Accidental misdials to emergency services have increased in Oregon by 40%, according to the state’s emergency management department.
The increase was recorded across Oregon’s 43 emergency call centers, the department said.
While hang-up calls to 911 may seem harmless, officials said they can put a strain on the system, possibly preventing first responders from addressing actual emergencies, especially as call volumes and waits increase in some networks such as Portland’s.
“Each one of these calls ties up a call taker, who must call the number back to ensure there’s no emergency,” Frank Kuchta, the Oregon 911 program manager, said in a statement. “If those callbacks are unanswered, an officer must locate the caller and check on their welfare.”
The Oregon Department of Emergency Management said that developing technology has made calling 911 easier, and that also results in more accidental calls. The agency said features such as crash detection and emergency alerts, including those on Apple devices, can trigger false 911 calls.
If you do misdial, the department has a few tips to help reduce the strain on 911 call takers and emergency services:
- Don’t hang up. Stay on the line, let the dispatcher know it was an accident, and answer the questions they may have.
- If you do hang up, the dispatcher will call you back. Answer the call and explain what happened.
- Deactivated cell phones will still call 911 if the phone turns on. Don’t let kids play with deactivated cell phones unless the battery is removed or dead.
- Teach kids about 911. It’s not a game when a child is calling 911 repeatedly and hanging up or making false statements to the dispatcher.
- Turn off the automatic dialing setting so your phone doesn’t accidentally dial 911.
- Place your phone on sleep mode when you put it in your pocket.
Information on emergency features for Android phones can be found on Google’s support page. People who use iPhones or Apple watches can visit the Apple support website.
“Please do your part to help reduce the number of accidental calls and hangups so we can keep units available for those who truly need assistance,” Kutcha said in a statement.
– Austin De Dios; adedios@oregonian.com; @austindedios; 503-319-9744
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