Jayne Kirkpatrick, Director, Public Affairs

Prepared by: John Boyette, Public Affairs Specialist

 

For more information: Barry Furey, Director, Raleigh-Wake Emergency Communications Center, 919-996-3530

 

May 9, 2013

 

Raleigh-Wake 911 Center Sending Letters to Businesses

with High Number of 911 Misdials

 

To help reduce misdialed calls to the Raleigh-Wake Emergency Communications Center, letters are being sent to businesses that have a high number of errant 9-1-1 emergency calls. The letters began going out this month.

 

“It is not our intent to call someone out or to embarrass them but rather to start a one-on-one conversation that may lead to gaining control of what is clearly a serious public safety concern,” said Barry Furey, director of the Raleigh-Wake Emergency Communications Center.

 

In March 2012, an area code overlay was put in place in Raleigh and central North Carolina that required 10-digit dialing for local calls. Unfortunately, the similarity between the 9-1-9 area code and the 9-1-1 emergency number created a flood of misdialed calls to the Raleigh-Wake Emergency Communications Center. Once a caller dials 9-1-1, the call automatically routes to the Emergency Communications Center. More than a year after 10-digit calling has taken effect, these misdials continue.

 

During the last 12 months since the institution of the area code overlay, 9-1-1 calls have increased by 20 percent. In addition, outbound calls --- those made by staff in the 9-1-1 center --- rose by 80 percent and the number of callers who hung up before 9-1-1 could answer rose by an even higher 92 percent.

 

Misdials and hang-up calls divert resources away from actual emergencies because dispatchers must dial back on hang-ups to assure that an emergency is not taking place. If no response is received from the call-back, dispatchers send a police officer to the source of the call to make certain that no assistance is needed.

 

The Raleigh-Wake Emergency Communications Center, the City of Raleigh, and public safety agencies served by the center continue to urge citizens to “Keep their eye on their finger” and dial carefully. Area residents are reminded to remain on the line should they dial 9-1-1 in error, but more importantly to take the time to dial every call carefully; because it may truly be a matter of life and death.

 

In his letter to businesses with frequent 9-1-1 misdials, Mr. Furey invites owners/operators to contact him personally to discuss ways “to reduce this burden.” A copy of Mr. Furey’s letter is attached.

 

“Action must be taken to lessen --- and hopefully eliminate --- the wasting of valuable resources on non-emergency calls,” the letter states.

• Furey+Letter.doc