▁that ▁calls ▁were ▁answered ▁first - come - first - ser ved , ▁which ▁meant ▁on ▁busy ▁ex changes , ▁emer gency ▁calls ▁could ▁be ▁delayed . ▁For ▁automatic ▁ex changes , ▁one ▁would ▁need ▁to ▁know ▁the ▁local ▁police , ▁amb ul ance ▁or ▁fire ▁service ’ s ▁tele phone ▁number , ▁or ▁look ▁it ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁tele phone ▁directory , ▁or ▁d ial ▁the ▁to ll ▁operator ▁and ▁ask ▁them ▁to ▁place ▁the ▁call . ▁The ▁problem ▁was ▁that ▁the ▁numbers ▁were ▁different ▁for ▁each ▁exchange , ▁and ▁again , ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁way ▁to ▁tell ▁emer gency ▁calls ▁apart ▁from ▁regular ▁calls . ▁A uck land , ▁for ▁example , ▁had ▁ 4 0 ▁tele phone ▁ex changes , ▁and ▁the ▁tele phone ▁directory ▁had ▁ 5 0 0 ▁pages ▁to ▁search ▁through ▁to ▁find ▁the ▁right ▁number , ▁although ▁the ▁separate ▁emer gency ▁numbers ▁for ▁fire , ▁police ▁and ▁amb ul ance ▁in ▁the ▁main ▁service ▁area ▁( e . g . ▁A uck land , ▁but ▁not ▁for ▁not ▁minor ▁ex changes ) ▁were ▁listed ▁in ▁bold ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁page . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁Ball ant yn es ▁fire ▁in ▁Christ ch urch , ▁fire ▁officer ▁Arthur ▁Var ley ▁was ▁rec ru ited ▁from ▁the ▁UK ▁to ▁bring ▁about ▁a ▁reform ▁of ▁the ▁fire ▁service . ▁Famil iar ▁with ▁Britain ’ s ▁ 9 9 9 ▁system , ▁he ▁campaign ed ▁for ▁the ▁setting ▁up ▁of ▁a ▁universal ▁emer gency ▁tele