MEDICINE HAT, AB — Dispatch operators deal with accidental 911 calls and hang ups on a daily basis.
One young girl made the mistake, but its helped her learn a very valuable lesson.
She’s promising to only call for help in an emergency.
“Anytime there’s a 911 call, police are coming regardless, whether you stay on the line or hang up,” said Sgt. Mike Fischer.
Whether it’s an emergency, or an accident, police officers will respond every time someone dials through to dispatch, even if making the call was a mistake.
“We deal with between five and 10 every single day so it’s a lot of resource that goes out in our centre,” said Marni Elliott, operations assistant with 911 Communications.
Operators take down key details about what’s going on in any given situation, identifying who needs help.
Elliott said it’s not easy when the person on the other end disconnects, even if making the call was an accident.
Earlier this month a student dialed 911 from inside a classroom. Not meaning to, she hung up and officers rushed to the school.
To protect her privacy, the police service and the school board have chosen not to release her name or the name of the school.
“There’s all kinds of 411, 811,” Fischer said. “And a lot of places, you have to dial nine to get out and sometimes it just happens.”
After realizing her mistake, the student wrote an apology to the police service.
‘Dear Police staition (sic)’ the letter starts.
‘Yesterday was not a great day. me and my friend were in another class room and i was on the phone and i called 911 it was not on purpose.’
“It was just, it was true feelings and it was so well written that we wanted to share it with everybody,” said Fischer. “And again, accidents happen. But this young person was accountable and truthful.”
She went on to write, ‘I did not make a very good choice making that phone call and after I called, I knew I had to tell someone.’
‘… i could have put a person in danger when they need the call most. I really hope that you accept my apolligy (sic) (sorry if i spelt (sic) it wrong).’
“It was just such a heart warming experience to get this letter from this little person,” Elliott said. “It shows she was so brave, just to stand up and say ‘you know what, I made this mistake. I didn’t mean to do it and I’m really sorry’.”
The service said the most important thing anyone can do if 911 is dialed by accident, is stay on the line.
Fischer also suggests parents talk to their children, so they understand those three numbers are only meant for emergencies.
“Teach your kids how to use it, it’s not a toy,” he said. “Don’t test 911, it will work. 911 will work and if you do make the call, police are coming and we want to ensure that everyone in that area is going to be safe.”
To read the full letter, click here.
