98% of 911 Calls Are Not Emergencies

(SOUTH BRUCE COUNTY, ON) – Between January 1st, 2013 and December 31st, 2013, the South Bruce OPP responded to 579 911 calls. Of these 579 calls, 10 (2%) were actual emergencies. The other 569 (98%) of the 911 calls the South Bruce Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received in 2013 were accidental calls, kids playing with the phone, phone line trouble or cell phone “pocket dial” calls.

Cell phone “pocket dial”/accidental accounted for 323 (56%) of the 911 calls of the 911 calls that the South Bruce OPP responded to in 2013.

128 (22%) of the 911 calls were accidental. Accidental calls include: misdials, where the caller was attempting to call 411, an overseas number, or from someone programming emergency numbers into a phone auto dialer.

79 (14%) of the 911 calls received in 2013 were classified as kids playing with the phone. These calls were a combination of small children playing with phones and prank calls, made by youth, from public pay phones.

39 (7%) of the 911 calls received were caused by a phone line problem which was dealt with by the phone company repair crews.

“When 911 is called, emergency personnel will respond. In some areas, a 911 call will activate police, fire and ambulance to respond, which creates a significant cost to the rate payers, but the potential harm is far greater. Emergency responders are strategically located to provide the best possible service delivery. If they are delayed responding to a real event by a non-emergent 911 call, the consequences could be very serious for the person or people that need immediate assistance. ‘Lock it in your pocket’ means lock your cell phone keypad and save 911 for true emergencies” – Inspector Scott Smith, Detachment Commander, South Bruce OPP

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