Published Jul 17, 2023 • Last updated 13 hours ago • 1 minute read
The Ottawa police lost valuable time dealing with a steep increase in the number of “hang-up, pocket and misdialled calls” to 911 early in 2023.
Advertisement 2
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism.
SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism.
REGISTER TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors.
Through the first quarter of the year, there were 50,000 such calls, a jump of 21,000 over the same period in 2022.
Article content
Every “dropped” call requires a followup by the communications centre to find out if there was an emergency or not, the Ottawa Police Service said in a news release.
“Every 911 call has to be accounted for and unintentional calls, hang-ups and misdials can take valuable time away from actual emergency calls and life-threatening situations,” said Insp. Russell Lucas, with the Information Directorate of the Ottawa Police Service, in the release. “If you dial 911 by mistake, please stay on the line and answer the operator’s questions who needs to confirm that there is no need for emergency services and that you are safe.”
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
Police made the following suggestions that can help individuals avoid dialling 911 by mistake: Turn off the 911 auto-dial feature; check the user manual or the manufacturer’s website, or call the service provider to determine whether your device has this feature and how to turn it off; and refrain from programming a wireless device to automatically or “speed dial” 911.
Part of the increase in dropped calls can be attributed to people activating the SOS function on their android phones, police said. They added that public safety agencies are working with the CRTC and manufacturers to reduce the number of misdialled 911 calls.
Weekend 401 crashes: Driver who died near Mallorytown struck two transport trucks
Fair warning: A portion of the west-end Queensway will be closed July 28-31
Article content
>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : OttawaCitizen – https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/sharp-increase-in-misdialled-911-calls-early-in-2023-ottawa-police-say