Police says sudden surge in dropped 911 calls due to accidental dialing
Supt. Mike Bhatti, the B.C. RCMP’s officer in charge of operational communications centres, said a large percentage of the sudden increase in abandoned or dropped emergency calls were due to the Emergency SOS feature on Android smartphones that allows users to quickly place a 911 call.Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion delivered straight to your inbox at 7 a.m., Monday to Friday.
“After a 911 call is made, a police dispatcher must determine the caller is safe and there is not a true emergency. If an accidental call is made from a smartphone, callers should stay on the phone and speak to a dispatcher. They can explain the call was an accident and answer any questions the dispatcher may have,” Bhatti said.Article contentBhatti encouraged Android phone users to turn off the Emergency SOS feature on their phones to prevent these accidental calls.
To do that, go to settings of your phone, click on the Safety and Emergency section and slide the toggle to turn the Emergency SOS feature off. Last month, the Ontario Provincial Police also asked Android phone users to disable the Emergency SOS feature for that same reasons.Our in-depth journalism is possible thanks to the support of our subscribers. For a limited time, you can get full online access to The Vancouver Sun and The Province, along with the National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites, for just $40 for one year or $1 a week for 52 weeks.
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