Dear Editor,
I called 911, but I didn’t get help.
I pray that I don’t have an emergency in this country. If I do, I will never call any of the emergency providers.
Several days ago my friend was having trouble breathing and had become unresponsive. With no place to turn, I eventually called 911 for assistance, and I was shocked by the response I got from the operators. The dispatcher at 911 told me to call 226-2411, and that dispatcher told me to call 226-9449.
I requested an ambulance, and I was told that the ambulance services don’t provide services to Providence, only up to Eccles. I was told by another dispatcher to call the Fire Service, which I had already called. While my friend was unresponsive, I was being given the royal runaround to get him help.
From what I experienced, I’ll never call the 911 services again, if someone is having an emergency. Instead, I’ll call a taxi, which was what I ended up doing.
Can you please tell me who to call if someone living in Providence is having a medical emergency? Can you please tell me when do I call 911?
By the way, I took him to the Diamond Hospital, where he received some excellent and exceptional service from the nurses and doctors.
If you need medical attention, I suggest you get yourself to the hospital and not waste your time calling 911 or an ambulance. I believe that your chances of surviving is much better if you provide your own transportation.
Yours faithfully,
Anthony Pantlitz
