It’s a problem all over the country…there’s been an increase in calls to 911 that don’t have anything to do with genuine emergencies. Take Atlanta, for instance. Last year, calls to 911 increased by 14%, but rarely were any of those calls actual emergencies. In 2023, ATL emergency services fielded roughly 1.3 million calls. Of those calls, 45K were “deemed serious emergencies,” and only 900 were pertaining to “shootings or stabbings.” In some cases, people were calling to discuss “moving pillows to a different couch” or wondering “what the score is.”
Source: Fox 5 Atlanta
In a recent example of GOOD use of the 911 system...
TEENS HONORED FOR SAVING LIFE OF STRANGER IN NEED
Earlier this month in Arlington, Massachusetts, three teenagers were commended for their part in helping a stranger in distress. On December 28th, Sean Hogan, James Angell, and Rugved Paraskar were driving in East Arlington when they noticed a car pulled up onto the sidewalk. They immediately stopped and called 911, then stayed at the scene to help first responders and a police officer get the driver out of the car.
At a ceremony on Wednesday, the Arlington Police Department awarded the teens civilian commendations for their selfless act of kindness and compassion. They praised the young men for their actions and their strong moral character. Officers Rachel Venuti and Joseph Canniff were also honored with certificates of commendation for their roles in the incident. They performed CPR and used a defibrillator on the unresponsive driver, who was suffering from a medical incident, ultimately saving his life.
Fortunately, the driver, Mr. Lopis, was able to make a full recovery and was at the ceremony to personally see his rescuers commended for saving him. He thanked the officers and the teens, as their proud families looked on.
Source: CBS NEWS