Guelph police are reminding the public to stay on the line to provide information in the event of an accidental dial into 911.
During the 24-hour period from 7 a.m. Monday to 7 a.m. Tuesday, the service received 47 accidental 911 calls, or an average of approximately one every half-hour. Such calls tie up police communicators, who must attempt to call the number back and contact cellphone companies for subscriber information. 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.
Cellphone owners should familiarize themselves with all of their phone’s features to avoid accidental dials. For example, some cellphones allow emergency calls to be placed by repeatedly pushing a volume button, which can lead to accidental calls if the phone is in a pocket or car cup holder and gets jostled.
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. You will not get in trouble and providing this information prevents the requirement of additional police resources.
