Whereas the calls for service for 911 Misdials have risen dramatically in recent years, correlated with the rise in cell phone use; and
Whereas 911 Misdials must be responded to as if they were legitimate emergency calls; and
Whereas each 911 call is responded to with two OPP officers at an average time per call of 1.2 hours; and
Whereas each 911 call is a billable call to the municipality; and
Whereas in 2019 alone to date, 911 Misdials in Tecumseh number 1,082 calls, which is 28.8% of all billable calls for service to date; and
Whereas 911 Misdials are not unique to Tecumseh and in fact are common across the Province at an estimated cost of millions of dollars;
Now Therefore Be It Resolved That the Municipal, Federal and Provincial governments and relevant associations, including but not limited to, the Ontario Association of Police Services Boards (OAPSB), the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP), the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), be requested to lobby the telecommunications industry and smart phone manufacturers to develop a solution to 911 Misdials.