Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Reminder: 911 is for emergencies only

Just a reminder...911 is an emergency line, not an all purpose police line.

Only a third of 911 calls for help are actual emergencies, according to dispatchers who say some of the calls are simply wacky.

"People have called because they went through the drive-thru and their order was wrong," said California Highway Patrol dispatcher Dennis Kirchner. "People call because they're lost."

People have also been known to call 911 to see why their power is out (call the power company), to get parade times (get a paper), to check on parking regulations (call the regular police line), to see if there are storm warnings (listen to a radio), and for other wacky and mundane reasons. That's not what it is for.

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