ESTA denies long waits for triple zero callers

The Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority have denied that callers have been experiencing lengthy wait times for emergency services.

A ‘Red Hot Tip’ to 3AW Mornings claimed that telephone wait times were in excess of 2 minutes at one point on Sunday for ambulance services, while Monday and Tuesday saw wait times of more than five minutes for police.

“I’ve called triple zero for a collapse, you don’t want to stand there over an unconscious person for 2 minutes,” Neil Mitchell said.

The tip claimed that reasoning behind the lengthy wait times were due to under-staffing at the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA).

Click PLAY to hear producer Heidi Murphy explain

ESTA responded with a statement saying that they “met or exceeded all their government-agreed targets for police and ambulance emergency response times on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday”.

The claim that callers on Monday and Tuesday had to wait five minutes for emergency police help was also denied by ESTA.

Click PLAY to hear the ESTA’s response to the claim

Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA)