An incident that occurred over the weekend has prompted Ontario Provincial Police to issue a reminder to parents and caregivers to talk to children about making 911 calls.
The OPP's Norfolk detachment says that on Saturday officers responding to a 911 call rushed off to a residence in Simcoe, Ont.
But when they got there they found that a nine-year-old girl had dialed 911 because she was upset that a parent had asked her to clean up her room.
The message police want to get out to kids, and some adults too, is that 911 should only be used in emergency cases.
They say that on average, it takes at least two officers about 30 minutes to investigate a 911 call -- and responding to non-emergencies puts enormous pressure on police resources.
"You are now threatening the lives of other people that need 911 assistance. You’re taking a dispatcher away from taking a legitimate 911 call,” says OPP Constable Edward Sanchuk.
To prevent misdials, police say make sure know the number being dialed, lock cell phone pads and teach kids the proper use of 911.
If 911 is dialed by mistake do not hang up. Stay on the phone so the dispatcher can ensure your safety and they can be notified it was a mistake.
If there are a number of false calls from the same residence a mischief charge could be laid.
