Getting the wrong coffee order, getting splashed with water, and messy roommates may ruin your day, but they’re not 9-1-1 worthy.
According to E-Comm, those were amount the top 10 9-1-1 nuisance calls they received last year.
The company received more than 1.9 million 9-1-1 calls in 2021, with some of their busiest days occurring last year.
However, E-Comm call takers continued to field non-urgent calls on 9-1-1 lines, despite three provincial states of emergency.
“It was disheartening to learn that we continued to receive 9-1-1 calls from people looking for information or trying to make general service complaints when so many communities were experiencing critical emergency situations,” said E-Comm Executive Director of Communications, Jasmine Bradley.
“Our call takers are trained to treat every call that comes through as an emergency, until they can determine otherwise. Every second they spend speaking with someone who is upset about a mixed up coffee order or wanting to report a messy roommate is time they could have been helping someone in a life-threatening situation.”
According to E-Comm, the top ten nuisance calls they received in 2021 are:
- The barista mixed up their coffee order
- A pedestrian was splashed on the sidewalk
- Requesting a COVID-19 test
- Enquiring about becoming a 9-1-1 call taker
- Wanting to know where they could vote during the federal election
- Looking for weather updates
- Asking for directions
- Wondering why the bus wasn’t coming
- Enquiring about COVID-19 restrictions
- Reporting a messy roommate.
“At a time when demand for emergency services is higher than it ever has been, it is extremely concerning that people continue to misuse 9-1-1 lines,” Bradley explained.
“9-1-1 is the first point of contact for someone experiencing a life or death emergency, it is critical these lines are free from non-urgent situations so our call takers can get people the help they need, as quickly as possible.”