Atlanta 911 callers placed on hold

November 17, 2009 by Ken Edelstein
Filed under: POLITICS 

I tweeted eight days ago that Atlanta 911 placed me on hold for six minutes while I tried to report a fire I happened to see in the Old Fourth Ward. But WSB’s really got the goods on the story

The Atlanta Police Department’s own records show that 30,813 calls were placed on hold for more than 40 seconds in two-and-a-half months this spring and summer, which city guidelines say would be an “unacceptable” length of time. Jodie Fleischer interviews at least three people who faced critical emergencies and were put on hold.

The response from city officials? “They don’t think their own numbers are accurate” — so they’re refusing to share upated data with the public. Fleischer also said city officials refused to allow the station to tape inside the 911 center or wouldn’t do an on-camera interview. The city also says it’s hiring more operators.

Watch this excellent report on WSB-TV’s website.

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Comments

2 Comments on Atlanta 911 callers placed on hold

  1. Jimmy @ The Careerist on Tue, 17th Nov 2009 10:50 am

    2. Sad but true. As a resident of Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward, I can attest to the absurdness of the city’s 911 system / infrastructure. I’ve called numerous times to report suspicious individuals lurking around my building and have been placed on hold for well over 4 or 5 MINUTES! Heaven forbid I call when I get mugged!

  2. Pish Gooberman on Tue, 17th Nov 2009 11:27 am

    3. I called 911 this summer to report a hit-and-run at the end of my street. I was put on hold for over 4 minutes. Luckily, no one was hurt but all I could think about was what if the driver had hit a pedestrian. Awful.

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