It’s a bad joke from the Simpsons, and you’d expect it from Homer. It’s a lot less likely to come from G.T.A. residents. But far worse have already been asked.
Ontario Provincial Police officers aren’t laughing about people calling the emergencies-only line asking absurd questions.
They’re not necessarily practical jokers – just misguided people who definitely aren’t in dire straits.
That’s why the O.P.P. has begun a campaign to remind people what the 9-1-1 service is actually for.
They say an emergency constitutes a situation when people are – or property is – at risk. For example: a crime in progress, a car accident, or a medical emergency.
Those situations aren’t to be confused with the following: requests for directions, road conditions, or phone numbers.
But that’s what some operators are being asked when they answer the line.
Here are a few examples of calls that were actually made to 911, but never should have been:
O.P.P. Dispatcher: "911 ... where is your emergency?"
Cops estimate 90 percent of calls that come in to their 911 line aren't emergencies, which could be preventing people with genuine reason to call from getting through.
"They can't get through to a trained call taker who needs to be able to quickly assess what the circumstances are and what kind of help is needed, and that is the whole point of 911," notes police spokesperson Judy Broomfield.
Each dispatcher has their own favourite pet peeve. "The time, the proper time,” sighs Carrie Kruger. “They think we have some special time of equipment.”
But don't waste theirs. In the end, it can be just too precious.
“For the person who's got the choking child, where time is of the essence and needs an ambulance dispatched right away, those seconds can mean someone's life,” points out Inspector Dan Hefkey of the O.P.P.
So what can you do if you want information but don’t know where to call? For a look at the right numbers
