Vonage Puts VoIP 911 Caller on Hold 464
kamikaze-Tech writes "It is being reported on the Vonage Forums that last month when Loren Veltkamp's
Chanhassen, Minnesota home caught on fire, he immediately called 9-1-1 using
Vonage. Unfortunately,
Vonage put him on hold, causing a delay in the response from emergency
workers. By the time fire crews arrived, the fire had become a five-alarm blaze.
The house was a total loss."
Amazing (Score:5, Funny)
They claim to be associating establishing a physical location with each E911, at so many counties per week. Yet someone on the blog points out in Ohio they're moving at a snail's pace and only in 4 rural counties. Sounds like my office, let's process ~1,500 applications, which average about 30 minutes each, by one person, who is being phased out due to lack of work. It done be amazing.
"please click on 1 if you have just seen bigfoot, click on 2 if a wolf has lept through your living room window, click 3 if you believe CowboyNeal is lurking under your bed, click 4 if you laughed so hard at the last South Park that you are choking on a cheezy poof, click 5 if you are so offended by the last South Park you are choking on a cheezy poof, click 6 if you think The Lakers is a stupid name for a team that moved from Minnesota to Los Angeles where there are no lakes, click 7 if your house is on fire and your children have flown, click 8 if you are suffering a medical emergency, click 9 if you are "dying zerelda, dying zerelda, die, die, die, die, die, die!!!" or stay on the line and listen to some light jazz until your connection is mysteriously dropped."
Re:Nothing to see here (Score:4, Funny)
Or did you make enough calls to 911 to make it statiscly relevant? If so you where put on hold while they send out the police to arrest you!
on hold (Score:5, Funny)
Next at 6... (Score:5, Funny)
It is being reported on the Vonage Forums that last month when Loren Veltkamp's Chanhassen, Minnesota home caught on fire, he immediately called 9-1-1 using Vonage. Unfortunately, Vonage put him on hold,
Next at 6: Slashdot links to Vonage-forum, forum webserver puts thousands on hold and THEN catches fire.
PS:Houses usually don't "catch" fire, like they're standing around and fire lands on them out of the blue. How'd the guy's house actually catch fire? Why didn't he have an extinguisher? Why didn't he hang up the phone and DIAL AGAIN?
PPS:The above is half serious and half spoofing the typical "apologist" line.
Re:Dupe "Article" (Score:5, Funny)
A communication error occurred: "Operation timed out"
The Web Server may be down, too busy, or experiencing other problems preventing it from responding to requests. You may wish to try again at a later time.
Re:Amazing (Score:3, Funny)
"You have selected regicide. If you know the king or queen being murdered, press 1."
You know their stupid commercials... (Score:5, Funny)
I think their new commercial should show a guy getting Vonage and then his house burns down, and then they say, "People do stupid things. Going with Vonage is one of them."
No lawsuit required! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Regular 911 service is just as bad, or worse! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Regular 911 service is just as bad, or worse! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Regular 911 service is just as bad, or worse! (Score:3, Funny)
And hopefully one of the cops will be trigger happy enough to fill the dude with lead.
Re:Nothing to see here (Score:5, Funny)
I'm not sure which is more disturbing -- that you were put on hold or that you have called enough times to be able to establish these percentages...
Obligatory Simpsons' quote (Score:5, Funny)
Bart: [watching Flanders] An ax. He's got an ax! I'll save you, Lisa! [tries to walk on his broken leg, falls back] Uh, I'll save you by calling the police. [dials 911]
Voice: Hello, and welcome to the Springfield Police Department Resc-u- Fone[tm]. If you know the name of the felony being committed, press one. To choose from a list of felonies, press two. If you are being murdered or calling from a rotary phone, please stay on the line.
Bart: [growls, punches some numbers]
Voice: You have selected regicide. If you know the name of the king or queen being murdered, press one.
Re:Something i learned about smoke and fire. (Score:1, Funny)
No way, playing with fire is cool! FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!
Excuse me while I go torch my house down...
Re:This should surprise no one (911 horror stories (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Nothing to see here (Score:5, Funny)
1988 or so, San Diego: "A car just flipped, spun 720 degrees, bouncing off the concrete barrier 3 times."
"Was anyone hurt?"
1990, Las Vegas: The dumpster behind my office is on fire!
"Where are you?"
"It doesn't show on your systems?"
"No,not here."
2002 or so, Pennsylvania: child drank "yucky water." handled reasonably.
Last year, Pennsylvania: barely & pre-teens camping in the yard, some moron terrorizing them. Well handled.
Last week: one of my students, in a contest to see who could jump the fartherest from the swing . . .
And there are a couyple more that don't come right to mind.
I've never been put on hold, though . . .
hawk
Re:Regular 911 service is just as bad, or worse! (Score:3, Funny)
Once I called 911 to report an emergency, Livestock were wondering
'Tis a sad day in our fair republic when the imagination of livestock is a threat.
(Let's focus on the real problems, shall we? Like the imagination of those humans who wonder about livestock..)