911 call for female choking was only legitimate medical 911 call – of 13

Prince Edward County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) continue to respond to unnecessary 9-1-1 calls throughout the area.

From Friday, Sept. 6 through to Sunday Sept. 8, 2019, OPP officers responded to 63 various types of calls for service.

Karen German, Community Safety Officer, said 13 calls were placed to the 9-1-1 emergency line for Prince Edward County.

“Only one of these 13 calls was a legitimate medical emergency where a female was choking and required an ambulance. Police were contacted for assistance,” she said.

The OPP has launched the #KnowWhenToCall campaign to further educate the public on unintentional calls, including pocket dials to 9-1-1.

“OPP would like to remind residents that 9-1-1 is for Police, Fire or Medical emergencies when someone’s health, safety or property is in jeopardy or a crime is in progress.”

For non-emergencies, call 1-888-310-1122.
For weather conditions, call Environment Canada.
For road conditions and closures, call 5-1-1.

To avoid accidental or “pocket dials”:
Lock the keypad on all your electronic devices before storing them.
Do not let children play with cell phones.

The 9-1-1 autodial on cell phones can also be disabled through the “settings” option which can prevent misdials.

For more information on how to prevent 9-1-1 “pocket dials”, go to www.opp.ca – Know When to Call.