A sheriff's department in Illinois says it has seen an "enormous" increase in 911 hang-up calls and misdials within the past year, and it's asking residents to do their part to help curb such calls.
The Boone County Sheriff's Department posted about the sharp increase in accidental calls coming into its dispatch center on June 1, explaining dispatchers must follow up on every call and send emergency responders if they're unable to confirm there is no emergency.
"The obvious consequence is that responses to emergencies can be delayed due to deputies' response to accidental dials," the department's Facebook post stated, in part. "If you do accidentally call 911, STAY ON THE LINE and verify all information. DO NOT HANG UP."
Hang-up calls increased by almost 300% from May of this year compared to a year prior, officials said, noting a steep rise in calls throughout 2023 so far, as well. Such calls rose more than 200% from January to May of 2023. In its Facebook post, the sheriff's department said hang-up calls and misdials have, in part, been attributed to software updates on Android phones than automatically turn on the SOS feature. Misdials have occurred by a "simple pocket dial," when the phone bounced around too much in an ATV/UTV and a hard drop of the phone.
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You can take the following steps to activate Emergency SOS features on smartphones or watches:
Android:
- 1. Open your phone’s Settings app.
- 2. Tap Safety & emergency Emergency SOS.
- 3. Turn off Use Emergency SOS.
iPhone:
- 1. Go to Settings > Emergency SOS.
- 2. Turn “Call with Hold and Release” off.
- 3. Turn “Call with 5 presses” off.
iWatch:
- 1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone, then tap the My Watch tab.
- 2. Tap Emergency SOS.
- 3. Turn off Hold Side Button to Dial.
