Menu

Following the tragic events in Manchester on Monday evening the Police have been reminding people of their Silent Solutions procedure. 

The emergency services receive 30 million silent calls a year and often operators will ask callers to signal distress through coughs or other audible sound. The simple procedure is in place to allow a person to place a call to the emergency services when in a situation where it may not be safe to talk but also where making a noise could reveal their whereabouts to an assailant. 

How to use the Silent Solutions procedure:

When calling 999, the operator will ask which emergency service you require before rerouting the call to the appropriate service. 

If a 999 caller doesn't talk, the operator will ask them to cough or make another audible sound. 

If there is no sound the operator is forced to disconnect the call as the emergency services are flooded with accidental phone calls and misdials everyday. 

To signal it is a genuine emergency just dial 55.