There is no way to trace the out-of service phone, she said. Lancaster said in one case, a juvenile uses an out-of-service cell phone to repeatedly make prank calls,using profanity. If someone using an out-of-service cell phone for a true emergency, they must "at least give a location of the emergency and the type of emergency that they have," Barnard said. "911 access only" it gives us no way to call the person back or to These calls come in and the information only shows as Most people think that we can trace these calls and that is "We then spend time trying to gather information and locate the caller when many of these are prank calls mostly coming from children. In most cases, tracing a call from an out-of-service cell phone is not possible, she said. These calls interfere with true emergency calls, forcing the dispatcher to place a real emergency on hold to answer a prank call."Ī dispatcher may be prevented from taking a call from a person that has a house fire or a caller that can perform CPR on a person that has had a heart attack while being tied up with prank or unintentional 911 calls from kids playing with old cell phones, she said. It is an increasing problem to the 911 center. Upgrade to a new phone or switch companies, she said. Many people give their old cell phones to their children after they "It is a built in feature on all cell phones that you can always access the 911 system," she said. "As long a cell phone has battery power it has 911 access." "We have several calls a day from kids playing with old cell phones, and it ties up lines that could be used for emergencies," she said.īulloch County 911 Director Kelly Barnard said it is quite common to receive a call from a cell phone that is no longer in service. Many people are unaware that 911 can still be dialed - and the call go through - even if the phone does not have service, said Judy Lancaster, Bulloch Central 911 dispatcher. It will ensure that help reaches the ones who really need it.Old cellular phones that no longer have service may seem to be harmless toys for children, but they can also be a problem for 911 dispatchers. By avoiding unnecessary calls to 911, you can reduce the burden on the system. This way, you can avoid any escalation of the situation.Īlso, make sure you train your child about 911 and how and when to make a call. If you or your child end up making a 911 call by mistake, just explain the situation and tell them that everything is okay. 911 system can detect the location of most landline and mobile numbers. This may prompt the call taker to send a police team to your location to check if everything is okay. In case you dial 911 by mistake, do not cut the phone. In such cases, the authorities may let you off with a warning. Children and teens also often end up calling 911 by mistake. More than prank calls, 911 call takers receive a higher number of calls that are dialed by mistake. The fine in such cases is up to USD 10,000. In such cases, you could be sent to county jail for up to three years. In extreme cases where your prank call to 911 results in great bodily injury or death, you could be charged with felony. If it is proven that you have reported a fake emergency, you may be sent to county jail for up to one year and have to pay fine of up to USD 1,000. This happens when your fake 911 call leads to dispatch of emergency vehicles, evacuation of a building, structure or area, and activation of emergency systems. If you report a fake emergency fully knowing that there is no such situation, you could be guilty of a misdemeanor. For example, it can be treated as misdemeanor or a felony in the state of California. In most states, intentionally making a prank call to 911 is a crime. So, what happens if you prank call 911? Is there a fine or will you be sent to jail? Well, here are some important things to know about making a prank call to 911. Such fake 911 calls can prevent people who are really in distress from getting timely help. When people randomly or accidently call 911 or if their children dial 911 by mistake, it creates additional burden on the system. One of these is the issue of prank calls.ĩ11 is meant to be used only to report emergency situations. While the emergency telephone number has emerged as a potent tool to provide timely help and save lives, the system faces challenges on several fronts. 911 service is available at most locations across United States and Canada. An easy to remember emergency number, 911 can be used to get help from police, paramedics, fire department, etc.
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