Ugggh!
We’ve all had them, those pesky prank calls, mistaken numbers and pocket dials that have left you confused as to what is happening.
But for one essential service in particular, nuisance calls tend to plague them quite often.
In 2022, E-Comm answered a total of 2,109,440 calls being made to 9-1-1, marking the busiest year in the organization’s history.
Of these calls, 98% were answered in five seconds or less.
If you’ve ever wondered what some of the most ridiculous reasons why people have called 9-1-1 are, we’ve got you covered.
From flat tires to faulty fuel pumps, E-comm has released the top 10 nuisance calls received in 2022:
- The nozzle wasn’t working at the gas station
- They had a flat tire
- People were playing basketball on a public court at night time
- Someone wasn’t picking up after their dog
- Someone was using their garbage bin
- Complaining about children drawing with chalk at a playground
- Their phone was stuck in a bench
- Looking for an update on a nationwide telco outage
- Someone called 9-1-1 because they had a broken window wiper
- Someone cut in line at the car wash
While funny at first, nuisance calls are strongly discouraged to be directed at emergency services such as 9-1-1 as it prevents call takers from being able to aid those in distress.
“Nuisance calls never belong on emergency lines, but it’s extremely concerning how often callers know their non-urgent concerns aren’t an appropriate reason to call 9-1-1. We regularly get callers stating ‘I know this isn’t an emergency, but I didn’t know who else to call,’” says E-Comm call taker Mark Kolomejac.
While faced with a concerning challenge in the moment, emotions and fear can influence confusion when attempting to find the right resource to reach out to for support.
In an effort to reduce confusion, E-Comm has published a comprehensive list featuring alternative resources for non-emergency support.
