From The Office Of Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell
Charlotte County Emergency Communications Centers are requesting assistance from the public in relation to their cellular devices and 911 accidental calls. Charlotte County has seen a 33% increase in 911 calls compared to the same time in 2022. Much of this increase is believed to be related to a cellular phone operating system on android phones that took place in the latter part of 2022.
Since the android operating system update rolled out, Emergency Communications Centers from across the world have seen a major uptick in 911 accidental calls. Some of them are reporting increases in call volume with upwards of 300-500%. While some of the increase in 911 calls across Charlotte County may also be attributed to population growth, we have been able to identify that many of them are related to accidental dialing. Some of these accidental 911 calls are occurring several times a day from the same device.
To assist us with this rapid growth in accidental 911 calls, please reach out to your provider to learn how you can change settings on your device to prevent these unintentional dials. If you should happen to accidentally call 911, please remain on the line until you speak with an operator to confirm the lack of an emergency.
“My Communications team does an excellent job in making sure all calls are answered right away, and a major challenge for them is that they must confirm any accidental call was unintentional. That means calling back or sending a deputy to the location, which makes those members unavailable until the situation is resolved. Please do your part to help reduce the number of accidental calls and hangups so we can keep units available for those who truly need assistance.”
SHERIFF BILL PRUMMELL