0:00:02 > 0:00:04999 calls have been saving lives for 75 years.
0:00:04 > 0:00:08Today on Real Rescues we hear the call that saved a three-year-old boy's life.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19High up on scaffolding, a roofer suffers a stroke.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23Half his body is paralysed and he's stuck on a narrow platform.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26Just give my hand a good squeeze for me. Marvellous.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29What I'm going to do, chief, I'm going to get you down, OK?
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Hello and welcome to Real Rescues.
0:00:47 > 0:00:52Today we are marking the 75th anniversary of the first ever 999 call.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55This emergency system now operates worldwide
0:00:55 > 0:00:58but it all started here in Britain in 1937.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03When there is an emergency the rescue work starts at centres like this all over the country,.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Not just police, fire and ambulance, but coastguard and air ambulance.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Then there are all the other specialist rescue teams,
0:01:09 > 0:01:11including mountain rescue, emergency doctors,
0:01:11 > 0:01:14hazardous response teams and the RNLI.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17We're about to see one of those teams in action.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20A man has suffered a devastating stroke at work.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23But he's not in an office. The sick man is a roofer.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27He's fallen ill almost 30 foot up on scaffolding.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43Ambulance technician Jamie Stubbington is working alone
0:01:43 > 0:01:47in the rapid response vehicle when an emergency call comes in.
0:01:47 > 0:01:53A man showing all the symptoms of a stroke has collapsed in a very precarious position.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56He's on top of a scaffolding tower about 25 feet up.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06Jamie has found his patient. But reaching and treating him is another matter.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10- Is this quite stable?- I don't know.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17Michael Christopher is a roofer. He had just climbed back up the scaffolding after his tea break
0:02:17 > 0:02:19when he suddenly fell ill.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25Michael is lying across the hatch that gives access to the top tier of the scaffolding.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Ah... He's not going to roll off, is he? Is he speaking to you?
0:02:29 > 0:02:31No, I can't get a word out of him.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34He's not saying anything. He's got a stroke, I think.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39If Michael just rolls a few inches either way, he'll fall of the platform.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41In the front of my car there's a phone, a phone.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43Jamie is clearly going to need help.
0:02:43 > 0:02:48A specialist ambulance team with expertise in working at heights is en route.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51But they'll need help from the fire service.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Hello mate, it's Jamie on the 311. We need the fire brigade as well.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57He's about 25 feet up and there's no access to him.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59It's clear he's CVA. He's not responding to us at all.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02He has a GCS of probably about 10.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07But while he waits, Jamie is trying anything to get up to his patient.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Will it reach it? Just try it.
0:03:11 > 0:03:17- No, we're getting nowhere near. - Nowhere near.- Got any more ladders?
0:03:17 > 0:03:20It's vital that Michael gets treatment for his stroke quickly.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26- How are you doing, Mick?- Mate, can you give us a hand with these?
0:03:26 > 0:03:31The more time is lost, the less chance he has of a complete recovery.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36- Was he talking away to you before? - Yeah, he came back from his break.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39He was climbing on the scaffold, that's when it happened.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Now that Jamie is level with Michael,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44he can appreciate just how narrow the platform is.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47There are just a few spare inches each side of Michael.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Mick, just stay nice and still for me, all right?
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Mick, what I'm going to do, mate, I'm going to put a bit of oxygen on you?
0:03:53 > 0:03:57OK, just stay there. I'm going to put this on your face, fella.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01The fire service arrive. Jamie fills them in.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05- It's clear he had a stroke.- Yeah. - If we can get the Bronto in position,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09- and get him off...- Yeah. - Fantastic, mate. Good stuff.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11The fire service have brought their platform
0:04:11 > 0:04:16which can be raised into position level with the scaffolding.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Mick? Give us your finger.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23It's clear now that Michael's right side is paralysed.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26He can only offer Jamie his left hand.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30That's it. You're not going to fall. Just stay there. Just keep breathing that oxygen.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34You're doing really well. You're doing really well. All right? Just go with it.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38Jamie has now got back-up from the heart paramedics,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40who are trained to work in hazardous areas.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44He's got no movement in his right side at all and he's getting a bit agitated up there.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47I have just done a BM on him and it's 5.2. And I've got some O2 onto him.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50But it's... I've got about 15 minutes before it runs out.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54That's fine. I can give you some O2. Do you want to use our mid-stretcher, get him in?
0:04:54 > 0:04:59- We can put it straight onto that. - Yeah, can do. Yeah. Brilliant, mate. That's fantastic.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02We're going to lift him off there, straight into the Bronto
0:05:02 > 0:05:05bring him down and then get him the medical treatment that he requires.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08It's a bit precarious up there. So going up and down the ladder
0:05:08 > 0:05:10we're trying to keep it to a minimum if we possibly can.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16The heart paramedics carry special climbing harnesses,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18which will enable them to work safely on scaffolding.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30The fire platform slowly moves into place.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34As all the rescue work goes on around them,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Michael's friend Ted stays on the scaffolding,
0:05:37 > 0:05:41comforting him and keeping him calm.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47One of the firefighters stays up the ladder to make sure Michael doesn't move.
