Local OPP Continue to Respond to Many of These Every Day
Members from the Northumberland Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to almost 100 unintentional 9-1-1 calls or hang up calls from June 17 – 30, 2019.
Many of these calls, that are commonly referred to as “pocket dials” , happen when a mobile device is carried in a purse, backpack or in a pocket. With the current generation of smartphones with large exposed screens, an unintentional phone call can happen very easily with accidental contact with the screen or buttons.
As well there are many smart watches that can be synced to a smartphone and they too can make unintentional calls, which is another scenario which has made its appearance as a cause of ‘pocket dials’.
For every unintentional call or pocket dial received, an emergency communicator must determine whether a real emergency exists and if police, fire or paramedics should be dispatched. With every unintentional call received, precious seconds may be taken away from someone who really needs help.
If you place an unintentional 9-1-1 call and an operator calls you back please, stay on the line to let the emergency operator know your current location to allow for police to attend and check on your well being. Every 9-1-1 call is taken seriously. When a 9-1-1 caller doesn’t respond, that could be a sign of someone in distress – a possibility an emergency responder can’t ignore. This then results in officers being dispatched to try to locate the caller to ensure that there is no emergency, taking up even more time dedicated to the call.
You can prevent pocket dials or unintentional 9-1-1 calls by:
· Locking your keypad if your phone has this feature and/or buying a phone case with a full screen cover to prevent contact with the touch screen.
· Avoid from programming a wireless device/land line phone to ‘speed dial’ 9-1-1.
· If you have a smart watch that is synced to your phone ensure that the auto call feature is turned off.
For more information and helpful tips visit http://www.opp.ca and query ‘911’.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
