It’s been said before and will be said again. Common sense isn’t common.
Case in point (actually several) come from E-Comm’s 10th annual list of top 911 nuisance calls in B.C.
Incredibly, in this age of technical marvels, some people still can’t fathom that calling 911 is for emergencies only. But wait! What constitutes an emergency?
In one case, and we kid you not, E-comm said someone called 911 asking for directions on how to get home after attending a Drake concert.
Yet another person called 911 because their Airbnb reservation had been cancelled, while a third said their Uber Eats order was taking too long. And a fourth called 911 after losing their nose ring while showering.
“No matter how absurd a call might be on the surface, we have to treat every 911 call as an emergency until we can confidently determine otherwise,” said Alaina Milicevic, a police call taker at E-Comm.
“Every second we spend fielding questions about Airbnb reservations or complaints about Uber Eats orders is time that could otherwise be dedicated to helping someone in a life-threatening emergency situation. We can’t help you with consumer complaints on 911. Reaching out to an appropriate customer service agent, or filing a report with the Better Business Bureau might help resolve your issue.”
Below are the E-Comm’s top-10 nuisance calls of 2023 in B.C.
- To ask for directions home from the Drake concert
- The traffic light was taking too long to turn green
- They lost a nose ring down the shower drain
- Their Airbnb host cancelled their reservation
- Their Uber Eats order was taking too long
- A burger joint wouldn’t let them in before opening
- They couldn’t find their cell phone
- To complain about a pothole
- Their McDonald’s order was taking too long
- The barber gave them a bad haircut
E-Comm says it’s B.C.’s largest emergency communications centre, and that it handles 99 per cent of 911 call volume within the province. It also provides dispatch services for more than 70 police agencies and fire departments across the province
It also noted that calls to 911 rose 13 per cent in 2023, and that this list is a clear reminder to call 911 only if it’s an emergency.
“911 for police, fire or medical emergencies when immediate action is required: someone’s health, safety or property is in jeopardy or a crime is in progress,” said E-Comm.
Below are some tips on when 911 should be called, or if you mistakenly call 911.
- Know your location at the time of the call
- Don’t program 911 into any phone
- Lock and store your cellphone to prevent accidental 9-1-1 calls
- Do not text or tweet 911
- If you call 911 accidentally, don’t hang up; stay on the line and let us know
- Call takers cannot transfer your non-emergency call from 911
- Visit NonEmergency.ca for a list of alternate resources for reporting non-emergency matters
“Nuisance calls are a preventable problem and E-Comm is encouraging British Columbians to do their part by keeping 911 lines free for emergencies where immediate response is required from police, fire or ambulance.”