Patrol crew using a Pye radio, pre-1976.Courtesy of NZ Police Museum
111 IN THE 1960s
Chief Inspector Chas Sturton gave an insight into how Police were viewing the introduction of 111 in a speech printed in the NZ Police Journal in 1960.
The Chief Inspector, who was the Officer in Charge of Telecommunications, said the new 111 emergency service being phased in was becoming increasingly important to Police.
He emphasised the number was designed to provide callers with the fastest possible service in an emergency. It could be easily remembered and dialled "in complete darkness or in blinding smoke".
He explained that calls were answered by the Post Office operator, who said: "Which service please?".
If the caller asked for Police, the operator plugged the call straight into a direct line to the police station - known as the "acceptance point" for the area.
This activated an emergency alarm at the police station where a special red telephone was installed for the purpose.
"At the police station, the call is answered with the standard expression 'Police here' and the message is taken and acted upon."
The Chief Inspector said there was no room in the system for "passing the buck".
"The Post Office operator's responsibility finishes when she has satisfied herself that the call has been fully established and answered by the service required.
"The police 'acceptance point' is responsible for accepting emergency calls for a very wide area and for ensuring that the required action is promptly taken wherever it is required.
"If the call originates from outside the area normally covered by the Police, it is the responsibility of the police station answering the call to decline service or institute whatever alternative action might be appropriate - this cannot be passed back to the Post Office operator to decide."
Mr Sturton told Police staff they needed good geographical knowledge and had to know the quickest way of getting the staff required to take appropriate action at any point within their area.
An interesting sidelight is that service clubs such as Jaycees at this time started to put out detailed local maps and guides, especially in rural areas.
This seems to have been in part a response to the roll-out of 111.
The 1960s saw Police set up better systems to handle emergency calls by incorporating constantly-manned control rooms in the new police stations being built.
Sources used in compiling this material were Emergency Telephone Service Increasing Importance. Lecture by Chief Inspector C H Sturton, O/C Telecommunications; and Graham and Susan Butterworth, Jaycee, Developers of People, Builders of Communities, Wellington 2007.
