The 911 emergency service number is widely used and is saving lives because of it. Unfortunately, there are some people who do not seem to fully understand that it is more than a ‘help line’ and that it is to be used for serious emergencies only. Listed below are some the most common misuses of the 911 emergency number.
- Loneliness. There are people who will call 911 just because they know there is someone there to answer the call and they need, or want, someone to talk to. They may call and ask a question, or call and complain about nonemergency problems, but their real motivation is just to have another person to talk to for a few minutes.
- Noisy neighbor complaints. There are 911 callers who truly feel that being kept awake by noisy neighbors is an emergency issue. However, since sleep deprivation requires a very long time before it truly threatens your life, it is not considered appropriate for a 911 call.
- Prank calls. This is more than inappropriate, it is actually a crime to make a prank call to 911. Even calling and hanging up before anything is said, fits this category. Teenagers are the most common violators of this law.
- Business service complaints. Many people make the mistake of assuming that 911 is a complaint line, not an emergency line. Calls regarding false advertising, or improper charges from a business, often come through to 911.
- Reporting lost pets. Although losing a pet can be a very distressing situation, it is not considered an appropriate use of the 911 emergency services.
- Power outages. Unless the power outage is somehow threatening the life of someone, 911 is not the number to call during a power outage.
- Reporting harassing phone calls. Harassing phone calls can be a criminal complaint, but they are not generally an emergency situation. Filing a police report at your earliest convenience would be a more appropriate action.
- Theft reports. Unless the thief is expected to still be on the premises, reports of property theft should not be handled through 911. Taking the time to look up your local law enforcement phone number will keep the 911 lines free for true emergencies.
- Vandalism reports. As with the other types of criminal reports mentioned, vandalism of property should not be communicated to the authorities through the 911 emergency operator.
- Requesting phone numbers. Emergency operators often get calls asking for telephone numbers. Many times they are for the phone numbers of the various emergency services, but at other times they are for random places of business. There are phonebooks, online phone number searches and other telephone information services available to provide those phone numbers. 911 operators have more important duties to attend to.
The 911 emergency service network is an important and vital asset to our communities. It is important for citizens to understand how to use it appropriately in order for it to operate at its maximum efficiency.
