WDW tapped into 911

Aisling

<font color=darkorchid>Where your mind goes, your
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Sep 17, 2002
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I just read the thread about the child who was hurt at the BW, and the manager coming out, etc. On July 2nd, I witnessed an interesting incident at the AKL.

I was waiting in the first floor laundry room, talking to a couple from England who was celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. The woman had arthritis, and was saying that this may be her last trip to WDW because of her worsening condition.

In the doorway between the waiting room and the actual laundry room, there was a yellow wet floor cone, even though there was no water to be seen on the floor. Well, this woman got up, went into the laundry room, and slipped hard onto the floor. Her feet went right out from under her, and she landed flat on her side. I got such a surreal sick feeling seeing this, her husband and I ran over to her, and she was crying. I said I'd get help, and ran out of the waiting room, not realizing there was a phone right there. I picked up another phone and pressed the 911 button. I was really nervous, because a minute before, this woman was telling me how fragile her bones are because of her arthritis etc, and I thought omg this woman has just broken all her bones the way she fell.

As I was telling the location, a security-uniformed CM came rushing out of a side door between Simba's and the laundry room, and ran right to the woman. Another manager-type came in a spit second later and stold me they were on the phone with 911. I told the guy on the phone that help was here, and we ended the call.
I went back into where the woman was laying on the floor, she already had a blanket around her, and they brought her ice, and the magager asked her if she was on any pain meds, that he could give her an "order" for pain meds. Anyway, so much back and forth went on, which really showed me a bit of the internal disney. What struck me is that the CMs KNEW there was a 911 call made, because they came in a metter of seconds while I was still on the phone with the public 911. They must be connected to the 911 line so they could monitor the incident calls. I thought this was very interesting.

They were with the woman for a long time, and I finally left, and I assume she was ok, since she got up off the floor and into a chair.

I would think this would be against the law, but I have to say I was impressed with the way they treated her with kid gloves.
 
Aisling said:
I would think this would be against the law.

Just curious, why would it be against the law? The call was made from their property. Also, anyone can buy a police scanner and listen in on ambulance dispatches, etc.
 
1) It is a good system.
2) No, it is a great system.
3) Guards have walkie-talkies
4) Managers have walkie-talkies (or they have blackberries).
5) When someone dials 911, the call goes out by Reedy Creek EMS
. . . all walkie-talkie frequencies are overridden by emergency services
. . . they announce the emergency and location (even by room number)
. . . they also announce what emergency unit is responding
. . . specified guards and managers respond (for their designated area)
6) Trust me, it is a WELL-OILED machine.
7) I wish everything would work as well as these guys and their procedures.
7) IF YOU DIAL 911 AT DISNEY, YOU GET ACTION !
 
That's very comforting to know that the reaction is so quick. For such a large area, it sounds like they have their heads on straight. Good for them. :thumbsup2
 

Your 9-1-1 call went to Reedy Creek Fire Department, which is part of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a quasi-governmental authority that WDW has total control over.

So what Disney's people did was well within their authority. It sounds to me like they've got a great system. I'm sure you'd feel the same if you were choking in a restaurant or had a heart attack.

Anne
 
It's really no different than calling 911 from your house and having the operator in contact with your local PD immediately. It's great that WDW is on the ball with this stuff, instead of waiting for outside assistance. Keeping it all internal helps them move quick.
 
When you dial 911 from any phone in WDW you are calling Reedy Creek Emergency Services part of Disney's Reedy Creek Improvement District. It is essentially Disney's own private fire and emergency service and is not a public system.
 
When you dial 911 from any phone in WDW you are calling Reedy Creek Emergency Services part of Disney's Reedy Creek Improvement District. It is essentially Disney's own private fire and emergency service and is not a public system.

I didn't know this. It appeared to me that disney was stepping in before an "outside" agency can be called in. I've listened to too many disney cover-up stories, I guess. I didn't know the 911 system was disney's own agency.

To the poster who asked why I thought 911 calls were private, I don't know why I thought that. Thank goodness I can say that incident was my first experience with calling 911 anywhere, so now I'm learning a thing or two.

I guess I'm a little too 1984ish!

7) IF YOU DIAL 911 AT DISNEY, YOU GET ACTION !
I agree with that!
 
If you are on private property and using a privately owned telephone system, the owner may intercept and/or monitor calls. Your right to privacy is for the public telephone systems operated by carriers - and you give up the right to privacy when you call 911 anyway since those calls are all public record.

At my company all 911 calls are intercepted by our security and then public 911 is patched in if needed.... partly so that our security can guide responders to a location and provide access since all doors are gated and security badges are required for access. And we have our own medical first responders - just as Disney does - because we can get EMTs to a locaiton in one minute instead of 10 to 30 minutes!
 
ParrotBill said:
At my company all 911 calls are intercepted by our security and then public 911 is patched in if needed.... partly so that our security can guide responders to a location and provide access since all doors are gated and security badges are required for access. And we have our own medical first responders - just as Disney does - because we can get EMTs to a locaiton in one minute instead of 10 to 30 minutes!

