Typically when someone calls 911 it's an emergency, but some people dial those three numbers by mistake and then hang up. In the days when smart phones are getting smarter, additional features are being added to phones that enable people to call for help from their smart phone with just the touch of the button – and sometimes without even being aware 911 was called! Although this feature is great for emergency circumstances, our emergency dispatchers and law enforcement are noticing a large increase in the number of accidental 911 dials. This puts a tremendous strain on emergency resources while law enforcement investigate if there is a true emergency.
Here are some tips to prevent unintentional 911 dialing:
- Remember to put your phone in sleep mode or lock screen before putting it in your pocket. Just because you hung up the phone doesn’t mean that the screen is inactive, devices tend to stay on for at least a minute making it very easy to dial out unintentionally
- Remove batteries from old cell phones before giving them to children to play with. Carriers are required to provide 911 services on phones, even if they have no official phone service.
- Do not keep your current phone anywhere where a small child can reach it. Try placing it further out of reach near charging stations or placing something in front of it to hide it from sight.
- If you believe that your child mature enough to play with your active phone, watch them carefully or ensure they are old enough to understand how to play without accidentally dialing 911.
- If you or your child accidentally dial 911- DO NOT HANG UP -let the dispatcher know you are safe and that it was a accidental dialing
- Know the phones you own. Educate everyone in your home about cell phones and the home phone system. Know how to use them responsibly – during an emergency you don’t want to discover you’ve been outsmarted by your smart phone
- Most importantly remember-DON’T PLAY AROUND…LOCK IT DOWN
