Dear Editor,
I remember the TV show which revolved around the emergency telephone system, Rescue 911 hosted by Stacy Keach. The show’s aim was to give the public some kind of confidence in their local emergency systems through the documented instances of common people who got the help they needed when they needed it, and who formed a bond with their 911 operator who walked them through their plight. Callers who are in emergencies are kept on the line so the operator can collect vital information, counsel them and give tips on how to deal with their situations until help arrives. At the end the caller would unite with their dispatcher or the person who answered their call at the 911 centre. Viewers would remember the dramatic telephone recorded conversations which the show aired as part of the reality TV element, while most of the other portions were re-enacted. All sorts of situations were documented, from shootings to murders to household accidents such as cuts, bruises and falls, not to mention suicide attempts, women in labour, gas leaks, electrocutions, etc. The callers received the attention they needed and overwhelming help from the 911 operators – something I believe we Guyanese would never see in our present day.
Yet again the 911 emergency system has become a national embarrassing spectacle as its shortcomings and failings were exposed by the mourning relatives of those who perished in the waters of the Abary River the week before last. How embarrassed the authorities must have been when almost every major newscast in the country uncovered the horrible shame of Guyana’s 911 system yet again.
Most naturally, Mrs Tara Mattai dialled 911 from a cellular phone shortly after the ordeal began that day. The police did inform Guyanese that any call to 911 from a cell phone would be answered by the operators at one of the operations rooms in Georgetown. Even this is not a good plan, because what if someone in Berbice knows that a crime is in progress somewhere in the Essequibo or West Demerara area, then how can this person get help quickly through 911 without being answered by the police in New Amsterdam or by an operator in the Georgetown operations centre? It was sad to hear her tell the media that she allegedly dialled 911 over “twenty- five times” and got no response. That is shocking. Of course, this matter, like the others will be swept under the carpet and life will go on until another desperate Guyanese needs urgent police attention and decides to dial 911.
It’s an utter shame and disgrace to have an overseas-based citizen of this country speaking to the media and telling them that after not getting help she had wanted to charter a helicopter to go into the Abary backlands or pay for a rescue team to assist her in her time of need. That person may not be conscious of the fact that we do have a police force in Guyana to rescue people with capable men and women and equipment who could have been of assistance to her on that fateful day – but that did not happen.
Many countries spend billions of dollars to constantly repair and upgrade 911 call systems. In the US and even Canada, fees are paid by local and wireless customers and are disbursed to the Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) for 911 services across North America. Is it because the 911 service is free in Guyana that we’re having so many problems accessing help during emergencies? Maybe we need to be surcharged in Guyana as well by the local phone companies.
No one can understand the feelings of a person who is in dire need of help. No one can underestimate the things that person would do just to acquire that help whether it is to dial 911 over twenty- five times, with the small hope that someone would pick up the phone; lend an ear and perhaps a little word of comfort; send help and monitor the efficiency of those who are responding. Mrs Tara Mattai said that she asked the 911 operator for reassurance that help was on the way for her relatives who were drowning in the form of a return call, but that call never came back.
Yes, silly persons out there still make a mockery of 911 by playing pranks on the operators, but this is no reason not to answer the telephone, because the moment one ignores that ringing phone may be the moment someone is in dire need of help. Guyanese will never know what happened during those moments when Mrs Tara Mattai dialled 911. More so, Guyanese would never understand the pain and agony which she felt during those agonising moments of being ignored by those who are supposed to get help for us in times of need.
Does it make sense to call 911 in emergencies? I think not. These cases of persons not getting through to 911 during emergencies must be investigated, and charges laid for dereliction of duty. One thing I know for sure is that like Mrs Mattai’s twenty-five telephone calls to 911, my letter would also be ignored by those who possess the power to fix this problem.
Yours faithfully,
Leon Jameson Suseran
