Accidental 911 calls using up emergency services' resources.
Toronto police communications operator Allison Manafo works at her station Monday at the police communication centre. The Toronto Police Service has launched a campaign to stop accidental 911 calls.
Staff photo/ANDREW PALAMARCHUK
Being able to call 911 with ease is a benefit of having a cellphone. But sometimes it's too easy to make that call.
On Monday, Jan. 9, police launched a year-long public awareness campaign to reduce the number of irritating 911 pocket dials and misdials.
"When people call 911 for a real emergency, they expect an immediate response," acting Deputy Police Chief Jeff McGuire said.
"Response times are being endangered by pocket dialing and misdialing...This is a serious problem."
Toronto police received 1.2 million 911 calls last year. More than 107,000 of them were pocket dials, meaning the call was made unintentionally while the cellphone was in someone's pocket, purse or knapsack. There were also 116,770 misdialed calls to 911.
Police saw a seven per cent increase in call volume in 2011 over the previous year.
McGuire said every 911 call has to be taken seriously until it can be proven to be unintentional.
"This can take several minutes, sometimes longer, and every time that happens, someone with a real genuine emergency is being delayed."
To prevent accidental calls, police want people to lock their cellphone keypads.
"If you find that you have misdialed 911, it's absolutely imperative that you stay on the line and speak to the operator," McGuire said.
That way the call can be cleared faster.
Many unintentional callers hang up out of panic, fear or embarrassment when they hear the 911 operator. "And that just makes the problem greater because the operator now has to engage in a number of steps to follow up," McGuire said.
Police created a public service announcement with a simple message: lock it before you pocket.
More public service announcements are planned throughout the year.
Allison Manafo, a 911 call taker, said the unintentional calls are frustrating. "There has definitely been a rise. You can't go a day without having at least one."