Woman’s Tale Shows How Great 911 Works

Wed., May 31, 1995

Patricia Head Special To Opinion

Am I impressed with the 911 system! Late on a Sunday night, I was programming my portable telephone, and the first number I programmed was 911.

Reprogrammed, actually. The phone had been knocked onto the floor, removing the programming I’d done earlier.

I tested the number and heard the ring. Satisfied, I hung up. I never dreamed the call would go through to the 911 emergency system anyway. And even if it did, I thought, the operators would just think that since I hadn’t completed the call, there was nothing wrong.

Then my answering machine came on, and I thought, “Well, I screwed that up, too,” and disconnected it.

In less than 10 minutes, the doorbell rang. Our dog was barking wildly in the background.

It was about midnight, and no outside lights were on. All I could think was it must be kids seeking something. We have been burglarized twice, so I am gun-shy about letting in anyone I don’t know.

My husband, an ex-FBI agent, was fast asleep. I woke him because I wasn’t about to go to the door myself.

It turned out to be the police, there to make sure everything was OK.

I don’t think the officers believed everything was all right for a few minutes. One officer wouldn’t take my husband’s word for it. I guess having the answering machine go out, too, right after the 911 call had come in, added fuel to the fire.

As the officers stood on the porch talking to my husband, a woman who may have been riding with them was standing out by our garage. She kept peeking around the corner as if she thought shots would be fired.

Finally, after I had gone to the door and told the police my telephone tale, the officers were satisfied and went on their way.

I can’t call the 911 people to thank them, but I want your readers to know how great the emergency system is.

By the way, I took the phone back and got a new one. I read the directions and programmed in 911. I got a beep from the phone telling me the number was in the system - but I’m not going to try it to find out.

MEMO: “Your Turn” is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a column for consideration, call Rebecca Nappi/459-5496 or Doug Floyd/459-5466.

“Your Turn” is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a column for consideration, call Rebecca Nappi/459-5496 or Doug Floyd/459-5466.

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