The Call: Emercency Calls 911

I really like thrillers, and this one is about an occupation I respect a lot. Professionals who work with other people's emergencies, no matter how they do it, are always worth-admiring individuals. This movie is a piercing thriller and I really enjoyed it.


I. Work in pairs:

1. Do you have an emergency phone number in your country/city you can call in case of an emergency? Have you ever had to use it? How effective do you think this service is?

2. In Brazil, this number is 190. In the USA, it is 911. What kind of requirements must a person who answers this call - a call-taker - have? Explain it.

3. How stressful do you think this job is? Would you be qualified for a call-taker position?

4. What can go wrong if the procedures are not followed properly by the call-taker?

5. Read the procedures a 911 call-taker must have in mind while taking a call and fill in the blanks with the following question words:

WHAT / WHERE / WHO / WHEN / WHY

Information collected from the important site:  http://www.franklinmo.org/EMA/911%20The%20Facts.htm

_______________ The call-taker is required to ask many questions in order to give responders an accurate picture of your situation. It is important to understand that responders may already be on the way while you are talking to the call-taker; we are updating the information as they go. It is also important not to exaggerate the emergency. Listen carefully to the call-taker’s questions; try to speak clearly in a calm voice. The call-taker needs to ask the basic 4 W's for every call-where, what, who, and when....

________________ This includes more than just the address. An apartment number, floor, suite number, or even the color of your house. Especially important is the nearest intersection, or cross-street, to the address. This makes it easier and quicker for responders to find you.

_________________ This is the basic "bottom-line" of the call-what is the exact problem? We don't require long descriptions of the events leading up to what is happening, just what the immediate problem is. Are you in physical danger? Right now? Are there weapons involved? Is there a fire? Or do you just need information or a referral? Also, try to remain as calm as possible; it only makes the process longer if the call-taker is spending time trying to understand an excited or hysterical caller.

_________________  This is to identify suspects in crimes, especially if they just left (so responding officers don't drive right past the bad guys!). This means clothing descriptions, names (if known) and last known location

or direction of travel.

_______________ It makes a difference if the incident is occurring right now or happened an hour ago, so a time frame is important.

Answer key:

WHY /  WHERE / WHAT / WHO / WHEN

II. Read the situations below and check the ones that are not considered emergencies that should be dealt with by call-takers. (This is true in the USA - 911 Calls)

(   ) Property crimes that are no longer in progress and the offender is not on the scene. These include crimes such as vandalism, thefts, graffiti, and stolen autos

(   ) Animal control problems 

(    ) A burglar inside the house

(    ) Illegally parked vehicles or vehicles blocking alleys or driveways, but that are not blocking traffic flow

(    ) A car accident with victims

(    ) Minor vehicle crashes where there are no injuries and traffic is not blocked 

(    ) Reporting crank calls.

(    ) Trash pickup problems

(    ) Stolen checks and credit cards 

(    ) An injured person on the street

(    ) Minors violating curfew

(    ) Loud parties

(    ) Road hazards that don't require immediate attention

(    ) Underage drinking

            (    ) Runaway juvenile or missing adult who does not   need special care

            (    )  Seeing someone robbing a car on the street.

             (    ) Seeing a violent fight in front of your house.

             (    ) Hearing gunshots near your house.

             (    ) Hearing children screaming loudly inside one of your neighbor's house.

Facts taken from the site:

http://www.911dispatch.com/info/fact_figures.html


Answer key:

Situations that are not considered emergencies.

¬Property crimes that are no longer in progress and the offender is not on the scene. These include crimes such as vandalism, thefts, graffiti, and stolen autos 
¬Animal control problems  
¬Illegally parked vehicles or vehicles blocking alleys or driveways, but that are not blocking traffic flow 
¬Minor vehicle crashes where there are no injuries and traffic is not blocked 
- Reporting crank calls
¬Phone numbers, addresses, hours of operation, etc 
¬Trash pickup problems 
¬Stolen checks and credit cards -- also call the financial institutions involved to have them stop payments of checks and verifications of charges 
¬Minors violating curfew 
¬Loud parties -- the person calling must be willing to sign a complaint 
¬Road hazards that don't require immediate attention 
¬Underage drinking
¬Runaway juvenile or missing adult who does not   need special care


III. Watch the movie segment and discuss the following questions:

 

 1. Describe call-takers workplaces.

2. How would describe call-takers emotional state while dealing with emergencies?

3. What kind of traing do future call-takers receive?

4. Why is their workplace called "the hive"?

5. What are some of their fears? What do they dislike about their jobs?

6. What is the last scene situation? What should the call-taker do to help the teenage girl?

7. How would you feel if you were the call-taker in that situation?


MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE CALL

The Purge: Urban Violence

This movie was crucified by the critics. I agree that the premise of the movie is sort of stupid and far fetched, but movies can actually do that. It is fiction and fantasy. Taking this into consideration, I really liked the direction, thrills and frights. This is a segment for adults only.

