Pocket dials and children playing with cell phones is wasting precious time for the Huntsville OPP.
Since the beginning of June, the Huntsville detachment has received over 103 of these calls. Each call results in dispatchers and officers taking an average of 15 minutes to make sure the call was not an actual emergency. This includes dispatchers getting information from the cell phone companies, calls to other registered numbers associated with the number and dispatching officers to the GPS location provided.
In the Huntsville area that adds up to 1545 minutes wasted in just under two months.
The Huntsville OPP would like to remind residents they should stay on the line if they know they have accidentally dialed 9-1-1 or answer inbound calls and explain to the operator what has happened.
One of the bigger offenders for false calls is children playing with cell phones. Even deactivated phones can call 9-1-1. If you are letting kids play with the phone put it on Airplane mode, which disconnects it from cell and internet networks.