PSC launches 9-1-1 Needs You campaign

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PSC launches 9-1-1 Needs You campaign

9-1-1 in the News, Community | Caitlin | November 18, 2011 at 9:22 am

CALGARY, AB CANADA — In April 2011, Public Safety Communications launched its first public education program on accidental 911 calls.

The 9-1-1 Needs You campaign aimed to raise awareness about the more than 300 accidental 911 calls they receive every day.

Up to 30 per cent of the 911 calls they receive are accidental, where the caller didn’t mean to call and they don’t have an emergency. About 90 per cent of these accidental calls come from cellphones.

“This is a huge issue for us, as it not only ties up emergency lines, it also costs the City of Calgary about one million dollars a year,” says Commander Nina Vaughan.

“People may think it’s no big deal if they pocket dial 911, but when we’re getting one of those calls every three to four minutes, it becomes a big resource issue.”

9-1-1 needs you to help make sure that everyone who needs emergency help can get it. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

A cellphone in your purse, pocket or backpack can call 911 sometimes even if the keypad is locked. Some phones have a lock feature to prevent this.

Others, such as BlackBerries, have an “Emergency Call” function that can dial 911 even if the keypad is locked. These phones should be put into “standby” or carried in a holster to prevent accidental 911 calls.

Please talk to your cellphone service provider and find out how to safely carry your phone to prevent accidental 911 calls.

An inactive cellphone can dial 911, even if you don’t have a plan or “pay as you go” minutes. Removing the batteries from old cellphones will prevent accidental 911 calls.

A lot of 911 calls are as a result of children playing with the phone. Please don’t allow children to play with your phone.

If you accidentally dial 911 from your home or cellphone, stay on the line and tell the emergency communications officer what happened. If you hang up, we have to call you back and that could tie up a line for someone who really needs it. Hanging up is a real hang up for 911.

Read the story here.