911 call over gas station nozzle tops list of BC's dumbest "emergencies" in 2022
It’s probably not a surprise to many British Columbians that E-Comm 911 operators are under a lot of pressure. Unfortunately, it seems some callers added to the stress with their ridiculous concerns.
2022 marked E-Comm’s busiest year in the organization’s history after receiving more than 2,100,000 calls (a 1.8% increase from 2021).
“Despite a publicly recognized rise in demand for all emergency services, E-Comm call takers continue to field nuisance calls on 9-1-1, diverting critical resources from British Columbians in real emergency situations,” a release from E-Comm reads.
The top call that diverted this critical resource from British Columbians in an emergency was when someone called because the nozzle at the gas station was not working.
We have revealed our list of top nuisance 9-1-1 calls received in 2022. Every second we spend responding to consumer complaints like faulty fuel pumps is time we could dedicate to helping British Columbians in critical emergencies. Find the full list below👇#911BC (1/12) pic.twitter.com/963UuwBtNb
— E-Comm 9-1-1 (@EComm911_info) January 4, 2023
Others even called because they had a flat tire or because of people playing basketball on a public court at night time.
E-Comm emphasizes calls like these “don’t belong on 9-1-1.”
Here are other annoying reasons people called 911, according to E-Comm:
- 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
- Because they had a broken window wiper
- Someone cut in line at the car wash
E-Comm call taker Mark Kolomejac added in the statement that calls around general questions and complaints like the ones listed in the release significantly impact public safety and can be detrimental.
He added the worst part is the problem is preventable.
“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,'” Kolomejac explained. “If you have a flat tire or a broken windshield wiper for example, we can’t help you on 9-1-1, but a towing company or roadside assistance will be able to get you the support that you need.”
If you need help knowing who is the best person to call, you can find a list of resources on the E-Comm website.