside when I opened the front door.

I was unarmed at the time, so I backed out and called 911. Got the on hold recording for approximately 5 minutes. After I got through to dispatch it took another 15 minutes for a single patrol car to arrive. This was at 5:30 p.m. on a weekday and the house is about 4 blocks from the northside sub station.

I felt pretty helpless. From that day forward I made a commitment to my family that I would carry at all times when legally possible.

+1. I had a home broken in too years ago. Wife got home and found it with the kid while I was at work. I had her call my brother who was on shift at the firehouse, and I called 911. I recall being on hold 10+ minutes (ladder truck got there by then). They cleared the house (she had been inside when she found it then ran out), and I made a 30 minute drive home only to wait 20 minutes before the officer arrived. Needless to say, we no longer live in IMPDs jurisdiction. Nothing against the officer, he was fantastic. Just a messed up system.

 

[hoosierdoc]

A fire crew cleared your house looking for a bad guy???

 

[Yup!]

+1. I had a home broken in too years ago. Wife got home and found it with the kid while I was at work. I had her call my brother who was on shift at the firehouse, and I called 911. I recall being on hold 10+ minutes (ladder truck got there by then). They cleared the house (she had been inside when she found it then ran out), and I made a 30 minute drive home only to wait 20 minutes before the officer arrived. Needless to say, we no longer live in IMPDs jurisdiction. Nothing against the officer, he was fantastic. Just a messed up system.

its time to start deputizing jimmy johns employees!

 

[BigMoose]

Delaware county isn't much better, I live in Marion, but travel there a lot.

Called 911 as I spotted a drunk wildly weaving all over the Muncie bypass... hold, then someone took the info, said they would dispatch someone, and then wouldn't stay on the line. Had to repeat the process five times, and never did see a damn cop. Finally he turned off on 3 and got into Henry county. THEY NAILED HIS ARSE IN FIVE MINUTES FLAT!

Only called once in Marion, domestic disturbance in the house across the street... 6 cops showed up in about 7 minutes or so.

 

[firecadet613]

A fire crew cleared your house looking for a bad guy???

That's the story the Mrs said. She said she stayed outside but my brother and the crew went in and cleared the house for her and my two year old. Since she had already been in the house with the little one, I don't blame him.

 

[IndyGunworks]

Start educating people that 911 is for emergencies, medical or police.
Fine people that don't get the message.
Ensure the equipment is up to the task.
Ensure manning levels are right.
Ensure personnel are properly trained.

IN THAT ORDER, and the system will right itself.... there are more people that abuse the system than there are that need it by a LONG shot

 

[Echelon]

That's what has me puzzled. We're just a select group of people and very few at that. To see that it is this common amongst any group is ridiculous.

Like it or not, that is exactly how MECA is set up. Similar to a call center for Comcast or elsewhere, the 'hold' recording plays until routed to an available call taker.

 

[LEaSH]

You know when you hear stories of people calling for an ambulance for things like: a ingrown toenail, or a sore tooth, or a boil on their ass.

You know that can't be real frequent can it?

I had these hillbillies living in back of me a couple years ago, (No doubt Denny has been over there before. If not for a drunken shouting match something else I'm sure.) Anyys, every other night for weeks at a time the EMS would show up to take her to hospital for "stomach pain" some BS. Needed those pillz to conteract the tax payer provided oxygen tanks and cigarettes, I guess....

I better stop right now - I think a cramped my fingers with that text rant just now. Should I call 9-1-1? It is pretty painful...

 

[Willegene]

I wont get into detail about the 2 times I have called 911 but the first on ended up in me hanging up on them, HORRIBLE service. The second time was good service and fast response by the ambulance, didn't end up needing them but was nice that they made it in a timely manner

 

[MCgrease08]

I've had a slow response (mentioned above), but I've also had a very quick response times from Marion County.

I called around 2 a.m. on a Friday night/ Sat morning when my wife was robbed in front of our house. We had a unit on scene within two minutes of dialing 911.

Pretty much the same story when some punk threw a brick through our window on a Sunday night around midnight. Same IMPD officer (B. Hopkins) out front within a matter of minutes.

 

[Yup!]

Like it or not, that is exactly how MECA is set up. Similar to a call center for Comcast or elsewhere, the 'hold' recording plays until routed to an available call taker.

NOT.

No one is debating if the system is working "technically" correct or not. Sure if all the lines are busy a recoding and being placed on hold is how the system is designed. The real point is that there should be enough operators so that no one gets the recoding.

 

[Trigger Time]

I've had a slow response (mentioned above), but I've also had a very quick response times from Marion County.

I called around 2 a.m. on a Friday night/ Sat morning when my wife was robbed in front of our house. We had a unit on scene within two minutes of dialing 911.

Pretty much the same story when some punk threw a brick through our window on a Sunday night around midnight. Same IMPD officer (B. Hopkins) out front within a matter of minutes.

I know someone who called 911 in Indy for a fight with serious injury and the cop (yes 1) didn't show up for over an hour! And when he did the lazy ass didn't even get out of his damn car!

 

[VUPDblue]

I know someone who called 911 in Indy for a fight with serious injury and the cop (yes 1) didn't show up for over an hour! And when he did the lazy ass didn't even get out of his damn car!

Did medics show up? If the injury was reported, then a medic would have also been sent, though they would "stage" until they were cleared to come in. If medics or police did not show up in a timely manner than either the caller did not give adequate or specific enough information about the situation or the dispatcher was inept.