9-1-1 dispatchers from Pickering to Oshawa have “very busy” long weekend

Durham Police Service’s 9-1-1 call-takers and dispatchers had a very busy long weekend answering more than 6,000 calls from the public.

The majority of the calls were non-emergency reports, general inquiries and “hang-ups” that had to be called back.
From Thursday, July 30, through to Tuesday, August 3, at 6 a.m., the communications centre received 3,035 9-1-1 calls (637 of these were hang-ups), and 3,664 non-emergency/general inquiry calls.

A police spokesperson said it was a “very busy weekend” in Durham for their “heroes in headsets” and staff answered all 6,699 calls with “professionalism and grace.”

A 2020 report shows 223,244 calls were made to the emergency service that year, or 611 calls a day.

Police are reminding residents that if they happen to call 9-1-1 accidentally not to hang up. Stay on the line and let the operator know it was accidental – it will save them the time it takes to call you back and allow them to answer other emergency calls.