I. Read the short description of the context of the movie below. Then pair up with a partner and explain it, using your own words.

The Purge is based on the premise that every year a 12 hour period is allocated as a kind of law free day in which all crime (unless it is directed toward the government) is permitted. The stated purpose is to allow common people to purge themselves of violent feelings so that they won't be moved to act on them during the rest of the 364 and a half days. The real reason for the Purge is that it is an easy way to get rid of the poor and the homeless, which the government and population consider undesirable. The rich are able to protect themselves in their homes and ride out the Purge, closing their eyes to the violence taking place around them.

II. Watch the movie segment and discuss the questions that follow.

I. Describe the scene.

2. What's your opinion about  the American government of establishing "the purge"? What are the possible consequences to the society we live in if it became true.

3. How can the purge reduce or escalate crime rates?

4. In your opinion, what is the cause of urban violence? How should governments address this issue, if it is the case?

5. How violent is the place you live in? How do you compare urban violence in your city now and 15 years ago?

6. Do American movies show an accurate portrait  of urban violence in the USA or is it an exaggerated picture of reality? Explain it.

7. Do you agree that we should get rid of the poor/homeless/criminals by creating something like the purge? Why (not)?

8. Do you think that the purge is a modern view of the Nazi's behavior during the Holocaust? What are the similarities and the differences between both ideas.

9. In Brazil, there are the "armed militias" that fight against crimes in slums, filling a vacuum of authority by promising residents security in exchange for payments and the chance to take over many illegal businesses — including controlling the supply of water and natural gas, gambling machines, pirating cable television connections, and of course, the drug trade. They gain sympathy from residents because they battle Rio’s “barbaric” drug dealers. Do you think the militias are replacing one form of criminality with another? What is worse, to have or not to have militias?

10. Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the reduction of crime rates where you live? Why?

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - THE PURGE

Bangkok Dangerous & Big Fish: Urban Violence

 I love the movie Big Fish, but Bangkok Dangerous is not a recommendation. These scenes are very nice, though, for the topic urban violence.
 

 I. Discuss these questions in pairs:


1. How safe is it to live in your neighborhood?

2. How do you compare your neighborhood to others in your city?

3. Is urban violence a problem where you live? Talk about it.

4. Have you ever been to a place where there is a lot of urban violence? How did you deal with it?:

5. Have you ever been a victim of urban violence? Would you like to talk about it?

6. What are the causes of urban violence?

7. What can be done to stop or reduce crime rates where you live?


II. Match the following urban crimes and their definitions.


1. Bank robbery

2. Robbery

3. Stalk

4. Sex Tourism

5. Mugging

6. Express Kidnapping

7. Kidnap

8. Malfeasance

9. Rape

10.  Drug dealing

11. Smuggle

12. Arson

13. Murder

14. Domestic Violence


 ( ) The victim is abducted, then forced to withdraw their own ransom from a bank or ATM. If all goes well, the victim is released afterwards, generally after having been relieved of all valuables on their person (and occasionally in their residence).

( ) Stealing money from a bank, usually with the use of weapons

( ) to attack a person in a public place and steal their money:
 
( )  the crime of intentionally starting a fire in order to damage or destroy something, especially a building

( ) the crime of intentionally killing a person

( ) an example of dishonest and illegal behaviour, especially by a person in authority

( ) behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other. Partners may be married or not married; heterosexual, gay, or lesbian; living together, separated or dating

( )  the crime of stealing from somewhere or someone

( )  to illegally follow and watch someone, usually a woman, over a period of time

( ) to force someone to have sex when they are unwilling, using violence or threatening behaviour

( ) to take things or people to or from a place secretly and often illegally

( ) when someone travels to another country for the purpose of paying to have sex, especially with children or under aged citizens

( ) when someone travels to another country for the purpose of paying to have sex, especially with children

( ) Selling forbidden drugs illegally

Answer key: 6, 1, 5, 12, 13, 8, 14, 2, 3, 9,  11, 4, 7, 10, 



III. Can you think of other urban crimes? What are they?




IV. Which of the crimes above is the most serious problem where you live? And which ones do you think are not recurrent in your neighborhood?


V. Watch the segment from the movie Bangkok Dangerous and discuss the questions.

1. Describe  the scene.

2. What urban crimes did you manage to see in the segment? How serious is this situation in Bangkok, accordingto the segment?

3. Do these crimes take place in your country too? How different is the situation in Bangkok and in your city?

4. What can the government do toprevent these crimes from happening?


VI. Watch the segment from the movie Big Fish and discuss the questions:

1. Describe the scene.

2. This scene takes place in the 50's. How different are bank robberies nowadays?

3. What should happen to the robber.

4. How professional is he?

5. How dangerous is he?

6. Have you ever experienced a situation like the ones in the segments? Talk about it.

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - BIG FISH