Guelph police receive nearly 50 accidental 911 calls in 24 hours

Guelph police say they want to remind the public to stay on the line after receiving nearly 50 accidental 911 calls in a 24-hour period.

In a news release, police said the service received 47 calls between Monday at 7 a.m. and Tuesday at 7 a.m. that all turned out to be accidental.

“Such calls tie up police communicators, who must attempt to call the number back and contact cellphone companies for subscriber information,” police said.

“Depending on a number of factors, police officers could also be dispatched to attempt to locate and check the wellbeing of the phone’s owner or user.”

The service said everyone should familiarize themselves with all of their phone’s safety features to avoid accidental calls.

Some phones allow emergency calls to be placed by repeatedly pushing the volume button, which can lead to accidental calls if the phone is in a pocket or a car cupholder, police said.

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“Most importantly, if you notice your phone has called 911 in error, please stay on the line to provide your information and explain what happened,” police said.

“You will not get in trouble and providing this information prevents the requirement of additional police resources.”