Judging by E-Comm’s annual list of the most unusual 9-1-1 calls received in B.C. in 2025, some people need to calm down a bit.
Emergency dispatch operators are used to getting calls from people who are panicked – the day you call 9-1-1 is probably one of the worst of your life, after all.
But last year, people called to report that their dishwasher was broken, or a hornet out of their apartment, or complaining that someone had parked at Starbucks but walked into a grocery store instead.
Some calls were no doubt assisted by alcohol or other recreational substances. Some of these folks might need psychiatric assistance.
But others were likely sober and mentally healthy people. They’re just angry, resentful, or self-centred.
It is not the job of a 9-1-1 dispatcher to hear your complaints about traffic, help you get into your locked Airbnb, or to convince Walmart to take back the air fryer you don’t want anymore.
Yet, people really called 9-1-1 about all of these things!
The annoyances of life can seem to be insurmountable.
But they aren’t 9-1-1 level emergencies.
Lecturing people about when it is and isn’t appropriate to call 9-1-1, as we do with small children, may help. But overall, we need a society-wide breather.
Remember that you are not that important, but you are also not alone. There are people out there who want to help, from friends and family to health-care workers and first responders. A bad haircut (real 9-1-1 call) will grow out, and you’ll be fine.
Not everything is an emergency.