It was a comedy of errors at the Metro 911 Center during a recent call, and it could have been someone's life at stake. Thankfully, it wasn't that serious this time.

Video: Word On The Street (6/4/07)

Former Metro Councilman Roy Dale and his wife, Lisa, recently had a problem trying to get an ambulance.

It was midnight and Dale had suffered a terrible kidney stone attack and his wife had called emergency 911.

"Oh my God I can't believe I'm having this much trouble calling 911. This is crazy," said Dale's wife during the call.

She received a message that said, "You have reached 911. Please do not hang up. Your call will be answered by the next call taker."

After repeated calls, the rings and the answering machine, Lisa Dale finally got a real live 911 operator. She could hear the operator, but the operator could not hear her.

The 911 operator was finally switched to another phone.

"You mean this is the 911 operator. My God. My husband is trying to drive to the emergency room. We tried four times to call you guys," Lisa Dale was recorded as saying.

The operator was told Roy Dale had a cell phone with him while driving to the hospital.

"If you talk to him and he needs an ambulance, he can stop at an intersection and we will send an ambulance to where he is," said the 911 operator.

The 911 operator received a written reprimand for the situation.