0:05:48 > 0:05:54Paramedic Martin Chester will have to work in the tiny space available.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58Because he's 25 feet up, he clips onto the scaffolding bars.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08Hello, mate. I'm Martin. What's your name?
0:06:10 > 0:06:13What I'm going to do, chief, I'm going to get you down, OK?
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Just give my hand a good squeeze for me. Marvellous.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Right, it's definitely a confirmed stroke.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Obviously we've got very little access here.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26So I'm wondering if you're best to come around to this side...
0:06:26 > 0:06:31..in the cage and help me package him from that side and I'll work from this side.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33- It's getting on the front of this? - I think so.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40He's definitely got a completely right-sided weakness.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43There is a little bit of strength in his legs.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45What we're trying to do, chief, is get you on our stretcher
0:06:45 > 0:06:47so we can keep you nice and safe, all right?
0:06:47 > 0:06:50If you can help in any way at all.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Paramedic Clare McGonigle is now also on the scaffolding.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56But there's no room for anyone else.
0:06:56 > 0:07:01Martin and Clare have to manoeuvre Michael onto the stretcher,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04knowing that there's no margin for error.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09A few inches too far in any direction will mean a fall for one or all of them.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Treating a stroke is time critical.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18We'll find out later if the medics get Michael to hospital on time
0:07:18 > 0:07:20to limit its damaging effects.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25Whatever the emergency, the call takers here always stay measured and calm.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29It's not just about getting help quickly, it's about getting the right help.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32No family is more aware of that than the Downings.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35They dialled 999 after their Christmas Day celebrations
0:07:35 > 0:07:37were shattered by a terrible accident
0:07:37 > 0:07:41involving their three-year-old son Freddie. This is the call.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56Well that was Simon Downing making that phone call.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00Here is Freddie's mum, Andrea, and Freddie, I am delighted to see as well.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04Andrea, you were the person who found him outside. How was he when you went outside to see him?
0:09:04 > 0:09:09Well he was crying very loudly, and kind of shouting rather than crying.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12But he was also wriggling around.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17I kind of felt almost reassured that he was still awake and he wasn't unconscious.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21So I kind of scooped him onto my lap and then ran into the house as Simon was calling 999.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24And you and I know as a mum that there are some cries
0:09:24 > 0:09:28when you know it's serious rather than just a small fall?
0:09:28 > 0:09:34Yeah. He didn't look very injured. He really only had some kind of mud on his face and a scrape.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37But his crying was so unusual. It was like he was shouting and crying,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41and he seemed to struggle to open his eyes, which was very worrying.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44We know the air ambulance then arrived and you went with it.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47He was seriously injured. Tell me what he'd managed to do?
0:09:47 > 0:09:50I think they suspected he had skull fractures because they kept him,
0:09:50 > 0:09:54they got him strapped to be very still, very quickly.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58And they said he would be taken straight into Derriford Hospital.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00- It wasn't just skull fractures though, was it?- No.
0:10:00 > 0:10:05And also what they discovered then, that he had some blood clots as well, two blood clots.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09Serious stuff. He was in a chemically-induced coma for a while.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12- What was it like when he came out? - He was just amazing.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15He'd been through operations, they hadn't removed the blood clots
0:10:15 > 0:10:20but he'd been intubated for a week. So when he came around it was easy.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25He just was puckering up for a kiss, he was looking around and looking like himself,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29which is what you're terrified that he would be not ready.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34He looked up at pictures his sisters had drawn and he seemed to be, you know, coming back to himself.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37He wasn't walking. he was sitting up.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41He very quickly got round to sitting up and walking around and playing.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45Tell me about him now. Obviously he's back to normal?
0:10:45 > 0:10:50He's back to normal. He does get a little bit emotional, but again he's only three, so...
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Em, he's just at that kind of age. He still can't ride his bike.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58He's got another month before he can do that. But he's been absolutely amazing.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00The recovery's been fantastic.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Thank you very much. I'm really glad to see he's OK, thank you.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Now on Real Rescues we've been privileged enough to hear
0:11:09 > 0:11:13some of the most dramatic life-saving calls that come in to control rooms around the country.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Some of them stay with you a long time.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Like 11-year-old Hamish, who was on a school trip
0:11:17 > 0:11:20when out of the blue he collapsed with a heart attack.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23This is part of the call his teacher made.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Well thanks to the 999 system, the call taker, his teacher
0:11:40 > 0:11:44and a parent on the trip, Hamish was given his life back.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48He had a defibrillator fitted and is now a healthy teenager.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Then there was the memorable John Bird,
0:11:50 > 0:11:55who slipped on a cliff edge on a walk and was left hanging onto a bush over a 100 foot drop.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00With his free hand, John rang the coastguard and called for help.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Despite his desperate predicament, John retained his sense of humour,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31even managing a joke with the coastguards.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47Well, as the old saying goes, a phone in the hand
0:12:47 > 0:12:49is worth two in the bush when on the edge of a cliff.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52No, that's not right. Anyway, John was rescued
0:12:52 > 0:12:54and he's still telling that story today.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03Every year in Britain a phenomenal 30 million 999 calls are made.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05And since the service began in 1937,
0:13:05 > 0:13:09it's impossible to measure just how many lives have been saved.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14So exactly how and where did it begin? Chris has been finding out.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19Remember, to make an emergency call, dial 999.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23The story of the 999 call began in the 1930s
0:13:23 > 0:13:28when a doctor's surgery caught fire in Wimpole Street in central London.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Neighbours tried to contact the operator,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33but all the lines were busy with non-emergency calls.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Five women died.
0:13:36 > 0:13:41The police were often delayed because calls were answered as they came in.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44Operators had no way of knowing which were important.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49One of the neighbours, a dentist, protested to The Times that the system was dangerous.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53The issue went to Parliament and the 999 emergency service was born.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58In wartime, 999 came into its own
0:13:58 > 0:14:03when quick responses from the fire and ambulance services were vital.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08Slowly, towns and cities around the country followed London's lead.
0:14:08 > 0:14:14When a caller rang in panic, a red light and a klaxon on the switchboard alerted the operators.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18The system got more sophisticated, but slowly.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Emergency, which service please?
0:14:21 > 0:14:24To get the messages which were written on paper,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26down to the controller,
0:14:26 > 0:14:31we had a little electric train set along the top of the switchboard,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33down to the controller.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38He then allocated a vehicle on it, put that back into another train
0:14:38 > 0:14:41going the opposite way, and that's how we did it.
0:14:41 > 0:14:46No trains for Essex police. They moved blocks of wood around a map.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48And Oxford's ambulance control room went one better.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53We had a map of the city laid out on a square table.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56On that square table we didn't just have blocks of wood representing people,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58we had these Dinky cars and the like,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02which we could actually push around with a ruler.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04We take it for granted,
0:15:04 > 0:15:08we dial the number and there is help on hand within minutes.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12We dial this number 30 million times per year.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16In 1937, it was a bit of a novelty.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20The service covered just a 12 mile radius at Oxford Circus,
0:15:20 > 0:15:21a humble start.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24There were more than 1,000 calls in the first week.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27The first from a woman who had seen someone in her garden.
0:15:27 > 0:15:33The police today arrested a suspected burglar in Hampstead, north London,
0:15:33 > 0:15:39after responding to a 999 call. It was made by a member of the public.
0:15:39 > 0:15:44This is the first time that the 999 name service, introduced...
0:15:44 > 0:15:49Of those first week's calls, 90 were classified as practical jokes.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52In the following years, it was not just jokers.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55Ops room staff said that many callers didn't quite understand
0:15:55 > 0:15:56what 999 was for.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00One I recall was a man who had been to the market
0:16:00 > 0:16:04and bought some bananas, he came home and found a slug on the bananas
0:16:04 > 0:16:08so he phoned 999 to ask whether he should eat the bananas
0:16:08 > 0:16:12and throw the slug or throw the bananas away and the slug.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16I'm afraid I said, "Eat the slug and throw the bananas".
0:16:17 > 0:16:19It was the day of the UFO,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21and if you had a misty night and a full moon,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24it was inevitable that someone would see something flying over the house
0:16:24 > 0:16:27or something that had a resemblance to a flying saucer.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Another lady phoned, her neighbour had borrowed her hairdryer
0:16:30 > 0:16:31and wouldn't give it back.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36She had a date that evening, could we get her hairdryer back?
0:16:36 > 0:16:41Not really an emergency in our eyes. Maybe in hers, but not ours.
0:16:41 > 0:16:46Things have changed, not least computer technology.
0:16:46 > 0:16:51But ops room staff quickly found out the biggest problem about computers, they crash.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56It couldn't cope with the intricacies of paperwork,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00or what was required of the ambulance service -
0:17:00 > 0:17:02therefore, it crashed.
0:17:02 > 0:17:03And when that happened,
0:17:03 > 0:17:05it was one of my jobs to go and restart the system
0:17:05 > 0:17:08in the server room adjoining the control room.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12Inside the door there was a big stick which was marked,
0:17:12 > 0:17:13"starting handle".
0:17:13 > 0:17:15And sometimes,
0:17:15 > 0:17:19when the system had crashed several times during a shift,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22it was very, very tempting to get hold of that starting handle
0:17:22 > 0:17:24and whack the server one!
0:17:24 > 0:17:28In the world of today, the technology used by British Telecom
0:17:28 > 0:17:33to handle emergency calls is way more sophisticated and reliable.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35And it needs to be.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37The set of a large-scale disaster
0:17:37 > 0:17:42puts real pressure on the emergency services - 21st-century challenges
0:17:42 > 0:17:44like terrorist attacks or the London riots.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48To give the men and women who look after us a fighting chance,
0:17:48 > 0:17:54those precious few seconds you spend on a 999 call could make the difference.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58A little later on, we'll be talking to the BT operators on the frontline,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01the people who answer the phone first when you dial 999.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05And who are responsible for putting you through the emergency services.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12Still to come on Real Rescues,
0:18:12 > 0:18:16the hoax callers who continue to waste police time.
