Atlanta Councilman Chooses Twitter Over 911 to Report Emergency

Posted: Monday, May 18, 2009
Updated: May 19th, 2009 02:10 PM EDT
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Atlanta Councilman Chooses Twitter Over 911 to Report Emergency






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Story by wsbtv.com

ATLANTA --

An Atlanta city councilman used Twitter to help save the life of a woman who suffered a seizure in northeast Atlanta.

Kwanza Hall tweeted instead of dialing 911 Friday evening when he spotted a woman in need of medical assistance at the corner of John Wesley Dobbs Avenue and Jackson Street.

TWITTER: Get Updates @ twitter.com/wsb_tv

He said he used Twitter because his cell phone battery was running low and he didn't want to end up stuck on hold with 911.

“Need a paramedic on corner of John Wesley Dobbs and Jackson st. Woman on the ground unconscious. Pls ReTweet,” was the message he sent out on the social networking Web site.

Within seconds, dozens of Hall's Twitter followers sent out the message to their followers and several people called 911 to report the emergency.

Earlier this month callers complained of sitting on hold while a southwest Atlanta home burned to the ground.

Things were different this time, thanks to Twitter.

Paramedics arrived in time to rush the unconscious woman to Grady Memorial Hospital. Doctors said she had suffered a seizure.


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