The Itasca County Sheriff’s Office is reminding the public about disabling emergency shortcuts on their smartphones as departments respond to accidental 911 calls.
When dispatchers receive a 911 call, they try to determine the nature of the emergency, and if they can’t confirm that the call is accidental they may have to send emergency services to the location of the call.
If you accidentally call 911, it’s important to stay on the line to confirm the call was accidental.
Some cell phones have emergency alert shortcuts on the lock screen, so it’s important to hold phones carefully to ensure buttons don’t accidentally get pressed.
Some cell phones also have SOS features through buttons on the side of the phone, which can also result in accidental 911 calls when placed in places like a cup holder.
