The Midlands Air Ambulance (MAA) was called out to emergencies on Monday (1 July), both of which turned out to be from prank callers.
One of the hoax calls came from Stoke-on-Trent, while another one from Birmingham. The Stoke prank caller claimed that someone had been assaulted at a commercial property.
The MAA have stated that they wasted £6,000 responding to these hoaxes. In responding to false calls, the hoaxers could have also potentially put people’s lives at risk. The charity serves around six million people across various midlands counties. It responds to around 4,300 calls per year.
Paramedic Sarah Foley stated: “We want to make sure those making these calls are aware of the dangers that providing false and malicious information to emergency services can pose to the public.”
The MAA is funded by public donations and spends around £2,950 per mission on fuel and other costs.
“To see that money go to waste, as crews attend a scene that does not have a patient after being provided with false information is disheartening,” stated Ian Jones, the MAA clinical operations director.
Hoax calls to the MAA are rare, with only 10 occurring per year on average. Receiving two prank calls in one day is highly unusual.
Experienced writer and journalist James McKean leads the daily editorial output at StaffsLive. To contact him, email news@staffslive.co.uk
