'McDonald's wouldn't open': Here are B.C.'s 10 worst 911 nuisance calls of the year

What do overripe avocados, stinky cologne and misplaced phones have in common? Generally speaking, none of them warrant a call to 911.

What do overripe avocados, stinky cologne and misplaced phones have in common?

Generally speaking, none of them warrant a call to 911.

That's the message from E-Comm – the company that handles the vast majority of 911 calls in B.C. – which is once again urging the public not to occupy crucial emergency lines unless they're experiencing actual emergencies.

On Monday, E-Comm shared its annual list of the 10 worst nuisance calls of the year, in which people dialled 911 for the following:

"We understand that some of these situations might feel urgent to the individual in the moment, but 911 is not the appropriate number to call if your power goes out or you require tech support," said Laura, an E-Comm call-taker, in a news release.

"We must treat every call as an emergency until we know otherwise, and each second we spend responding to a call that does not belong on 911 is time we could be getting help to someone in a life-threating emergency."

Calling 911 is appropriate for situations that require "immediate help" from police, firefighters or paramedics, E-Comm said. Examples include situations in which someone's life is in danger, a crime is in progress, or there has been a serious motor vehicle accident.