Police share 911 call over iced capp dispute to highlight misuse of emergency line

Peel Regional Police are issuing a gentle reminder to residents that not every situation calls for a 911 emergency call, especially issues with coffee mishaps.

In a recent tweet, police put out the recording of a 911 call where the individual reached out to them due to a disagreement at a Tim Hortons over an iced cappuccino.

The 911 operator can be heard asking the caller, “police, fire or ambulance?”

When he answers “police,” the operator asks the caller what the emergency was.

The caller says, “So basically, I bought an ice cap from a Tim Hortons.”

The operator asks him again if it is a life-or-death emergency.

The caller then says it wasn’t an emergency and that he bought one (ice cap) but then they are not giving him a replacement.

The operator then proceeds to give the caller the number to their non-emergency line, which the caller refuses and says, “I think I’m good.”

“Believe it or not, this is not a ‘one-off’ incident,” said PRP Const. Tyler Bell-Morena in a tweet.

Last year saw a staggering number of misuse calls, nearly 125,000 in total, along with an additional 180,000 hang-ups to the 911 line.

Police say the 911 numbers are on track for another record year in 2023, and the sheer volume of calls has created a “bottleneck” for dispatchers as police say more than 40 per cent of 911 calls are far from being classified as an emergency.

“We received dozens of 9-1-1 calls like this daily, and hundreds of others that are a blatant misuse of 9-1-1,” Bell-Morena added.

This influx has put immense pressure on the 911 Centre, which now fields a call every 45 seconds.

The repercussions of such non-emergency calls are significant, as individuals facing actual life-threatening situations might find themselves waiting in line, unable to access the immediate help they need.

Officials say residents should:

• call 911 only when someone needs immediate help from firefighters, police or paramedics
• call 211, 311 or 811 or police non-emergency lines for other help
• lock their cell phones and don’t program 911 into the devices
• teach children how to use 911 correctly and how to recognize emergencies
• stay on the phone if you call 911 by accident so you can let the operator know you’re okay and it’s not an emergency. If you hang up, the operator may send emergency services to your location
• For all non-emergency issues, contact 905-453-3311.

Coffee mishaps are brutal, but NOT a 911 emergency! Nor were nearly 125,000 misuse calls & 180,000 hang-ups last year. Our 911 Centre takes a call every 45 seconds. Meanwhile, a person with a real emergency may be waiting on the line and unable to get through. #911AwarenessPeel pic.twitter.com/EthsIpgr6s

— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) September 25, 2023

With files from Declan Finucane.