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OPP Launch "Know When To Call" Campaign

Tuesday, 19 September 2017 at 04:58

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The Ontario Provincial Police are taking aim at pocket dials and unintentional calls to 9-1-1.

OXFORD COUNTY - Ontario Provincial Police are taking aim at trying to reduce the amount of unintentional calls and pocket dials made to 9-1-1.

The OPP launched a new campaign called #KnowWhenToCall to educate the public about pocket dialling and unintentional 9-1-1 calls.

Pocket dialling occurs when a mobile device's keypad is accidentally activated if the device is placed in a pocket, purse, or bag.

In 2016, the OPP received over 299,100 calls to 9-1-1, and say of those 2000 were from accidental pocket dials.

OPP Staff Sgt. and Provincial Media Relations Coordinator, Carol Dionne tells Heart FM that too many accidental calls are still coming through.

"Calls continue to come in. There has been a slight decrease but we still remain over 30,000 plus calls that are unintentional or pocket dials, and that's a huge concern for us."

Sgt. Dionne says that every time someone calls 9-1-1 by mistake, it can take away precious time from a real emergency.

"It ties up our emergency line, our communicators, and officers and it can result in a slower response time to a real emergency, risking the safety of people who may need urgent help."

The three week campaign, which started September 14 on the OPP's social media platforms, will also remind people to keep phones and tablets away from small children.

Posters and videos will help people learn other ways they can reduce pocket dialling on their mobile devices.

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