In a recent investigation, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reviewed data representing millions of calls across Atlanta and the metro counties and found, time and again, that an alarmingly high number of callers were left waiting for a 911 operator to answer.
The AJC interviewed dozens of people who shared their stories of getting placed on hold when they called 911 for help. They described feelings of terror and disbelief, and a shattered trust of the emergency services system.
- In Gwinnett County, Lisa Hall waited 5 minutes and 33 seconds for an operator to answer when her husband Doug had a heart attack.
- Last year in DeKalb County, nearly half of callers to 911 waited more than 20 seconds for an operator to pick up.
- In Atlanta, nearly 100,000 callers to 911 waited for more than a minute to be connected with an operator.
If you called 911 anywhere in the state of Georgia for an emergency of any sort, the AJC’s reporters would like to hear your story through the short survey below. We’re looking for your stories on experiences with not just 911, but all aspects of emergency services.
The responses will guide our reporting, and journalists from the AJC may follow up with additional questions.
