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Old 8th Jul 2017, 8:57 pm   #41
G6Tanuki
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

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Originally Posted by russell_w_b View Post

accolc?
And its successor-protocols, yes: if need be the infrastructure can be required to "Shed" or "Pre-empt" [a.k.a. disconnect!] existing calls if there's no remaining capacity available to support prioritised ones.

Same as the "Flash Override" feature on the 1960s/1970s AUTOVON phones: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autovon
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Old 8th Jul 2017, 9:44 pm   #42
Oldcodger
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

lets go back , pre dialing age, and where call boxes had an "Emergency button". Simple to implement. Call boxes were earth calling,on one leg. "Emergency button" placed earth on other leg, as I ( as a TTA checking out a MDF ) found out one day. I was tasked with checking out MDF records in our old manual exchange ,prior to change over to a Strowger system. Task was to connect a linesman's tele to a pair on the frame and get switchboard to confirm subs number, If a loop didn't get a reply, then earth one leg, as line could be earth calling.
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Old 9th Jul 2017, 1:26 pm   #43
Pellseinydd
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

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Originally Posted by Dave Moll View Post
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Originally Posted by raditechman View Post
I thought that 9 was used as the first number because on many private exchanges connected to the public system you often had to dial 9 to get an outside line.
On a slightly different tack, in bygone days of local codes between main exchanges and their satellites it was common to require a 9 before accessing a number from the main exchange - including for the emergency service. When I lived in the Oxford exchange area the emergency number from Oxford itself was actually 99 (a fact that I discovered by accident by double-dialling the initial 9 of a local code* and being rather shocked to be asked "Emergency, which service please?") so that the satellites were able to dial 999 without an extra access digit.
There were some exchanges where '99' was the advertised 'Emergency Code'. Hull Corporation Telephones for instance had '99' as its Emergency Code although it later became '999'.

Also the GPO's small rural automatic exchange (UAX5's) which only had a two digit numbering scheme initially dialled '01' for the Operator and that was the 'Emergency code' as well until the early 1950's some were converted such that '99' was the code for 'Emergency' . However they were told to dial '999', with the third '9' ending up in the operators ear if she was too quick in answering!

Some Post Office exchanges didn't get the 999 service until the 1970's!! The last batch got 999 service in late 1976!

Ian
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Old 9th Jul 2017, 1:53 pm   #44
Anthony Thomas
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

Just a little piece of useless information but Norway has three emergency numbers and a separate number for coast guard as well, just like them to be weird.

The emergency services then have an apparent struggle to combine the efforts of all three services out in the districts when needed. The services are 110, 112, and 113 and offhand I can never remember which is which of them. (110 = fire services, 112 = police, and 113 Ambulance. Prior to this one had to know the number of the local police station, fire station and hospital / ambualnce service.

There was critic a few years ago when someone went amock on a bus with a knife and it took several hours to get all services cordinated and the situation resolved, a quicker response time which is the idea of emergency services could have saved lives in this particular case.
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Old 9th Jul 2017, 2:07 pm   #45
Graham G3ZVT
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Default Re: Dial 999: 80 years of emergency calls

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Originally Posted by Pellseinydd View Post
There were some exchanges where '99' was the advertised 'Emergency Code'. Hull Corporation Telephones for instance had '99' as its Emergency Code although it later became '999'.
The Mercury access number on KC was 13 rather than the usual 131

Graham.
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