KEY POINTS:
Telecom have traced the fault that blocked an Auckland home invasion victim getting help after repeatedly calling the 111 number.
They are now investigating the possibility two other calls were blocked by other faults.
Businessman Arthur Gundy, 62, said he made 15 calls in 20 minutes but could not get through to police on the 111 system on Friday morning after two armed intruders burst into his West Harbour home.
Telecom began an investigation yesterday into why Mr Gundy could not get help through the 111 system.
Mr Gundy was dragged from his bed by the intruders and bound with duct tape in the garage, before the intruders made off with his ute, and the money from his wallet and safe.
After the offenders escaped he wriggled free and went upstairs to call police.
Mr Gundy said he rang three or four times and each time an automated voice asked "fire, ambulance or police".
He said he responded "police" each time, and was then told to press any digit to be connected.
But when he did that, he got a disconnected line.
Mr Gundy tried two different phones, called three or four times and looked for the Henderson Police Station in the phone book before eventually contacting a private security firm.
Police are investigating the home invasion and found his ute on Friday afternoon after an appeal to the public for information.
The automated service is run for police under contract by Telecom.
Telecom spokeswoman Sarah Berry today told NZPA police alerted them to the problem yesterday but the company had not spoken to Mr Gundy about what happened.
"We're very sorry Mr Gundy was put in that position."
Ms Berry said Telecom had traced the problem to a technical fault at the West Harbour exchange.
Telecom were in the process of fixing the fault and in the meantime any 111 calls which would go through that exchange were being re-routed so similar situations would be avoided, she said.
Ms Berry said while Mr Gundy thought he was talking to a voice automated service that was not the case.
"All the emergency calls are answered by people.
"What happened here is the problem was in the sound - he could hear them but they could not hear him."
What Mr Gundy thought was an automated voice would have been the 111 operator reading out the options, which was standard procedure, she said.
A Telecom 111 team member had tried to call Mr Gundy this morning to apologise but was not able to talk to him and left a message on his answer machine instead, she said.
While the fault would not have affected everyone in the area Telecom were investigating two other situations in Manukau on Thursday and Friday where a similar problem may have occurred, she said.
Ms Berry said Telecom needed to talk to those people, one of whom had tried to contact the police and the other ambulance.
"It does show other people were experiencing similar problems."
Ms Berry said the public could continue to have confidence in the 111 system that handled thousands of calls a month from the public.
"We want people to continue calling 111, it is still the best way of contacting the services in an emergency."
If people did have trouble calling then they were advised to call the police, ambulance or fire services directly, rather than via the 111 system, she said.
- NZPA