0:18:27 > 0:18:32Just six weeks on a new motorbike, now Tim is lying injured in the road.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36Police and medics fear he's broken his leg and possibly his pelvis.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43And if you're in trouble in France, Spain, the States or Australia,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45what emergency number do you call?
0:18:45 > 0:18:47We will have the answers later.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50On Real Rescues we love our animal stories
0:18:50 > 0:18:53and I've got another one for you. Let's speak to Laura if we can.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56- Is that all right?- Yes, of course. - Now, you got a call about two dogs?
0:18:56 > 0:18:59- It was two dogs, yes.- What happened?
0:18:59 > 0:19:01It was a lady who called up, obviously very upset.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03Her two dogs had gone AWOL, rather large dogs
0:19:03 > 0:19:06so you would have thought they would've been seen.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10- And you went on the system.- I did, I went and had a look on the system.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14- And?- And found out that we actually had a call from a local hospital
0:19:14 > 0:19:16with two dogs that seemed to match the same description.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20- At a hospital?- It was a hospital, yes.- So they got inside?
0:19:20 > 0:19:24They got into the hospital and were wreaking havoc on one of the wards.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Right, and they managed to catch them, did they?
0:19:27 > 0:19:29When you say havoc, they were running around...?
0:19:29 > 0:19:32Yes, being friendly to patients, entertaining people,
0:19:32 > 0:19:33it was all quite funny.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36So they managed to get hold of them, what did they do?
0:19:36 > 0:19:41They got hold of them, found two spare bedsheets which they put around the dogs' collars
0:19:41 > 0:19:44and tied them to an empty bed and then I told the owner that.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47And the owner, obviously, was really pleased about the dog
0:19:47 > 0:19:50- but was she embarrassed? - She was very embarrassed, yes.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52She could not understand how they had managed it.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55- Very badly behaved dogs in a hospital.- Apparently so, yes.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59- Only on Real Rescues.- Of course. - Thank you very much.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03Earlier, we saw the specialist hazardous area response paramedics
0:20:03 > 0:20:06arrive to rescue Michael, a roofer, who had fallen
0:20:06 > 0:20:09seriously ill with a stroke on a narrow scaffolding platform.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Every minute saved getting him
0:20:11 > 0:20:16to hospital will have a big impact on the quality of his recovery.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Hazardous Area Response Paramedics Martin Chester
0:20:21 > 0:20:25and Claire McGonigle are working 25 feet up on a narrow scaffolding.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29Roofer Michael Christopher has been partially paralysed by a stroke
0:20:29 > 0:20:33and the only way of getting him down is by transferring him
0:20:33 > 0:20:36to the platform of a fire service crane.
0:20:37 > 0:20:43That's it, mate. Grab hold of that bar there. Give yourself a pull. Well done.
0:20:56 > 0:21:03Well done, mate. Are you all right? that will be enough to secure him.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Put your hands on your lap. Marvellous.
0:21:07 > 0:21:12Straps in place, they can start to move him into the cage on the crane
0:21:12 > 0:21:17Turn his legs around here, bring his upper body over here.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Getting Michael down safely is their first priority,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23but the paramedics are aware that speed is important
0:21:23 > 0:21:27if Michael is to have a chance of recovering from this stroke.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Well done. We'll get you down in a minute, OK?
0:21:30 > 0:21:32What we are doing is making sure you are safe.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36It's impossible to lift Michael without taking some bars down,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39but if they dismantle too many,
0:21:39 > 0:21:41the entire structure could become unstable.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Just say when. OK. 1, 2, 3.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59- You're clicked on, Claire, aren't you?- I'm on the lift.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01You'll not go anywhere.
0:22:01 > 0:22:06With his feet still protruding, Michael is finally lowered down.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Claire stays by his side for the journey.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19With plenty of hands to help, he's quickly wheeled off to the ambulance.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25The hazardous area paramedics have played their part,
0:22:25 > 0:22:30now it is down to the ambulance crew to get him to the hospital
0:22:30 > 0:22:32where a dedicated stroke team is ready and waiting.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35His anxious daughter, Tracey, will travel with him.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43And you are not sure what year he was born, are you?
0:22:44 > 0:22:50The stroke has left Michael unable to speak, but he seems aware of everything happening around him.
0:22:53 > 0:22:54Yes.
0:23:03 > 0:23:04We've sent a message to the hospital
0:23:04 > 0:23:08so all the doctors and staff will be waiting for us to see him straight away, no queueing.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Time is a crucial factor in Michael's treatment.
0:23:12 > 0:23:19Hayley Rudge in the ambulance is monitoring him continuously, and putting together his case history.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Does he have any medical history at all that you know of?
