There are about 200 accidental 911 calls to B.C.’s emergency communications centre, E-Comm, every day.
Staff at the centre say these calls are taking up to 10 hours a day to handle, consuming resources that could otherwise be available to help people with real emergencies.
Most of the accidental calls are “pocket dials” from cellphones. Pocket dials, hang-ups and children playing with cellphones are all considered accidental calls.
E-Comm is now launching an awareness campaign on pocket dials to reduce the number of calls.
“Every accidental call must be treated as a legitimate call until the call-taker can determine otherwise,” said Doug Watson, E-Comm’s vice-president of operations.
“Some pocket dials are obvious, our staff hear music playing, party sounds, sporting events and so on when they take the call. However, our staff still have to take time to listen, make call backs and if they have any cause for concern, take action to try to locate the caller and dispatch police,” he added. “The time spent in managing these calls is a huge resource drain on 911 systems everywhere.”
E-Comm advises that if anyone calls 911 by accident and is aware they have done so, to stay on the line and tell the call-taker it was an accidental call.
Of the almost 900,000 calls to 911 in 2013, 65 per cent came from cellphones.
“We’re reaching out to the public in a number of ways including a short animated video that we hope illustrates a serious problem in a whimsical and engaging way,” said Jody Robertson, E-Comm’s director of corporate communications.
“Most pocket dials are caused when a cellphone has been activated in a purse, backpack or pocket,” added Robertson. “And as the video illustrates, your phone doesn’t stand a chance without you when it comes to dialing 911 accidentally. We hope the public will help us help by locking and storing their cellphones carefully.”
Tips to avoid accidental calls:
- Lock and store your cellphone carefully. Using a case or holster can help avoid unintentional dialing.
- Don’t program 911 into any telephone.
- If you dial 911 accidentally, stay on the line and tell the call-taker. Don’t hang up.
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