Pocket Dialed 911 Calls

[UltraViolet]

Pocket dialed 911 calls up 480%
by Grant Scott - Story: 73864 Apr 13, 2012 / 2:00 pm

http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-st ... .htm#73864


It's happened to everyone at one time or another.

You grab your cell phone, stick it in your pocket and as your fingers contact the screen, you hear a few beeps and the next thing you know you're calling someone.

Abondoned 911 calls to the RCMP rose 480% in the first quarter of 2012.Not a big deal if you reach a friend or perhaps the last number dialed. But for the RCMP, when the number dialed is 911, it's no laughing matter.

Cst. Kris Clark says the Kelowna RCMP has seen a dramatic increase in their workload in the first quarter of the year compared to last year and the main culprit is pocket dialing.

During the first three months of 2012, there has been a 14% increase in 911 calls compared to 2011.

That translates to nearly 2,000 more files assigned to police officers. The trouble is, over 1,000 of those calls during that period were abandoned 911 calls, an increase of nearly 480% from the same period last year (218 vs 1044).

As the police have a duty to ensure that no one is injured or requires police services, each abandoned 911 is deemed to be an emergency situation until proven otherwise. This means that typically two members are required to respond, tying up resources and potentially taking them away from a real emergency.

"Abandoned 911's constantly tie up resources that certainly could be better spent elsewhere," says Supt. Bill McKinnon, Office in Charge of Kelowna Detachment.

"But, the work has to be done because if even one of those calls turns out to be real, it would be impossible to justify why we didn't go. All we are asking, is for people to be more responsible with their cell phones"

A pocket dial is an accidental call placed from a cell phone while it is in the owner’s pocket. This can be avoided by following a few simple rules:

1) Lock your phone

2) Keep your phone in a case or holster

3) If you’ve placed a pocket dial call, answer the subsequent follow-up call

Old, deactivated cells phone should have their battery removed as they can still call 911, even without an active account.
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You know, this is absolutely sickening!
Kelowna already is short staffed when it comes to Police, now as taxpayers have to pay more for Police officers, taxpayers have to pay for Police to investigate pocket dialed 911 callls!

Time to start charging for pocket dialed 911 calls..........Like a $500 fine for each incident!
Meanwhile the stupidity continues!

[Oxl3y]

How is pocket dialing 911 even possible?

[kgcayenne]

Touch screens.

[crookedmember]

Touch screens.

Pocket dialing?
I knew my johnson was smart. But I didn't know 'he' was smart enough to dial the cops.

[netfreak]

Use a lock screen if you have a touch screen phone. It's good practice for multiple reasons.

[LordEd]

A lot of phones have it set if you hold '9' for a number of seconds

[Shrapnel]

It would actually be a lot easier to pocket dial 911 with a locked smart phone...well with mine anyways.

If mine is locked, then all I have to do is hold one of the 3 physical buttons and it automatically dials 911.

[Snickerdoodle]

I actually used to work for 911, and the cell phones, specially blackberries.... if you hit a bunch of random numbers at the right speed and hold down - that will also prompt it to call 911.

I also think that all schools should have scramblers for cells, as I would guess most of those phone calls that I would have to listen to the background noise to see if there was an emergency.... most background noises were teachers teaching school lessons. As a mother of a teen, I have no problem with my child not being able to use his phone while in school between 8 - 3pm... They need to be focusing on the lesson, not whose calling, texting or googling on them - and certainly not pocket dialing 911.

Also when you think your phone no longer works and you give it to your kid to play with. 911 will always work, unless you remove the battery. Take out the battery prior to making it a play phone.

Its a lesson I took from that job that I tell everyone I meet.... turn your keypad off, or put it in the case comes with, as that is suppose to also help from this happening. Also do not put 911 into speed dial. That is another common misdial - specially for senior and children. Its only 3 numbers. By the time you dial "speeddial" then the number, its only one other number.

[Zazzle]

My blackberry used to pocket dial ALL the time. Locked screen with scrolling ball in pocket is just asking to select emergency call.
Finally got an Android phone a couple years ago and have never had to deal with a 911 dial back call again. phew.

[fvkasm2x]

How is pocket dialing 911 even possible?

It's usually preset speed dial.

I don't know how people do it though, I've never pocket dialed ANYONE, let alone 911. I've had a cell phone since 1996. People are stupid

[Trunk-Monkey]

Its been my experience that Blackberry's are the worst for this. The front screen when you have to plug in your password also contains an area to make an EMERGENCY CALL. When this happens ppl....stay on the phone...answer the call taker and simply explain it was a mistake and give you location. If he/she tells you to stand by until the cops get there...DO IT! The 911 system is made for our protection...not following these simple requests or rules puts us ALL AT RISK for your misdial. \

[keeny]

It's usually preset speed dial.

I don't know how people do it though, I've never pocket dialed ANYONE, let alone 911. I've had a cell phone since 1996. People are stupid

Pair of jeans + bending/squatting = pocket dial.
No need to get derogatory, *bleep* happens.

Haven't had this problem once with the Iphone.

[Captain Awesome]

Yup, with Blackberries it actually happens with "locked" screen.

[Always Sunny]

I was guilty of this with my Blackberry unfortunately. And I agree with the other posters...I think Blackberrys are probably the worst offenders for this.

This is an older picture I guess. But this is exactly how my screen was set up. Tapping any key would activate this screen and all you need is one movement on the trackball/pad and "emergency call" was selected.



There is no way to eliminate this feature. The only thing that would help to minimize this issue was to adjust the sensitivity of the trackball/pad so it wasn't as easy to move. But that affected the feature once you were in the phone.

[fvkasm2x]

Pair of jeans + bending/squatting = pocket dial.
No need to get derogatory, *bleep* happens.

Haven't had this problem once with the Iphone.

Sorry, I don't suffer fools easily and since this is easily preventable... there's no excuse for THAT many people to make the mistake. When rampant stupidity costs the taxpayers millions, I have a hard time not being negative.