History & Myths

emergency services No.

Not really sure where to post this. Why is the emergency services No. 999.

wallis1007 Thurs 26/06/08 09:23

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SeaJayPea
Thurs 26/06/08
09:29

Looks like it was a technical thing to do with telephone boxes when the service was introduced in the 1930's. Remember that hardly anybody had a phone in their homes in those days and most folk used call boxes.

See this article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/999_%28emergency_ telephone_number%29

Cheers

BillySugger
Thurs 26/06/08
10:38

It's 666 upside down . The good & the bad . the ying and yang

Octavius
Thurs 26/06/08
12:54

More here....

http://www.fire.org.uk/advice/999history.htm

jonesytwotwo
Sat 28/06/08
21:06

It is because the position of 9 on the old circular dial on the telephone. So even if you were blind or disabled, you would be able to locate 9 being the last figure on the dial.

jonesytwotwo
Sat 28/06/08
21:07

I believe in US emergency is 1 1 1 for the same reason

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