911- Accidental 911 Calls

Earlier this month, the Washington State Emergency Management Division issued a press release urging all of us to prevent accidental 911 calls.  

Apparently, 32 percent of all 911 calls are accidental. Accidental calls can delay response to medical or other serious emergencies. Many of the accidental calls come from cell phones. The press release recommends the following ways to prevent an accidental call:

·         Use your cellphone’s key lock

·         Protect your cellphone by locking and storing it carefully

·         Don’t allow children to play with your phones

·         Programming 911 into phones cases accidental 911 calls. Teach your children how to dial 911.

Also, if you do accidentally call 911, stay on the line. If you hang up, a call-taker will call you back to find out what is wrong. And if necessary, they will send a patrol deputy/officer to find out what is going on. Staying on the line and simply explaining that you called by accident will help the call taker move on to the next call.

Washington Military Department, Emergency Management Division:

http://mil.wa.gov/emergency-management-division/e911/911psa