What is a silent call?
If someone is in danger / emergency and they cannot speak after calling emergency number 999, that is called a silent call.
Procedure to make a silent call in UK
Everyone should know the procedure to make a silent call which police use to help the people who are in danger or threat. Usually when you call 999, the call will be transferred to the BT (British Telecom) operator. Once they received the call, they will enquire for the emergency and transfer the call to the police. But in this silent call, BT operator will ask to cough or tap the keys to answer their questions. If you cannot do anything, they will transfer the call to the police immediately.
From mobile
- Call 999 from the mobile number
- Press 55 when you are being asked
- call will be transferred to the Silent Solution system which is a police system used to filter out large numbers of accidental or hoax 999 calls
Note: It does not allow for tracking the location
From Landline
- Call 999 from the landline number
- If you cannot speak, the BT operator can hear only the background noise, your call will be transferred to the police
Note: It allows for tracking the location once you called 999 from a landline
For more details, visit https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Documents/research-learning/Silent_solution_guide.pdf
English