| Accidental 911 Calls
Accidental or false 911 calls have been on the rise recently. These calls have been due to a couple of different reasons. Cellular companies have upgraded their networks and calls are connecting faster than ever. The other reason is the smartphone itself. Recently both Android and iPhones have new features that made making a 911 call from your smartphone, whether on purpose or by accident, much easier. Crash Detection and Emergency SOS features in smartphones Both Android and iPhones have crash detection and emergency SOS features that can potentially trigger a false 911 call. When these features are used an alarm may sound and countdown timer will appear on the phone to give the user the ability to cancel a 911 call. JECC does not endorse disabling these features. We are only educating the public on what the features are and how they are activated. What should I do if I accidentally call 911? If you accidentally call 911 please stay online with the dispatcher and let them know that the call was an accident. If you hang-up before speaking with dispatch, dispatch will attempt to call you back. Talking to dispatch will help to prevent resources sent to your location, resources that could have potentially been used for an actual emergency. Below is a link to a story that KCRG did with the Marion Police Department regarding accidental 911 calls. |