0:23:21 > 0:23:24- Any high blood pressure? - High blood pressure.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29- He has had a heart murmur.- OK.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37At the hospital, Michael is met by a specialist stroke team.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43- Is it Michael?- Michael. - Hello, Michael.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Hayley hands over to registrar Lauren Webb.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Once she's established that Michael is within the time limits,
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Lauren books him in for thrombolysis, which will treat him
0:23:55 > 0:23:59with drugs to disperse the blood clots which have caused the stroke.
0:24:02 > 0:24:07We have a 65-year-old chap who was up on some scaffolding about 10 o'clock this morning.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10We're going to get some blood tests and an ECG
0:24:10 > 0:24:13and then we will get you around for a brain scan, if that's OK.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Thanks to the speed of Michael's rescue from the scaffolding,
0:24:17 > 0:24:22he's within the three-hour limit necessary for the clotbusting drugs to work effectively.
0:24:23 > 0:24:24The tests all show
0:24:24 > 0:24:27that he is a suitable candidate for the treatment.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32I'm delighted to say that Michael is here right now,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35looking fantastic and surrounded by his family.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38His wife, Jenny, Tracey, who you saw in the film,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41and your sister, Karen, who was there at the time.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45- I'll come to you. You look great, how do you feel?- All right, yes.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47All right? Do you remember anything?
0:24:47 > 0:24:53I remember on top of the scaffolding and some chap was holding me down.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56- Do you remember going on to the stretcher?- No.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59I remember coming down,
0:24:59 > 0:25:05I remember they all rushed me into the ambulance.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07So you have flashes of memory.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10I'll come to the daughters now, because it is horrible
0:25:10 > 0:25:14when you see your dad, who's invincible, looking so fragile.
0:25:14 > 0:25:15What was it like for you?
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Everyone waits for that phone call, don't they?
0:25:18 > 0:25:22Something is going to happen to your father or your mother. It is devastating.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Shocking, it was horrible.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27You turned up and you see him up there,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30so perilously balanced, what was it like?
0:25:30 > 0:25:32what was going through your mind?
0:25:32 > 0:25:35My legs were shaking, I collapsed on the floor when I found out.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38I was trying to ring everyone, trying get hold of everyone
0:25:38 > 0:25:42and I ended up screaming down the phone to my sister,
0:25:42 > 0:25:43she ended up shouting at me.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47- You ended up on your knees, didn't you?- Yes.
0:25:47 > 0:25:48It was all a bit of a mess from there.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50I was just glad to be there with him.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54It is important, isn't it? When you see him coming down, to support.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58Even worse for you, Jenny, you were shopping at the time.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01So the first time you saw him was when you got to hospital.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04At the hospital, yes. A few hours afterwards.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06And he was in a pretty bad way?
0:26:06 > 0:26:10Yes, he couldn't communicate or do anything, really.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13You had lost sight in one eye.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Paralysed down one side, is that right?
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Yeah. They said I had to wait three hours to live.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21- Three hours to live?- Yes.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25- So every second really counted to get you to hospital?- Yes.
0:26:25 > 0:26:31- Just a few months later, how are you feeling now?- I'm feeling good. - Yeah?- I am.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34I'm looking at you saying, "I'm feeling good" and I'm seeing
0:26:34 > 0:26:37the three girls behind you, going, "Yes, he's feeling good."
0:26:37 > 0:26:41- Has it been hard work? - It has been hard work, yes.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43I'm not used to having him around me
0:26:43 > 0:26:47and being around all this time, but he is worth it.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52That's what I wanted to hear. I thought suddenly you were going to get thrown out of the house!
0:26:52 > 0:26:58But you're worth it. Thank you very much for coming in, really great to see you. Look after yourself.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04When the emergency system began back in 1937,
0:27:04 > 0:27:10in the first week they logged a total of 1,336 emergency calls,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13More than 90 of those were hoax calls or wrong numbers.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15Today they are called inappropriate calls
0:27:15 > 0:27:18and they waste a huge amount of time and money.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22Some are from people being stupid, others are more malicious, like this one.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48That malicious hoax call was made to Hertfordshire police.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52I'll speak to Mike here, the deputy manager of the centre. Hi, Mike.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56Hoax calls, inappropriate calls, how common are they?
0:27:56 > 0:28:01Quite common, we can get up to 8,700 year, approximately.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04So over 8,000.
0:28:04 > 0:28:05If I'm thinking about that,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08that puts a huge strain on your services,
0:28:08 > 0:28:12how does it affect the services you provide?
0:28:12 > 0:28:16It affects us from the point of view that, while we're trying to deal with some of these calls
0:28:16 > 0:28:19we have people trying to report genuine incidents that are waiting longer,
0:28:19 > 0:28:20that's more important on the lines.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25The quicker we answer those calls, the quicker we can get a response to people.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28It also means that we put in a lot of work in trying to investigate
0:28:28 > 0:28:31things which turn out to be a hoax, and also we have resources
0:28:31 > 0:28:35tied up on the ground dealing with things that we shouldn't be dealing with,
0:28:35 > 0:28:39which actually should be made available for emergency situations.
