Gina Heslop
A child dialed 911 seeking help, but it wasn’t for an emergency. Instead, he needed assistance with his math homework. Mistaking the emergency hotline as a general helpline, the boy called and the operator answered.
Confusion ensued as the operator asked about the problem. The child persistently mentioned “math” while the operator misunderstood and thought he was saying “mouth.” Eventually, the operator realized that the child was struggling with math problems.
Trying to understand the situation better, the operator asked where the child lived. However, the child insisted on talking on the phone instead. The operator explained that they couldn’t do that but offered to send someone to help.
Curious about the type of math problem the child was facing, the operator asked for more details. The child mentioned having to do “take aways.” The operator understood that he meant subtraction.
The child presented a math problem: “16 take away 8 is what?” The operator encouraged him to take a guess. The child hesitantly responded with “1,” showing his young age and lack of understanding.
They moved on to another problem: “5 take away 5.” Again, the child thought the answer was 5. Suddenly, a woman’s voice interrupted the conversation. It was the child’s mother, questioning what he was doing on the phone.
The child confidently replied that the policeman was helping him with his math. The mother scolded him, reminding him of her instructions about using the phone. The operator realized the situation and explained to the mother that the child misunderstood and thought he could call for help.
Though the call started with a misunderstanding, it ended with laughter and an educational lesson. The child learned that 911 is strictly for emergencies, and the operator assured the mother that everything was alright.
