Old cellphones used as toys still have the ability to dial 911

Giving a old cellphone to a child is fun for them, it light up and beeps. However the RCMP in Alberta are not smiling at all as they have to-date received 457 accidental 911 calls. The reason is the battery is still located in the phone which has the ability to dial 911 still.

Since these are just accidents and since there is somebody on the other end just pressing buttons, a statement by the police said “The RCMP member is then required to speak to the person or attend the residence to ensure all is OK. Cellphone carriers must allow deactivated cellphones to access to 911 for emergency purposes …. If you give old cellphones to your children, disconnect the battery so the phone cannot be activated. Many people give their cellphones to children to play with and kids are accidentally calling 911, which then gets transferred to the RCMP to investigate.”