Twitter saves women's life

amanda6035 · #1 05-18-2009, 06:41 PM

Councilman Uses Twitter To Help Save Woman

ATLANTA -- An Atlanta city councilman used Twitter to help save the life of a woman who suffered a seizure in northeast Atlanta.
Kwanza Hall tweeted instead of dialing 911 Friday evening when he spotted a woman in need of medical assistance at the corner of John Wesley Dobbs Avenue and Jackson Street.
He said he used Twitter because his cell phone battery was running low and he didn't want to end up stuck on hold with 911.
“Need a paramedic on corner of John Wesley Dobbs and Jackson st. Woman on the ground unconscious. Pls ReTweet,” was the message he sent out on the social networking Web site.
Within seconds, dozens of Hall's Twitter followers sent out the message to their followers and several people called 911 to report the emergency.....

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/19492556/detail.html

lovespink88 · #2 05-18-2009, 06:46 PM

Cool!

I've thankfully never had to call 911, but do people really get stuck on hold? It just seemed kind of weird that he was worried about getting stuck on hold cause of his battery...I feel like Twittering that message would have taken just as long. Then again, I'm just thinking of my phone, which has slow internet. Maybe it works faster on smartphones.

Still, I'm glad to hear everything was alright in the end!

ETA: Haaaa, whoops, just read the whole article which mentions people getting stuck on hold. Looks like he made the right call!

ZTAngel · #3 05-18-2009, 06:54 PM

I've had nightmares where I'm being chased and I call 911 only to be put on hold. I figured that it could never happen in real life but then a few months ago I called 911 after witnessing an accident on the highway. I was put on hold. I couldn't believe it. I know that Atlanta's 911 call centers are really backed up but still.... I wasn't on hold for that long but that minute or two could've meant someone's life if there were catastrophic injuries.

amanda6035 · #4 05-18-2009, 06:56 PM

unfortunately, in atlanta, it's not uncommon to be on hold for 911

I didnt copy the whole article, but if you click to read the link, you'll see where they mentioned how last year a house burned to the ground while people where on hold trying to get through to 911.

christiangirl · #5 05-18-2009, 07:55 PM

I had to call 911 on Thursday--a car in front of me on the freeway ran another car off the road and it went spinning off into the trees. Thankfully, they picked up after one ring. Usually if anyone's going to put you on hold, they first pick up and say "May I put you on hold?" I would've screamed "NO!!" and just started talking.

I felt especially horrible when I heard the story of the little boy who called 911 for his mom and the operator chided him for "playing with the phone" and hung up. His mom died.

aephi alum · #6 05-18-2009, 08:08 PM

I've called 911 and gotten no answer. And I've called 911 for a hit-and-run where the dispatcher sent the cop to the wrong interstate.

Good thing I wasn't injured!

I never would have thought of using Twitter in an emergency. (Then again, I don't use Twitter at all.) Good thinking, Mr. Hall.

AGDee · #7 05-18-2009, 09:52 PM

I called 911 once when there was a motorcycle accident in an intersection when we were waiting to turn left. People hopped out to help the guy get out of the intersection and as soon as they got him to the curb, the gas tank blew. They answered right away, I started to say what happened and the operator asked if I was at the intersection of Road and Drive and after I said yes, she said several calls had already come in and help was on the way.

jojapeach · #8 05-18-2009, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amanda6035

unfortunately, in atlanta, it's not uncommon to be on hold for 911

I didnt copy the whole article, but if you click to read the link, you'll see where they mentioned how last year a house burned to the ground while people where on hold trying to get through to 911.

That wasn't last year. The article says earlier this month, but it specifically happened just last week. Watching the news story made me so grateful that my hubby talked me out of trying to buy a house in the city of Atlanta. I applaud the councilman for paying attention to the local news and thinking outside the box to use Twitter.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/pri...tlid=inform_sr

Quote:

Neighbors alerting 911 about a small house fire in west Atlanta Saturday afternoon say they waited on hold 20 minutes —- so long that some decided to fight the blaze themselves with a garden hose.