0:28:39 > 0:28:44We're all told, don't call 999 or emergency services unless it's necessary.
0:28:44 > 0:28:45Why are you getting these calls,
0:28:45 > 0:28:50why do people call you about inappropriate requests?
0:28:50 > 0:28:53There are a few different reasons, but one of the main ones is
0:28:53 > 0:28:57that people tend to get confused between what is a personal emergency
0:28:57 > 0:29:01for them, it may not be an emergency for the police to deal with.
0:29:01 > 0:29:06Thank you very much. We will hear a few more stories about inappropriate calls from Louise over there.
0:29:06 > 0:29:098,000 inappropriate calls into this room alone,
0:29:09 > 0:29:13let's speak to some of the call-takers who have to take them.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17Annabel. You had a call from a man from a train station.
0:29:17 > 0:29:22Yes, I did. He wanted directions to a golf club function he was attending.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25- Which is not your job. - Not really, no.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27He said he did not know where the golf club was
0:29:27 > 0:29:30and he had to get there and asked if I could tell him how to get there.
0:29:30 > 0:29:31Was he agitated?
0:29:31 > 0:29:33He was very agitated, he really did think
0:29:33 > 0:29:35this was something I should be able to help with.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39Thank you. Now the police are sometimes forced to spell it out to people
0:29:39 > 0:29:42very clearly that their call does not warrant a 999 response.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27- Shall I tell you another?- Go on. - Someone called because neighbours were chasing each other
0:30:27 > 0:30:31having a very serious fight, with garden hoses.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35- So they were having a water fight? - Yes, and they called about that.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37Unbelievable.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Knowing a road well doesn't necessarily mean an accident
0:30:44 > 0:30:45is less likely to happen,
0:30:45 > 0:30:49but when one motorcyclist comes off his bike close to home,
0:30:49 > 0:30:53there are plenty of familiar faces on hand to help with the rescue.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57It's a rainy May day in Hastings, there has been a crash
0:30:57 > 0:31:00involving a motorcyclist and a car in a busy residential area.
0:31:02 > 0:31:07Traffic cops Gary Douglas and Jamie Armstrong are en route.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10We don't know the full circumstances of the accident
0:31:10 > 0:31:13at this time, but initial reports are saying that the motorcyclist
0:31:13 > 0:31:17may have a leg and hip injury, but he's conscious and breathing..
0:31:17 > 0:31:23Tango 208 just for your info, we have traffic backing up all the way down Mount Pleasant.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26They find the road full of emergency vehicles
0:31:26 > 0:31:28and bystanders trying to help.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33The biker, 31-year-old Tim Farrant,
0:31:33 > 0:31:38is flat on his back in the road, surrounded by an ambulance crew.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41He's complaining of agonising pain in his right leg.
0:31:41 > 0:31:46Initial update, are we looking at life-threatening, life-changing, anything like that?
0:31:46 > 0:31:50- We don't know at the moment. It's not looking life-threatening. - It's not looking life-threatening.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54Paramedic Dan Jefferies already put a collar on Tim
0:31:54 > 0:31:59to mobilise his neck and prevent possible spinal injuries.
0:31:59 > 0:32:04But there are concerns that he could have a broken pelvis as well as a possible broken leg.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09They are still working on the man in the road
0:32:09 > 0:32:11but initial updates is that it's not life-threatening.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18Tim isn't able to tell them exactly what happened,
0:32:18 > 0:32:24but they need to find out how he was hit, it's the only clue as to what injuries he may have suffered.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28Barry Richards was behind in his car and saw it all.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31I saw it, absolutely spot on.
0:32:31 > 0:32:36I'm a biker, I live with bikes, you know, I think bikes.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38He's going to roll over...
0:32:38 > 0:32:42To avoid unnecessary movement of Tim's spine,
0:32:42 > 0:32:45a two-part stretcher is assembled beneath him.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53Tim, now with the extra support of a splint on his pelvis
0:32:53 > 0:32:58and another on the lower part of his right leg, is moved carefully to the trolley.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04Here, a vacuum mattress will immobilise his whole body,
0:33:04 > 0:33:05ready for transport.
0:33:14 > 0:33:20One of the witnesses has offered to help out with Tim's battered motorbike.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22Before you drive off, I want confirmation from him
0:33:22 > 0:33:26that he is happy for these witnesses to wheel his bike down the road.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28just verbal confirmation.
0:33:28 > 0:33:29Is it OK to do it now?
0:33:31 > 0:33:34There are some witnesses who have seen the accident
0:33:34 > 0:33:36and they have spoken to Tim, the casualty.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39They are going to wheel his bike to a local bike shop
0:33:39 > 0:33:42which is literally a couple of hundred metres away.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46We'll let them do that as they have been so helpful and obviously
0:33:46 > 0:33:49they're not going to do that until we've assessed the scene properly.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54Everyone at the scene of the accident seems to already know each other.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57The other car driver involved in the collision used to work with
0:33:57 > 0:34:01Tim's wife, so they're able to comfort each other.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07And all of the witnesses are from the neighbourhood, and very keen to help.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11Tim's wife has been dreading this day
0:34:11 > 0:34:14since he first started riding motorbikes three years ago.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18I ride bikes, it's not nice to see a bike lying on its side.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21I knew this day, you know, I dread to think it happening,
0:34:21 > 0:34:26but I maybe one day knew that it was going to happen.
