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Accidental 9-1-1 Calls

Did you know that 32 percent of all 9-1-1 calls are accidental?
These calls clog the 9-1-1 phone lines and call-takers must spend time and resources trying to contact these accidental callers to be sure there isn’t an emergency.

What if you were in an accident?
The state of Washington’s 9-1-1 Public Education Group has developed a Public Service Announcement focusing on preventing accidental calls.

What can you do to be sure you are part of the solution?

  • Use your cellphone's key lock to help prevent accidental calls.
  • Protect your cellphone by locking and storing it carefully.
  • Don’t allow children to play with your phones.
  • Programming 9-1-1 into phones causes accidental 9-1-1 calls.  Instead, teach children how to dial 9-1-1.

What can you do if you accidentally call 9-1-1?
Stay on the line, tell call-takers that it was an accident, and be prepared to answer questions.   Call-takers are concerned for your safety and will call you back and may send police to check on you if you have called from a landline where they can determine your location.

See our blog post on the issue to learn more.

Download an MP3 of the Public Service Announcement here.

Credits

Recording:
Cathy Field-Mason County
Roxanne Castleman-Pierce County

Radio station:
KGHP - 89.9 FM Gig Harbor, Wash.

Editing:
Melody Darby-Garfield County
Vicki Thoroughman-Snohomish County

Review:
Kay McKellar-RiverCom
Deb Homan-Clallam County
Rest of Pub Education Subcommittee for input

Video:
SFC Jason Kriess