Medics are claiming that they may have been able to save people like a 75-year-old Queens mother who died during the storm had the 911 lines not been clogged with prank or just plain stupid phone calls. EMS units claim one man called complaining of a stomach ache, but later admitted that he had eaten a whole pizza about 20 minutes earlier. Other units responded to a call of a sick child in Brooklyn only to find that his parents were just hoping EMTs could make him finish his homework.
If these claims are true, the ignorance of some New Yorkers is just astounding. One mother called to say her daughter was "bleeding from her mouth" when really she had fallen and cut her lip. Others called complaining about stubbed toes, stuffed noses, and one wished simply to sit in the ambulance with a blanket because he was cold inside his own house. FDNY said they went to these peoples houses because it's difficult to diagnose a person's condition over the phone. "When you have that many calls, not every one is going to be cardiac arrest," said one spokesman. "But it's tough for us to say beforehand that that person should stay home."
If police believe a 911 call is an intentional prank, the caller can be charged with filing a false report or disorderly conduct, like this Queens teenager who claimed passengers in the van in which he was riding were carrying guns. We'd appreciate if the FDNY would publicly release these peoples' phone numbers; we have an I.P. Freely on the line who really wants to talk to them.