And that's not unusual at many hotels, not just Disney. A call placed to 911 will trigger action from first responders onsite.
 
I know most hotel systems have a program when 911 is dialed from a house phone it alerts front desk/etc to the problem

The limited service (La Quinta) I worked at it went to the front desk where our computer screens would start to emit an alarm and override our system till we responded to the alarm (which for us would be to try to call the room and if no response book it to the room to verify help was needed)

Its a 2 way street because it helps the hotel to help emergancy services get to the guest but it also helps weed out the misdials and kids messing around (ya tend to get a few misdials when people have to dial 9 to get out and any country/area codes that start with 1...)

-em
 
Disney has 2 fire/ambulance stations that I have seen on property. One is near SSR and the other is near CBR. There may be others that I have not seen. The one near SSR has some really cool architecture.
 
Aisling said:
I picked up another phone and pressed the 911 button....

As I was telling the location, a security-uniformed CM came rushing out of a side door between Simba's and the laundry room, and ran right to the woman. Another manager-type came in a spit second later and stold me they were on the phone with 911. I told the guy on the phone that help was here, and we ended the call. ....
... What struck me is that the CMs KNEW there was a 911 call made, because they came in a metter of seconds while I was still on the phone with the public 911. They must be connected to the 911 line so they could monitor the incident calls.

I think they were already on their way b4 you started making the call, they probably saw it on a video monitor.

Yes it is their(disneys) phone system and since their personnel is closer they should be alerted as soon as possible by the system.
 
Anewman said:
I think they were already on their way b4 you started making the call, they probably saw it on a video monitor.

Yes it is their(disneys) phone system and since their personnel is closer they should be alerted as soon as possible by the system.

I think you may be correct.
I have seen more security cameras in public areas at Disney since 9/11 than any other place I have traveled with the exception of Vegas!
 
I have to say, albeit a different type of incident not involving 911 calls... I was staying with my mother and sister (30 at that time) in the Grand Californian over in Disneyland (this was in 2004). It was our penultimate day, and my sister said she was going for a walk before we were ready and dressed to go out. She was gone for ages, and we started getting worried, especially as you do tend to hear more about people being mugged etc in Anaheim area as opposed to WDW. I went to look for her, and I think I was spotted panicking by some Security CMs in the lobby. They came right over and were very polite, helpful and understanding. They asked the usual questions about her medical history - obviously for example in case she could have had a seizure or similar - and then took me around all the areas of the hotel etc to look for her, including some that required key-card access. Eventually she did return to the room (it turned out that one of our purchases still had the security tag on it, and the CM at the GC shop had told my sister to go to another Disney hotel to get it removed) but the Security staff were very helpful and reassuring. They even said they could check to see if her ticket had been used to enter the park that day.
 
Anewman said:
I think they were already on their way b4 you started making the call, they probably saw it on a video monitor.

Yes it is their(disneys) phone system and since their personnel is closer they should be alerted as soon as possible by the system.


I think the video monitor theory is totally unlikely.

What likely happened is that when you dialed 911 from the hotel phone it alerted the hotel operator that 911 was dialed and the location it came from. The hotel operator then notified the appropriate people at the hotel.

This was going on simultaneously to your call to 911 which is why Disney was able to respond so fast.
 
being in emergency medical services myself I can tell you that in NY if you have so many people in one area you have to have a certain amount of medical care avail. to the park.
For instance, every year we have a state fair...we have a mini er up and running with nurse and doc... 2 ambulances staffed and ready to go, a golf cart that is paramedic staffed and is used to get thru crowds and a full bike team and foot patrol.
We get calls from 911 or fair staff and the ny state troopers.
It works like clock work and it is a busy system for the 2 weeks the fair is there.

The likely option of what happened in this case is when you picked up the phone and hit the 911 button you got a dispatcher that talked to you while you waited for help...
This may have also set off an alarm that showed where in the facility there was an emergency.
From there the CM went into action and responded.
Make sense?
This is just by best guest knowing how our system works.
 
I am so glad to hear a story that tells just how efficient Disney's emergency system is. On a personal note, I fell in my home last spring, fracturing my femur at the knee and shattering a lot of bone. I laid in shock, in and out of consciousness, for about 30 minutes until my husband came inside and found me. Though they were prompt, it still took several minutes after dialing 911 before the ambulance reached me. I am glad this lady did not have that wait, even tho' it sounds like her injuries were minor. Hmm...safer at Disney than at home. Maybe I should spend more time there... ;)
 
ducklite said:
It sounds to me like they've got a great system. I'm sure you'd feel the same if you were choking in a restaurant or had a heart attack.

Absolutely! If I placed a call to 9-1-1, I would want anyone and everyone in a 50 mile radius of me to know about it, if they had any ability to help me or the situation in any way!!

Glad to hear it is "a well oil-ed machine."
:thumbsup2
 



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