The world’s oldest emergency service – 999 – is celebrating its 80 birthday today and the last eight decades have seen the service expand from handling more than 1,000 in its first week of operation in London in 1937 to around 560,000 calls a week now. That's around 30 million calls a year, according to BT’s archives.
The 999 call system was introduced following a fire at a London doctor’s surgery in November 1935 which resulted in the deaths of five women. The tragedy led to a committee set up by the government to look at how telephone operators could identify emergency calls.
The committee suggested that there should be a standard, easy-to-remember nationwide number to alert the emergency services. First, they considered 707, which corresponded to the letters SOS on the telephone dial. Then 333 was the next number suggested, before finally settling on 999.
The number 999 was chosen as it could be dialled easily in dense smoke or darkness on the old rotary telephones by placing a finger against the dial stop and rotating the dial to its full extent three times.
Originally, each 999 call triggered flashing red lights and hooters to alert exchange operators to give priority to the emergency call, but the hooters were so loud that the operators pushed a tennis ball in the horn to reduce the volume.
Glasgow was the second city to introduce the service in 1938, but the Second World War delayed roll-out across the UK until it reached all major towns and cities by 1948.
During its first week of the service, 999 took more than 1,000 calls. The first was made by a Mrs Beard in Hampstead, north London, and led to the arrest of burglar Thomas Duffy.
Now, Staffordshire Police takes about 146,000 999 calls a year. Saturday night into the early hours of Sunday morning have proven to be the busiest times for 999 calls, and the authorities have a target of answering 90 per cent within 10 seconds.
Matt Goldsmith, contact services manager, said: “We urge people who have dialled 999 for a genuine reason and then decided that the police are not required to stay on the line and speak to one of our call handers.
“We will always call them back to make sure all is ok and this can take time and impact on others who have an emergency.”
The 999 calls which weren’t so much of an emergency…
From the very beginning, hoax or unnecessary calls have always been a nuisance for the 999 service. The earliest calls recorded included a complaint about bagpipes being played outside a house and a dispute between a neighbour and the local coalman. Here are the most ridiculous complaints made on 999 calls, according to Scotland Yard.
‘There is a cat following me down the road and it keeps hissing.’
‘I have seen a fox walking outside the window and I want to report it in case it’s dangerous.’
‘There was a bird in the store but it’s ok, someone has removed it now.’
‘I need to cancel my hairdresser’s appointment, it’s an emergency and I can’t get through to the salon.’
‘Can you give me a number for the non-emergency police?’
‘I need the police, I ordered a takeaway that cost me £30 and they took it to number six, when I live at number seven.’
‘I’m at Heathrow and I have left one of my bags in a taxi?’
‘Basically, I’m at Finsbury Park and I don’t have any money on me for a taxi – I want police to come and pick me up and take me home…’
