E-Comm expecting more 911 calls than usual this Halloween night
Posted October 31, 2014 7:48 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – First responders will be very busy with Halloween falling on a Friday this year and a result, E-Comm is going to have all hands on deck tonight.
Jody Robertson with E-Comm says for a Halloween that doesn’t fall on a Friday or a weekend, they typically take about 1,100 calls, but it’s going to be a different story tonight.
“We’re probably looking at about 1,400 to 1,500 911 calls starting early in the evening and into the wee hours of the morning on Saturday,” she tells us.
Robertson adds most people phone in to file noise complaints or report shots fired because there are firecrackers going off and people can’t tell the difference. She notes if you’re not sure and you think it’s suspicious, just give them a call.
“Absolutely call 911, especially if you’re concerned that it could be a weapons or a shots-fired incident. Our call-taker will ask you a series of questions and there is the potential that they might — once they ascertain there isn’t actually an emergency — ask you to call back on the non-emergency line so we can keep those 911 lines free for real emergencies.”
Remember, in Vancouver, you have to be 19 and older to discharge fireworks. They can only be lit on Halloween on private property and you have to have a permit. If you break any of these rules, you could be fined as much as $500.
