Ambulance services across the world are bracing for an increase in the number of daily incidents, since the holiday season is about to officially start in a few days. The SWAS is no different.
In a bid to discourage people from abusing the 999 number reserved only for emergencies, the South Western Ambulance Service (SWAS) from the UK has released transcripts of some of the most inappropriate calls they’ve gotten this year. And they’re so stupid you can’t even laugh at them – at least, not when you consider what a waste of precious time and resources they are.
You can also find some in the video available at the bottom of the page.
There’s one dude calling to report he’s just returned home and found a bleeding seagull in his house, and he insists that someone should be sent over because the seagull is a baby. There’s also a woman calling to say her dog had died that day, though she doesn’t say why this should be of any importance to the operator.
Another man calls to complain he’s been having very “strange” dreams, while another mumbles something about a computer that’s making his sweat profusely. A woman calls for an ambulance for a torn nail – while at the hospital, because she doesn’t believe she’s getting the attention she deserves.
The idea of the release of this transcripts isn’t to entertain viewers but to caution anyone to think twice before dialing the emergency service number. Any time wasted on trivial stuff can cost another person’s life, if that person is having a real emergency.
“Calling for an ambulance when it is not absolutely necessary puts additional pressure on our limited resources, and may mean we cannot reach those who are most in need,” David Fletcher, of the SWAS foundation trust, says in a statement.
You can also find some in the video available at the bottom of the page.
There’s one dude calling to report he’s just returned home and found a bleeding seagull in his house, and he insists that someone should be sent over because the seagull is a baby. There’s also a woman calling to say her dog had died that day, though she doesn’t say why this should be of any importance to the operator.
Another man calls to complain he’s been having very “strange” dreams, while another mumbles something about a computer that’s making his sweat profusely. A woman calls for an ambulance for a torn nail – while at the hospital, because she doesn’t believe she’s getting the attention she deserves.
The idea of the release of this transcripts isn’t to entertain viewers but to caution anyone to think twice before dialing the emergency service number. Any time wasted on trivial stuff can cost another person’s life, if that person is having a real emergency.
“Calling for an ambulance when it is not absolutely necessary puts additional pressure on our limited resources, and may mean we cannot reach those who are most in need,” David Fletcher, of the SWAS foundation trust, says in a statement.