The St. Thomas Police are encouraging residents to take measures to prevent accidental 911 calls after three separate dropped calls occurred in the last 24 hours. The first call came in around 10:30 a.m. on Monday which was found to have been an accidental pocket dial. The second call came in around 4:30 p.m. Monday afternoon which turned out to have been a pocket dial from the OPP’s jurisdiction. The call was transferred to the OPP’s dispatch.
The third call came in around 4:30 a.m Tuesday morning. Police determined that the accidental call was caused after the phone’s alarm clock went off and the caller then hit the emergency button instead of the sleep or off button.
The police are reminding the public to take precautions to prevent an accidental 911 call as they are required to reconnect with the number that the call is made from. If they are unable to contact them then they must contact the service provider to track the device.
Officers are also still required to go to the location that the call came from to ensure there is no emergency. Some tips to prevent an accidental call include locking your keypad before putting it in your pocket or purse, turning off the 911 auto dial feature and not letting your children play with your phone. They ask that if you do make an accidental call, stay on the line as there is no fine for accidentally dialing 911.
Speaking with the dispatcher will help to ensure that the emergency resources are freed up sooner.
