Provincial Police are sounding the alarm over an increase in accidental 9-1-1 calls.
In the past month alone, the OPP say the number of them has increased 26%..
The OPP reports pocket dials and calls with no valid call-back number contributed to the rise.
Constable Jim Root says accidental and non-emergency calls waste police resources because every call has to be investigated to confirm the caller is alright.
"In most cases physically put eyes on somebody at the other end of the phone for every 9-1-1 call we receive," says Root. "For obvious reasons if someone calls 9-1-1 and calls back and says forget it it's not an emergency. Obviously there could be something going on there that we're going to have to go and ensure that everyone at the other end safe."
Root says when they see a spike like this past month, the OPP wants to get the message out.
"Continue to educate the public to remind them that you have to watch the pocket dials, you have to lock your phone screen out so we don't have these misdials and we have to just keep trying to educate and educate in order to get these numbers down so that we're not wasting officers and dispatcher's time," adds Root.
He tells AM800 News the 9-1-1 system does not exist for frivolous use, but for true emergencies.
"Anyone that's had to use it and has had emergency services show up in a timely manner and assist them in some way shape or form, knows and understands the importance of it so we have to make sure yes, that those type of people know and understand why it's there," says Root.