|| To those who are stupid about calling 911... ||
"Officer, give me the number for 9-1-1."
It’s a bad joke, but Ontario Provincial Police officers aren’t laughing about people calling the emergencies-only line and saying things not far off from that.
They’re not necessarily practical jokers who are dialling - but they’re people who definitely aren’t in dire straits.
That’s why the O.P.P. has begun a campaign to remind people what the 9-1-1 service is actually for.
They say an emergency constitutes a situation when people are - or property is - at risk. For example: a crime in progress, a car accident, or a medical emergency.
Those situations aren’t to be confused with the following: requests for directions, road conditions, or phone numbers.
But that’s what some operators are being asked when they answer the line.
Here are a few examples of calls that were actually made to 911, but never should have been:
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: "...My hydro is out. Can you help me?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: "...What is the area code for 911?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: "...I just programmed 911 into my phone and I just want to see if it actually works."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: "...I lost the number to the cell phone company. Would you happen to have that number?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: "...I live in Kitchener. I want to go to Toronto. Can you tell me how to get to Palmerston Ave.?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: “What are the ice conditions? We want to go ice fishing today.”
O.P.P: “Where are you?”
Caller: “Out on the lake.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: “I am planning a trip to Northern Ontario next month. What are the road conditions going to be like?”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: “Hello. This is not really an emergency but (the dog next door is barking so much and I don’t know if anyone is home and it’s so loud)!”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: When is the rain going to stop? We rented a park to have a family baseball tournament.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: “It is really foggy today, is it safe to drive to work today? If I don’t go to work, will the O.P.P. pay my wages?”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The O.P.P. estimates 90 per cent of calls that come in to their 9-1-1 line are not emergencies, which could be preventing people with genuine reason to call from getting through.
"They can't get through to a trained call taker who needs to be able to quickly assess what the circumstances are and what kind of help is needed, and that is the whole point of 9-1-1," said police spokesperson Judy Broomfield.
There's a service for non-English-speaking 9-1-1 callers.
Also, they say that if you call 9-1-1 in error, don’t hang up. Mistakes happen, and they’d prefer you simply tell the operator what happened at the time. That way they can confirm that the call is not, in fact, an emergency.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
911 Basics
The 911 system dates back several decades. In fact the first ever call was a symbolic one, placed as a test in the obscure town of Haleyville, Alabama in 1968.
The idea has since spread across North America and is now standard throughout the continent.
The concept has also spread around the world, although the number is sometimes different. In the U.K., for example, emergency callers are told to dial 999 in a crisis.
But whatever the digits, the question remains - why should you call it and when is your local police station a better option?
According to Toronto Police, the answer is simple: 911 should only be used for any situation when people or property is at an immediate risk - like during fires, serious car accidents, medical emergencies such as a heart attack or if crimes are in progress.
If your situation doesn’t match those conditions, call (416) 808-2222 instead. That’s the main police switchboard and they’ll put you through to the right person.
Things to know when deciding whether or not to dial 911:
What is it?
911 is an emergency number that’s easy to remember. The call is answered by an experienced operator who knows what questions to ask before deciding whether police and/or firefighters and/or emergency medical services (EMS) personnel need to be sent.
The dangers of calling 911 when it’s not an emergency:
They waste time, and can prevent people with genuine emergencies from getting through and receiving the assistance they need.
Examples of non-emergencies include:
information about school closures or road conditions
To get directions, phone numbers, etc.;
Directory assistance;
Information about how to pay parking tickets;
When you're bored and just want to talk;
If there’s a car blocking your driveway;
If there’s a noisy party or a dog barking next door;
When you need general information from the police.
Calling 911 from a cell phone:
When the call is placed from a cell phone, the 9-1-1 operator won’t receive the phone number and address from where the call originated.
Callers from cell phones need to know their number - have it written down somewhere prominent in case you’re flustered and forget at the critical moment.
Also have a good description of your surroundings, including what road you’re on and/or what direction you’re headed in.
Don’t put 911 on your speed dial
Yes, it seems to make sense and yes a lot of people do it. But authorities warn they get more wrong numbers on 911 from pre-programmed phones than from almost any other source, tying up the lines for real emergencies.
911 isn’t tough to remember or dial when you’re desperate. Speed dialing isn’t necessary.
If you do call 911 by mistake, don’t hang up. Officials are required to consider a hang-up a potential emergency and will call you back immediately to confirm there’s no trouble. Simply tell the dispatcher you made an error and get off the line as quickly as you can.
For those who don’t speak English as their first language:
The O.P.P. subscribes to the Language Line, which can access interpreters in more than 140 languages. The Language Line is available 24 hours, so no matter what time of day or night, an interpreter is only minutes away.
Other tips:
Try to stay calm and speak slowly and clearly. Take a deep breath if need be.
Listen to, and answer, every question the operator asks. The questions are asked for a reason, and help the operator to dispatch the appropriate emergency service.
