Accidental 9-1-1 Calls

It is against the law to call 9-1-1 as a joke. Prank 9-1-1 calls can be dangerous and waste valuable emergency resources.

Accidental calls or abuse of 9-1-1 ties up emergency lines, communicators and officers which could result in the slower response to a real emergency, risking the safety of people who may need urgent help.

If you are aware that you have dialled 9-1-1 accidentally:

• Stay on the line, hanging up is the wrong thing to do. Tell the communicator you dialled in error.
• Your call will be put through to police - answer all questions asked by the communicator.  This eliminates them having to call you back.
• Officers will still be dispatched to ensure you are safe.

If you did not realize that you dialled 9-1-1 (i.e. “pocket dial”):

• Your call will be automatically transferred to police when there is no response (because the phone is in your pocket or purse).
• Every police agency handles these calls differently. OPP communicators will try to call you back.  If you answer, the same information as above applies. 
• If you do not answer after repeated attempts, your location, based on your GPS coordinates, if available, will be provided to an officer.    

Visit YouTube to view a video regarding "9-1-1 Pocket Dials".