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An emergency request by fax from a man with a speaking disability was neglected by the Yokohama City Safety Management Bureau for 40 minutes on Saturday, the fire department said Sunday.
According to officials, the man, in his 60s, sent an emergency fax around 5 p.m. to the Safety Management Bureau to request an ambulance because his wife had lost consciousness at home. The man sent a fax twice.
After 40 minutes, an ambulance was dispatched to his home. Ambulance personnel tended to the woman at home.
The officials said nothing was amiss when the buzzer system in the bureau's operations room was checked on Sunday. They said there may have connection trouble between the fax machine and the buzzer system. They said they will improve the whole system so operators can easily recognize emergency fax requests.
© News reports
10 Comments
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timorborder
Sounds fishy! Perhaps the fire brigade rung up the guy and were met with an unintelligable response, ie, they thought it was a prank call/fax.
ebisen
It seems to be a technical problem, which can happen (although it shouldn't) anywhere.
bobbafett
Rather than send a fax he should have gone to the neighbors house with a hand written note providing details. I am sure the neighbors would have helped out.
Samuraiiki
The fax should be nearby somebody who can at least here the sound of it. At least next to the dispatcher who should be awake and does not go anywhere.
nath
I bet they were out playing Pachinko, and when they got back, they saw the fax.
gogogo
Did the fax machine have paper?
DeepAir65
<sigh>
Here's an idea for them and they can have it for free. Issue an email address for people like this man to send a request for assistance - why does Japan hang on to the fax system?
There could be one central email 'centre' which could then forward and co-ordinate a response from.
paolo27th
Here's an idea for them and they can have it for free. Issue an email address for people like this man to send a request for assistance - why does Japan hang on to the fax system?
There could be one central email 'centre' which could then forward and co-ordinate a response from.
So you assume all old people in Japan can use emails?
motytrah
Hello, TDD!! It's been around since the 80's. The TDD connections you directly with an operator, who reads the message to the person on the phone.
sf2k
I was going to also say; is there no deaf-caption service in Japan? (TDD) I have been on the receiving end of that a couple of times in my working experience. I have an operator as intermediary to a client who is typing to the operator. Easy.