The Lanark County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) would like to remind residents to take extra precautions to avoid unnecessary 911 calls. So far this year the Lanark County Detachment has received over 1400 accidental 911 calls. The majority of these calls are coming from mobile phones. These calls put an unnecessary demand on police resources. Not only does it tie up the 911 operator, but the police respond to every 911 call to ensure that there is not a real emergency. These calls can cause delays for those who really require immediate police, fire and ambulance assistance.
To avoid unnecessary 911 calls, mobile phone users are reminded to:
- Put mobile phones in “lock” mode and/or the use of a proper phone holster will help prevent unnecessary 911 calls.
- Do not program 911 into speed dial. This can cause unintentional calls. It only takes a second to dial 911.
- Do not let children play with old cell phones. These phones can still make 911 calls even if there is no service provider.
The OPP would also like to remind residents if they do make an accidental 911 call to not hang up. Stay on the line and speak with the call taker to provide more details. This will save time for the police trying to locate the source of the call.
The use of 911 is for emergencies where immediate police, fire and ambulance services are required. Any other police matters that do not require immediate police service can be reported to the OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
