A national campaign to raise awareness of a system to help people alert police when in imminent danger but unable to
The Silent Solution system enables a 999 mobile caller who is too scared to make a noise, or speak, to press 55 when prompted – to inform police they are in a genuine emergency.
For example, if a victim of domestic abuse needs help, but is unable to speak because they are hiding in a room adjacent to their abuser, then they can still raise the alarm and get police assistance.
The system is well-established in the UK but is only effective if the public
It could, in extreme situations, potentially save a life.
The IOPC-led ‘Make Yourself Heard’ campaign is being launched during National Stalking Awareness Week, with support from the family of murder victim Kerry Power, Women’s Aid and Welsh Women’s Aid, and the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
Prior to her murder, Kerry believed that if she made a silent 999 call she would not need to speak or make
Sadly her call was terminated and was not put through to the police control room because she did not know to use the Silent Solution system.
It is not true that police will automatically attend if you make a silent 999 call.
Callers need to listen and respond to questions and instructions, including by coughing or tapping the handset if possible, or if using a mobile phone, once prompted by the automated Silent Solution system, pressing 55.
The system filters out thousands of accidental or hoax silent 999 calls made daily.
Around 50 emergency calls from
IOPC Regional Director Catrin Evans said:
“It is always best to actually speak to a police call handler if you can, even if by whispering, but if you are putting yourself or someone else in danger by making a sound, there is something you can do.
“Make yourself heard by coughing, tapping the handset or once prompted by the automated system, by pressing 55.
“We found from our investigation into police contact with Kerry that there is a lack of public awareness of the Silent Solution system and are keen to share this important information as widely as possible.
“It could potentially save a life.”
Kerry made her silent 999
She did not respond to the BT operator’s instructions and her call was transferred to the Silent Solution system.
As 55 was not pressed, the call was terminated and Devon and Cornwall Police were not notified of Kerry’s call.
Her ex-partner David Wilder called police later that morning to report he had fatally strangled her.
Kerry’s family said:
“Happy, fun-loving and considerate are all words you could use to describe Kerry,
“After a split from her son’s dad and a tough few years, things were on the up, Kerry was back to her old self and was looking forward. Unfortunately this was all brought to an end by the brutal actions of her ex-partner in December 2013.
“After weeks of stalking and inappropriate behaviour, he broke into Kerry’s house with a key he had previously had cut, unable to accept her decision to end their relationship. As things escalated Kerry became worried for the safety of herself and her son, who was asleep upstairs and called 999.
“Although she was not able to speak for the fear of alerting the intruder to her actions, she followed the advice given by a police officer during an earlier visit; that she could call and not speak, as the police held her details they would be alerted and attend.
“Unbeknown to Kerry, this was fiction and nobody came…… a short while after the call, she was strangled.”
An IOPC investigation could not conclusively identify the wording the police officer used when advising Kerry about making an emergency call however it was clear she did not know she would need to press 55 when prompted by the Silent Solution system.
Lisa Johnson, Manager of Direct Services at Women’s Aid, said:
“For survivors of domestic abuse calling the police might be too dangerous.
“Many abusers will threaten to hurt or even kill them if they try to speak out about the abuse. This means that for far too long many women have not been able to access the emergency support they so desperately need from the police.
“For a long time we have been encouraging survivors to use the Silent Solution system to make a silent 999 call if they feel it would be dangerous for them to speak to the call operator.
“That’s why we are pleased to work with the IOPC to help raise awareness of the system so that survivors can call 999 without putting themselves at further risk and prevent further lives, like that of Kerry Power, from being taken.”
National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Contact Management, ACC Alan Todd said:
“One of the fundamental roles of police is to help people in an emergency.
“The police service receives 12 million 999 calls each year, and a small number of callers need to use the ‘Silent Solution’ as they are not able to use their voice during an incident.
“This solution ensures that those who need assistance can make themselves heard through a simple and straightforward process.”
The ’55 instruction’ is detected around 50 times a day (1
Got a story, video or one-off blog that you would like to share with us?
You can contact our team of former emergency services & armed forces personnel either through our Facebook page, via Twitter ( @ES_News_ ) or you can contact us via email: contact@emergency-services.news or call us on: 0115 888 0592
If you run or manage a ‘job’ social media account and you would like us to share one of your stories then send us a tweet or a message!
If you would like to write an article that you would like us to share (it can be about anything to do with the emergency services / NHS) whether you serve in the emergency services / NHS or whether you are a member of the public who has had a good experience with the emergency services, then feel free to contact our team; anonymously if you prefer.
We are proud to act as a voice for the emergency services, armed forces & health service, with over 500,000 people visiting our website each month.
Join our WhatsApp community!
ESN is now on WhatsApp, and we want you to join our 'read only' channel.
To join, you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is click the link and press 'Join community'.
No one will be able to see who is signed up, and no one can send messages except the ESN team.You won't get any 'SPAM' just news stories & videos written & produced by our team of former emergency services personnel.
Joining our WhatsApp channel is a great way to help support our work and best of all, it is free!
If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community, click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Before you read or leave a comment...
In an age where mainstream media often overlooks the sacrifices made by our emergency services personnel, Emergency Services News is a critical fact-based voice you can trust
While we persist in our mission, we need your help to continue. Your donation directly enables us to produce high-quality content that elevates the stories and challenges faced by the men and women who serve, stories that are often ignored elsewhere.
We deeply appreciate your support. Your contribution empowers us to keep shining a light on the remarkable, yet often overlooked, individuals who serve our communities every day. Thank you for standing with us.
You can support emergency services news from as little as £1. It only takes a minute. Every contribution, however big or small, is vital for our future.
Please help us to continue to highlight the life-saving work of the emergency services, NHS and armed forces by becoming a supporter.
It sounds a very good system and could save many lives.
Great idea and I will share it
Is the prompt verbal? Hearing impaired or the being unable to put the phone to the ear might be a scenario.
Is this actually true? I’ve heard various things about this system, some Police officers have said it isn’t true and others say it is… I don’t want to share this if it actually is false, if it’s true then what a good idea, I was in a very abusive relationship (with a police officer sadly) and more than once I called the police, only for him to interrupt my call and say it was an argument. I hope this will help anyone in an abusive relationship too scared to talk to the police.
Hi Laura, it is indeed true and has been widely shared by the IOPC and police forces up-and-down the country in order to clear up any confusion and to highlight the service