20 June 2013

ESA phone number leads to a Fax machine UPDATE: LIES!

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Fax

This little story is somewhat amusing and also a bit terrifying*, the phone number listed in the White Pages for the Emergency Services Agency sends you to a fax machine, and a fax machine can’t help anybody.

Shadow Emergency Services Minister, Brendan Smyth, has revealed that the Emergency Services Agency telephone number in the White Pages phone directory goes to a fax machine.

“Yesterday’s Estimates hearing identified Government delays in upgrading the ACT’s communications and mobile data systems as a problem. Today’s revelation confirms the Government can’t even get the basics right,” Mr Smyth said today.

“The fact that the telephone number to the agency looking after emergency services leads to a fax machine is ludicrous.

“We’ve already seen failures during the Mitchell fires. A Senate Committee found that the Government’s so called phone alert system performed so poorly because it wasn’t managed properly.

“Labor Minister Simon Corbell might see this White Pages incident as a minor issue, but this is just the latest incident in a long line of basic blunders in simple core management from this Government,” Mr Smyth concluded.

* Well terrifying until you remember that Brendan Smyth is probably the first person to open a copy of the white pages in the last 5 years, still emergency numbers are something you’d hope would be double checked.

[Image by Abhisek Sarda (CC BY 2.0)]


UPDATE:

Lies and trickery!

It seems Brendan Smyth is telling untruths, and Simon Corbell is here to set him straight:

Shadow Minister for Emergency Services, Brendan Smyth, has embarrassed himself by using an outdated and irrelevant phone book listing to attack the Emergency Services Agency, Emergency Services Minister, Simon Corbell said today.

“Mr Smyth has been spruiking that an Emergency Services Agency phone number in the White Pages goes to a fax machine.

“Unfortunately for Mr Smyth, this is an old entry from last year’s White Pages and is not listed in the current edition.

“The number Mr Smyth has referred to was contained in an ACT Government advertisement in the 2012/13 White Pages phone directory, which clearly states that people should call ‘000’ in the event of an emergency.

“This is clearly a desperate attempt to besmirch the reputation of the ACT Emergency Services Agency, one of our community’s most important and respected organisations. As Shadow Minister, Mr Smyth should know better.

“It is concerning to learn that Mr Smyth, as the Shadow Minister, has nothing better to do than read old copies of the White Pages,” Mr Corbell concluded.

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Gungahlin Al said :

spinact said :

What’s a fax machine?

Funny story: recently I was in a store in Gungahlin being served by the high schooler behind the checkout. The fax machine/phone was ringing away behind her. I asked if she was going to get it? She said “I don’t know what it is.”
“It’s a fax phone.”
“Oh. But I don’t know what it does.”
“It scan a bit of paper and sends to image to another fax at the other end.”
“Really? Wow. That’s clever.”
“So are you going to answer it? If it is just ringing out, it’s probably a voice call.”
“How?”
“By picking up the handset and saying hello.”

Still smarter than Brendan Smyth though…

Now that is funny. If a fax machine blew her mind, I can’t imagine what she’d think of a Commodore 64 “The computer is IN the keyboard?”

Gungahlin Al9:22 am 21 Jun 13

I really need to proof read a little better…

Gungahlin Al said :

spinact said :

What’s a fax machine?

Funny story: recently I was in a store in Gungahlin being served by the high schooler behind the checkout. The fax machine/phone was ringing away behind her. I asked if she was going to get it? She said “I don’t know what it is.”
“It’s a fax phone.”
“Oh. But I don’t know what it does.”
“It scan a bit of paper and sends to image to another fax at the other end.”
“Really? Wow. That’s clever.”
“So are you going to answer it? If it is just ringing out, it’s probably a voice call.”
“How?”
“By picking up the handset and saying hello.”

Still smarter than Brendan Smyth though…

LOL

+1

I think doctors are the only people still using fax machines.

Gungahlin Al5:14 pm 20 Jun 13

spinact said :

What’s a fax machine?

Funny story: recently I was in a store in Gungahlin being served by the high schooler behind the checkout. The fax machine/phone was ringing away behind her. I asked if she was going to get it? She said “I don’t know what it is.”
“It’s a fax phone.”
“Oh. But I don’t know what it does.”
“It scan a bit of paper and sends to image to another fax at the other end.”
“Really? Wow. That’s clever.”
“So are you going to answer it? If it is just ringing out, it’s probably a voice call.”
“How?”
“By picking up the handset and saying hello.”

Still smarter than Brendan Smyth though…

What utility does the average citizen expect to receive from the ESA by calling them anyway?

They’re not the emergency number. They aren’t the ambulance, police or fire brigade. What was Brendan Smyth hoping to do by calling that number?

UPDATE: It turns out that Brendan Smyth was reading an old copy of the White Pages.

This little attempt at mocking the Government has turned around to bite him quite painfully.

spinact said :

What’s a fax machine?

I’m still trying to figure out what a Telex machine is. Ding dong! Oh, pardon me, a telegram just arrived…

Rawhide Kid Part32:41 pm 20 Jun 13

spinact said :

What’s a fax machine?

+1

What’s a fax machine?

Anyone checked it today to see if they have changed it? And if not, has anyone sent it a fax to see if they get a response? And if anyone thought of that, could they actually find a fax machine?

Rawhide Kid Part312:08 pm 20 Jun 13

I don’t think this is such a large problem. After all if there is an emergency you would call 000 or 132500 for any SES assistance. Not the general ESA Number.

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