When someone dials 9-1-1, call-takers are always prepared to deal with emergencies and help out those in a crisis – never sure what to expect on the other end of the line.
Evidently, not all emergencies and crises are created equally.
Just ask E-Comm, B.C.’s largest emergency communications centre, which receives around 1.36 million calls every year.
They recently released their yearly list of top 10 wrong reasons to call 9-1-1, and according to call-taker Christie Duncan, some of the things people call 9-1-1 over can be a nuisance.
Unbelievably, one such call was about the fact that a nail salon wouldn’t change a customer’s nail polish colour.
“And believe it or not, this isn’t the first time I’ve received a call about the colour of nail polish,” says Duncan.
“Spending time on calls like these takes me away from being available to help someone who is in a serious emergency situation.”
Here are the top 10 most unbelievable 911 calls of 2017
1. Complaining a salon wouldn’t change nail polish colour
2. Car refusing to move forward at a gas station pump
3. Reporting food was inedible, and the restaurant was refusing to provide refund
4. Complaining tenant moved without returning keys
5. Calling because someone parked in their parking spot
6. Wondering if a washroom closed sign at a popular beach was legitimate
7. Complaining gas station wouldn’t accept coins for payment
8. Calling to ask if raccoons are dangerous animals
9. Asking if there’s a law preventing the washing of clothes at 6 a.m.
10. Calling to check the time following the fall time change
“While these calls are absurd, they’re more common than you might think,” said Jody Robertson, executive director of corporate communications.
“The fact is – every time a 9-1-1 call taker handles one of these calls, we waste valuable resources. We’re asking the public to help us help.”
