Clear the Line – Combating 9-1-1 Misuse

Brockville Joins First-Ever Provincewide Campaign to Combat 9-1-1 Misuse

The City of Brockville has joined the first-ever provincewide campaign to tackle 9-1-1 misuse, an issue that continues to strain emergency services. The Emergency Services Steering Committee (ESSC) has launched the “When Every Second Counts” campaign aimed at reducing non-emergency 9-1-1 calls and educating the public on proper use of 9-1-1.

“9-1-1 is for life-threatening or urgent emergencies, yet we continue to see calls made for reasons ranging from minor inconveniences to non-emergency situations that can be handled through other channels,” said Matt Wren, Mayor. “Calls for lost items, noise complaints, or even pocket dials take time away from real emergencies. It’s critical that we ensure 9-1-1 lines remain open for those in urgent need.”

Brockville Police Services (BPS) had a total of 4,004 9-1-1 calls in 2024. Out of those, 3008 were non-reportable calls, which for policing purposes would be considered not to be emergencies. That would be approximately 75% of the 911 calls being non-emergency-related. There would be occasions where some calls come in 9-1-1 to BPS that get transferred to other services that may not be captured.

Last year, our 9-1-1 operators received over 4,000 calls to police,
with approximately 75% being non-emergency-related.

Across Ontario, police services report that nearly half of all 9-1-1 calls are for non-emergencies, including accidental dials, hang-ups, and frivolous inquiries.

The City of Brockville is committed to ensuring our residents have access to the right information and resources,” said Mayor Wren. “By participating in this campaign, we are helping provide education on when to call 9-1-1 and when to use non-emergency numbers, so that emergency services remain available for those who truly need them.”

As part of the “When Every Second Counts” campaign, residents are encouraged to familiarize themselves with alternative non-emergency numbers such as the local Police Services 613-342-0127, the Brockville General Hospital 613-345-5649, Local Health Unit 613-345-5685 and the City of Brockville 613-342-8772.

For more information about the campaign and resources on proper emergency call usage, visit When Every Second Counts.
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ABOUT ESSC
The Emergency Services Steering Committee (ESSC) is a joint committee of the municipalities that comprise the Big City Mayors of Ontario (BCMO), the Mayors and Regional Chairs of Ontario (MARCO), and the Ontario Association of Police Services Boards (OAPSB). Our membership consists of Chief Administrative Officers and City Managers from regions and municipalities involved in emergency services and municipal budgets, providing advocacy, background information, and research on emergency service costs.