If you've been attacked by a raccoon and require urgent medical attention, you should probably call 911.
If you have a mundane question about raccoons, 911 is not the right number for you.
That's the message from B.C.'s largest emergency call centre, E-Comm, which has released its annual list of the worst nuisance calls received in the province all year.
One of 2017's top offenders is an actual caller who decided to use emergency resources to ask whether raccoons are dangerous. Another dialed 911 to settle a petty dispute with a nail salon.
"She was upset about the colour of her nail polish and she didn't want to pay," said Christie Duncan, the operator who took the call. "She said the nail salon was holding her hostage."
After asking a few questions, Duncan said it became clear that the woman was not being "held hostage" in any literal sense of the term.
This year also saw a caller dial 911 to double-check the hour after Daylight Saving Time ended in November.
While E-Comm's annual list can be amusing, the call centre is adamant there's nothing funny about tying up 911 lines that could otherwise be used to help people survive life-or-death situations.
Spokesperson Jody Robertson said most people understand 911 is strictly for emergencies that warrant urgent attention from police, firefighters or paramedics – but there are always some who need reminding.
"Calling about your nail polish colour? Not a good use of 911," Robertson said. "It's also not a good use of police non-emergency lines."
The problem with using 911 for customer service complaints and questions is that operators have to treat every call as a potential emergency. That’s because people in threatening situations sometimes mask their reason for using the phone.
"Although these calls might seem absurd immediately, we have to take the time to answer and ask questions," Robertson said. "Are you able to speak freely? Is there anyone there? Are you safe? That all takes time and could potentially prevent someone else from getting through."
One example E-Comm has seen is a woman trying to get help from police by pretending to order a pizza.
"Our call-takers know that's not a usual reason to call 911, so they'll ask those questions," Robertson said.
While E-Comm is well-staffed, the call centre serves a large swath of the province, including Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast and 22 other regional districts and communities, and operators receive approximately 1.36 million calls per year.
The full list of 2017's worst 911 nuisance calls includes:
- Complaining a salon wouldn’t change nail polish colour
- Car refusing to move forward at a gas station pump
- To report food was inedible and restaurant refusing to provide refund
- Complaining tenant moved without returning keys
- Calling because someone parked in their parking spot
- Wondering if a washroom closed sign at a popular beach was legitimate
- Complaining gas station wouldn’t accept coins for payment
- Calling to ask if raccoons are dangerous animals
- Asking if there’s a law preventing washing clothes at 6 a.m.
- Calling to check the time following the fall time change
With files from CTV Vancouver’s St. John Alexander
