Dialing 911 for Help

Don’t bet your life on dialing 911. My wife was home alone, sitting in the living room, the side door was closed but not locked. It was 3:45 in the afternoon. She walked into the kitchen and found a man standing there. She reacted by picking up a butcher knife and yelling at him to get out of the house. He opened the door then hesitated. She gave him a shove out and locked the door. He tried to reenter by forcing the door. My frightened wife dialed 911 and related the incident, telling the operator the man was trying to force his way back into the house.

“What did you say your name was? How do you spell it? What is your address? What is the cross street?” was the response.

My wife told the operator that the man was pounding on the door and the operator told her that he couldn’t get in if the door was locked. The operator then said she would send someone out.

My wife went to the door and the told the intruder the police were on the way. He continued to pound on the door. A short time later a siren was heard and he took off running, thinking perhaps it was the police.

Twenty minutes later my wife received a phone call asking her if she still needed help.

I waited three weeks to write this letter so it would be factual instead of hysterical. It is meant as a warning to those who would depend on 911 as a cure-all. That it is not. The purpose of this letter is to warn people to prepare in advance for such an eventuality. Have the number of a friend or neighbor that you can call. At your next Neighborhood Watch meeting discuss these situations and make some arrangements with your neighbors to help each other should the need arise. Don’t wait until it happens to you.

WILLIAM J. MALEN

Los Angeles