0:34:26 > 0:34:27I hate bikes so much!
0:34:27 > 0:34:30My wife is in the same boat, she said the same thing when I got knocked off.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33After talking to all of the witnesses,
0:34:33 > 0:34:36Jamie has pieced together a picture of what has happened.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40It looks like the car driver has been waiting at this stop line
0:34:40 > 0:34:42just behind us here.
0:34:42 > 0:34:47The motorcyclist pulled out from the junction down there, being followed by another car.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50It would appear that the left-hand indicator of the motorbike has been left on,
0:34:50 > 0:34:52so the car driver has made the assumption that
0:34:52 > 0:34:56the motorcycle was going to turn left into the junction
0:34:56 > 0:34:58she was about to turn out of, hence the car driver has then
0:34:58 > 0:35:02pulled out, but the motorcyclist continued straight ahead.
0:35:02 > 0:35:08Tim's on his way to hospital, but the police will be at the accident scene a while longer
0:35:08 > 0:35:10gathering photographic evidence.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12There's no brake marks or anything on the road.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16Can you grab one from her view as well? Thanks, mate.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25Tim is being taken to A&E
0:35:25 > 0:35:28when he can have x-rays done to assess the damage.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34I can't remember, my indicator may have been on, I can't remember.
0:35:34 > 0:35:39One thing he does remember is that his wife doesn't like him riding a motorbike.
0:35:39 > 0:35:45My wife will now tell me to sell my motorbike. Having only just got it.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48I've been riding for three years, this is my first accident.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53Probably my last accident, if my wife gets the better of me.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57With injury to Tim's head, spine or pelvis ruled out,
0:35:57 > 0:36:02he's wheeled away to X-ray to check out that painful right leg.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08The driver was given a warning, but there were no charges.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10Tim escaped with no fractures.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13He suffered internal bruising and pulled ligaments in his knee.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21Today, we've been looking back at the history of 999 calls
0:36:21 > 0:36:25and one of the things I wanted to know was why those numbers were chosen.
0:36:25 > 0:36:26I know that answer.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29It has to do with the old mechanical telephone exchanges.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32The 999 numbers were the only ones they could actually handle,
0:36:32 > 0:36:35because 111 and all that was far too complicated.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38The other thing I did today - very good! - was look at what you should
0:36:38 > 0:36:40dial in an emergency in other countries.
0:36:40 > 0:36:45- I will do a test. In France, what is it?- I have no idea.
0:36:45 > 0:36:46- 112.- Is it?
0:36:46 > 0:36:51- Yes.- 112.- In Spain, what is it?- Uno, Uno Dos?
0:36:51 > 0:36:56Very good! 112, it is. Across Europe, it makes it nice and simple.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00- The United States.- 911, I've seen all the programmes on telly.
0:37:00 > 0:37:05- We know that from the emergency programmes. Australia?- Don't know.
0:37:05 > 0:37:11- 000.- 000. I've learned something today.- Glad to hear it!
0:37:11 > 0:37:14More 999 calls are made to the police than to any other service.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17The task of patching through those calls to the right service
0:37:17 > 0:37:21lies with the BT telephone operators who are the first to take the call.
0:37:21 > 0:37:26That all happens in five major centres, as I have been finding out.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31Emergency. Which service, please?
0:37:31 > 0:37:38When my block caught on fire, I just didn't believe it at first.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41But I can tell you, I've never been so grateful for being close to a phone.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43Nowadays, with the use of mobiles,
0:37:43 > 0:37:47we are always close to a phone all day, every day.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51And to deal with emergency calls, 500 specially trained BT operators
0:37:51 > 0:37:59are on hand working at major centres in Nottingham, Newport, Glasgow, Bangor and Blackburn.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01They are busiest at weekends.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06This is the BT call centre in Nottingham, one of the main centres
0:38:06 > 0:38:09that takes the 999 calls across the country.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12Geoff's in charge here, just to interrupt you momentarily.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15It looks quite busy, how many calls do you take a day?
0:38:15 > 0:38:17Up to about 30,000 here.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20That sounds like quite a lot, they all emergency calls?
0:38:20 > 0:38:24No, in fact, about half of them are not genuine emergency calls.
0:38:24 > 0:38:25Mainly calls made accidentally,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28mobile phones in pockets are a big one, that kind of thing.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32So, I suppose one of your main jobs is to filter them through, right?
0:38:32 > 0:38:35Absolutely, one of our main jobs is to prevent those calls going through
0:38:35 > 0:38:39to the emergency authorities, to free them up to handle the genuine, emergency calls.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43- Brilliant, I'll go and see the boys and girls in action, thanks a lot. - OK.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48Emergency, which service do you require?
