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Here’s what to do if you need to call the police but are too scared to talk

10th Apr 2019

If you find yourself in a situation which requires emergency services, but feel like you’d be in further danger if you spoke aloud – there is something you can do. When you call 999, an operator asks which emergency service you require before rerouting the call to the police, ambulance service or fire brigade. If a 999 caller remains silent, the operator may ask them to cough or make another audible sound. But, it may not be safe to make a noise in every situation – for example it could alert a potential attacker to your exact whereabouts or escalate a dangerous situation like domestic violence or burglary. There’s a simple way of signalling that it’s a genuine emergency and you haven’t just accidentally pocket-dialled.

You simply push the buttons 55 on your phone. 

The procedure is called Silent Solutions and it was created so people in an emergency can call the police in dangerous situations. After you dial 999 and you’ve been unable to audibly signal to the operator, your call will be forwarded to an operating system. If you’re in danger, you then dial 55 otherwise the call will be terminated.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/how-you-can-now-make-16091412