Call taker Chelsea Brent is pictured in this undated photo submitted by E-Comm.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED / E-Comm
December 30, 2024 - 4:30 PM
If someone is wearing so much cologne you think they should go to jail, don’t call 911.
Most people understand that, but B.C.'s emergency call operator received numerous calls like that this year that should have been rants on social media instead.
The provincial 911 dispatcher, E-Comm, put out a press release with its annual top ten emergency calls that should not have been made.
Another call was made because someone’s dry cleaner stained their shirt.
McDonald’s wouldn’t open their doors so someone called 911 for help. Someone needed directions to a 24/7 Shoppers Drug Mart and thought emergency services would help them find their way.
People called 911 to complain their power was out, to request technical support, and complain that they bought a box of 38 rotten avocados.
“We understand that some of these situations might feel urgent to the individual in the moment, but 911 is not the appropriate number to call if your power goes out or you require tech support,” an E-Comm police call taker said in the release. “We must treat every call as an emergency until we know otherwise and each second we spend responding to a call that does not belong on 911 is time we could be getting help to someone in a life-threatening emergency.”
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In other calls, someone called first responders because there was a domesticated-looking bunny in the park.
One person had left their phone in an Uber so they must have borrowed someone else’s to call E-Comm, and another British Columbian wanted help getting rid of a wasp nest.
“Most people do use 911 responsibly, and we absolutely want the public to call for help when they need it in an emergency,” another police call taker said in the release.
E-Comm wants to remind people 911 is for police, fire, or medical emergencies when immediate action is required; when someone’s health, safety, or property is in jeopardy or a crime is in progress.
The dispatcher recommends people know their location at all times, don’t program 911 into any phone, if you call accidentally stay on the line to let the call taker know, lock and store your phone carefully to avoid accidental calls, don’t text or tweet 911, and emergency call takers cannot transfer you to appropriate non-emergency lines.
“By directing your non-urgent calls to the appropriate resources such as your local police non-emergency line, you are helping to ensure our call takers are available for real emergency situations,” Kuzivakwashe said.
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