The city is warning residents across the municipality to be weary of their phones making automatic calls to 911. The city says its 911 operators are seeing an increase in hang up calls to the their emergency response number, suspected to be linked to an Android update that turns on Emergency SOS.
Members of the public may easily dial 911 without knowing and are encouraged to check their phone settings to avoid accidental 911 calls.
Accidental 911 calls happen, if you find yourself accidentally dialling 911, do not hang up,” says Deputy Chief of Communications with the Grande Prairie Fire Department Mark VanWerkhoven.
“911 operators have a responsibility to verify caller safety and well-being. If you accidentally call 911, please stay on the line, stay calm, and explain to the operator what happened.”
City officials add that if you hang-up, a 911 operator must call you back to verify your well-being and safety. Failing to do so may force them to dispatch an emergency crew to your location, taking up further resources.
