Strathcona County has been experiencing a sharp rise in non-emergency 9-1-1 calls through the first five months of 2023.
The county is reporting that 26 per cent of the calls made to the emergency number this year have been the result of accidental SOS phone activation, pocket dials, hang-ups and even some claiming the wrong number.
These types of calls can make things difficult for operators.
“Our Emergency Communications Operators will call every ‘hang up’ caller back to ensure the caller’s safety," said Lori Rautio, the chief of the Emergency Operations Centre. "It can take up to a minute or two to make contact with the caller and this takes time away from other emergencies that may be occurring."
"If the caller can’t be reached, emergency personnel may be sent.”
One of the reasons for this may be the introduction of a new emergency SOS feature on Android phones, something that the county is urging people to be aware of.
"Features such as press and hold and repeatedly pressing the power button can trigger an automatic call to 9-1-1. All 9-1-1 calls are treated as emergencies until the caller says it is not," said the county in a release.
As for other advice, Rautio says not hanging up, even on accidental calls, will go a long way.
"The most important thing is to stay on the line if you accidentally call. Don’t hang up. You won’t be in trouble, and it lets the Operator know you are safe.”
It is also a good idea to avoid giving old phones to children to play with as even a phone without a data plan can still call 9-1-1.
Strathcona County operators have answered 21,491 9-1-1 calls so far this year. They answered 43,899 in all of 2022.
The average 9-1-1 call volume this year is up to about 142 calls per day, which is an 18 per cent increase compared to last year.