Accidental 9-1-1 Calls
We receive hundreds of unintended 9-1-1 calls every day, from pocket dials to hang-ups. Please follow these simple tips to help prevent them:
- Protect your cellphone by locking and storing it carefully.
- Keep it in a safe position when not in use and use a case or holster to protect it.
- Use your cellphone’s key lock to help prevent accidental calls.
- Don’t program 9-1-1 into any telephone — speed dials cause accidental 9-1-1 calls.
- If you’ve recently called 9-1-1, please delete the call from your cellphone’s call history to help prevent an accidental call in the future.
- Please do not test 9-1-1 to see if it’s working.
If you dial 9-1-1 accidentally, stay on the line and tell us. If you hang up we don’t know if you are okay and will have to call back or, if you’ve called from a landline and we can determine your location, send police to check on you.
- Stay on the line. Don’t ever hang up.
- Be prepared to answer questions. If our call takers have any concern for your safety or feel there are suspicious circumstances, they will send police to check on you.
9-1-1 Tips
9-1-1 is for police, fire or medical emergencies when immediate action is required: someone’s health, safety or property is in jeopardy or a crime is in progress. Please use 9-1-1 responsibly – our call takers can’t provide information on the weather, power outages or municipal services. Don’t call 9-1-1 and ask for the “non-emergency” phone number. You can find those numbers at nonemergency.ca, the front cover of your phone book or you can dial directory assistance (4-1-1) to request a number.
Our 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers are highly trained, dedicated professionals who will get you the help you need. When an E-Comm 9-1-1 call taker answers, they will ask you if you need “police” “fire” or “ambulance.” The call taker will also confirm which municipality you are calling from. Once you indicate which service you need, your call will be immediately transferred.
- Listen carefully, speak clearly and try to remain calm.
- Stay on the line and follow instructions. Your 9-1-1 call taker will stay on the line with you to make sure your call is answered by the agency you need. Don’t hang up until the call taker says it’s okay to.
- Know your location at all times and communicate it when you are asked.
- Location is particularly important if you are calling from a cellphone or an internet/VoIP phone (see below). Cellphones provide only general location information; Internet phones provide no location information.
- You should know what city you are in, building or home addresses, cross streets, and any other information that will help emergency personnel find you.
- Learn your compass directions (north, south, east, west).
- Important information from Search & Rescue: Never wait to call 9-1-1 if you are lost outdoors. Even though you may not feel an urgent threat to your health or safety, it is best to make the call immediately rather than trying to find your way back. Once you’ve made this call, follow the instructions of the 9-1-1 call-taker and/or search and rescue official. This may include being instructed to conserve your cellphone’s battery power by not making any other calls and establishing set times for further communication with emergency responders.
Our call takers are experienced “question askers” and their persistence is based on a need to provide accurate and specific information to the attending emergency responders.
Please understand that while call takers are asking you questions, they are relaying vital information electronically to the dispatchers and emergency personnel on their way to help you.
9-1-1 is not a Toy
Teach children to use 9-1-1 properly and remind them it is not a toy. Always keep cordless phones fully charged and in the same place in the home. Keep your address information near the phone and show your children and caregivers where it is. Never give old cellphones to children to use as toys—many de-commissioned phones can still dial 9-1-1.
Non-emergency Calls to 9-1-1
Don’t let non-emergencies compete with real ones. In other words, it’s important to know when to call
9-1-1 or when to call the non-emergency line. E-Comm estimates that about 20 per cent of calls on police emergency lines don’t belong there.
If you need police assistance that is not of an emergency nature (for example: more than 15 minutes have passed since the incident occurred, there are no injuries, the suspects are nowhere to be seen and their location is unknown), please use your local ten-digit non-emergency numbers.
Remember, 9-1-1 is for police, fire, or medical emergencies when immediate action is required: someone’s health, safety or property is in jeopardy or a crime is in progress.
If you are unsure if your situation is an emergency, dial 9-1-1. Emergency call takers will help determine if immediate action is required or if you should hang-up and dial the non-emergency line.
Know your Location
In order to receive the emergency services you need, knowing your location is critical. In fact, it will be the first question police, fire or ambulance call takers will ask when you call 9-1-1.
Knowing your exact location is always important no matter which phone you use to call 9-1-1. But, if you are using a cellphone or internet phone, it’s paramount. In Canada, the only phones that provide exact address/location information to 9-1-1 centres are landlines (the wired phones found in homes and businesses). Cellphones provide only general location information and Internet phones provide no location information.
- Know your location at all times and communicate it when you are asked
- You should know what city you are in, building or home addresses, cross streets, and any other information that will help emergency personnel find you
- Learn your compass directions (north, south, east, west)
Important information from Search & Rescue: Never wait to call 9-1-1 if you are lost outdoors. Even though you may not feel an urgent threat to your health or safety, it is best to make the call immediately rather than trying to find your way back. Once you’ve made this call, follow the instructions of the 9-1-1 call taker and/or search and rescue official. This may include being instructed to conserve your cellphone’s battery power by not making any other calls and establishing set times for further communication with emergency responders.
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