Complaining about food delivery driver, confirming time among B.C.’s most ridiculous 911 calls of 2020

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Confirming the time, trying to get some help applying for CERB, or even asking about trampolines during the pandemic are all among the most ridiculous reasons people called 9-1-1 in B.C. this year.

E-comm, which handles emergency calls in the province, has released its annual top 10 list of calls that don’t need 9-1-1 assistance.

“This year our top call was someone who called in to complain their food delivery driver had not delivered their meal,” says E-comm’s Kaila Butler.

Some other calls include COVID-19 related inquiries, like if having a trampoline is illegal during the pandemic.

In the first three weeks of December, Butler says more than 500 pandemic related calls came in about restrictions and requirements. She says contacting local bylaw officers or even the non-emergency number of police departments will help answer that type of question.

“It’s important to remember 911 is not an information line. We can’t answer general questions about the weather or power outages,” she says.

Butler stresses every time someone calls 911 for a non-urgent reason, it puts lives at risk. When operators get those calls, they have to confirm the person isn’t experiencing any type of emergency.

E-Comm’s full list of reasons not to call 911 in 2020:

1. Complaining that their food delivery driver did not deliver their meal
2. Enquiring if there is a full lockdown for COVID-19
3. Wondering if having a trampoline is illegal during COVID-19
4. Asking for assistance to apply for CERB
5. Complaining that the mattress they had purchased second hand was more soiled than advertised
6. Reporting that their bank card was stuck in the ATM
7. Reporting their neighbour for smoking in a non-smoking building
8. Enquiring about how to enter a career in law enforcement
9. Confirming the time
10. Asking for help because they were locked out of their car

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