999 callers must press 55 if they can’t speak aloud to alert police

999 callers must press 55 if they can’t speak aloud to alert police of genuine emergency, campaign warns in wake of teacher murdered by ex-lover after making silent call

  • Silent Solution system helps 999 callers unable to to make a noise, or speak
  • Must press 55 when prompted to inform police they are in a genuine emergency 
  • The system is only effective if the public know and understand how it works

A campaign is underway to help people who are unable to make a noise or speak to call 999 and inform police they are in imminent danger. 

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched the awareness drive in a bid to warn people that a silent 999 call will not automatically bring help. 

It follows the murder of Kerry Power, who was strangled in her Plymouth home after she tried to make a so-called ‘silent solution’ emergency call – but the operator hung up because she did not make a sound. 

The mother-of-one, 36, was too terrified to speak and tried to ring for help as her violent ex-boyfriend David Wilder burst into her home.  

David Wilder

Kerry Power, left, was strangled in her Plymouth home by David Wilder, right, after she tried to make a so-called ‘silent solution’ emergency call

How does the ‘silent’ 999 system work? 

If someone dials 999, they will initially go through to BT who ask what 

emergency service they require. If a keypress of 55 is detected during the call to the BT operator, BT will relay this to a police call handler and tell them that ’55 is detected’.

Call handlers are trained to deal with this situation and will make attempts to communicate with the caller using button presses. 

They may ask them to press a key twice for ‘yes’ or once for ‘no’. 

The police call handler will stay on the line and guide them through the call. 

They will also be listening out for any background noise or signs of disturbance – if this is detected then further investigation into the situation or location is possible.

The Silent Solution system enables a 999 mobile caller unable to to make a noise, or speak, to press 55 when prompted to inform police they are in a genuine emergency. 

Between April 2018 and March 2019 the IOPC was passed 41,999 calls from Silent Solution.

The system is only effective if the public know and understand how it works. 

Kerry Power had been told by police to make an emergency silent call from her mobile phone if she felt she was in danger. 

But they apparently failed to explain to her the ‘silent solution’ protocol, under which she was supposed to give a signal such as a cough or a tap to the handset to indicate it was not a hoax or accidental call.

Instead, Miss Power did not make a sound, and her call could not be put through to Devon and Cornwall Police because of its automated voice system.

As a result, no officers were dispatched to her home in Plymouth in the early hours of December 14, 2013.

Wilder, 44, later pleaded guilty to murdering the primary school secretary and was jailed for life.

Just two weeks before her murder, Miss Power had complained to Devon and Cornwall Police that Wilder was stalking her. 

The IOPC-led ‘Make Yourself Heard’ campaign was launched yesterday and coincides with National Stalking Awareness Week.

The Silent Solution system enables a 999 mobile caller unable to to make a noise, or speak, to press 55 when prompted to inform police they are in a genuine emergency

The Silent Solution system enables a 999 mobile caller unable to to make a noise, or speak, to press 55 when prompted to inform police they are in a genuine emergency

Avon and Somerset Police Head of Command and Control Becky Tipper said: ‘There could be occasions where speaking out loud is just not possible or would put you in more danger and that is why knowing about the 55 service is so important.

‘There are some urban myths and a lot of misinformation on social media around the use of 55 on an emergency call – some posts claim that police will automatically know where you are and dispatch officers to your location. 

‘This is not the case – but the police call handler will do everything they can to understand what is going on, where the caller is, and if they believe there is a true emergency ongoing. 

‘If you can, stay on the line, listen carefully to the police call handler, and communicate in whatever way you can, ensuring your safety comes first at all times.’  

The Independent Office for Police Conduct’s campaign is being supported by the family of Kerry Power.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk