Millions Continue To Call 911 Over Non-Emergencies
Over 200 million calls are placed to 9-1-1 in the United States every year.
Some people have treated 9-1-1 as if it's an information source and millions of calls have come in that are inappropriate or calls that have been accidental.
Some 9-1-1 operators have even been arrested after it had been discovered that they had hung up on thousands of calls.
In the United States people have called 9-1-1 about not being able to get a cab, having mayo left off of their sandwich at a sandwich shop, being nagged by family to do laundry, some have made requests for milk deliveries, and more.
Occasionally, the more humorous events will be used by the police as an example to remind the public not to call 9-1-1 when it isn't an emergency.
In Canada, they've been getting 9-1-1 calls regarding complaints about 24-hour restaurants not being open as advertised, retailers not accepting returns, late pizza deliveries, gas station attendants putting in the wrong fuel, and some have even called to ask about when they should turn back their clocks for daylight saving time.
Other calls have come in about restaurants not redeeming coupons, or calls to find out information about where a car had been towed, or to complain that a rental company gave the wrong vehicle that had allegedly been reserved.
Believe it or not, there are some individuals out there who find a wrong sandwich or a water leak to be an emergency that's worthy of contacting 9-1-1 emergency services for help.
The non-emergency calls are unfortunately costing taxpayers millions of dollars. A great deal of funds are spent every time that any police department or fire department responds to a fake call, though there aren't any official amounts that can estimate how much is being wasted on non-emergencies altogether.
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They had a story about this on the local news the other night. They were rating the 10 worst calls and the number one was a someone calling when a fast food drive-through was closed!
are these folks sober making these calls?😂😂
ummmm.... No, not likely! :)
Yep. My husband is has been a firefighter and paramedic for over 10 years. I am always surprised by the reasons why people call 9-1-1.
Some people just want a ride from the bus station to the homeless shelter (this happened in Kansas City).
Luckily my husband has a great attitude about these types of situations. They just politely refuse and if they have time, they help find another mode of transport. Some people just do not have the mental capacity to deal with life and that is why they are in the situation they are in.
ive got a firefighter in the family as well, tough job! sad to see that many of their friends and old coworkers have now passed away at such a young age because of the work conditions they endured for years:/
200 million call is insane. But then again with a high population of the united states combined with its high crime rate, and simply that a lot of shit happens in the states, it is not too surprising.
most of those calls are accidents or for non-emergencies though, just because they got 200 million doesn't mean they were all legitimate concerns :)
Wow. I can't believe that so many people abuse the system or just really have no idea what it is used for and how important it is, since it is to save lives.
200 million very big number that mean everyday i think about 70 million call