The woman locked herself in the back room when the raiders crashed through the ceiling next to the counter at the post office in Bolton Road, Pendlebury.
She was instead put through to the fire brigade when she dialed 999, who spoke to the police for her.
She had dialled 999 from a phone in a safe room and whispered to a BT operator who tried to connect her to the police.
It is believed the woman retreated so fast into the safe room the robbers did not know she was there.
But all lines to Greater Manchester Police were engaged and instead the operator connected her to the fire service control room at headquarters less then a quarter of a mile from the post office on the same road.
The call was taken by operator Jan Finch.
She said: "The BT operator said could we handle a call as all lines to the police were unavailable. The woman told me that she had opened up the shop just before nine o'clock and was setting up the computer system when two men had crashed through the ceiling. She had heard rubble falling then saw one man in a black mask with a gun. She crawled into the safe room and locked the door.
Instructions
"A colleague of mine got through to the police on another line in our control room and we were taking instructions from the police as to what questions to ask her - we were all liaising with each other.
"She told us that her boss was due to start work and gave us his mobile phone number and we were able to instruct him not to go into work. We got through to him just as he was arriving and the police were at the scene.
"I stayed on the line for about 15 minutes and kept talking to the woman to keep her calm. I asked her if she could see the robbers and she said she would look through a gap in the door to see if they were still there. I told her not to as it would have made things worse for her.
"I told her that I was the victim of an armed robbery myself in 1989 when gunmen came into Tesco in Irlam where I was working at the time. I was petrified and I told her that I knew what she was going through."
A spokesman for Greater Manchester police said it was believed the robbers had got into the roof space and were waiting for the shop to be opened then jumped through the ceiling.
It is believed they left empty handed but investigations are continuing.
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I think your headline is specious Yes, the police phone lines were too busy - but the police weren't "too busy" and this lady's call appears to have been dealt with in an exemplary manner. There is an unwarranted inference in the way you have presented this news item.
MR PLOD, WHAT A USELESS OUTFIT. A TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY IF EVER THERE WAS ONE, TOTALLY DISORGANISED. PERHAPS IF WE FOLLOWED THE AMERICAN EXAMPLE BY ELECTING THE CHIEF OF POLICE WHO WE CAN THEN HOLD RESPONSIBLE WE MAY RECEIVE BETTER AND MORE COST EFFECTIVE POLICING ,THE ENTIRE SYSTEM IS OVERDUE REFORM
so the fire service answered a call for the police as there control room was to busy to take the call, when the new fire controls the government want to introduce with less operators will a double glasing call centre take the call?
Probably too busy phoning through their breakfast barm orders....
The police really do need to sort out their telephone lines. The times I have waited for the 872 5050 number to be answered. In the end minutes later I give up as most people do and put the phone down leaving the crime unreported. The police know they have this problem but fail to address it. The other problem is that the public were told when the Area Policing Teams started then there would be more police on the beat, however, if you note there aren't the numbers they say, in fact if the truth be known the police can't cope and the officers are under stress. Its time the government supported the police and sorted the whole thing out.
THE POLICE NEED TO PULL THEIR FINGER OUT AND ACT MORE LIKE! CAN'T DEAL WITH IT WE'RE TOO BUSY?!?!? PASS IT ON TO FIRE CONTROL ROOM TO ANSWER?!?!? WHAT SORT OF TRASH RESPONSE IS THAT TO A ROBBERY? LAZINESS THATS WHAT IT IS!!! SHAME ON YOU GMP YOU COULD DO RATHER BETTER THAN YOU CURRENTLY DO.
Evey taxpayer needs to be aware what the Government are doing to the Fire Service Control Rooms. where I work, in Fire Control room, 98.8% of our 999 calls are answered within 2 SECONDS. It takes on average 42.2 SECONDS to take accurate details and mobilise appliances. All calls are treated as a priority - who wants to wait if their house is on fire or if they are trapped in a car following an accident. ONE THOUSAND MILLION POUNDS are being wasted on this project that the Government itself has admitted has a 'high risk of failure' If the voting members of the public want to be waiting on a telephone line for a fire engine - do nothing - if you think it is unacceptable write or email your Fire Authority, MP's etc. Give this much need cash to Hospitals, Schools or the Police! I have read the literature from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister who are overseeing this project and I am worried. Modernise yes, upgrade yes. I do not care how much money is wasted trying to make this project work - It WILL NOT improve call handling times. It WILL take longer and people will die - sorry to be so blunt but I can't see any other conclusion.