0:38:50 > 0:38:55The fashions have changed since that public information film in the 1980s,
0:38:55 > 0:38:57and so has the technology.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59Today, every call is answered within five seconds,
0:38:59 > 0:39:03and a specialist computer can trace a mobile, as well as landlines,
0:39:03 > 0:39:07to an 80% accurate location.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09Darren is here, hopefully, to explain all.
0:39:09 > 0:39:14Mobiles, as the name suggests, can be absolutely anywhere.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16You've got a mobile number there, tell me how you locate it.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19We take the number that's been calling, put a search in,
0:39:19 > 0:39:21that will then give it a general idea,
0:39:21 > 0:39:26the general area that it's situated, so it could be a number of streets.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30Depending on the confidence of the caller, how much reception they have,
0:39:30 > 0:39:33also, like, a grid reference, so it can give a more general area.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35And again, it will give them vital information
0:39:35 > 0:39:38if they couldn't get that from the content of the call itself.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41It says 80% confidence that you are in the right place.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44You sound all that information off to the police, fire brigade, ambulance.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48Yes, and they work from the details we give them to look on their grid and their maps,
0:39:48 > 0:39:50they have more details on their side of the call.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53No matter how many 999 calls you've taken,
0:39:53 > 0:39:56your heart still jumps about when the alarm goes.
0:39:56 > 0:39:57Throughout the decades,
0:39:57 > 0:40:00the operators have always relied on their instincts
0:40:00 > 0:40:02to determine what's really going on,
0:40:02 > 0:40:05especially at the other end of silent calls.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07Just because there's not a voice at the other end,
0:40:07 > 0:40:09it doesn't mean it's not an emergency.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11I'll just interrupt Linda, if I can,
0:40:11 > 0:40:13- Linda, is it all right to chat?- Yeah.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16Now, you had what's known as a silent call come through to you.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18What could you hear?
0:40:18 > 0:40:19On the call that came through,
0:40:19 > 0:40:23all that you could hear was a little grunt at the other end of the phone.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26Which could mean it's going off in a pocket, or something?
0:40:26 > 0:40:28It could do, it could be genuinely mis-dial in someone's pocket,
0:40:28 > 0:40:31you know, somebody at work, it could be anything.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33But you sensed something was different?
0:40:33 > 0:40:36Sometimes you do, sometimes your sixth sense kicks in,
0:40:36 > 0:40:38and it does make you think that something, possibly,
0:40:38 > 0:40:41is different with that call, that somebody does need some help.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44So, what you do is, what I did that day,
0:40:44 > 0:40:46you put it through to the police who challenge the call.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50The little grunt was actually an elderly gentleman on the other end,
0:40:50 > 0:40:53he was in distress, he did need an emergency service,
0:40:53 > 0:40:55he was having a heart attack.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59It's not only life-saving, personal emergencies like that,
0:40:59 > 0:41:02the operators are the first to hear of major incidents
0:41:02 > 0:41:07involving hundreds, or even thousands of people, such as a severe storm.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11Here is Sarah, now, you had a phone call from a woman in Scotland,
0:41:11 > 0:41:13and what did she say to you?
0:41:13 > 0:41:17She had physically been blown out of her bed by the wind.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20So, it had been really windy in the middle of the night?
0:41:20 > 0:41:22Yeah, basically, up in Scotland in January,
0:41:22 > 0:41:25they got the really bad weather going on,
0:41:25 > 0:41:28and I started my shift at the beginning of the day,
0:41:28 > 0:41:30not really knowing how bad the weather was,
0:41:30 > 0:41:33till we received a phone call from an elderly lady,
0:41:33 > 0:41:36she was very frail, and I asked if she needed fire, police or ambulance.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39To which she replied, "my window's been blown in,
0:41:39 > 0:41:41"and I've been blown out of my bed, and I'm on the floor."
0:41:41 > 0:41:46With your colleagues around here, you're all saying, oh, yeah, the same thing happened to me.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48Then you think there is something serious going on.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51Yeah, everyone realises around you at that point that something's happening,
0:41:51 > 0:41:54and you're all passing your stories on to each other,
0:41:54 > 0:41:55this has happened, that happened,
0:41:55 > 0:41:59people are, you know, are being blown out of bed, or whatever.
0:41:59 > 0:42:00But she was all right then?
0:42:00 > 0:42:03Yeah, I believe she was all right in the end, yeah, bless her.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08From treacherous weather to terrorist incidents,
0:42:08 > 0:42:11to mishaps on the roads or in the home,
0:42:11 > 0:42:13it's all in a day's work for the 999 service.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19So, three cheers for a fantastic British idea,
0:42:19 > 0:42:21that has been copied by the rest of the world.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23It has stood the test of time,
0:42:23 > 0:42:27and has proved to be the best way to help millions of people
0:42:27 > 0:42:30at a terrible and terrifying time in their lives.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38That's it for Real Rescues, we will see you next time.
0:42:38 > 0:42:39Bye bye.
0:42:49 > 0:42:55Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd