A software update on smartphones may be the cause of hundreds of dropped 911 calls
CBC
Local police departments are seeing a significant increase in the number of dropped 911 calls — and it may be connected to the emergency 911 feature on your phone.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) are among many North American police departments asking people to consider turning off the emergency 911 feature on their Apple or Android phones and smart watches.
Similar messages have been tweeted out by police departments across Ontario, including the London Police Service, Durham Regional Police and Cornwall Police Service.
The 911 emergency feature allows users to quickly dial 911 without unlocking their phone. On iPhones, it can be accessed by holding down the power button and the volume button at once. On Androids, it pops up when you hit the power button five times in a row.
There are also reports of an increase in the number of dropped 911 calls in other parts of Canada and in the U.S.
Waterloo regional police said they typically receive about 800 emergency calls everyday but recently, they began to see an increase in the number of dropped calls. By Thursday morning, WRPS had received over 330 dropped emergency calls within a span of just 24 hours, prompting them to send out a tweet, asking people to consider turning the emergency feature off.
Police said in an emailed statement to CBC News that such a large number of dropped 911 calls can put a strain on their ability to answer legitimate emergency calls.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Wellington County have also noticed a sharp increase in the number of 911 hang-up calls. In an emailed statement, they said the dropped calls "seem to be associated with an Android update".
In a tweet sent out in late May, the local OPP detachment posted instructions on how to turn off the emergency SOS feature on Android phones.
"Our biggest concern is making sure that 911 lines are kept available for those who have a life-threatening emergency," OPP's written statement to CBC News said.
In an email statement, a Google spokesperson told CBC News that the company is aware of an increase in unintentional emergency calls related to their "Emergency SOS" feature.
Google owns the Android operating system which is used by large smartphone manufacturers like Samsung.
"Android phone manufacturers who choose to offer Emergency SOS on their devices manage the implementation of the feature," Google's statement said.
"To help these manufacturers prevent unintentional emergency calls on their devices, Android is providing them with additional guidance and resources. We anticipate device manufacturers will roll out updates to their users that address this issue shortly. Users that continue to experience this issue should switch emergency SOS off for the next couple days."
A year ago, then Gatineau mayor France Bélisle abruptly resigned, citing a hostile political climate. This week she has spoken out, offering more details of her complaints about municipal politics in Quebec.
One man is dead and three others are in police custody after a deadly assault on a Manitoba First Nation.
When Piper sends her son to school every morning, she calls out a similar refrain: "I love you, try your best, I'll be here to pick you up when school is done," hoping he will be safe and supported.
A downtown Edmonton business advocacy group is worried about how a series of planned bridge closures due to construction could impact the city.
Vancouver resident Tara Garofano says she made a dinner reservation on Valentine's Day — not for romance, but to take advantage of the final hours of the federal government's temporary Goods and Services Tax (GST) holiday.
Students at McMaster University in Hamilton are questioning the institution's commitment to the prevention of sexual violence after staffing changes at the office responsible for that work on campus.
Windsor-Essex could see its biggest snowfalls of the year in what Canada's weather agency is calling a "highly impactful" storm.
Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services (FWES) is looking into reports of two young cougars that were spotted alone near Canmore this week.
All crew members of the MSC Baltic III have been rescued after their vessel ran aground close to the Lark Harbour shoreline off Newfoundland and Labrador's west coast.
Here's a look at some of the closures, and special events, happening in Thunder Bay on the Family Day weekend:
If you live in or around Toronto, you may want to keep that shovel nearby.
As the Ontario provincial election campaign heats up, voters in Waterloo region and surrounding areas are making their priorities clear.
More Canadians, including Prince Edward Islanders, are joining the movement to support Canadian-made goods and buy local in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to impose hefty tariffs on Canadian products.