A SCARY hedgehog and needing a lift home from the pub are not reasons to dial 999, West Midlands Ambulance Service urges.
The ambulance service is imploring residents to think twice before calling for emergency help as part of their “Appreciate Your Ambulance” campaign.
The service’s media team have been releasing audio clips of real 999 calls to highlight the shocking examples of inappropriate calls they receive daily.
Calls including people who were too drunk and simply needed a taxi, someone who dropped a shampoo bottle on their foot, a thirsty caller who wanted someone to bring him a glass of water and a host of joke callers. Someone even alerted the ambulance service when their children were scared of a hedgehog.
Jeremy Brown, general manager responsible for the service’s Emergency Operations Centres, said: “My control room staff are currently dealing with around 3,000 999 calls a day. Despite us being an emergency service, it’s truly shocking what people consider to be appropriate to call 999 for.
“We’re here for genuine life-threatening emergencies such as chest pains, cardiac arrests and difficulties breathing.”
The audio clips are available on the ‘officialwmas’ accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Below are just some of the examples of bogus 999 calls the ambulance service receive:
