Accidental 911 Calls on Cell Phones

Accidental 911 calls occur so often they overload Washington's 911 phone system. A 2004 survey of Washington's counties indicated that one-half of all 911 cell phone calls were accidentally dialed.

Preventing the Growing Crises

Help Prevent This Growing Crises. Eliminate Mis-dialing by Following Three Easy Steps:

  1. Lock your keypad. Refer to your phone's user manual for instructions.
  2. Turn off the 911 Auto-dial feature. Not all cell phones have this feature.
  3. Do not Program 911 into the Speed Dial.

If you do accidentally dial 911, stay on the phone. Before you hang up, tell the 911 operator that your call is a mis-dial.

More Information

For more information, contact Washington State Enhanced 911 Office at 800-562-6108, or visit their website.

Find information about the SnoPac 9-1-1 Dispatching Center.