Don’t hang up until the 911 operator tells you to do so.
It’s a bad joke, but Ontario Provincial Police officers aren’t laughing about people calling the emergencies-only line and saying things not far off from that.
They’re not necessarily practical jokers who are dialling - but they’re people who definitely aren’t in dire straits.
That’s why the O.P.P. has begun a campaign to remind people what the 9-1-1 service is actually for.
They say an emergency constitutes a situation when people are - or property is - at risk. For example: a crime in progress, a car accident, or a medical emergency.
Those situations aren’t to be confused with the following: requests for directions, road conditions, or phone numbers.
But that’s what some operators are being asked when they answer the line.
Here are a few examples of calls that were actually made to 911, but never should have been:
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: "...My hydro is out. Can you help me?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: "...What is the area code for 911?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: "...I just programmed 911 into my phone and I just want to see if it actually works."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: "...I lost the number to the cell phone company. Would you happen to have that number?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: "...I live in Kitchener. I want to go to Toronto. Can you tell me how to get to Palmerston Ave.?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: “What are the ice conditions? We want to go ice fishing today.”
O.P.P: “Where are you?”
Caller: “Out on the lake.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: “I am planning a trip to Northern Ontario next month. What are the road conditions going to be like?”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: “Hello. This is not really an emergency but (the dog next door is barking so much and I don’t know if anyone is home and it’s so loud)!”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: When is the rain going to stop? We rented a park to have a family baseball tournament.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Caller: “It is really foggy today, is it safe to drive to work today? If I don’t go to work, will the O.P.P. pay my wages?”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The O.P.P. estimates 90 per cent of calls that come in to their 9-1-1 line are not emergencies, which could be preventing people with genuine reason to call from getting through.
"They can't get through to a trained call taker who needs to be able to quickly assess what the circumstances are and what kind of help is needed, and that is the whole point of 9-1-1," said police spokesperson Judy Broomfield.
There's a service for non-English-speaking 9-1-1 callers.
Also, they say that if you call 9-1-1 in error, don’t hang up. Mistakes happen, and they’d prefer you simply tell the operator what happened at the time. That way they can confirm that the call is not, in fact, an emergency.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
911 Basics
The 911 system dates back several decades. In fact the first ever call was a symbolic one, placed as a test in the obscure town of Haleyville, Alabama in 1968.
The idea has since spread across North America and is now standard throughout the continent.
The concept has also spread around the world, although the number is sometimes different. In the U.K., for example, emergency callers are told to dial 999 in a crisis.
But whatever the digits, the question remains - why should you call it and when is your local police station a better option?
According to Toronto Police, the answer is simple: 911 should only be used for any situation when people or property is at an immediate risk - like during fires, serious car accidents, medical emergencies such as a heart attack or if crimes are in progress.
If your situation doesn’t match those conditions, call (416) 808-2222 instead. That’s the main police switchboard and they’ll put you through to the right person.
Things to know when deciding whether or not to dial 911:
What is it?
911 is an emergency number that’s easy to remember. The call is answered by an experienced operator who knows what questions to ask before deciding whether police and/or firefighters and/or emergency medical services (EMS) personnel need to be sent.
The dangers of calling 911 when it’s not an emergency:
They waste time, and can prevent people with genuine emergencies from getting through and receiving the assistance they need.
Examples of non-emergencies include:
information about school closures or road conditions
To get directions, phone numbers, etc.;
Directory assistance;
Information about how to pay parking tickets;
When you're bored and just want to talk;
If there’s a car blocking your driveway;
If there’s a noisy party or a dog barking next door;
When you need general information from the police.
Calling 911 from a cell phone:
When the call is placed from a cell phone, the 9-1-1 operator won’t receive the phone number and address from where the call originated.
Callers from cell phones need to know their number - have it written down somewhere prominent in case you’re flustered and forget at the critical moment.
Also have a good description of your surroundings, including what road you’re on and/or what direction you’re headed in.
Don’t put 911 on your speed dial
Yes, it seems to make sense and yes a lot of people do it. But authorities warn they get more wrong numbers on 911 from pre-programmed phones than from almost any other source, tying up the lines for real emergencies.
911 isn’t tough to remember or dial when you’re desperate. Speed dialing isn’t necessary.
If you do call 911 by mistake, don’t hang up. Officials are required to consider a hang-up a potential emergency and will call you back immediately to confirm there’s no trouble. Simply tell the dispatcher you made an error and get off the line as quickly as you can.
For those who don’t speak English as their first language:
The O.P.P. subscribes to the Language Line, which can access interpreters in more than 140 languages. The Language Line is available 24 hours, so no matter what time of day or night, an interpreter is only minutes away.
Other tips:
Try to stay calm and speak slowly and clearly. Take a deep breath if need be.
Listen to, and answer, every question the operator asks. The questions are asked for a reason, and help the operator to dispatch the appropriate emergency service.
Don’t hang up until the 911 operator tells you to do so.