What do overripe avocados, stinky cologne, and lost phones have in common?
Generally speaking, none of them justify a 911 call.
That’s the message from E-Comm – the company that handles the vast majority of 911 calls in BC – which once again urges the public not to occupy crucial emergency lines unless they are experiencing real emergencies.
On Monday, E-Comm shared its annual list of the 10 worst nuisance calls of the year, in which people dialed 911 because:
- Report a neighbor who uses too much cologne
- Because a dry cleaner stained their shirt
- To request directions to a Shoppers Drug Mart that is open 24 hours a day
- To report that a “McDonald’s was not opening” its doors
- Because they bought a box of 38 avocados and discovered that they were rotten
- To request technical support
- To complain that he had lost power
- Because they left their phone in an Uber
- To request help removing a wasp nest
- Because they saw a tame-looking bunny in a park.
“We understand that some of these situations may seem urgent to the individual at the moment, but 911 is not the appropriate number to call if the power goes out or you need technical support,” said Laura, an E-Comm call taker. . in a press release.
“We must treat every call as an emergency until we know otherwise, and every second we spend responding to a non-911 call is time we could be providing help to someone in a life-threatening emergency.”
Calling 911 is appropriate for situations that require “immediate assistance” from police, firefighters or paramedics, E-Comm said. Examples include situations where someone’s life is in danger, a crime is being committed, or there has been a serious car accident.
A list of alternate phone lines and online reporting tools for non-emergency situations is available on the E-Comm website.
People experiencing real emergencies should not text 911 or post 911 on social media, the company said.
Anyone who accidentally calls 911 should also stay on the line to let the person taking the call know what happened.
