Parents encouraged to discuss misdialing 911 with their children

Peace Regional RCMP is reminding residents to monitor their children when using their old phones, as 911 services still work.

Mounties say they’ve recently responded to over 20 calls to 911 where dispatchers have reported “the sounds of very young children playing in the background and a child saying they wanted their mother and were bored.”

RCMP say this takes up valuable time, especially if the caller hangs up, which can lead to a delayed response for an actual emergency.

Instead, they suggest encouraging your child to stay on the line and informing the dispatcher it was an accident, or bringing the phone to an adult.