Although the 911 emergency hotline receives many fake calls, the operators are trained to recognize an actual emergency and what’s not.
Chris Trott works as a 911 operator and has received all kinds of calls. However, he wasn’t prepared for what was about to happen.
When Chris picked up a call registered to a man named Joe Stalnaker, all he heard was a crying and barking dog. Chris thought that it was an accident and was about to hang up. He didn’t know that Buddy was a canine companion for Joe and was trained to dial 911 in an emergency.
Joe was involved in an accident during his time in the military. The accident caused severe injuries to his brain, which left him prone to having potentially fatal seizures. He was paired with Buddy, who can recognize the signs of seizures. Once Buddy determines that Buddy is having a seizure, he is trained to pick up the phone and hold down a particular number with his teeth for a few seconds, which speed dials it to 911.
Thankfully, Chris checked the phone number, and the system matched it with Joe’s data. After Chris had read through Joe’s file, he knew what was happening and sent in the necessary emergency services to save Joe’s life. Thanks to Buddy’s call for help and Chris’s quick thinking, Joe was taken to the hospital to get the necessary treatment on time.
Luckily for Joe, everything was fine after his treatment. He and Buddy were sent home after a couple of days at the hospital. Buddy proves that dogs truly are man’s best friend. Thanks to his intelligence and training, he was able to get help for his owner by calling 911.
It’s also thanks to Chris that he recognized that it was an actual emergency. Most people would have dismissed Buddy’s call as an accident and hung up. However, by taking it a step further and reading about Joe’s file, he quickly realized what was happening and sent the needed help. Here’s a video featuring Buddy’s story and how he saved Joe’s life.
Video Source Associated Press via YouTube
