NEW YORK (AP) — The coronavirus crisis is taxing New York City’s 911 system like never before. Operators pick up a call every 15.5 seconds. Panicked voices tell of loved ones in declining health. The system is so overwhelmed, the city has started sending text and tweet alerts urging people to only call 911 “for life-threatening emergencies.” The fire department said it has averaged more than 5,500 ambulance requests each day — about 40% higher than usual, eclipsing the total call volume on Sept. 11, 2001. The fire department said response times for the most serious calls have been averaging more than 10 minutes, up from about 6½ to 7 minutes normally.
