The province’s 911 service operator has released its annual list of the top 10 unusual calls received, reminding British Columbians not to tie up emergency lines for anything other than emergencies.
“When a store refuses to return your air fryer, an airline fines your oversized carry-on, or your dishwasher breaks, 911 is not the appropriate number to call,” said E-comm.
The service says the list aims to reinforce the importance of keeping the line available to those who need urgent help from police, fire, or ambulance, adding that its call takers are required to treat every call as an emergency until they can “confidently determine otherwise.”
That determination may have been made sooner than later for some on E-comm’s list. The top 10 misguided callers reported the following:
Their luggage exceeded the carry-on limits
Walmart wouldn’t return an air fryer
Their dishwasher was broken
Someone parked at Starbucks and went into a grocery store instead
A non-electric car parked at EV charging station
They wanted to complain about traffic
They got locked out of their Airbnb
They left their iPad at the SkyTrain station
They wanted help getting a hornet out of their apartment
They were unhappy with their haircutCommunications Manager Carly Paice says most British Columbians call 911 responsibly, and E-comm wants to encourage confidence when calling for help in an emergency.
“No matter the time of day, our call takers are here to connect people with critical emergency resources when they need them most,” said Paice.
The service has provided tips for the proper use of 911 on its website, including calling for immediate action to protect someone’s health or safety, and staying on the line to explain if you accidentally dial 911.
“Every second we spend fielding questions about traffic, hornets or bad haircuts is time that could otherwise be helping someone in a life-threatening emergency situation,” said call taker Bailey Mitchell.
source & photo: CityNews
