Friday June, 21 2024 @ 21:41

Nature: Automatic Crash Notification

Location: 32325 River Rd Millsboro, DE 19966

On Friday evening, June 21^st, the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company and the Mid Sussex Rescue Squad was alerted for an automatic crash notification via cell phone on River Road in Riverdale.

Emergency response units from Indian River included Rescue 80 from the Oak Orchard facility and Engine #80-1 from the Long Neck facility as well as the Delaware State Fire Police.

Emergency response units check the area for a potential vehicle mishap and was unsuccessful.  However, emergency response personnel did locate a cell phone laying in the roadway at the indicated address and could not locate any potential owner.

All emergency response units were authorized to return to their respective stations.

Upon returning to the fire station, emergency response personnel were able to verify this was the designated phone that activated the 911 call and contacted the Delaware State Police for further follow up to identify the rightful owner.

Illustrated herewith are recommendations and tips for Accident 911 calls or automatic crash notification calls to 911.

Accidental 911 calls have increased with the smartphone accident crash notification system.

New smartphone technology makes it increasingly easier to call 911. But accidental calls are significantly increasing. Those features have become more commonplace in recent years, and they can come in handy in an emergency. Callers can discreetly call 911 if they are victims of a crime or in an undesirable situation.

But the crash detection feature calls authorities when the phone detects sudden movement in a crash and will automatically sound an alarm and start a countdown. Users are able to cancel the call, but if they don’t cancel, the phone calls 911 anyway.

Anyone who has misdialed stay on the line to let dispatchers know it was a mistake!  Each one of these calls ties up a call taker, who must call the number back to ensure there’s no emergency.

If those callbacks are unanswered, an officer must locate the caller and check on their welfare. This ties up emergency responders who are then unavailable for actual emergency calls.

Illustrated herewith are tips on what to do after an accidental 911 call.

• If you do misdial, don’t hang up. Stay on the line, let the telecommunicator know it was an accident, and answer the questions they may have.

• If you do hang up, the telecommunicator will call you back. Answer the call and explain what happened.

• Deactivated cellphones will still call 911 if the phone turns on. Don’t let children play with deactivated cellphones unless the battery is removed.

  • Teach children about 911. It’s not a game when a child is calling 911 repeatedly and hanging up or making false statements to the telecommunicator.

  • Turn off the automatic dialing setting so your phone doesn’t accidentally dial 911.

• Place your phone on sleep mode when you put it in your pocket.

• Emergency settings can be changed or turned off, but that carries its own problems.