Agency releases B.C.’s most absurd 9-1-1 calls of 2013

People call 9-1-1 for all sorts of stupid reasons, even here in B.C.

E-Comm, the agency that handles 9-1-1 emergency calls in the Lower Mainland, has released their annual list of the most absurd 9-1-1 calls of 2013.

E-Comm says that it was actually hard to narrow down their list of absurd 9-1-1 calls to just these ten:

1.     “I’d like to speak to someone about renting a fire truck to block off a street for a party.”

2.     A caller phoned 9-1-1 to get their date’s contact information so they could confirm details of their plans.

3.     A caller phoned 9-1-1 to report a missed newspaper delivery.

4.     Caller asks 9-1-1 if they can get the ‘OK’ to drive in the HOV lane because “traffic is backed up and they are late for an important meeting.”

5.     Caller dials 9-1-1 to activate voicemail on his cellphone.

6.     “I threw my phone into the garbage can and can’t get it out.”

7.     Caller dials 9-1-1 to ask for a morning wake-up call.

8.     Caller dials 9-1-1 to ask how to call the operator.

9.     “Can an officer come over to tell my kids to go to bed?”

10. “My son won’t give me the remote control.”

E-Comm says they get about one million 9-1-1 calls a year.

They want to remind people that 9-1-1 is not a public information line — it’s for actual emergencies.

Operators cannot answer questions about power outages, daylight savings time or local and international news.